BREAKING: The State Department's entire senior management team just resigned.

[kstewart33]

Last edited Thu Jan 26, 2017, 01:06 PM - Edit history (1)

Posted at 11:02 am ET today by The Washington Post:

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s job running the State Department just got considerably more difficult. The entire senior level of management officials resigned Wednesday, part of an ongoing mass exodus of senior foreign service officers who don’t want to stick around for the Trump era.

...Tillerson was actually inside the State Department’s headquarters in Foggy Bottom on Wednesday, taking meetings and getting the lay of the land. I reported Wednesday morning that the Trump team was narrowing its search for his No. 2 and three officials, and that it was looking to replace the State Department’s long-serving undersecretary for management, Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy, who has been in that job for nine years, was actively involved in the transition and was angling to keep that job under Tillerson, three State Department officials told me.

Then suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy and three of his top officials resigned unexpectedly, four State Department officials confirmed. Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, followed him out the door. All are career foreign service officers who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2017/01/26/the-state-departments-entire-senior-management-team-just-resigned/?postshare=1341485447378534&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.6dddacd169b0

Edit update: Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo:

“It’s the single biggest simultaneous departure of institutional memory that anyone can remember, and that’s incredibly difficult to replicate,” says Kerry Chief of Staff David Wade.

This is bad for Tillerson. But it's bad for everyone. Kennedy was reportedly trying to stay on in his position, as I believe he did from Bush to Obama. It sure sounds like there was some precipitating event.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/top-state-dept-leadership-resigns

[Chasstev365]

1. MORE MORE MORE!

Let this spread to other Departments to put tbe pressure on Republicans.

THEY OWN THIS TRUMP MESS!

[yeoman6987]

37. This is what trump wants

He gets to put him own yes people in. Cut the state department to bare bones.

[Cryptoad]

39. There is a freezing hire in place ?

[yeoman6987]

44. I just put that down thread

I hope someone tells trumpie he can't hire. He's getting what he deserves not even a week in.

[MineralMan]

54. That hiring freeze exempts people appointed by Trump.

I read it this morning, and there is an exemption written into it.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

85. Think you're right... hopefully, there are a few less warmongers in Foggy Bottom than there were yesterday.

[Drahthaardogs]

88. These are not appointees

These are real feds

[2naSalit]

137. That sounds like something I need to read...

I have been out of town all weekend, I knew there'd be some additional crap taking place.

[Nitram]

45. It may be what he wants, but it's just another example of how stupid he is.

He is going to look so bad trying to run things without people who know what they are doing to help him. I predict a MASSIVE FAIL!

[Kingofalldems]

75. And his passive aggressive supporters too, yeoman6987.

[disalitervisum]

126. bannon mostly (and trump) want to destroy

the career government civil service corps. Bannon especially, because he understands that doing so removes a major check on the executive power. trump only understands it because bannon explained it to him.

The checks and balances provided by the founders that exist within the constitution are the formal ones. The informal check on executive power provided by the career civil service is a result of the evolution of government, and allows for continuity and stability across varying degrees of radicalism or madness that may exist within the executive.

If allowed to continue, this course soon leads to the absence of anyone within government who has the ability to oppose or question policies put forth by the executive. Witness the gag orders already issued for various agencies.

Bannon and his wing of the tea party want to burn down the whole show and remake it in their image. This is their stated goal, which dovetails nicely with today's attack on the media by Bannon, who said "the media should just shut up," and "the media is the opposition party."

[DallasNE]

129. Bannon Fails To Take Into Account

Trump's plunging poll numbers. His first approval rating after being sworn in is just 32 percent, while other incoming President's typically enjoy a 70% approval rating in this honeymoon period. This is affect races such as in Virginia later this year and cause Republican up in 2018 to start to distance themselves from Trump shortly. Bannon has time to burn it down but not enough to put it back together again due to the pushback. And there will be leakers, gag order or not.

[KittyWampus]

50. You are wrong. This puts us in danger. Leaves too many spots for Bannon incompetents.

[heaven05]

52. yep

[annabanana]

62. Exactly.. Remember when Paul Bremer was sent in to run the gov't of Iraq

after Shock & Awe? He went in with grad school Randian neophytes determined to set up their idea of a perfect (small) government.

This is what will happen to us.

[cwydro]

102. Gotta agree.

Not a good development.

