Trump's terribly unqualified Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, may be ready to jump ship

Courtesy of Salon:

Thomas Toch, director of independent education think tank FutureEd, told Politico that DeVos was ignorant of the job's constraints when she accepted it and insiders are already preparing for her to vacate the position. 

"She can’t fill her senior staff slots," he said. "Morale is terrible at the department." 

DeVos was roundly criticized for her lack of basic knowledge about education policy during the confirmation hearing process. She blames President Donald Trump's transition team, claiming she was "undercoached." 

One doubts most nominees for education secretary need to be coached not to cite grizzly bears as a reason for guns in schools. 

"I’ll tell you, in Washington education circles, the conversation is already about the post-DeVos landscape, because the assumption is she won’t stay long," Toch told Politico. "I think she’s been probably one of the most ineffective people to ever hold the job.”

There have been other murmurings about Devos being frustrated and wanting out of her job, but at least one MSNBC contributor thinks that there may be another reason for her desire to up and quit. 

I’ve received reports today saying DeVos, Huntsman, Ross, Sessions, Tillerson & Zinke are resigning for ties to Russia &/or for corruption.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) November 6, 2017

Now I don't really care why Betsy DeVos quits necessarily so long as she quits.

But if I have to choose a reason, I like the one that Dworkin offered the best. Especially since it likely means that DeVos will be followed out of the door by a number of other Trump enablers. 

Supposedly anti-abortion Congressman who tried to convince his mistress to get an abortion, will retire. Update!

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of his term next year after a report that he suggested a woman he was having an affair with get an abortion. 

In a statement to Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA, Murphy said that he would not seek reelection in 2018 and would instead spend his remaining time in Congress working on mental health care reform. 

"After discussions with my family and staff, I have come to the decision that I will not seek reelection to Congress at the end of my current term," he said. 

"In the coming weeks I will take personal time to seek help as my family and I continue to work through our personal difficulties and seek healing. I ask you to respect our privacy during this time.”

Yes pay attention to me when I am advocating to take away a woman's right to choose, but please give me privacy when I get caught being a hypocritical douchenozzle.

I think this might be my feel good story of the day.

Update: And he has now resigned. 

Sean Spicer quits.

BREAKING: AP sources: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has resigned over hiring of new communications aide.

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 21, 2017

I guess Spicey did not like the news that Trump is bringing in Anthony Scaramucci to do his job.

I'm telling you right now this is just the beginning.

Remember the spokesperson for Trump's legal team also just quit.

There are also rumblings that this is a temporary position for Scaramucci and that his ultimate job trajectory has him taking over for Reince Priebus.

Shit's getting real now. 

Let's all take a moment to celebrate that seminal event which took place eight years ago today. Sarah Palin becoming the Quitter-in-Chief.

Part Two Such a great day, I remember it like it was yesterday.

But in fact it was eight long years ago.

Our next goal after forcing Palin out of office was to keep her from ever running for president.

We succeeded at that as well.

And we kept the focus on her until finally she simply sank out of sight into the fog of "nobody gives a shit anymore."

Now if only we can manage to do the same to Donald Trump.

In the least surprising news of the day, Jason Chaffetz, who suddenly up and quit Congress, is headed over to Fox News.

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Fox News has hired Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to be a contributor for the cable news channel after the congressman ends his House term early on June 30. 

Chaffetz will start his role at Fox on July 1, according to a statement from the network. 

"In this role he will offer political analysis across FNC and FOX Business Network’s (FBN) daytime and primetime programming," the network said. 

The Utah congressman and head of the House Oversight Committee announced in May that he he would resign from Congress to pursue other opportunities. 

Shortly after, Washingtonian reported that he'd been telling fellow lawmakers he planned to join Fox News. 

Yeah I actually reported this possibility last month as well.

And besides what else is this POS really qualified to do but exaggerate bullshit, attack Democrats, and talk out of his ass?

He will fit in great over at Fox News, and probably soon get his own show.

Perhaps he can appear as a guest on his own show and ask himself what made him flee his cushy job in the Congress so quickly?

