The scandalously venal, paranoid, farmer-dissing petrocrat Scott Pruitt resigned from his position as Environmental Protection Agency boss yesterday. On the way out the door, he wrote the template for leaving the Trump Administration.
When writing your resignation letter, do not remind His Highness that you screwed up. Ignore both the real reasons for your departure and the real results of your policy. Only speak to His Highness of his undimmed and superlative greatness:
Mr. President, it has been an honor to serve you in the Cabinet as Administrator of the EPA. Truly, your confidence in me has blessed me personally and enabled me to advance your agenda beyond what anyone anticipated at the beginning of your Administration. Your courage, steadfastness and resolute commitment to get results for the American people, both with regard to improved environmental outcomes as well as historical regulatory reform, is in fact occurring at an unprecedented pace and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the American people in helping achieve those ends [Scott Pruitt, resignation letter to Donald Trump, quoted in Dara Lind, “Read Scott Pruitt’s Totally Unapologetic Resignation Letter,” Vox, 2018.07.05].
Play the martyr. His Highness likes martyr stories. The idea of underlings sacrificing themselves for His Highness makes His Highness feeling Higher.
That is why it is hard for me to advise you I am stepping down as Administrator of the EPA effective as of July 6. It is extremely difficult for me to cease serving you in this role first because I count it a blessing to be serving you in any capacity, but also, because of the transformative work that is occurring. However, the unrelenting attacks on me personally, my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us [Pruitt, 2018.07.05].
But linger not on yourself—back to His Highness and his rightful place as God’s Instrument of Divine Excellence.
My desire in service to you has always been to bless you as you make important decisions for the American people. I believe you are serving as President today because of God’s providence [Pruitt, 2018.07.05].
Having acknowledged this Divine order, still bowing to His Highness, you may indulge once more in self talk, perhaps a brief suggestion that God may favor you as a small and loyal cog in this Holy machine.
I believe that same providence brought me into your service [Pruitt, 2018.07.05].
But finish as you began, prostrate before His Blinding Glory!
I pray as I have served you that I have blessed you and enabled you to effectively lead the American people [Pruitt, 2018.07.05].
You cannot thank His Highness enough.
Thank you again Mr. President for the honor of serving you and I wish you Godspeed in all that you put your hand to [Pruitt, 2018.07.05].
Careful—don’t think that ending with a preposition will boost your favor with His Highness. Such subtle anti-intellectual jabs are lost on His Highness. But you wisely used “to” rather than “in.” We know you were tempted; we know you were thinking of hands and puppets.
Obsequity, hyperbole, bald-face lies, blame-shifting martyrdom, bad theology, and more obsequity—that’s how you leave the Trump Administration.
Your courage, steadfastness and resolute commitment to get results for the American people, both with regard to improved environmental outcomes as well as historical regulatory reform, is in fact occurring at an unprecedented pace and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the American people in helping achieve those ends
This is the damage Citizens United has done to America. Pruitt thinks he was working for American Citizen Koporate Amerika.
and. . . to be replaced by an even more effective leader: Andrew R. Wheeler
Like a flood, the water of liberty will continue to flow into every opening of the criminal bureaucratic cabal created by an out of control government and small minded elected fools. You cannot stop the rising water. It will continue to penetrate, find a way in, fill the spaces with free thinking soldiers for liberty. It is the free people who have risen and are flowing in from the sides, front and floor. You can not stop it. The socialist/progressive movement is over.
I had deliberately avoided looking at this letter when I heard about it yesterday. Now, I can’t unread it.
Prior to this moment, I thought the worst letter ever written to a President was Archie Bunker’s missive to Nixon which I will cut an paste for a palate cleanser.
Dear Mr. President, Your Honor, Sir:
I personally don’t agree with all the contegration on the college campuses. Or them ecology nuts, who only see disaster in this great country of ours. But like “Duke” Wayne would say, “We came off the mat before when the going was tough.” And I know that, so long as we all work together, this nation under God shall not diminish from the earth.
Anyway, my regards to your vice, Mr. Agnew. And special regards to Mrs. Nixon, and Tricia, who I know you wouldn’t let drink no water, exceptin’ the best.
