Scott Pruitt out at EPA

From the President, just a few minutes ago.

Of course the left is having a field day, HuffPo writes:

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s controversial tenure ended amid a whirlwind of ethics scandals and at least 18 federal investigations.

Full text of his resignation letter:

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.

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.

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. I believe that same providence brought me into your service. I pray as I have served you that I have blessed you and enabled you to effectively lead the American people. Thank you again Mr. President for the honor of serving you and I wish you Godspeed in all that you put your hand to.

Your Faithful Friend,

Scott Pruitt

http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-scott-pruitts-resignation-letter/

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July 6, 2018 7:11 am

I reject any criticism of Scoot Pruitt. He did a good job and was hounded out of his position by scoundrels.

Mr. Pruitt, Well done Sir! Thank you for your service to America and to humanity.

Yours truly, Allan MacRae, P.Eng.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 7:22 am

So, what do you have to say about the allegations against him? Do you know what they are? What exactly do you think about them?

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 6, 2018 9:31 am

The leftists are pathological liars – every falsehood is OK with them if it serves The Cause.
THAT is exactly what I think.

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 8:09 pm

So you dismiss the allegations out of hand?
That’s an open mind at work!

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 9:47 pm

[Snip. Let’s avoid personal attacks. -mod]

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 10:58 pm

So you refuse to think about the allegations against him, and refuse to say what you think about them. Righto.

The whistle-blower behind the most recent allegations (which are supported by a comparison of his public calendar to other documents from his department), is a proud Trump supporter!

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 7, 2018 2:24 am

Steve McIntyre spent about a decade diligently disproving the Hockey Stick that falsely supported Mann-made Global Warming alarmist nonsense.

Many of us immediately knew Mann et al (MBH98 and subsequent papers) was false because it eliminated the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age from the historic record.

Furthermore, every dire prediction from the global warming alarmist IPCC and its minions has failed to materialize – they have a perfectly negative predictive track record.

Then we have the hysterical reaction of the left to the election of Donald Trump. These people are demonstrably insane – their latest mantra is “Trump is the new Hitler”. How utterly offensive and imbecilic!

And who is the one person the left hates and fears more than Donald Trump? Scott Pruitt! So they will say and do anything to harm him and hound him out of office.

The left has no integrity and no decency. Their predictive track record on scientific issues is 100% false. They lie and cause harm to people whenever it serves The Cause.

In conclusion, do I have to waste my time checking out every extreme statement from leftist scoundrels and imbeciles? No I do not.

Based on the overwhelming evidence to date including their perfectly negative predictive track record and their history of vile lies, the balance of probabilities suggests that the allegations by the leftists against Scott Pruitt are wildly overblown.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 7, 2018 6:37 am

That’s hilarious, especially on a science forum. Not many scientific principles going on there.

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 10, 2018 7:54 am

My rejection of warmist propaganda is a practical accommodation of Brandolini’s Law, which states that:

“THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY NEEDED TO REFUTE BULLSH!T IS AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE BIGGER THAN TO PRODUCE IT.”
– Alberto Brandolini, 11 January 2013

One year earlier, I published the following statement [Note that it is still true, after more than two decades of warmist propaganda]:

“After more than a decade, NONE of the scary predictions of the global warming alarmists have materialized. The warmists’ predictive track record is one of absolute failure.”

“BASED ON THE WARMISTS’ DISMAL TRACK RECORD, ONE CAN SAFELY ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING THEY PREDICT IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE FALSE.”
– Allan M.R. MacRae, January 15, 2012
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/14/tisdale-on-foster-and-rahmstorf-take-2/#comment-748715

Notwithstanding their reverse order of occurrence, you can call my above statement “MacRae’s Corollary to Brandolini’s Law”.

“MacRae’s Corollary” is designed to save you countless hours of toil, as evidenced by the ~decade of diligent work and remarkable mathematical competence that Steve McIntyre expended to disprove Mann’s “hockey stick” (aka “hokey stick”).

Just assume that the warmists are hopeless pathological liars, and that all their very-scary predictions of runaway global warming, wilder weather, etc are false. You will have a very high probability of being correct.

Regards, Allan 🙂

Curious George
Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 6, 2018 10:28 am

How many rivers did EPA poison under Pruitt, and how many under Obama’s administrators?

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 7, 2018 5:00 pm

Philip Schaeffer

Has Pruitt been prosecuted and convicted for these ‘allegations’?

