Author Topic: Biden Transition and Administration  (Read 29640 times)

ccp

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #350 on: December 27, 2023, 07:27:23 AM »
I thought this was obvious

no one knew about it till it was seen over Montana by civilians, and then the WH could not deny it.

"the most transparent" administration in history  :roll:


Crafty_Dog

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Austin's secret hospitalization
« Reply #351 on: January 07, 2024, 02:02:10 AM »
POLITICS
NATIONAL SECURITY
Biden Didn’t Learn for Days That Pentagon Chief Was in Hospital
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains hospitalized but has resumed his full duties, officials say
By
Nancy A. Youssef and Michael R. Gordon
Updated Jan. 6, 2024 10:55 pm ET


(1 min)



Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remains at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for complications following an undisclosed medical procedure. PHOTO: VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA/REUTERS
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spent time in an intensive care unit after entering a military hospital on New Year’s Day, but President Biden wasn’t informed of his hospital stay for days, administration officials said Saturday.

Austin remains at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center but has now resumed his full responsibilities, the Pentagon said.

Biden spoke by phone with Austin on Saturday evening for the first time since he was hospitalized and expressed his “full confidence” in his defense chief, White House officials said.

But the question that consumed many officials in Washington on Saturday was why it took so long for the Pentagon to inform the commander-in-chief of the status of the cabinet official tasked with leading U.S. defense policy.



The Pentagon acknowledged publicly for the first time late Friday afternoon that Austin, 70 years old, has been hospitalized since Jan. 1 for complications following what it described as an “elective medical procedure.”

The National Security Council wasn’t informed about Austin’s condition until Thursday, a development earlier reported by Politico. At that point, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Biden, a U.S. official said.

“The President was informed about Secretary Austin’s medical issue,” said a spokeswoman for the NSC in a statement. “He wishes the Secretary the very best in his recovery.”

The Pentagon’s delay in publicly acknowledging Austin’s hospitalization raises questions about Austin’s responsibility to notify Congress and the American public about his health. In addition to being in charge of U.S. defense policy at a time when the U.S. is facing challenges from Russia, Iran and China, the defense secretary is the sixth person in the line of presidential succession.

Austin in a statement late Saturday afternoon said he was “on the mend” and looking forward to returning to the Pentagon soon.

“I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better,” Austin said. “But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”


Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks had the authority to make decisions, if required, the Pentagon said. PHOTO: ALEX BRANDON/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Austin didn’t say what medical procedure he had undergone or address reports that he had spent time in an intensive care unit.

Austin’s actions raised concern on Capitol Hill.

“Worryingly, we now have more questions than answers,” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “What role did the Secretary of Defense’s staff play? When exactly was the President notified? What justification did the Department have for withholding information from the National Security Council? To what extent was the Secretary incapacitated by his surgery?”

The Pentagon said that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks had the authority to carry out decisions, if required, during Austin’s hospitalization, a period of intense activity in the Middle East, including Iran-backed militia attacks on U.S. forces and commercial shipping.

A U.S.- led coalition issued an ultimatum Wednesday to the Houthis to halt their strikes on shipping in the Red Sea.

U.S. officials say the decision to strike an Iran-backed militant in Baghdad on Thursday was made last year before Austin’s hospitalization.

Hicks was on previously scheduled personal travel in Puerto Rico throughout the week, defense officials said. The deputy secretary remained in Puerto Rico with secure communications and monitored the Pentagon’s “day-to-day operations and conducted some routine business,” a defense official said in a statement.

“The Secretary is recovering well and has resumed his full duties,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman. “As we have more information to provide, we’ll make it available.”

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NBC News was the first to report about Austin being in the military’s intensive care unit.

It has been customary in the past to make public statements about hospitalization of the president and other cabinet officials, including previous defense secretaries.

In 2008, the department disclosed on the same day that Defense Secretary Robert Gates had broken his arm after slipping on ice. When Donald Rumsfeld underwent elective shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff in 2006, Pentagon officials disclosed the operation that day and noted that he had briefly transferred power to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England.

