Monday, March 13, 2017

Opuscula

Obama appointee
Ignorant of political
Customs, traditions

THINGS APPARENTLY WERE DIFFERENT UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S predecessor.

Tradition — and custom — demand that ALL political appointees tender their resignations when a new chief executive takes office. That holds true even in some corporations.

It is the chief executive’s PRIVILEDGE to accept or reject the resignation.

BUT, — ADDING FUEL TO “THE MEDIA LIES” FIRE — the blatantly anti-Trump “reporters” (and their editors) apparently are either ignorant of U.S. customs and traditions or too lazy to review government history.

    Breitbart's web site -- and I'm sure most media archives -- reminded those who think with a headline reading Politico 2009: Obama to ‘Replace’ Bush U.S. Attorneys/Politico 2017: Trump to ‘Oust’ Obama Appointees. Breitbart may be in Trump's "pocket," but it is one of the few voices that offers "the other side of the political coin." If Breitbart’s people could find the Politico material, why not the leftest media?

People who fail to offer their resignation and who apparently consider themselves replaceable are, in some circles, are fired.

That’s what happened to Preet Bharara.

According to ABCnews
    The most prominent U.S. attorney in the nation, Preet Bharara, announced Saturday that he was "fired" after he did not resign.
A network writer for tv “news” softened the “most prominent U.S. attorney” opinion to “one of America’s top federal prosecutors.” In neither case did ABC “news” offer attribution, a reporter’s Second Rule (the first being to spell — or pronounce — the person’s name correctly).

    Time magazine named Bharara as one of the 100 "most influential" people in America; Beyonce is on the main cover, but Robert Redford, the openly-gay NBA player Jason Collins, and GM’s CEO Mary Abrra are on alternate covers. Miley Cyrus and Pharrell also made the list.

The Hill reports that Bharara was one of 46 U.S. attorneys that lacked political common courtesy and failed to offer their resignations.

The Hill article continues, noting

    U.S. attorneys are normally replaced at the beginning of new administrations, and Sessions on Friday asked 46 federal prosecutors appointed by former President Barack Obama to submit their resignations.

    But the decision to ask for Bharara's resignation came as a surprise, as he reportedly met with Trump after the election and agreed to remain in his position after Trump took office. Sessions had also asked him to stay, Bharara told The New York Times.

    Multiple reports indicated that Bharara was refusing to resign. The Daily Beast reported late Friday that Bharara had told his section chiefs that he’d yet to submit the requested letter and may instead challenge Sessions to fire him.

What the Hill failed to note that it also is customary for some political appointees to be asked to temporarily stay on until a replacement can be named and get up to speed. Apparently, after meetings with the president and the attorney general Bharara had a (mis)understanding of his role in the Trump administration.

In the same article, Sen. Chas. Schumer (D-N.Y.) heralded Bharara as an "exemplary U.S. attorney. His relentless drive to root out public corruption, lock up terrorists, take on Wall Street, and stand up for what is right should serve as a model for all U.S. attorneys across the country. He will be sorely missed,"

While Bharara built a reputation in New York by going after big banks and Wall Street, his office also was working through an investigation of New York City Mayor Democrat Bill de Blasio and was slated to start the trials of two close allies to New York Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to The Hill.

It may be difficult for Trump opponents to claim Bharara was "fired" for going after banks and Wall Street.

U.S. attorneys may be legal scholars, but the real work is done by the office’s staff of attorneys and assistants. Life goes on in a U.S. attorney’s office just as it does when an ambassador is replaced — the rank and file keep things operating.

Apparently one more victim of the previous administration is tradition. It was OK for Trump’s predecessor to “fire” Bush appointees.


PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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