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Thursday, January 26. 2017

Breaking: So This Actually Just Happened

Entire group of senior State Department administrators resign.  


Not yet clear why.  Largest single loss of institutional memory and experience on record? 



Late note: 
I've been reading the comments since yesterday, and felt I should clarify.  I posted this as a question, because it is one of the largest losses of institutional memory the government has seen.  I didn't clarify to say this was a good or a bad thing, though the article certainly did.
I was clear (in a comment) that I have no idea if this is good or bad.  I'm not surprised most comments believe this to be overwhelmingly good.  I remain ambivalent.


My uncle spent 30 years working at HUD under many administrations.  He retired in the late 90's because the politicization under Clinton was too much to bear.  I'm sure in the years since, all departments have gotten worse in this regard.  It may be that these losses are no big deal.  I'm less certain.  My uncle was always a very strong believer in institutional memory.  Not that everyone had to be retained, but you always need to maintain a level of management that understands the history and the operational capacity.  That is why I believe the only way this is good is if the department is reduced dramatically.  Which can happen, as there are well over 20 senior positions now open.


From a sheer "Wow, that's pretty big" point-of-view, I'm stunned at the turn of events.   When you drain a swamp, you'd better be sure you know what is replacing the ecosystem.  I am not confident in Trump, while I know many here are.  At best, he remains 50/50 with me.


The article itself was the first I'd read shortly after this occurred.  Many have since followed.  I didn't post it to indicate support for the author's position, just that it was breaking news and rather surprising.  A friend contacted me last night asking what I thought of all this.  I replied "I still don't know.  I don't trust the press, I don't trust Trump, I don't trust politicians in general, so I'm left trying to read whatever erratic signals continue to emanate from liars everywhere." 

Posted by Bulldog in Politics at 13:58 | Comments (36) | Trackbacks (0)

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This strikes me as a good thing. Kennedy for sure had knowledge of and at least gave tacit approval to HRC's home brew server and then helped stonewall and cover up for her.
#1 feeblemind on 2017-01-26 14:04 (Reply)
They also knew that just because Iranians prayed "Death to America!" everyday wasn't that they didn't like us or something.
#1.1 JPW (Link) on 2017-01-26 14:13 (Reply)
I think the institutions had dementia long before they lost their institutional memory.
#1.2 indyjonesouthere on 2017-01-27 20:40 (Reply)
Honestly WAPO really believes we are all morons. Several days ago, the Trump team let it be known that they were accepting ALL resignations (except for the States Attorney in Manhattan that Trump specifically exempted. Presidential appointees submit their resignations every time an administration changes. The pressitudes promptly got hysterical over all the Ambassadors being out of a job on Jan. 20. Ambassadors are the President's personal reps - the embassy is run by the career State deputy.

Rumor has it that Kennedy had encysted himself and a select group chosen by him into the position. Good riddance to the senior security advisor who should have resigned when Hillary refused to upgrade security at the Benghazi facility in the face of urgent requests by the Ambassador - you know, the one that died when the security failed - along with 4 other people.
#2 fiona on 2017-01-26 14:33 (Reply)
Every administration is willing to accept resignations.

The odd things here are that Kennedy originally wanted to stay, indeed expected to stay, and that the number of high-level resignations is so large.

I don't know that's the WaPo believing we're morons. It's a pretty significant turn of events for any administration.

Good or bad? No idea. My belief is the reason may be "we don't want to stick around for this guy" so they can later say "See? We told you!"

In reality, the response to anything like that should be "This happened because you left and replacing what you know is difficult. You created this situation."

On the other hand, after looking at the jobs some of these people had, I'm thinking it's a chance to add by subtraction. Just eliminate some of these roles entirely. Cut the budget, shrink the staff, aggregate responsibilities.
#2.1 Bulldog on 2017-01-26 14:37 (Reply)
They are expected to send in their resignation, and traditionally the new president than asks them to reconsider.
All Trump does is not reconsider but let them go.

