Shanahan out: Acting defense secretary withdraws his confirmation bid

a reply to: Zaphod58

Granted, it's not empty. But why is it not empty? Is it not because there is a system in place where up and down that line of authority all are briefed and ''up to speed'' on the issues at hand? I for one would hope so. However that very system is what many here consider to be the ''deep state'', that machine that runs without a ''head'' and needs a ''head'' to steer it into focus with a president's directives. And the chaos I referred to earlier would be the friction between these two paradigms, the entrenched machine and an administration that continues to vacillate between the severity of the situation as described by Pompeo and Trump now saying the threat is minimal.

a reply to: JIMC5499

I can't blame him either for not wanting to go through that, but it should have come out before he got to this point with all the background checks.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Shanahan won't leave the office until after his replacement is briefed and up to speed, if he isn't already. His immediate deputy would be up to speed on pretty much everything going on, so there won't be any kind of gap in taking over.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I agree if there was anything to it. These days who knows. You know. Ready, Fire , Aim.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
a reply to: DBCowboy

You have nothing more to add Cowboy other than the routine it's all the leftist's fault?

His statement that a "family issue" has been "dredged up" unfairly is testimony that this is, indeed, the case. It has happened for every single nomination thus far. This means that the Left (Yes, the Left) will be concentrating on an incident to which he was exonerated long ago instead of his qualifications as a secretary of defense. It's yet another witch hunt looking for ANYTHING to derail any nomination there is. Few people want to put up with that crap. i don't blame them.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
a reply to: Middleoftheroad

Your reply does not add at all to the topic at hand. What you have done is only to deflect from this topic and direct it to the old hack about how much you hate the democrats. This issue is not about democrats but rather the Republican president and his nominees and cabinet members who have been brought into national service at Trump's behest.

Actually, it has everything to do with the topic. Not my fault the left's strategy of destroying families and people's reputations over petty politics is completely obvious. The cat was let out of the bag during the Kavanaugh nomination process and it's not hard to see the Democrats will do anything to maintain power. As I said, the left's turn is coming and the standard is set. But don't be upset with me, you will have to place that blame on the politicians you helped elect.

a reply to: schuyler

Yep. They make the price too high to fight them so the a$$holes win by default.

Shanahan was only 'Acting SoD', now we have another actor, er Acting. Meaning he likely won't be in that role very long. Given Shanahan's circumstances not sure why he waited so long to bow out.

"Devote more time to his family" - how many times have we heard that quote before?

Mark Esper, West Point grad (one of his classmates was Mike Pompeo) who was Raytheon’s top lobbyist before joining the Pentagon, is in. He is a revolving door, and fast tracked in his roles, deep in the MIC cabal.

Given his MIC history/experience I wonder on the timing given the current tensions with Iran.

Who Is Mark Esper?

a reply to: EndtheMadnessNow

Shanahan was a former high ranking exec for Boeing, who headed up the 787 program before moving to the Pentagon. Just about everyone high up at the Pentagon worked for one of the big contractors prior to going to the Pentagon.

TerryMcGuire

However if they are severe enough for him to withdraw his candidacy, does this speak well of Trump's vetting system for his cabinet secretarie

Maybe it means Trump is more compassionate and respectful of people's personal lives than the Media and Democrats are?

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I don't profess to have an in depth understanding of US politics and of the workings of it's political system but I do try to stay abreast of current affairs and at least try to do so from an unbiased standpoint.

I'm not trying to score any political points or pursue any pre-conceived set-in-stone dogma or agenda but it does seem to me that there has been an unusually high turnaround in this administrations staff/cabinet ministers etc.
I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for most of them.

In this instance it seems Shanahan is trying to protect his family;

Minutes after Mr Trump's announcement, the Washington Post published an interview with Mr Shanahan in which he discussed a 2011 incident when his son, then 17, reportedly beat his mother with a baseball bat fracturing her skull.

www.bbc.co.uk...

I think that's understandable considering the partisan politics and left/right dichotomy that seems to be all consuming in the US at present.

Just some observations from someone on the outside looking in.

Reading pareidolia

originally posted by: EndtheMadnessNow
Shanahan was only 'Acting SoD', now we have another actor, er Acting. Meaning he likely won't be in that role very long. Given Shanahan's circumstances not sure why he waited so long to bow out.

"Devote more time to his family" - how many times have we heard that quote before?

Mark Esper, West Point grad (one of his classmates was Mike Pompeo) who was Raytheon’s top lobbyist before joining the Pentagon, is in. He is a revolving door, and fast tracked in his roles, deep in the MIC cabal.

Given his MIC history/experience I wonder on the timing given the current tensions with Iran.

Who Is Mark Esper?

Thats not good...

a reply to: putnam6

As opposed to Shanahan? It's par for the course.

a reply to: Zaphod58

We can only hope. And hopefully that ''young underling'' who created the ''USS McCain'' fiasco will be nowhere in the movement up the chain of command.

a reply to: schuyler

I recognize this possibility. However other parts of his statement suggest that there truly is a discord at home which would cause his job performance to suffer. And if this ''home'' situation has escalated he is being wise to pull his nomination and focus on his family. I wish him well.

a reply to: EndtheMadnessNow

Thank you for grasping the meat of the thread End. I"ve been busy for the last few hours but will come back to your link on Esper.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

There's a well laid out process for a SecDef leaving. He probably won't leave for at least a couple weeks, even though it's "immediate". That allows for the transition.

He'll be lucky to hold a command again.

a reply to: Freeborn

Yes, there is that revolving door in this administration Free. And that is a larger picture that needs to be contemplated rather than just the immediate focus on this one man. Thanks