[mobeau69]

70. CNN is reporting that they were fired. n/t

[groundloop]

84. tRump probably fired them right after he got wind of their resignations

[SCantiGOP]

90. I know it blows a hole in the story but

These folks, as is custom, all handed in letters of resignation when the new President was sworn in. It is then up to the incoming Secretary to decide which he/she will accept. All of these people were told that they were no longer needed in their job.

Amended for link, from CNN:

Patrick Kennedy, who served for nine years as the undersecretary for management, Assistant Secretaries for Administration and Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Joyce Anne Barr, and Ambassador Gentry Smith, director of the Office for Foreign Missions, were sent letters by the White House that their service was no longer required, the sources told CNN.
All four, career officers serving in positions appointed by the President, submitted letters of resignation per tradition at the beginning of a new administration.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/top-state-department-officials-asked-to-leave-by-trump-administration/index.html

[MyOwnPeace]

2. Bid deal..............

who needs experience there?
We don't have it in the White House!

[randome]

3. Resist.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[Cryptoad]

47. Obstruct!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Wow, that's a shock.

Should be interesting to see how the orange twit handles this.

[Brother Buzz]

20. Nothing Shocks Me Anymore

[denbot]

55. There was a DU'er by that name..

Nice person, met her at a So Cal DU meetup, back in the day.

[eleny]

57. Another name I recall fondly, as well

[Brother Buzz]

59. Yes, and I tip my hat to her by using uppercase letters to type those words

[Rustyeye77]

5. BWAHAHAHA..."I AM OUTTA HERE !!!"

[GliderGuider]

6. Wow! Good for them!!! nt

[cilla4progress]

7. We are ungoverned and

unprotected

[Nitram]

48. The military is still in place and they can fucnction entirely autonomosly.

If push comes to shove, if the U.S. is in danger, the military will ignore the Dumpster and take things into their own hands. Yes, I know, that's not an ideal situation, but I am confident our military will keep their guard up and will be only too happy to be back under the control of a sane Commander-in-Chief.

[Shadowsmith]

91. No. That would be horrible.

Our military must follow the orders of the Commander in Chief unless the orders are illegal. Anything else simply creates a terrifying precedent and would set us on a path to military rule.

I hate Trump and I'm terrified of what he's going to do to this country. But having the military take independent action is worse. We need our military to remain under civilian control.

[liberalhistorian]

101. I do understand what you're saying and, in normal times,

I would agree with you. But these are not normal times, not at all. If Drumpf causes or starts an illegal war with a strong country that would wreak havoc on us, or order invasions of American cities (neither of which I'd put past him at all), I WANT the military to refuse his orders and take independent action to do so.

[Nitram]

113. Shadowsmith, I only sleep easy knowing that the military would probably refuse an order to launch

an unnecessary nuclear attack on another country if Trump ordered it. I sleep easy knowing the the military will continue to function even if the Commander-in-Chief is dysfunctional. It is a comfort to think the military might disobey this particular Commander-in-Chief. Do you disagree?

[tclambert]

124. The problem with refusing illegal orders is, what if the President's lawyers say it is legal?

"Sure, torture is illegal, in fact, it's a war crime. But enhanced interrogation is A-OK. That's according to Vice President Cheney, the Attorney General, and the White House Chief Counsel." If Private Pyle refuses the order to enhance that interrogation until the prisoner's heart stops, he will face a court-martial.

[tavalon]

132. I agree

Using a 25th amendment remedy is best. Impeachment second best. But if Trump decides to play with his new nukes, I hope the military does the right thing until we can get this mess out of the White House.

I hate Pence, but I'm really looking forward to President Pence. He's insane in a way that won't get us all killed. Hurt, yes, but radioactive, no.

[tclambert]

100. Do you recall the 1998 movie "The Siege?"

Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Annette Benning, and Tony Shalhoub starred in it. I kind of liked Willis' portrayal of General Devereaux, who "implores" the politicians not to order martial law. "It will be noisy. It will be scary. And it will not be mistaken for a VFW parade," he warns. But the President orders it, and he rolls tanks into New York City. At the end, Agent Hubbard (Denzel Washington) identifies the last member of the terrorist cell and shoots him before he can set off his bomb, then arrests General Devereaux for "the torture and murder of Tariq Husseini, an American citizen." (The military had, of course, gotten carried away with their "aggressive" interrogation of a suspect.) Devereaux threatens to order his men to shoot all the FBI agents who came to arrest him, but decides in the end that what is best for the country is for him to submit to being arrested.