I might even tune in to hear the truth about that.

Trump's nominee for Labor Secretary clocks out.

Donald Trump with that hamburger dude.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Andy Puzder confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he will pull himself from consideration for labor secretary. He is the first of President Donald Trump’s nominees to not make it through the confirmation process. 

In a statement, Puzder praised the “highly qualified team” of Trump picks that he will no longer be joining. 

“I want to thank President Trump for his nomination,” Puzder said. “I also thank my family, and my many supporters ― employees, businesses, friends and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor.” 

The move came as support evaporated among Republicans for the former fast-food executive. At least seven Republican senators refused to publicly back the former chief executive of CKE Restaurants, which owns the burger chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, as criticism mounted over his hefty stack of labor violations and long-standing support for increased immigration.

This could likely be the response to Oprah Winfrey finding that old footage of Puzder's wife accusing him of being a wife beater.

However I would not be at all surprised to find more of Trump's nominees and cabinets picks suddenly discovering better things that they could do with their time and saying "Thanks, but no thanks."

After all the evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians is getting clearer all of the time, and if I were being considered for a job with his scandal riddled administration I would certainly be aggressively weighing the pros and cons.

And then recognizing that the cons far outweigh the pros.

Personally I am rapidly reaching the conclusion that there will not be a Donald Trump administration to join by the time all of the facts come to light.

John Oliver explains how Donald Trump can be a hero.

Courtesy of Rolling Stone: 

With Donald Trump struggling in the polls, John Oliver sees three options for the controversial GOP nominee: He can eventually lose – a "disastrous" option since "his entire brand is built around not doing that." He can eventually win – an even worse outcome because that would involve "living in government housing, conversing with fully clothed women and traveling in a plane that doesn't even have his name on it." This leaves what Oliver considers a more noble, revolutionary third option: dropping out. 

"Simply drop out and tell America this entire candidacy was a stunt, a satire designed to expose the flaws in the system," Oliver told the Republican. "And the thing is, you could actually make a fairly decent case for that. Because, although your campaign was the political equivalent of a bigoted clown's blazing funeral pyre, you have accidentally made upwards of four good points in your campaign."

Oliver then goes on to lay out those four good points:

1: The political system is broken.

2: The media focuses too much on controversy and not enough on substance.

3: Politicians will do anything to appease their base.

4: And finally that American voters are easily duped.

I know this video is almost a week old now, but that is only because it took me that long to actually watch it.

I started to receive it in the comments section and in e-mails after I posted this video of Oliver taking on charter schools on Tuesday.

At the time I thought well since I just posted one John Oliver video I probably should not post another one, that is just lazy.

But then I finally watched it yesterday and I thought "Holy crap! This is genius!"

And that is why you find it posted this evening.

Not only that it absolutely reflects what I have been secretly hoping for myself almost since the moment I realized that Donald Trump was going to win the GOP nomination.

And Oliver is right, if Trump were to do this he would go down in history as a legend.

Sure the Republicans might hate him, but really they would only have themselves to blame.

I say go for it, and if he does I swear that I will even sit down and watch every episode of "The Apprentice."

From Dakota Meyer's Instagram account.

Source

So what are the options here?

That Dakota Meyer is not aware of his mother-in-law's past, or that he is finally tired of her shit?

So Donald Trump will not even commit to serving out his term if elected President.

Will I serve my term? That's for me to know and you to find out.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

The traditional goal of a presidential nominee is to win the presidency and then serve as president. 

Donald J. Trump is not a traditional candidate for president. 

Presented in a recent interview with a scenario, floating around the political ether, in which the presumptive Republican nominee proves all the naysayers wrong, beats Hillary Clinton and wins the presidency, only to forgo the office as the ultimate walk-off winner, Mr. Trump flashed a mischievous smile. 

“I’ll let you know how I feel about it after it happens,” he said, minutes before leaving his Trump Tower office to fly to a campaign rally in New Hampshire. 

