Tillerson presides over abrupt shakeup at State Department

[suffragette]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/17/politics/tillerson-state-department-shakeup/

Washington (CNN)Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has reassigned a majority of the staff meant to work most closely with the top US diplomat in what career officials at the State Department fear is the start of a major reorganization.

The news sent shock waves through the agency and has left career officials on edge, in part because of its abrupt nature -- taking place before their assignments end this summer and replacements have been found -- and in part because these officials help the secretary, a government novice, work with policy experts throughout the building.

While Tillerson was on his first overseas trip at the G20 in Bonn, Germany, his aides told the entire staff in the offices of the deputy secretary of state for management and resources and the State Department counselor that their current assignments were prematurely coming to an end, according to senior aides.

~~~

The staff positions are filled by career foreign service officers and civil servants as opposed to political appointees who serve at the will of the President. The career postings come with a start and end date that traditionally transcend any change in administration.

So he waits until he will be away and has others do his dirty work. I guess we're seeing his managerial style.

I wonder about the real reason for this purge.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Russia calls the shots now.

[suffragette]

5. Looks like that was his first side meeting at G20, so his priority is pretty clear.

Of course, he kicked the press out of the meeting itself.

[nikibatts]

2. Hey Senate...you were duly warned.

[suffragette]

13. Yeah, though most Repubs don't care as long as they can ram through their agenda.

[mercuryblues]

3. Is anyone left

in the State Department? Have our ambassadors been replaced? How about the Nuclear weapons Chief and deputy chief? Who else has he fired?

[suffragette]

6. Good questions. The article notes further down this action comes after previous purge of "top

Management leaders at State."

They're getting rid of the civil servants who keep government functions running and surrounding themselves with a few lackeys.

[Raster]

4. United States of Exxon...

...in Russia we trust.

[suffragette]

10. Sadly, all too on point.

[longship]

7. Holy shit!

I think that we are all going to figure out quite soon what happens when the government -- lock, stock, and barrel -- is taken over by incompetent, ignorant buffoons.

[suffragette]

11. Yes, every appointee is there to destroy their department.

[DURHAM D]

9. Maybe they can get on with Dr. Elizabeth McCord, Madam Secretary. nt

[suffragette]

16. Who's that?

[bdamomma]

12. They are gutting every dept.

Tillerson is cementing the oil deal with Putin.

Keep this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028555281#post5

[suffragette]

15. Thanks! I've been posting the last couple days that Trump's press conf and rally seem

like chaotic theater to distract eyes away from more serious matters. Of course it feeds Trump's base which then feeds his ego, but it seems really designed to eat up time on the news cycle this Thursday through Saturday and that makes me wonder what isn't receiving as much coverage.

And I keep coming back to Tillerson as central to that, which is why I've been posting more threads on his doings of late.

I was aware of his connection to Russia and the likelihood of the Russian sanctions being undone under him. Also think drilling at ANWR is on their list.

Didn't know about the other stuff.

Wow.

[mulsh]

14. If I didn't know better I'd say some foreign adversary has taken control of the Executive branch

and is systematically denuding our ability to self govern. Weird, huh?

[suffragette]

17. Spot on!