Of course over the decades that's watered down to most of them not even sending in their resignation, but staying on "to provide continuity" unasked for.
#2.1.1 JTW on 2017-01-26 23:57 (Reply)
"The cemeteries are filled with indispensable men."
- Charles de Gaulle

Meh, it's not worrying at all. These people had deputies, assistants, and colleagues, all with their own PhDs and decades of experience. Not a surprise that people are upset at state. Of course they're upset! The neocon agenda is finally being challenged and people are losing it.

Meanwhile, Victoria Nuland's resignation flies under the radar. http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/clintons-hawk-in-waiting/
#2.1.2 JM01 on 2017-01-27 08:36 (Reply)
Trump asked them to leave, per CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/top-state-department-officials-asked-to-leave-by-trump-administration/
Cleaning house. Only ones surprised at the first week are those who opposed Trump and believed that business as usual would continue. Trump means real business.
#3 Bruce Kesler on 2017-01-26 14:34 (Reply)
As noted in the comments to another blog;

"Trump is amazing, he has created a self-draining swamp!"
#4 ScottJ on 2017-01-26 14:34 (Reply)
I know WaPo thinks this is a disaster. But it isn't like the people we had in the State Dept were perfect to begin with. We are in a worse position now than ever in recent memory. I lay a big chunk of that blame at the feet of Obama, Kerry and Hillary, but if they liked the people who just bolted, I feel better about the exodus.
#5 Dangerous Dean on 2017-01-26 14:50 (Reply)
I had a chance to apply for work at the State Dept. after I got out of the Navy. Knew a couple of people from my military connections who worked there, which convinced me I wouldn't want to be in such a work environment. Went out to private sector instead. Best decision I ever made.
#6 MissT on 2017-01-26 14:57 (Reply)
That's interesting. It reminded me that I once saw an investigative documentary about State. I have forgotten the details but one big takeaway was that loyalty was paramount. The employee could be incompetent, a criminal even, but if they were loyal it was all whitewashed. If the employee, on the other hand, had a conscience and tried to call out misdeed within State, all the force of the organization came down hard on him.
#6.1 Jayne on 2017-01-27 08:29 (Reply)
BUWAHAHAHAHA! All is proceeding according to plan!

Signed,
DJT, POTUS
#7 Old Codger on 2017-01-26 14:59 (Reply)
Darn! These are the most likely people to have a clue where the missing $6 billion went! I hope investigators are following them now that they are likely to be dashing off to dig up their buried shares of the loot.

Oh, and good riddance to them. Every last one of them must have known that Hillary was not using State Dept email services and apparently not a single one of these invaluable career civil servants did a thing about an obvious and serious security issue.
#8 Knucklehead (Link) on 2017-01-26 15:01 (Reply)
Throwing tantrums and threatening to quit doesn't phase Trump. These resignations just saved him a whole lot of time and aggravation. The only way this news could be sweeter would be the appointment of replacements from the ranks of retired military officers mentored by "Mad Dog" Mattis.
#9 Mike Anderson (Link) on 2017-01-26 15:03 (Reply)
"Foggy Bottom. You'll not find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
#10 Ken in NH on 2017-01-26 15:07 (Reply)
They are required to submit resignations. What is unusual is that all resignations were accepted.
#11 Bird Dog on 2017-01-26 15:13 (Reply)
I saw this:

"From Matt Lee, AP Diplomat Desk (Writer):
"They are presidential appointees who submit resignations during every transition. Their resignations were accepted. We wrote about it y'day."