Dear Mr. President. I did such a good job for you. Smooch patootie, smooch patootie. Everybody’s attacking me and you can’t take it anymore. Smooch patootie. God loves your immorality, and mine too, but God wants me to focus on getting that chicken franchise. I’m gonna have to pay for my own plane tickets now. Anyway, it’s been good living high on the hog if even for just a year. Your wisdom and foresight in choosing me, your smooch patootie servant, was divinely inspired. May our anti-environmental initiatives bring about the end times! Smooch patootie, Scott Pruitt
So, OldSarg, to be clear, you agree that Pruitt’s letter is evasive, fawning, and theologically absurd? And you confirm that Pruitt’s replacement, as a long-time industry lobbyist and climate-denial facilitator, will continue America down the path Pruitt wanted?
OldSferbrains is talking the red tide flood of Russian interference into US politics and it will keep happening because wingnuts love the color red, unless that red is the blood of THEiR kids dying in an unnecessary wingnut started war.
Pruitt’s letter exemplifies the sort of desperate toadyism that excuses all errors by the Dear Leader and demonizes the efforts of other citizens to stand for ethics and fact.
Trump’s administration is not to be worried about Pruitt’s departure, Trump simply has to look into his personnel files and find another Pruitt that will help himself to government funds and excessive spending and lie about it.
Nothing will change at EPA, any fact the likely hood of things at EPA getting worse is strong.
Cory, the honest truth was Pruitt was screwed from within. The guy could have been the most prudent upright man on earth and he would still be screwed by people within the leadership of the EPA. Ask yourself honestly: why would anyone need a soundproof booth for phone conversations? What happened that made Pruitt think anything he said was being listened to and leaked? You’ve seen the same thing happen in schools: New principle, new ideas, goes against the grain and what happens? Leaks to the school board, whisper campaigns, parents confronting them in public places over “what they heard”. Hell, it happened to me today. New guy downstairs I had a run in with and someone showed him the email I sent to my boss about the encounter. This is what a government, school, any bureaucracy is like. Pruitt and whoever is next will just be another target for another time. My issue here though isn’t that Pruitt was great or a worthless piece of crap, my issue is how we are endangering the lives of those we work with by calling for their heads when we don’t like them. I have to tell you there are some that post on your site that you should be worried about promoting your dislike of things in front of. How would you feel if one of your followers went out an attacked someone because your writings overly excited them? Personally, I sometimes worry about posting things here if only because of the crazy responses it draws out from a few of your followers. Pruitt? He was nothing more than a tool. There will be another tool later today and the hate will be poured on again like it is every day.
Agreed, Roger. We’ve managed to force out one scandal-prone destroyer; the next destroyer may not be as incautious. The fight continues.
No, OS, the issue isn’t leaks. The issue really is that Pruitt was a corrupt government official, and that the President you keep defending chose him. Trump, not God, bears responsibility for that bad choice, as it epitomizes his complete failure to deliver on “draining the swamp.”
And again, to be clear, OS, you agree that Pruitt’s letter exemplifies toadyism and bad theology?
OS makes incredible insults to people and their character (that he’d never have the courage to say to their faces) and now he’s worried someone will track him down and punch him in the face? Good.
Cory, I don’t care. This just happens to be the headline topic. The next “cry cause the sky is falling” will come soon enough. Pruitt is really small potatoes. They next guy is the one who will rip the wall paper off the walls. . .
If you really want to waste the gray matter on this: What kind of letter did you think he was going to write? A crying confession? A body slam on the guy who hired him? If you took this letter and laid it next to the other resignation letters they all read basically the same “Thank you Mr. President, it was an honor to serve you. . .” They are all like that except for your man Comey. . . but he got caught undermining our Nation.
Cory, sort of cool that you have your very own
Louie Gohmert following your blog.
No, no, no, OS. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t comment. You care deeply that Pruitt’s words in this letter are so embarrassing. You care deeply that you can’t defend this schmuck or the man who appointed him. You care deeply about turning us away from the topic of Pruitt’s utter corruption and his shameful attempt to cloak his corruption in Christianity.