It is, of course, entirely possible that Mr. Trump is playing coy to earn more news coverage. But the notion of the intensely competitive Mr. Trump’s being more interested in winning the presidency than serving as president is not exactly a foreign concept to close observers of this presidential race.

Okay now I have thought for a long time that Donald Trump, much like Sarah Palin before him, is WAY more interested in winning the office rather than in doing the job.

And remember SHE quit a little more than halfway through her first term, who's to say that Trump will even make it that far?

Well this will certainly give some more ammunition to the anti-Trump forces organizing right now to deny him the nomination.

Just when you think this election season cannot get any crazier, Donald Trump comes flying out of left field to prove you wrong.

Breitbart news is losing staff faster than Sarah Palin loses brain cells.

Courtesy of USA Today: 

A spokesman for the conservative outlet Breitbart has stepped down, citing the website's treatment of a reporter who said she was manhandled by Donald Trump’s campaign manager. 

“When you reach a point where you can’t give 100 percent to people you represent it’s not tenable to continue representing them,” Kurt Bardella tweeted Friday. 

He told CNN that Breitbart hadn’t adequately supported Michelle Fields, a Breitbart reporter who said her arm was yanked by Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as she was trying to ask Trump a question Tuesday.

And that is not all, no that is not all.

Courtesy of Buzzfeed: 

Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields and editor-at-large Ben Shapiro are resigning from the company over the site’s handling of Donald Trump’s campaign manager’s alleged assault on Fields, BuzzFeed News has learned. 

Fields and Shapiro informed Breitbart News chair Steve Bannon of their decision Sunday night. 

“Today I informed the management at Breitbart News of my immediate resignation,” Fields said in a statement sent to BuzzFeed News. “I do not believe Breitbart News has adequately stood by me during the events of the past week and because of that I believe it is now best for us to part ways.”

I REALLY want to feel sorry for these people, but they accepted jobs with Breitbart news, so I just can't.

However I do find it interesting that the violence at Trump rallies has now spilled over into the conservative news media.

Of course it was only a woman who was manhandled so I imagine that most of the conservative news outlets will find it hard to take too terribly serious.

By the way I hate to kick a Breitbart when it's down (I'm lying, I'd love to do that.), but I would just like to point out to the website that once called IM "defunct" that I have not lost one singe staff member since the founding of this blog over eleven years ago.

Well sure I don't actually have any paid staff members, but if I did you can bet they would love their job and have great admiration for, and probably a mild crush on, their boss.

Ben Carson drops out, after finally opening his eyes enough to see the obvious.

Courtesy of NBC News: 

Ben Carson on Friday announced he is "leaving the campaign trail" after a string of disappointing finishes in the GOP presidential primary contests and urged his former Republican rivals for more civility. 

"There's a lot of people who love me, they just won't vote for me," Carson said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference taking place outside Washington, D.C. 

The announcement was expected after Carson released a statement saying he does "not see a political path forward" after this week's Super Tuesday contests. He did not participate in Thursday's GOP debate in Michigan.

I like how these folks always use the term "suspends" when what they mean is "get the hell out." 

Let's face it Ben Carson NEVER stood a chance anyhow.

Not only is it very unlikely that the GOP will nominate a black man for president EVER, but his election cycle in particular is defined by racism and intolerance.

I think I might actually miss Ben Carson a little.

I mean sure he was fun to mock, with his talk of Pyramid grain silos and his apparent narcolepsy, but he was also one the few folks in this race not acting like a middle school bully.

Todd Palin quits Iron Dog. Seems to be a pattern here.

It took me awhile but I finally found the information on the Iron Dog website which confirmed that Todd definitely scratched again this year.

To his credit he seems to have been the last team to scratch thus far, and he did it only two checkpoints before the finish line.

However when you are married to a woman famous for quitting, it is never a good time to quit the only other thing for which you are known,

You know I realize that this whole Iron Dog thing is part of Todd Palin's tough guy persona, but I have to think that entering the contest and then failing to complete it so often does not exactly do much to support that image.