I think that movie addressed the subject of terrorism and possible responses to terrorism in a much more mature way than the Bush administration ever did. I expect the Trump administration will make the Bush people look like deep thinkers by comparison.

[Nitram]

114. If it were me I'd wait to quit until the first order I could not in good conscience obey.

I think that sends a stronger message than just resigning up front.

[workinclasszero]

104. Putin's plan is playing out smartly looks like

[Lotusflower70]

8. Wow just wow

Good for them. Standing up for principles and showing some backbone.

[geek tragedy]

9. Holy crap, we're not going to have a functioning state department.

Which is probably for the best given who the boss is.

[Ilsa]

108. More isolationism, though, isn't it? nt

[geek tragedy]

109. yes, Trump doesn't think we need a state department other than to process

visas and passports

[lostnfound]

122. Might be Putin's orders

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. Wow.

That's telling. Extremely telling.

[underpants]

11. XL and DAPL pipeline Exec Orders I'd bet

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/01/trumps-ex-breitbart-advisor-bannon-is-drafting-executive-orders-and-basically-winging-it-report/

For example, the website reported the White House failed to ask State Department experts to review the memorandum on the Keystone XL pipeline, although the Canadian company vying for a permit to build the project is currently suing the U.S. for $15 billion.

A former State Department lawyer who worked on the Keystone proposal said Trump’s order was “more than unusual, that’s reckless.”

DU thread (not mine) here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8539954

[karynnj]

29. Wow - could that mean that taxpayers might actually end up funding that disastrous pipeline

if TransCanada uses Trump's action to say that Obama cost them money? I was hoping that economics would prevent the pipeline from being built, but that suit might mean that the US could end up settling or losing and paying what would be a big part of the cost.

My initial thought that at least Obama/Kerry/Clinton would not own the likely inevitable environmental disaster when it - like many pipes - has a leak, was really short sided and political. While I am glad for that - especially for life long environmentalist Kerry - this is a disaster for the country and world.

[TeddyBear 1]

42. the pipeline

is not a sure thing on Canada's side now.. Depending on what Trump has in mind for a deal and the low cost of oil may scrap it anyway..

[TexasBushwhacker]

81. Guess who is the biggest foreign lease holder

of the Canadian tar sands?

KOCH BROS!

[MineralMan]

12. Excellent. Let's see more of this from other Departments and Agencies.

If the Senior Staff at all Executive Branch agencies and departments resigns, a clear message will be sent. Trump and his merry band of miscreants has no clue about who has the knowledge and experience to replace those individuals.

Here'a standard resignation letter I would recommend for those folks.

Message to President Donald Trump:

My dear Mr. President:

I HEREBY QUIT. I WON'T WORK FOR YOU, YOU WORTHLESS POS!

Lots of luck,

Senior Agency Staff Member

[csziggy]

111. Why would The Donald be concerned about knowledge or experience?

He have none of his own for the office he now occupies and none of the people he has hired so far have truly relevant knowledge or experience for the positions he has put them into.

He will hire sycophants that are more interested in power and self enrichment than they are in actually doing their jobs. That has been his record so far, why should he change?

[Equinox Moon]

13. Makes sense

No one in 'their' right mind will work under this administration.

I am concern however with what the replacements will be. Military generals?

[get the red out]

25. Probably worse

More CEOs.

[Equinox Moon]

32. You are right. More oil CEO's

and banksters.

[central scrutinizer]

14. Can't wait to see how Sean Sphincter will spin this

What alternative universe will he pull out of his ill-fitting suit?

[frazzled]

15. Both gratifying and terrifying at the same time

Because I presume they will be replaced by completely inexperienced, crackpot secretaries and cub reporters from Breitbart, who will amplify the insanity.

[narnian60]

66. +1

[lostnfound]

123. More likely with former ExxonMobil people

[hunter]

16. And the Trump appointees are going to wonder why the civilized world...

... is making them sit at the naughty children's table.

It's actually quite terrifying. The Trump administration is like an angry four year old waving a loaded gun.

[yeoman6987]

41. Oh my just thought of something......federal job hire freeze!!!!

What to do??? Lol.

[Coolest Ranger]

17. Holy

mother frakker. William Adama must be smiling at this

[benld74]

18. Awwww Fork!!!

[ffr]

19. Not going to be the fall guys for the idiot at the top.

Expect more leadership losses in other departments as word travels.

Putin and tRump and just a wrecking ball on our nation.

[Eyeball_Kid]

21. This news item does two things:

It re-affirms the belief that people will do the right thing to preserve their own dignity and integrity.