If not, scream all you want, they are worthless until proven, and you don’t have the competence or the facts to pass judgement.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 7, 2018 7:32 pm

So the correct way is to ignore the evidence we do have, and not think about it until a court tells us what to think?

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 8, 2018 2:59 pm

Philip Schaeffer

The correct way is not to condemn a man on internet tittle tattle and speculation.

The ‘evidence’ you are ‘served’, is not the evidence you are not served.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 8, 2018 6:02 pm

Not just tittle tattle and speculation. Testimony before congress, emails obtained through FOI requests (confirming that Pruitt had taxpayer paid staff seek a Chik-Fill-A franchise for his wife), and direct statements from whistle-blowers who worked for Pruitt regarding his public calendar, followed up by the work of journalists comparing Pruitt’s public calendar with other documents that confirm the discrepancies in his public calendar.

This isn’t just a case of competing statements. Actual evidence has been found and presented.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 9, 2018 12:18 am

Philip Schaeffer

And yet, to my knowledge, no prosecution pending.

You are peddling the concept of the ‘court of public opinion’.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 9, 2018 6:14 am

And yet, to my knowledge, no prosecution pending against Clinton.

Anyway, if you want to ignore the evidence we do have, you can claim that it’s just a court of public opinion.. But only if you refuse to acknowledge what evidence there is.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 9, 2018 6:40 am

Philip Schaeffer

I didn’t mention Clinton.

Not my concern until she appears in court.

“if you want to ignore the evidence we do have”

Interested to know who “we” are, and how credible ‘your’ evidence is.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 9, 2018 6:46 am

“I didn’t mention Clinton.

Not my concern until she appears in court.”

So you have no valid opinion about her until she does?

“Interested to know who “we” are, and how credible ‘your’ evidence is.”

We is everyone, and the credibility of the evidence can be ascertained from the emails obtained under FOI, and the cross checking between Pruitt’s public calendar and other documents obtained by journalists.

Not everything is proven beyond reasonable doubt, but a lot is. Like using tax payer paid staff to seek a Chik-Fill-A franchise for his wife, from emails obtained under FOI laws.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 9, 2018 7:25 am

Philip Schaeffer

“So you have no valid opinion about her until she does?”

I have no opinion on her, valid or otherwise because I’m unqualified to form an opinion.

“We is everyone”

Clearly not.

“the credibility of the evidence can be ascertained from the emails obtained under FOI, and the cross checking between Pruitt’s public calendar and other documents obtained by journalists.”

And you have seen this evidence have you, other than what journalists want you to see? And, of course, you are qualified to make a judgement on someone’s guilt or innocence.

“Not everything is proven beyond reasonable doubt”

Pretty much so, in a court of law.

Other than that it’s trial by public opinion.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 9, 2018 8:14 pm

Here you go: The Chick-Fil-A emails obtained under FOI.

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/national/epa-head-scott-pruitts-outreach-to-chick-fil-a-ceo-on-a-potential-business-opportunity/3006/

and:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scott-pruitt-enlisted-an-epa-aide-to-help-his-wife-find-a-job–at-chick-fil-a/2018/06/05/b798e4e4-5eac-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html?utm_term=.4f4602960aad

“Three months after Scott Pruitt was sworn in as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, his scheduler emailed Dan Cathy, chief executive of the fast-food company Chick-fil-A, with an unusual request: Would Cathy meet with Pruitt to discuss “a potential business opportunity”?

A call was arranged, then canceled, and Pruitt eventually spoke with someone from the company’s legal department. Only then did he reveal that the “opportunity” on his mind was a job for his wife, Marlyn.

“The subject of that phone call was an expression of interest in his wife becoming a Chick-fil-A franchisee,” company representative Carrie Kurlander told The Washington Post via email.

Marlyn Pruitt never opened a restaurant. “Administrator Pruitt’s wife started, but did not complete, the Chick-fil-A franchisee application,” Kurlander said. But the revelation that Pruitt used his official position and EPA staff to try to line up work for his wife appears to open a new chapter in the ongoing saga of his questionable spending and management decisions, which so far have spawned a dozen federal probes.”

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 10, 2018 12:24 am

Philip Schaeffer

You’ll be telling me next you believe the Climategate emails.

Seriously though. This email extract tells me Pruitt and his wife thought about something, then thought better of it.

Just a feeble attempt at smear.

And please don’t tell me you haven’t used your position to your advantage, because I’ll call you a liar.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 10, 2018 12:32 am

“Philip Schaeffer

You’ll be telling me next you believe the Climategate emails.”