Carly Fiorina ends her campaign, sources say Chris Christie soon to follow.

Courtesy of  NPR:

Carly Fiorina is exiting the Republican presidential race after a seventh-place showing in last night's New Hampshire primary. 

"While I suspend my candidacy today, I will continue to travel this country and fight for those Americans who refuse to settle for the way things are and a status quo that no longer works for them," said Fiorina in a statement. 

Well so much for Fiorina "taking on " Hillary Clinton.

Though I have to admit, I would probably have enjoyed seeing that.

And it looks as if Carly might not be the only one getting ready to call it quits. 

Courtesy of Politico: 

Chris Christie is expected to formally suspend his campaign later on Wednesday, according to a source close to the campaign, after finishing a disappointing sixth in the New Hampshire primary. 

The New Jersey governor was expected to spend part of the day reaching out to donors and top supporters to discuss his decision, the source said. 

I would not put it past Christie to stay in the race a little longer just to prove the pundits wrong.

But even if Christie stays in the race out of sheer stubbornness, the writing is already on the wall.

In fact it always has been.

I mean were we ever seriously considering the idea of electing this guy?

Rand Paul is out. Update: And Santorum too!

Courtesy of Politico: 

Rand Paul dropped out of the 2016 president race on Wednesday, short on cash and support, two days after finishing with under 5 percent in the Iowa caucuses — less than one quarter of the support his father had drawn four years earlier. 

You know I never understood what attracted the Ron Paul support, but whatever it was that he had it skipped a generation.

Rand Paul says some things that I like hearing from the GOP, such as putting an end to military intervention in other countries, and protecting our privacy here at home.

But then he says those other Rand Paul things, and that essentially erases any possible respect that most Americans might feel for him.

Now the only question to be asked is "Who's next?"

Update: Well I guess we know who's next.

Courtesy of the Washington Times:  

Rick Santorum has suspended his 2016 presidential bid, according to multiple media reports. 

Mr. Santorum will both leave the race and make an endorsement, likely making the announcement Wednesday night on Fox News’s “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren,” CNN reported.

Usually I don't typically get the chance to combine two candidates quitting the race in one post, but damn these guys are dropping like flies today!

Okay anybody want to predict the next one?

Rick Santorum acknowledges that his campaign might be coming to an end. Which raises the question, "Did anybody else know that Santorum was still running?"

Courtesy of USA Today: 

Four years ago, Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses and ended up as the final challenger against Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination. 

But on Sunday, with a week to go before this year's Iowa caucuses, he stands at just 1.2% in the RealClearPolitics average of recent statewide polls, the 11th among 11 candidates. In an impromptu interview with USA TODAY and The Des Moines Register after attending services at New Hope Assembly of God here Sunday, he acknowledged what he previously has refused to discuss: It may soon be time for him to think about folding his campaign. 

"You reach a point when you realize that you aren't going to accomplish what you're going to accomplish and you have to look out for the greater good," he responded a bit ruefully. "And I've always believed in the greater good. I'm a person who believes in a cause and trying to make this country better, not about Rick Santorum and my own aggrandizement. I'll go through that process, whether it's after Iowa or whether it's after Super Tuesday or whenever it's happening. We'll go through that process and determine if we have a pathway to get there, and if we believe we do, trust me, no one will fight harder, no one will work longer. And if we don't, you have to work out what's in the best interest of our country."

I am not one of those assholes who claim to speak for all Americans, but I think I can safely state that it certainly in the best interest of the country that Santorum ends his campaign.

What's more I think it is also in our best interests that he never try to run again and slips quietly into obscurity.

Oh oh, and before he goes I have a list of people he should take with him.

Guess who's at the top.

Sarah Palin is selling her Arizona home. Oh damn, is she going to live here permanently now?