The Pentagon didn’t notify lawmakers about Austin’s hospitalization until Friday around 5 p.m., two congressional aides said. That same day, the Pentagon also issued a short statement to the media about the hospitalization, and the expectation that the secretary would resume his full duties that day.

In a letter to the top Pentagon spokesman Friday, the Pentagon Press Association, which represents the concerns and interests of journalists who cover the Defense Department, called the decision to withhold the information for nearly a week “an outrage.”

“It falls far below the normal disclosure standards that are customary by other federal departments when senior officials undergo medical procedures or are temporarily incapacitated,” the group wrote.

DougMacG

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Biden Administration Oct 1, Middle East Quieter than it has been in Decades
« Reply #352 on: January 08, 2024, 06:41:55 AM »
Original version was scrubbed, but here is the pdf

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/system/files/pdf/2023/FA_102_6_ND2023_Sullivan_print_edition_version.pdf

Biden's National Security Adviser, that did not notice the Secretary of Defense was hospitalized, wrote that the Biden Administration's foreign policy successes had led to the Middle East being quieter then it had been in decades.

Makes you wonder what he means by quieter, planning brutal, massive scale attacks in private?

Reminds me of the Democrats under Clinton spending the "peace dividend" earned under Reagan while America's enemies planned the attacks of 9/11.

Instead of declaring false victory, how about declaring real deterrence?

https://nypost.com/2023/10/25/news/magazine-scrubs-sections-of-national-security-adviser-jake-sullivans-essay-praising-bidens-performance-in-the-middle-east/
« Last Edit: January 08, 2024, 06:45:34 AM by DougMacG »

Body-by-Guinness

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SoD In The Wind & Unavailable
« Reply #353 on: January 09, 2024, 08:58:19 AM »
As Doug notes above, the Secretary of Defense was on unannounced hiatus as his deputy was on scheduled vacation leave, meaning no civilian was minding the Department of Defense at a time when the DoD has many balls in the air. This piece explores the likely fallout and predicts Austin will be allowed to resign:

https://thespectator.com/topic/lloyd-austin-mistake-career-ending/?fbclid=IwAR2k1P27XEjTZdCeC33twQpF-bDZha4xQ3hG8skFvF9nDdckSV1YJoXKmoc

ccp

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cannot read w/o registering
« Reply #354 on: January 09, 2024, 09:03:21 AM »
BBG is there any way to read without registering

I expect at least part of the fall out will be Al Sharpton and the rest of the race hustlers getting into the act.

BTW what in heck's name is so private of his elective medical procedure?

What did he have a penile implant?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/penile-implants/about/pac-20384916

NONE OF OUR BUSINESS !


« Last Edit: January 09, 2024, 09:05:36 AM by ccp »

ccp

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #355 on: January 09, 2024, 11:50:27 AM »
prostate cancer

I wondered about that

UTI would be common complication of surgery

nothing for him to be embarrassed about.

not wrong we know he has this though.

Body-by-Guinness

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Re: cannot read w/o registering
« Reply #356 on: January 09, 2024, 03:15:22 PM »
BBG is there any way to read without registering

I’ll try to post if from work tomorrow.I didn’t have to register when I saw this at work, perhaps ‘cause I was on a .edu computer, but find it wants me to from home this evening.

DougMacG

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #357 on: January 09, 2024, 10:29:47 PM »
prostate cancer

I wondered about that

UTI would be common complication of surgery

nothing for him to be embarrassed about.

not wrong we know he has this though.

Too bad to make a scandal over prostate treatment.  When you're in charge of National Defense and in line of succession to the Presidency, someone should know where you are.

