How's that swamp draining thing?
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Well, every day is another chance to prove that the White House is living up to its promise to drain the swamp. Except there's a situation involving ExxonMobil, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Russia which offers Team Trump a golden opportunity to prove that there is not actually a conflict-of-interest or any crony capitalism going on. All the administration has to do is the exact opposite of what is actually happening. Exxon has gone ahead and applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from U.S. sanctions against Russia, so that it can resume its partnership with the Russian state. And with Rex Tillerson recusing himself from Exxon affairs (for only 2 years, of course). There's no way he's doing this to benefit his company or himself. Right?
e·mol·u·ment ??mäly?m?nt/ nounformal plural noun: emoluments a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office.
Jeff Sessions got rid of a bunch of Obama left overs and that goes a long way to draining the swamp. He is also going after some of Obama's law breakers and that is a good thing. They are even digging into Fast and Furious and that is another great thing that would never happen with Hillary at the helm.
More emoluments issues: On the day Ivanka meets with Chinese President Xi, she gets 3 patents immediately approved. But I'm sure that was a coincidence. And those patents won't earn her any additional income. Keep Draining That Swamp Though!
Umm...I'm reading Exxon applied for the waiver in 2015.
So exactly what is your point, Paul?
Matt
I wonder if it would benefit Exxon to have a former CEO as the U.S. Secretary of State and, oh, also a great friend of Vlad Putin?
And apparently Trump has a cozy relationship with Islamist Dictator Erdogan of Turkey, also, calling him this week to congratulate him on winning a Turkish election process that was presumed about as fair and democratic as ones in Iraq under Saddam. Trump said in December of 2015: "I have a little conflict of interest 'cause I have a major, major building in Istanbul".
The company originally applied for a waiver to gain access to the Black Sea in July 2015 but its application wasn’t approved then. They've asked for another one just this past week. Do you not see the conflict of interest? Because if you remember He testified during his confirmation hearings that neither he nor his former company ever lobbied against U.S. sanctions on Russia. Yet they did just that in 2015. As you mentioned.
Paul,
Thanks for responding to your real name.
Are you saying a former CEO of a major US company should never be SoS, due to conflicts of interest?
Or, are you saying every major US company, with former CEOs in office, should be automatically disqualified to apply for a waiver?
Better yet, do you believe Exxon should simply abandon million $$ deals that were in place before the sanctions, because their ex-CEO is now SoS?
Matt
The emoluments clause covers that Matt. Very clearly. I didn't write the law but I doexpect our highest public officials to abide by the law. Don't you?
Absolutely love it josh, when Trump pi$$es you off, and watch you pi$$ and moan. Makes my day. The cry baby you are, it's going to be a long four and possibly eight long years for you. 8^)
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. Article I, Section 9, Clause 8.
There's the emoluments clause. And, sorry, Ragger, you're dead wrong. The plain language is clear. I'll mark my calendar the one day you finally get something right.
Thanks for playing, Paul.
Now run along....
Matt
Actually Matt, Paul prefers the phrase "scamper nervously away."
Paul Zeidan, the only man who automatically lowers the median IQ in any room merely by entering it.......
Mike,
As you probably know, Rex Tillerson was scheduled to retire from Exxon last month. He sold all his shares, gave up $7 million in earnings, and agreed to have his retirement money held in an independent trust for the next 10 years, just to accept the SoS position. He also promised not to return to the oil and gas business for 10 years, or else forfeit all of the trust money.
All of that was well-documented and approved by Congress at his confirmation.
And here we have FauxPaul whining about possible emoluments that Rex may realize from a exploration project? Apparently, he doesn't grasp that exploration is a cost to Exxon, not a revenue source.
Talk about 3 fries short of a Happy Meal.....
Matt
"automatically lowers the median IQ in any room merely by entering it"
That would describe the situation whenever I enter one of my classrooms. I am the only one in the room who is not pretty much a certified genius.
It is a humbling but exciting experience. What can I teach a kid who at age 12 scores higher on the ACT than 99.99% of high school seniors?
"It is a humbling but exciting experience. What can I teach a kid who at age 12 scores higher on the ACT than 99.99% of high school seniors?"
Humility. That's your strongest trait.
Matt
My thanks to the Bowsite janitors for cleaning up the garbage that Ruger tried to leave behind for the rest of us here. And special thanks to BK for emptying the dumpster of that stinkin' leftist stench before the rot got a chance to set in. Wheeew.......
The swamp draining at Bowsite is going well. Zeidan has once again been shown to be a charlatan. Actually, he's an apprentice charlatan as actual charlatans are smarter.
Thanks, GG. It's a little scary knowing that these kids have unlimited potential and my task is to help them see that potential, develop it productively, and grow into an adult who fulfills their potential to benefit themselves and our entire society.
Matt,
Sorry for the slow reply, traveling today! The real shame is the information you posted was so easily discoverable yet Paul chose to regurgitate leftist nonsense. Further disgraceful is this is exactly the kind of banal tripe he serves up to unsuspecting students as "education."
Then I see someone like Henry who pours his heart and soul into giving his students the best possible preparation for the real world and I shake my head at how stark the contrast is between the two.
Henry, I echo Matt's comments to you and say that I have no doubt those gifted kids received gifts via the gene pool and a gift in a caring educator who will encourage, not stifle their potential.
Kudos my friend.
Briarcliff on spring break are they?
The unfortunate thing is that Ragger is less than 1% of the man that Henry is, and he has no freaking clue that is the case.