Courtesy of Realtor.com: 

This pristine gated estate is sure to impress as you enter from a wraparound drive to access the private gated entrance. Masterfully designed & built this 7971 sqft home showcases 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, a 6 car garage & breathtaking mountain views from virtually every room! Quality & care echoes throughout, with beautiful finishes, fixtures, fireplaces, chandeliers, soaring ceilings, media theater, wine cellar & more. Craftsmanship extends to the resort themed backyard with fireplaces off the covered patio, veranda & rooftop deck off of the master suite. Luxury abounds with a built-in grill station, fire-pit, sparkling blue pool, spa, synthetic grass & a lighted sports court. This 4.9 acre equestrian estate offers opulence at it's finest. Contact us to schedule your private showing. 

Here's some video of the property.

So I guess we can assume that Palin's book sales were just not enough to keep her in the style to which she had grown accustom.

Not to mention that her Fox News contract is over. 

And of course we already know that the SarahPAC funds are drying up.

So I guess she is starting to sell off her property and belongings in an attempt to keep that hush money flowing and her debtors at bay.

This is actually really big news, as my sources have said for years that Palin absolutely does NOT want to live in Alaska.

Not only is this an indication of just how little money is flowing into the Palin household right now, it also indicates that she does not expect that situation to change any time soon.

Sarah Palin stuck in a state where she is no longer welcome, in the house that she cannot stand to live in, and in a marriage that is only held together by fear and loathing.

Well I guess she has finally hit bottom.

I might have to drink my New Year's Eve bottle of champagne a little early.

Lindsey Graham drops out of the GOP presidential race.

Courtesy of Politico: 

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is suspending his presidential run, he told supporters on a conference call Monday. 

His announcement came on the same day as the deadline hit for him to remove his name from the South Carolina primary ballot, a date that had been closely watched amid speculation that the low-polling Graham would want to avoid a potentially poor performance in his own state’s contest.

“I was hoping not to have to make this call, but I think the time has come for me to suspend my campaign,” he said as he opened the call. 

“We’ve come to a point now where I just don’t see how we grow the campaign without getting on the main stage,” he said. “One of the biggest problems we’ve had was to get our voice on equal footing with others. This second-tier debate process has been difficult for us. I think we’ve done well in the debates, it’s just hard to break through because the buzz doesn’t last very long.” 

You can see video of Lindsey Graham's message to his supporters here.

Maybe this helps to explain why Graham kept tearing up during the last GOP debate. He knew this was coming.

Well there goes another candidate tumbling out of the GOP clown car, who do we think is next?

George Pataki?

Rand Paul?

Rick Santorum?

Mike Huckabee?

Could be any one of them. Not that it really matters.

After all NONE of these folks have any hope of getting that nomination.

Sarah Palin cancels book signing in Naperville, Illinois. Gee, I can't imagine why. Update!

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune:

Former U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has scrapped her plans to appear in Naperville next week. 

Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, which would have been the official bookseller for the event at the Chicago Marriott Naperville Hotel, announced early Wednesday afternoon that Palin, formerly governor of Alaska, called off her Dec. 1 engagement. 

The appearance was to have been in support of Palin's most recently released book, "Sweet Freedom: A Devotional." 

The announcement said the event was called off "due to circumstances out of the control of Anderson's Bookshops," but provided no additional details.

Oh I think we all know the "additional details."

The details are that the crowds are so small they could all arrive on the same city bus, and that the book is falling so hard it threatens to break the sound barrier.

After all nothing screams "failure" like a book signing with nobody there to get a book signed.

I imagine that this will not be the last cancellation, and would not be surprised if she quit the book tour altogether. 

By the way here is the top review for her book over at Amazon:

So the other day I was going to bail my oldest son, Trek, out of the county lockup (Vandalism. Kids, right?). I had my eldest daughter in the car with me and she looks over and yells, "Mama, my water broke!" I started to yell back that I wouldn't have to haul her to the hospital if she'd roped that guy into marrying her before he found out the kid wasn't his like I told her to. But then I took a deep breath and remembered what I'd read in Sarah Palin's book "Sweet Freedom" about being patient on those days when your facade as a Christian family just goes right down the crapper. Sometimes it can be hard to live vibrantly. 