Nope, I don’t care. They had his replacement ready. Easy peasy. . . You’re not dealing with the cry baby Obummers folks anymore. These guys mean business and are from business. As you stand there whining they just walk past you and get done what needs being got done.
Need a tissue?
Republican Attorneys Generals Assoc past Pres Scott Pruitt-a worthless person bought by Kochs et al, cloaked in religiosity, utterly a waste of time here and nationally; a criminal political tool against all that is good and decent. Troll food. And the manipulation of another lost generation. My grandchildren will be faced with dealing with consequences of this wrong capitalistic cronyism. Jackley was also an AG/RAGA clone. Geez. Did YOU elect trump???
IMPEACH INDICT CONVICT
There you go again, still caring, caring so much that people notice how corrupt your hero is and that you can’t offer any reasonable excuse for Pruitt’s sins, either the lies and fawning and bad theology of his resignation letter or his far greater greed and abuse of power, that you can’t even mention Pruitt in your response.
Comey, really? OldSarge is attempting to distract from Putin with an entirely different Trump scandal.
Throw it at the wall OldSarge and see if it sticks.
The fact of the matter is that Pruitt is out because of his corruption and Trump could no longer provide cover for him. Wonder what legal charges Pruitt is facing?
Pruitt may see the inside of a prison cell, like Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch’s mother and many of the people who served in the Reagan Administration’s EPA. It’s the same lawlessness and arrogance exhibited by ideological zealots and industry swamp creatures. South Dakotans are going to get a front-row seat. The Pruitt-Pirner-Jackley-Agnico criminal enterprise at the Gilt Edge Superfund Site is going to be fun unraveling.
https://tinyurl.com/y7so5e4y
OldSferbrains buddy in the WH who wouldn’t harm a flea versus dreaded hate monger Libs like Maxine Waters- “Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up,” Waters told a crowd in California over the weekend. “If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”
See, your lemmings are wacko.
How did you miss this blatant lie from your side of the aisle, OldSferbrains?
https://www.mediaite.com/trump/mike-huckabee-says-owner-of-red-hen-followed-sanders-family-to-another-restaurant-to-start-a-protest/
It wasn’t true when Huckabee first lied it out of his lying pie hole and it won’t be true when you and yer buds get done swearing it is a fact.
See, your lemmings are wacko.
Silly OldSferbrains didn’t bother to check the link that contains all of Drumpf’s threats against protesters and includes his offer to pay legal bills for the ones that do get violent.
Dems don’t attack protesters on command. OlsSferbrains has zero, nada, zip, zilch credibility.
Still caring, now enough to distract with insults. Lemmings, wacko… we’re not the ones blindly following Trump and excusing his team’s incompetence and corruption.
I further revel in OS’s continuing admission that I’m right: Pruitt’s resignation letter exemplifies Trumpist toadyism and fake Christianity.
Get over yourself Cory. You’re trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
If you want to know how Trump is doing look at what the market does as China slaps down their ineffective tariffs. The business world comprising of millions knows Trump knows what he is doing and doing well.
Pruitt was just another soldier. . . and truth be known your side has already killed off enough of us in your illegal wars, lying about attacks and killing those willing to do what you will not: Gulf of Tonkin, Liberia, Libya, Iraq and Yemen. You own them all and you kill those braver than yourself. Welcome to your home in the racist, killing, segregating, lying, narcissistic democratic party.
The blood of the past is on your hands and you are trying to incite more blood today. You should be ashamed.
The way Pruitt and other GOPers use religion is what’s driving people out of evangelicalism or even Christianity in general. Support from Franklin, Jeffress, Falwell, Huckster, Dobson and other charlatans only makes it worse.
The biggest protestant denomination in the US is so completely fed up with the whole GOP/fake religion scam that they’ve dropped completely out of the running. At their recent national gathering they voted themselves out of the political wars. They’ve had it with the shameless GOP. They listened to God instead. The two –God and the GOP– are very, very different things.
OS is trying to accuse us of what he and his GOP pals are doing. Very old trick.
Moving on.
Different topic but . . . I read that Mueller is also going to investigate pres Child Abuser’s “suspicious” wins in Wisconsin and (I forgot which state.) Should be fun!!