It re-affirms the belief that the level of Trumpy's craziness and incompetence is an existential threat to all of us.


Both analyses, common sense ones at that, will fall on deaf ears inside the Trump/GOP cabal. The GOP knows that they're in big trouble with Trump at the helm, but are risking all of our lives in the process. There is no escape route from nuclear war. And the GOP is risking all of our lives for their own political gain.

[IronLionZion]

22. Experience is for losers and other snowflakes

Winners don't have to time to learn about diplomacy and tact!

[lunatica]

23. This I have a great deal of respect for

I believe these resignations are much better than going totally against their principles and staying in the job.

Let Tillerson find someone who can teach him on the job now. He won't be able to find his own ass.

He'll probably populate the State Department with nothing oil billionaires.

[harun]

92. Me too

[Gothmog]

24. K&R

[Captain_New_York]

26. Keep an eye on where the State Department Officials move to

These guys know what's going on here in the US and abroad. If they start retiring to foreign locations, I would get very concerned. This former Army officer, with a son who is a serving officer and whose family traces back a 300 year history in America and served in the US Army in every conflict is seriously thinking of expatriating. Costa Rica is a candidate for cost, flight time and time zone reasons. Malaysia (Penang, Ipoh or KL) is also a choice since I lived there for 1/2 year and another 2 1/2 in Singapore

[Tanuki]

27. This reminds me of the Watergate era "Saturday night massacre," when Nixon fired Special Prosecutor

Archibald Cox, and both the Attorney General Elliot Richardson and the Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus immediately resigned in protest. Things went downhill for Tricky Dick after that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Massacre

[lunatica]

30. May history repeat itself with Tillerson and Trump

[bdamomma]

28. does anyone

think this was the tRump agenda to eliminate all government senior officials to proclaim tRump as dictator.

[karynnj]

36. No - because the career leadership in the departments would not have the power if they stayed to

stop him on anything.

What this shows is that we are in uncharted territories. Consider past shifts between parties. There was no talk of mass exodus when GHWB left office followed by Clinton; Clinton leaving office followed by W; W leaving office followed by Obama.

Also note that Patrick Kennedy is mentioned first. He was treated almost as a partisan by the Republican Congress in the hearings they had on both Benghazi and Clinton's email. Ignored was that he was a political appointee.

[gordianot]

58. Trump does not have enough foresight to have a plan.

The reason he did not discuss policy during the election is that beyond a few rudimentary sound bites he has no policies. Trump has no plan he does not make plans other than conning finances and other people in order to stiff them. As long as the money flows Trump is for sale (quite possibly even if you are Russia).

[gademocrat7]

31. Good for them.

[logosoco]

33. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can certainly understand them not wanting to stay around for what is surely to become an even bigger mess, but who will they get to replace them?

[NastyRiffraff]

34. Holy crap!

This is incredible, in an era of unbelievable things happening. Good for them. I wouldn't work for Dump or Tillerson either.

[Renew Deal]

35. Who would want the Trump years on their resume?

[NewJeffCT]

60. Jared Kushner? Ivanka Trump?

I'm sure Steve Bannon can find a few people to work in the State Dept.

[ailsagirl]

38. WOW!!!!

Good for them!! (Can't blame them, though-- bet there will be lots more)

[elehhhhna]

40. Nobody wants get stuck with that cleanup on aisle five

[FarCenter]

43. Kennedy, Barr and Bond are mid to late '60s in age, so retirement is expected.

Gentry Smith, about 57, has been involved in security, so maybe Bengazhi?

[ailsagirl]

49. Bravo to your Bravo

[nolabear]

51. He might put puppets in but make no mistake, this is a FABULOUS thing.

The entire world will continue to see that the American system in large and small recognizes that this man is indeed mad and those using him for power will do things equally mad.

THIS IS NOT US! THIS IS NOT OUR AMERICA!

[UCmeNdc]

53. This is bad.

Trump will destroy the United States.

[ffr]

56. Is there any equivalent precedence for this in American history?

This is symbolic of lack of confidence in leadership. Mark my words.

[liberal N proud]

61. Holy Shit!

[GoCubsGo]

63. This is not good.

Our State Department is about to be filled with a bunch of Heckava-Job-Brownies and other bootlickers. Lovely.

We are so fucked.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

64. I know a few people there looking for opportunities elsewhere

Including lifers who have been there since the first Bush administration.