So instead of cussing out my daughter, I drove her to the hospital. There, as I waited for the birth of my second - or is it my third? - illegitimate grandchild, I went on Facebook and shared a few anti-Obama memes before flipping over to Sarah Palin's page to thank her for this book, and for being somebody I could relate to. I even dipped into my Marlboro money to send her a few bucks since I got three emails from her this week begging me to donate so she can save America. 

I hope she continues to write books. They are perfect. Maybe it's because I never got past the seventh grade and read slow. Or maybe it's because she makes me proud to be a bigot. Either way, when I'm reading her books it feels like she understands, and I think it's because she's just like me. Sarah knows thinking is hard, and her books requires no thinking at all. For a conservative reader, that's Sweet Freedom.

And the review has a five star rating too!

Gotta love it.

Update: Well there goes another one.

Anybody want to take bets on how long that will last?

Elizabeth Hasselbeck bails on Fox News. Cites wanting time with her family.

Courtesy of AOL:

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is saying goodbye to 'Fox & Friends.' 

Hasselbeck announced Monday that she will step down from her role as co-host of the morning show on Fox News Channel and will leave the network by the end of the year. The 38-year-old talk show host joined the show in 2013 after her tumultuous exit from "The View" and has told the network that she plans to put her TV career on hold as she raises her three children, Taylor, Grace and Isaiah. 

In a statement, Hasselbeck said, "Oftentimes, the most difficult decisions are between two great things. Throughout my 14 years working in television, I have never experienced a more positive and thoughtful atmosphere than FOX News Channel, thanks to the strong leadership of (FOX News Chairman & CEO) Roger Ailes, who has created the best working environment a woman and mother could ask for. His understanding, compassion, and kindness was exemplified when I shared with him that I am entering into a season where I want to start my day with my children first, and he offered his blessing to do so. With a heart full of gratitude and the peace that God has given me, I am confident that this personal decision is the right one for our family, and we will be joining all of you watching Fox & Friends each morning as we get ready for school together."

You know when a politician quits claiming they want to spend more time with their families we all know there is a scandal brewing somewhere.

Now Hasselbeck is no politician, but it is still suspicious that she would walk away from a gig like this with no plans for the future unless there was a compelling reason.

So what do we think?

Was the gig too partisan even for her, or was she actually too dimwitted even for Fox News?

As you might imagine Florida is not at all happy that their Senator Marco Rubio hates his job, and has decided not to do it anymore.

"Wow debating is hard too. I'd quit if there weren't so many cameras on me."

In response to an interview during which Rubio said that he was not seeking reelection by way of explaining why he was missing votes, and a statement by a friend claiming that Rubio "hates" the Senate, the editorial board at the Sun Sentinel wrote this op-ed: 

Sorry, senator, but Floridians sent you to Washington to do a job. We've got serious problems with clogged highways, eroding beaches, flat Social Security checks and people who want to shut down the government. 

If you hate your job, senator, follow the honorable lead of House Speaker John Boehner and resign it. 

Let us elect someone who wants to be there and earn an honest dollar for an honest day's work. Don't leave us without one of our two representatives in the Senate for the next 15 months or so. You are paid $174,000 per year to represent us, to fight for us, to solve our problems. Plus you take a $10,000 federal subsidy — declined by some in the Senate — to participate in one of the Obamacare health plans, though you are a big critic of Obamacare. 

You are ripping us off, senator.

For all of you out there biting your fingernails at the prospect that Rubio will face off against Hillary Clinton in the general election, and offer her a real challenge, I think you can put those concerns to rest.

Personally I never understood the attraction to Rubio, and his poll numbers have certainly never reflected any substantial support.

However now I think it is safe to say that he has ZERO chance of winning this GOP nomination.

By essentially quitting Rubio has for all intents and purposes Sarah Palin'd himself.

After let's not forget that this is still only Rubio's first term as a Senator and he is already hating his job, and looking for an easier gig. Which for reasons that totally escape me, he seems to believe describes the job of President of the United States.

Yeah, stick a fork in him, he's done.