During Obama Biden IRS Targeting the IRS commissioner, not cabinet level, not in charge of national security, not in line of succession, visited the White House almost every day - while unlawfully targeting Republicans and conservative groups.  What we have here is that Joe Biden didn't even notice he was gone - in a time of war.  He didn't miss any appointments because he didn't have any.  Joe was in the Caribbean.  The Assistant Secretary was in the Caribbean.   No one in charge.  No one checking with who should have been in charge.  No one reviewing the money we send to Ukraine.  No one reviewing the new requests for billions more and how they will be spent.  Good grief what message does that send?
« Last Edit: January 10, 2024, 05:55:22 AM by DougMacG »

Crafty_Dog

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #358 on: January 10, 2024, 06:24:59 AM »
More evidence that we are led by AmINOs.

Body-by-Guinness

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Re: cannot read w/o registering
« Reply #359 on: January 10, 2024, 09:34:13 AM »
BBG is there any way to read without registering

I’ll try to post if from work tomorrow.I didn’t have to register when I saw this at work, perhaps ‘cause I was on a .edu computer, but find it wants me to from home this evening.

And this time it's asking ME to register to see the whole story. No idea why I could view the whole thing yesterday or whatever.

Crafty_Dog

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #360 on: January 10, 2024, 10:50:35 AM »
Try using a different browser?

ya

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White House Senior Living
« Reply #361 on: January 12, 2024, 06:40:55 AM »
« Last Edit: January 12, 2024, 08:23:35 AM by Crafty_Dog »


DougMacG

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #363 on: January 14, 2024, 06:05:52 AM »
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hundreds-of-biden-administration-employees-plan-to-walk-out-of-their-jobs-next-week-in-protest-of-his-support-for-israel-in-hamas-war-after-young-white-house-staffers-sent-letters-criticizing-their-boss/ar-AA1mVdRp?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=53bcb40933fd44ae807a7f53b259af01&ei=38
.

I wonder if walk out on their job means lose their jobs.  What would Reagan do?  We could use hundreds fewer young Biden administration workers making $150k each to trample individual rights with coercive paternalism policies.  Especially these ones.  Maybe they can go get a real job as their brains fully develop.

Crafty_Dog

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #364 on: January 14, 2024, 07:34:55 AM »
I was working in DC for the antitrust division of the FTC when he fired the striking air traffic controllers.   

Twas glorious to see the shock!!!

ccp

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Re: Biden Transition and Administration
« Reply #365 on: January 14, 2024, 08:29:51 AM »
"I wonder if walk out on their job means lose their jobs.  What would Reagan do?  We could use hundreds fewer young Biden administration workers making $150k each to trample individual rights with coercive paternalism policies.  Especially these ones.  Maybe they can go get a real job as their brains fully develop."

We know what DJT would do.

Perhaps that is why the Democrat Fed employees did not do this when he was Prez though we know most would prefer to slow walk most of his directives.

They must be assuming they will get away with it.
And with this administration I am agreeing with their assessment.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2024, 08:33:10 AM by ccp »

Body-by-Guinness

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Jill Biden’s “Work Husband” Bullies Staff …
« Reply #366 on: March 14, 2024, 04:07:42 PM »

DougMacG

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Biden Administration, DOT?
« Reply #367 on: March 26, 2024, 10:57:39 AM »
Horrible tragedy this morning:
https://twitter.com/ThevoiceAlexa/status/1772622937570332829

I don't know how this can be political, time will tell the meaning of it, but without causation attached we have our attention diverted to diversity equity bs, we have plane parts falling from the sky and ships running into bridges. Next time we hear from our cabinet secretary Pete Buttigieg about anything other than federal transportation safety issues I hope someone will nicely tell him to sit down and shut up.

DougMacG

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Yellen admits limited options against Iran due to risk of oil spike
« Reply #368 on: April 16, 2024, 09:37:25 AM »
We wouldn't want doing the right thing to get in the way of reelecting the scoundrel.

Ya gotta have priorities and defending our best ally isn't one of them right now.

Appeasing terrorism and tyranny is how you keep energy prices down?  Funny I never heard that in econ class.

My view is that peace (and prosperity) come through strength, not cowardice.

Meanwhile, don't travel abroad while the US telegraphs weakness.
https://www.wsj.com/news/evan-gershkovich#:~:text=Evan%20is%20a%20Wall%20Street,journalist%20focused%20on%20the%20region.