Inescapable conclusion - WaPoo is out pounding the 'fake news' beat again.
#12 Erasmsu on 2017-01-26 15:35 (Reply)
It only counts as fake news when libs don't want to hear it.
#12.1 Dangerous Dean on 2017-01-26 15:44 (Reply)
Can you say "Iran Deal"?
#13 CSMBigBird on 2017-01-26 15:58 (Reply)
From the state of USA prestige in the world after Obama, Clinton and Kerry, I would say that we probably could not do any worse even if they are not replaced. Losers.
#14 Dink Newcomb on 2017-01-26 16:38 (Reply)
Here is (I haven't vetted it) an org chart of the upper echelons of the State Dept. It shows where these four were positioned. Not exactly an earth shaking loss, IMHO.

https://twitter.com/YousefMunayyer/status/824663331868860416

HT - Instapundit
#15 Knucklehead (Link) on 2017-01-26 17:48 (Reply)
LOL. Have you seen the org chart? No big loss here. A self-draining swamp.
#16 J Graham on 2017-01-26 18:16 (Reply)
Kerry like traitorous abandonment of their post.
Deleterious to the interests of the country.
TWANLOC!
#17 g6loq on 2017-01-26 18:50 (Reply)
Four people? That's it?
"Then suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy and three of his top officials resigned unexpectedly, four State Department officials confirmed. Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, followed him out the door. All are career Foreign Service officers who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations."
#18 MarinaZ on 2017-01-26 19:49 (Reply)
Only four? That morass could be easily cut by 1/3.
#19 Confused Old Misfit on 2017-01-26 19:57 (Reply)
That is an Opinion article. The WP has already posted a News article that is more accurate.
#20 Ron Snyder on 2017-01-26 20:20 (Reply)
Everything WaPo posts is an opinion piece. They're no news organisation.
Same with CNN and the rest of the fake stream media.
#20.1 JTW on 2017-01-27 00:00 (Reply)
This loss of memory and experience is exactly what is needed at the State Department. Let T-Rex bring in his own people. New thinking is required so purging the ranks is a positive. That place hasn't passed the "smell" test in many a year. Lies, deceit, and death under Hilliary and Obama. Time to bring in a new era under Tillerson.
#21 pocono pam on 2017-01-27 04:07 (Reply)
https://twitter.com/YousefMunayyer/status/824663331868860416

It was apparently precisely 4 individuals.
#22 The Elephant's Child (Link) on 2017-01-27 04:41 (Reply)
Few people seem to want to hear that fact though, sadly. More fun reacting to hype I guess.
#22.1 Ron Snyder on 2017-01-27 10:57 (Reply)
The track record of the state department as a whole for the past 8 years was pretty dismal. Some housecleaning is long overdue. I'm sure there are more that should hit the road.
#23 Ghost Rider on 2017-01-27 08:34 (Reply)
God help you if you ever get in to trouble in a foreign country! Don't bother the State Dept (your embassy in that country). Got stranded in a country hit by a savage storm one year--state dept was useless in helping us find the rest of our group! Could not be bothered.
#24 Apple Pie on 2017-01-27 11:13 (Reply)
Most Departments have 5-6 top tier appointees who lead big chunks of organization.

State looks typical, with an undersecretariat for management. These usually include a budget and finance shop, a CIO, a property / logistics office, a security office, etc. I believe that they appoint career diplomats sometimes to fill some of these positions. The senior diplomats fill them, then move on.

The top guy, and three of his 8-10 deputies were asked to leave, and did. I don't see that as a big deal.
#25 Jablonski on 2017-01-27 12:27 (Reply)
Funny thing about a service, as in Foreign Service, people join at a young age and work up the ranks. No one is indispensable or irreplaceable. The old retire or die to be replace by the up and comers. Institutional memory is retained, unless some old codger hides things from the younger.

And if someone makes effort to make themselves indispensable, that is the person you want to phase out. They are either hiding crimes or their efforts will damage the organization. Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one and DC traffic can be especially hazardous to pedestrians.
#26 JK Brown on 2017-01-27 14:32 (Reply)
I suppose it all depends on if that lost of institutional knowledge was the good kind, or the bad kind.

A guy like Kennedy, for example, who lets an ambassador get killed, was complicit in Hillary's shenanigans... probably not the type of institutional knowledge you need to have around in your organization.

Meaning: He's not the guy you want whispering in the ear of the new guys, "I know that's what the regulations say, but here's how we really do business...."
#27 kaf on 2017-01-28 00:48 (Reply)

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