Bingo, Debbo. It’s not about me, OS. It’s about your queer defense of a proven corrupt official who had to resign in the face of journalistic scrutiny of his indefensible ethical violations, which themselves call into question the wisdom of the man who appointed him and didn’t fire him sooner. That’s no molehill. (Trumpists only cry “Nothingburger!” when they want to dismiss pertinent facts.)
The rest of what OS said is pure distraction from that main point. The accusation that I’m inciting bloodshed is complete rot… and perhaps projection of how mad he feels that he has utterly lost (could never even begin to argue) the debate over the merits of Pruitt’s absurd, fawning, no-accountability resignation letter and what that letter says about Pruitt’s character.
I’ve heard that those who read too much D’Souza or watch too much Tucker Carlson before going to sleep get indigestion and irritable. Perhaps a little warm milk and a little light instrumental music will help.
Dow tumbles about 300 points, wipes out gains for year … – CNBC.com
https://www.cnbc.com/…/us-stock-futures-trade-tensions-in-focus-for-investors.html
Jun 19, 2018 – Stocks fell sharply on Tuesday after President Donald Trump’s latest threat … The Dow also erased all of its gains for the year and posted a six-day losing streak, its longest … Trading Nation: Trade war fears hit stocks 3:31 PM ET Tue, 19 June … The 30-stock index also erased all of its gains for the year an
OldSferbrains lied again.
The June jobs report brought with it almost universally good news, unless you’re a worker looking for a substantially fatter paycheck.
Wage gains remain positive but muted, growing at 2.7 percent annually, or pretty much the same level as the previous three months and below Wall Street expectations. That’s despite the supposed benefits of a tightening labor market, and a tax cut that was supposed to push average hourly earnings over the 3 percent barrier.
OldSferbrains- but Drumpf gave everyone 4000 dollar raises.
Now Mike, be gentle. OS is feeling stressed. Just give him a minute while he consults his GOP script for what to say next.
Debbo I want to get ahold of you sometime. I will send Cory an email.
Okay.
I’m ok. Thanks for the worry Debbo! Had a great evening at Murphy’s! Good crowd, great food.
Debbo, do you live in South Dakota?
Pathetic try OS. Another one straight out of the GOP/We-ain’t-got-nuthin’-so-let’s-jes-throw-out-a-buncha-crap-an-hope-sumpin-sticks playbook. My SD roots are probably deeper than yours. IF you actually do live in SD.
So, that’s a “no”. Thanks. I thought so.
Now I get it. OS still hasn’t grasped the first word of the headline, obsequitur. He misread it as an invitation to constant non sequitur.
As I admonished Pruitt, subtle wordplay is lost on OS as surely as it is lost on Trump. Birds of a feather.
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_d5c9b806-814f-11e8-a571-77fb9af3b81a.html
Loseranna stands to lose a billion plus dollar Chines chemical plant plus billions of dollars in loss of state exports of soybeans. Plus, Loseranna ships much of the ag exports of the rest of America.
Thanks Drumpf and OldSferbrains.
So you don’t live in SD either OS. That’s good. It gives you an opportunity to experience first hand that there are other ways for a state to govern itself.
Have you Ever lived in SD? I did for the first 56 years of my life, with 4 years off for school and an opportunity to broaden my horizons. What state do you live in?
So you have been lying when you’ve mentioned spending time on a particular evening at “Murphy’s Bar?” Or you were being deliberately deceitful, fully expecting us to think you were referring to Murphy’s in Rapid City?
What else have you been lying about OS? Most everything?
When one has had such a severe case of Cranial Rectitus (POTUS ) it’s amazing that the explosive sound of the vacuum being filled on the extraction of the EPA directors head was not a sonic boom heard across this country.
I’d guess the small cranial size has something to do with it.
It make one wonder if POTUS noticed the difference?
https://eand.co/the-age-of-the-imbecile-c52ee205d94c
An ally from another blog posted this and it is pretty much to the point.
That’s a very good link Mike. Can’t say I enjoyed reading it, but I think it is true and worthwhile enough to post to FB. Thanks.