They don't really have a problem with Tillerson, some say their first impressions of him are very positive. But they're unsettled by being undermined by foreign policy Trump will invent while he is taking a shit and broadcast to the world moments later. Trump has already demonstrated ignorance or indifference to protocol when he chose to engage Nigel Farage as though he were a defacto British ambassador.

[AtheistCrusader]

65. Whe I hear 'Rex Tillerson' I can only think of the seattle Supervillan, Rex Velvet.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/seattle-supervillain-rex-velvet-issues-another-warning-video/

[C_U_L8R]

77. I think Rex Tillerson

must have been Daffy Duck's nemesis in some cartoon.
At least I can clearly hear Daffy saying "Rex Tillerson, you're despicable"

[3_Limes]

67. This is certainlygood news for Putin!

He wouldn't have dreamed of things working out this well, but here we are.

I'll take "Intro. to conversational Russian" for 800, Alex!

[NotThisTime]

68. What does this mean for getting visa's to other countries, they will start downgrading the U.S. for

visa's? Trump is the worst thing to happen to this country, but that's a given

[ALBliberal]

69. They would have been ignored or outright dismissed anyway.

We are in no worse a situation. But we have the take away of deligitimizing this farce of an administration. This was a crafty move made by highly credible experienced professionals that have our country's best interests at heart. Now they can trot out their joke replacements.
And Kerry Hillary and Obama fully approved imo.

[BRMCOne]

71. And more scary news just in...

You're right...sure feels like we are not being governed.

Not that this will come as a shock to us, but:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/world/doomsday-clock-2017/index.html

I really wish my Mommy were still alive, cuz I don't mind telling you, I'm 49 years old and scared as hell.

On 2nd thought, I'm GLAD my Mommy isn't here and is being spared this bullshit.

[SecularMotion]

72. Republicans like to call their wives "mommy"

[world wide wally]

73. I'm sure we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg here

Career people don't just resign for trivial reasons. I am betting that Trump sent a memo or word that they would now treat Russia with kid gloves (kiss their asses) in a way they could not swallow.

[BlueMTexpat]

74. To paraphrase former Veep

Joe Biden, "This is a big f*cking deal!"

Never before in history has such a thing occurred. There is NO ONE who will put their credibility on the line for the Lying Liar-in-Chief.

[lakercub]

76. Need a little help

Is this a true resignation? It is typical for all presidential appointees to submit a letter of resignation when a new president takes over. That doesn't mean they are all resigning, as many may be retained at the pleasure of the president. In this case, did they all actually legitimately resign with no designs on continuing service? Or did the Trump administration actually accept all the resignations (which would have been an absurd decision)?

It seems Kennedy and three others had their resignations accepted, but did that spur others to resign for real rather than submit the customary resignation letter that may or may not be accepted?

[pbmus]

78. Just more big oil in our government ...

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[NRaleighLiberal]

79. RESIST!

[NRaleighLiberal]

80. What is the alternative fact here? CNN has it reported very differently

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/top-state-department-officials-asked-to-leave-by-trump-administration/index.html

[marybourg]

82. If they handed in their resignations, they resigned.

Accepting a resignation is not "asking [them] to leave." In my book.

[NRaleighLiberal]

83. Yup. I agree

[The Wielding Truth]

136. I'm also understanding that it is custom for all state dept. employees to hand in their resignations

then the incoming administration can keep them or let them leave.

[Rex]

86. Nobody with an ounce of moral code wants anything to do with Trump.

Fuck him, he told people to leave and I hope they all do.

[Hekate]

87. Knr

[ChoppinBroccoli]

89. And Here's The Best Part Of It

President Clusterfuck can't fill those jobs because he declared a hiring freeze.

[spanone]

93. just now 1:16 pm cst. cnn reported they were all FIRED. not resigned.

[getting old in mke]

98. It's standard practive

for senior members to submit their letters of resignation to incoming administrations.

So, technically they resigned--along with a bunch of other people. In this case, though, Trump & lackeys accepted their resignations and lost 150 years of experience.

[spanone]

99. doesn't really matter, they're gone.

