Rebane's Ruminations
May 2018
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George Rebane

Last week, White House aide Kelly Sadler said McCain’s opposition to Gina Haspel’s nomination to be the next CIA Director didn't matter because he’s “dying anyway."  Ms Sadler’s comment was made during a private, closed door planning session in the White House concerning how now-confirmed CIA Director’s nomination was to be managed through Congress.  Nothing unusual about the president’s staff doing such strategizing.  And nothing unusual about a staff member assessing the factors surrounding potential members of Congress as they may affect the Haspel vote if the confirmation process were to be long and drawn out, or as to the weight of an MOC’s opposition to the confirmation.

Pointing out that a particular senator’s opposition may be weakened because of his apparent health-induced lame duck status, was an expected contribution to the deliberations.  There is no evidence that Ms Sadler’s observation was in any way made with disrespect let alone intended to be an insult.  However, those norms have long been abandoned in the operation of our federal government, especially if there is hay to be made in the ongoing attempt to weaken the Trump administration.  The comment was leaked to the opposition in a now pro forma fashion, and it was off to the races.

The usual Democrat suspects jumped all over it, and their lamestream lackeys piled on with lurid reports of how the White House disrespects and continues to insult hallowed veterans such as Sen John McCain.  Everybody who could find a mic voiced their ‘shock’ at such an insult being tolerated by the President.  The leftwing barrage was so heavy and came so rapidly that even the Republican MOCs were swept along, and had chime in about their own disappointments about such a now-established insult.

To add further insult to injury, Fox News – you know, the people who are “fair, balanced, and unafraid” – were scared s#!tless to set the matter straight.  Instead they formed up their talking heads who obediently cluck-clucked their tongues at the unfortunate leak and the politics of such news of the ‘insult’ as it affected the President’s ongoing foreign policy and economic agenda.  None had the balls to say that Ms Sadler’s remark in a private executive branch planning meeting was not an insult, and the resulting fray was simply an expected a political dust-up, that correctly reported, would quickly blow over.

And this how the Washington 'honorables' govern us today.

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11 responses to “Kelly Sadler’s “insult””

  1. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    These kinds of things are actually funny to me. The left/dem/media is so sensitive (yawn) to any slight they can pin on Trump they are now deemed irrelevant by most Americans. What is so “deplorable” to them is seen as a nothing burger to the rest of us. I give them no time in my noggin. Except to Tweet them and chew them out. When I heard Trump’s response to a Sheriff about MS-13 and then how it was twisted and lied about by the press, all they did was a favor to Trump and Repoublicans. We can all hear for ourselves what he said and we know the media and the dems lied about it. Now they are seen as supporters and protectors of MS-13. Trump outsmarted them again.

    Like

  2. Russ Avatar
    Russ

    This explains a lot!
    Journalists’ brains show a lower-than-average level of executive functioning, according to a new study, which means they have a below-average ability to regulate their emotions, suppress biases, solve complex problems, switch between tasks, and show creative and flexible thinking.
    The study, led by Tara Swart, a neuroscientist and leadership coach, analysed 40 journalists from newspapers, magazines, broadcast, and online platforms over seven months. The participants took part in tests related to their lifestyle, health, and behaviour. . . .
    Each subject completed a blood test, wore a heart-rate monitor for three days, kept a food and drink diary for a week, and completed a brain profile questionnaire.
    The results showed that journalists’ brains were operating at a lower level than the average population, particularly because of dehydration and the tendency of journalists to self-medicate with alcohol, caffeine, and high-sugar foods.
    Forty-one percent of the subjects said they drank 18 or more units of alcohol a week, which is four units above the recommended weekly allowance. Less than 5% drank the recommended amount of water.
    However, in interviews conducted in conjunction with the brain profile results, the participants indicated they felt their jobs had a lot of meaning and purpose.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/journalists-brains-function-at-a-lower-level-than-average-2017-5
    They are incapable of doing the necessary analysis of Sadler’s remark, thus they parrot the feeble attempt to smear the President and his Staff.

    Like

  3. jon smith Avatar
    jon smith

    Russ 4:00-
    Not a fan of journalists in general, but Tara Swart? The Dr. Oz of brain science?? She is indeed widely published in Business Insider, The DailyMail, Woman’s Day, and other gems of her profession. Here are peer reviews of her BI “study”.
    “It looks like it is an extremely poorly done analysis.
    The sample is self selected the “first 40 to respond”, but doesn’t provide any details on the recruitment (was it a facebook post? a twitter post? mentioned on her website? Contacting local media?)
    Nearly half of her sample dropped out (only 21 completed everything)
    She compares the ‘group executive function’ but it isn’t age weighted when compared to the sample population.
    They completed a ‘brain profile questionnaire’ – no details of what was administered, whether it was reliable or valid – presumably it included the tests of executive function, but there isn’t anything mentioned to clarify
    She claims they are dehydrated but provides no information on what metric she is using or statistics.
    She claims they ‘drink too much’ again no metric or statistics.”

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  4. Russ Avatar
    Russ

    jon smith@05:23 Interesting. Here is a link to her paper. I am not sure this claim holds water.
    “She claims they ‘drink too much’ again no metric or statistics.”
    I wonder if her critics read the paper?

    Like

  5. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “jon” 523pm
    You’re full of it on this one. That isn’t selections from multiple “peer reviews”, that’s a bunch of smears from one self described Android developer criticizing the research on Quora.
    https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-opinion-of-the-recent-report-by-Dr-Tara-Swart-on-the-Mental-Resilience-of-Journalists
    I’m not passing judgment on the research myself, just shining light on your false presentation of crap you found on the web.

    Like

  6. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    So “jon”, calling a spade a spade… not only were you lying but were also guilty of plagiarism and copyright infringement.

    Like

  7. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    Looks like George Soros is trying to buy a DA in Sacramento County. In an article today he has donated $400,000 to Phillips who is challenging Schubert. Soros wants more felons released apparently.

    Like

  8. jon smith Avatar
    jon smith

    Actually Gregory, I cut and pasted the reviews from Daily Mail for your edification. I’m glad you could find corroboration from another site.

    Like

  9. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “jon” 845am
    Funny how Google and DuckDuck don’t pick up any Daily Mail citation(s) but a couple of your sentences quoted verbatim point to Quora.
    Please, one link to a “peer review” of the research, from the Daily Mail.

    Like

  10. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    Hey, you never know. Tom Musgrove, Android developer, machine learning, and researcher, might be both a writer for the Daily Mail and a well-published neuroscientist.
    I’m thinking that the best place for ‘peer reviews’ might be Amazon product reviews. You could probably cut ‘n paste something from one of the more famous sets.
    https://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gold-Bears-Original-5-Pound-Packaging/dp/B000EVOSE4/

    Like

  11. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Scenes, What possibly can I add that has not already been so eloquently stated? 5 Star review.

    Like

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