Are you saying you don’t believe the contents of the emails obtained from the EPA under FOI? Is the EPA fabricating emails?

“Seriously though. This email extract tells me Pruitt and his wife thought about something, then thought better of it.

Just a feeble attempt at smear.”

So it’s ok to have taxpayer paid staff help line up a business opportunity for your wife?

“And please don’t tell me you haven’t used your position to your advantage, because I’ll call you a liar.”

What position do I have to use to my advantage? I’ve always been self employed. I’m a computer and recording studio technician.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 10, 2018 1:13 am

Philip Schaeffer

Where did I even suggest I didn’t believe the EPA emails? I said the content was worthless and a feeble attempt at smear.

A staff member typed an email for Pruitt, big deal.

“I’m a computer and recording studio technician.”

Therefore notably unqualified to comment on legal matters. Nor does it exempt you from taking advantage of your position.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 10, 2018 5:55 am

You’re sound a bit more defensive now that you realize that I won’t let up. You know exactly where you went wrong. It was at the point where you judged me on the basis of what other people have or haven’t done.

Before you asked me about what I think about the issue you based your judgement of my conduct on.

“Where did I even suggest I didn’t believe the EPA emails?

Well, exactly what did you mean by this:

“You’ll be telling me next you believe the Climategate emails.”

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 10, 2018 9:26 am

Philip Schaeffer

[Snip]

[Snip] you would have recognised my comment for what it is, humour. The Climategate emails are as reliable as the EPA emails, but I doubt you would dial their significance into your hysterical, puerile, ill informed Pruitt rants.

You deem it appropriate to judge people’s ethics when you know nothing about them, yet deem it ethical that a man is harassed and his family threatened, because he’s doing his job. You clearly operate in the warped world of the left.

You have no concept of the legal implications inherent in prosecuting someone, because you have never prosecuted anyone, I have.

Your comments on here betray your profound ignorance and blind adherence to left wing ideology.

Do some proper reading and learn how destructive left wing ideology is.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 10, 2018 5:39 pm

You never did answer this question:

“So it’s ok to have taxpayer paid staff help line up a business opportunity for your wife?”

Well, is it? You say feeble smear… So does that mean that you see no problem with what he did?

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 11, 2018 1:32 am

Philip Schaeffer

I have answered the question.

If it’s illegal, then he’ll be punished. If it’s not, he won’t.

Simple as.

But it’s certainly not up to a barrack room lawyer like you to pass judgement.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 12, 2018 12:32 am

Back on the subject of things we do know for certain:

Pruitt stayed in a DC condo owned by the wife of a lobbyist with business before the EPA for $50 a night (see what you can find in DC for $50 a night if you think that’s not a gift).

He has admitted this, so there is no doubt over evidence.

What do you think about that? No back room lawyering needed there. The facts are not in dispute.

Would you have done that? If not, why? Don’t need to be a legal expert to see why that is unacceptable.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 12, 2018 12:41 am

Philip Schaeffer

You are not in full possession of all the facts.

In your own words: “Well, I would put it to you that if it is not wrong then it can’t be unethical, and vice versa.”

He’s not been convicted of anything so until he is, it’s not unethical.

You continue down the path of trial by media and the court of public opinion.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 12, 2018 4:53 pm

It is entirely possible to be a criminal without having been convicted. It is entirely possible to be unethical without breaking a law.

Imagine a band robber waiting out the statute of limitations. Are you saying that if he successfully hides from the law for long enough that his actions become ethical, but that if he is found and convicted, only then do they become unethical?

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 12, 2018 5:58 pm

Philip Schaeffer

“It is entirely possible to be a criminal without having been convicted.”

Wrong! No one is a criminal until convicted. There goes your puerile logic again.

“It is entirely possible to be unethical without breaking a law.”

Entirely dependent on your ethical position.

The rest of your ‘argument’ is just nonsense.

Stop going round in circles. It is tedious and demonstrates your lack of education.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 12, 2018 7:41 pm

So bank robbers and murderers who don’t get caught aren’t criminals? All you have to do is evade the police and you aren’t a criminal!

😀

I really think you have issues with the distinction between being guilty of doing something, and guilt under the law. If I murder someone, but I don’t get convicted because the evidence isn’t strong enough, I am still guilty of committing murder. I will still know that I am guilty even if the court can’t prove it.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 13, 2018 7:29 am

Philip Schaeffer

“So bank robbers and murderers who don’t get caught aren’t criminals? All you have to do is evade the police and you aren’t a criminal!”