The State Department’s entire senior-level management staff resigned on Wednesday, The Washington Post reported. CNN later reported that the officials were actually fired by the Trump administration as part of an effort to “clean house.” Patrick Kennedy, the under-secretary for management, was reportedly aiming to stay with the department, but resigned suddenly on Wednesday along with his top staffers described by the Post as “career foreign service officers.” It was unclear why exactly

Kennedy, who was working closely on the department’s transition after Donald Trump was elected president, decided to call it quits. David Wade, former chief of staff for

John Kerry, called it “the single biggest simultaneous departure of institutional memory that anyone can remember, and that’s incredibly difficult to replicate.” He added that such positions are extremely difficult to fill. Those who left were reportedly career foreign-service officers who’ve served in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/01/26/report-all-senior-state-dept-management-officials-resign.html?via=desktop&source=copyurl

[rzemanfl]

106. I don't believe anything that comes out of this illegitimate administration.

Why were they so slow to react? Because they were making shit up?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

94. I'd prefer they stay on their position but refuse to follow his orders.

I guess there would be protocol problems with that that I don't know about, but as I see it now, leaving allows a tyrant to put in sycophants, which is what tyrants want.

[catbyte]

95. Wow.

[dawnie51]

96. Big difference......

I would have had respect if they resigned. Fired, not so much.

[rzemanfl]

105. Huh? n/t

[rzemanfl]

107. These people, who either quit from or were fired by the Drumpf Administration, deserve respect

for their years of service. What you are saying is akin to saying heroes don't get captured.

[Hekate]

97. It was just reported that they were fired. WTH is going on?

[SCantiGOP]

103. See my post above, #90

[uponit7771]

116. From Benedict Donald's crew?! Not so much

[TrollBuster9090]

110. I have a feeling that EXXON is about to lose its entire top staff, so they can fill the vacuum

I guess the good news is that Trump just created a couple dozen NEW JOBS at Exxon.

What was the 'precipitating event?' I suspect it was probably when Tillerson told all the 'pinkos' at STATE to re-apply for their own jobs, or risk being replaced by people with H1A visas.

[Moral Compass]

112. They were fired

According to TPM's updated story says that they were fired.

The amateurs are getting rid of the professionals.

Guess this is their idea of draining the swamp.

[uponit7771]

117. Says who? MiniPoots crew? I don't believe a damn thing they say

[KingCharlemagne]

115. GENERAL STRIKE!!!! - nt

[Hekate]

118. That only works in France, which is much smaller than the US.

As I have been saying here since 2002.
Wearily,
Hekate

[KingCharlemagne]

119. Bullshit. If the entire federal civil service walked out, it would render the county instantly

ungovernable. Think PATCO in a government-wide scale. Fuck Trump and his fascist cohort and fuck his Republican enablers. Time to shut this country down.

[Hekate]

125. Okay. I won't hold my breath, but be sure to call me when it happens.

[KingCharlemagne]

138. Can't call you -- don't have your number -- but I read this article and thought of you:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/resistance-from-within-federal-workers-push-back-against-trump/2017/01/31/c65b110e-e7cb-11e6-b82f-687d6e6a3e7c_story.html?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.9ec1fbe183a0

[kentuck]

120. Conservative media is saying that they were fired...

...that they didn't quit or resign...Trump fired them!

Redstate (right-wing) is saying they were fired.

[lostnfound]

121. Clearly they are outsourcing this department to Russia

State? Who needs State?

[orangecrush]

127. Tillerson is a Russian asset?

Maybe that explains it?

[GliderGuider]

134. Yes, I'm of the same mind.

Tillerson, Bannon and Flynn.

The country is being run by a crazy man and three Russian agents.
But I'm sure they all have our best interests at heart!

[Imajika]

128. If they are political appointees then they were likely fired...

...or handed over their resignations as all other political appointees typically do.

Would be nice if the media got these stories right in the first place before running with the most sensationalist angle, getting everyone thinking something dramatic took place, when in reality there is no surprise here.

[catbyte]

131. It's VERY unusual for them to leave so soon. They usually stay for a few months to

ensure a smooth transition. This is scary.

[Beacool]

130. There are several former SOS shaking their heads in wonder right now.

This guy is going to devolve the country into something unrecognizable.

[watoos]

133. This was done for a reason

The reason is related to the story that was on Rachel Maddow last night. Trump is about to remove sanctions on Russia and he wants his people in the state department to facilitate it.
What happened to the Rachel post that was on DU last night? It disappeared or petered out?
I thought Rachel's report was big news about the Russian cyber spy being charged with espionage by Putin. We had a mole in Russia and someone outed him.

What happened to that post from last night? Anyone? Was it bogus? I spread it all over my right wing blog site in Pa.

[TomCADem]

135. Seems to Coincide With Ongoing Purge in Russia ...

... of folks who might have had contacts with Western intelligence agencies.