By George I think he’s getting it!

The act itself is criminal, but unless someone is convicted in a court of law for that act, no one is a criminal because no one has had the opportunity to present their case for the defence.

“If I murder someone, but I don’t get convicted because the evidence isn’t strong enough, I am still guilty of committing murder.”

On the other hand, perhaps he isn’t getting it.

No! You are not, because if the evidence isn’t strong enough, you may be convicted of Culpable Homicide, or found not guilty, or not proven in Scotland. It is then between you and your concision as to whether you committed the murder. The Criminal Justice System has done it’s job to the best of its abilities and has erred on the side of caution by not convicting someone solely because they believed they committed a crime.

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in civilised western democracies and the onus of proving someone guilty is entirely on the state. If that can’t be done, you could be a serial killer and still walk free and no one can legitimately call you a criminal because that is merely their unsubstantiated belief.

The law does not make judgements based on morals or ethics, it makes judgements based on Acts of Parliament (in the UK at least) where each and every law is scrutinised and debated before it’s enacted.

Why is this such a difficult concept for you to grasp. It’s accepted by every judge, jury, lawyer, cop and, for that matter, criminal, in the civilised world, but just not you.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 13, 2018 8:14 pm

Lol, this is hilarious. If you catch your neighbor stealing from you, but the police fail to investigate, will you still think the same about him as you did before you caught him stealing?

Will you say to yourself “I can’t judge him because he wasn’t convicted”?

Or will you think “he’s lucky he wasn’t convicted in court, but I know he is a thief”?

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 14, 2018 12:48 am

Philip Schaeffer

If you have the evidence your neighbour stole from you, why wouldn’t the Police investigate?

Indeed, there’s nothing to stop you raising a civil case against him, but the evidence required to seek restitution is much the same.

If you don’t have sufficient evidence and call your neighbour a thief in public, that’s slander, because you have proven nothing.

What you think to yourself about him is entirely up to you.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 14, 2018 1:25 am

Philip Schaeffer

This is really, really basic stuff. If you don’t get it you are either being deliberately awkward or you really should do a little reading on the subject because you are living in a society you don’t understand.

These are the laws of evidence civilised society is based on. You either have the evidence, which can take a number of forms, witnesses, forensic, circumstantial etc. in which case, your case might be considered for examination in court, or you don’t, in which case, tough luck.

Scientist’s work on much the same principle. They either have the evidence, or they don’t. If their theory is sound, their experiment can be replicated by someone else.

Criminal and civil courts need to replicate a crime (virtually) in the public eye in order that the circumstances and evidence can be validated.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 14, 2018 8:38 pm

The bar is set justifiably high in what evidence is required and what process followed to convict and punish someone with sanctions under the law. That doesn’t mean we can’t have our own opinions about someone.

If you are caught stealing, you will be treated like a thief, regardless of whether you actually get convicted. The people around you aren’t going to change their judgement of your guilt because the court failed to convict you.

“We saw him stealing. He’s a thief”

“Yeah, but we can’t say that because he wasn’t convicted” said no one, ever.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 15, 2018 10:15 am

Philip Schaeffer

Your opinion is your opinion, it is neither morally nor legally qualified.

Stop running round in circles trying to justify your obtuse logic to yourself.

And if you call someone a thief when they have not been convicted as such, you are liable to prosecution for defamation of character, which renders you the criminal.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  HotScot
July 15, 2018 6:55 pm

Lol, you’re free to refrain from making any judgements. And I’m free to say I’m satisfied based on the evidence I’ve seen that Pruitt needed to go.

Reply to  Philip Schaeffer
July 16, 2018 12:29 am

Philip Schaeffer

And that’s precisely where we came in. You expected me to pass opinion on Pruitts ethics, now you tell me I’m free not to, which has been my contention all along, indeed, I’m compelled not to judge people on their morals.

You are still happy to judge people without seeking evidence for their defence, which has been your contention all along, despite all the evidence to demonstrate that’s wrong.

See what I mean about you running yourself round in circles?

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 8:01 pm

You can’t be the Allan MacRae I know.

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 8:37 pm

[snip – language, policy violation -mod]

Reply to  Jack Davis
July 7, 2018 2:37 am

Jack Davis – your ~five comments (to date) on this thread are abusive and imbecilic. You are an example of the intellectual corruption, lack of integrity and lack of decency of the extreme left.

Thank you for making my case.

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 8, 2018 3:04 pm

Allen

Forgive me for reducing myself to the puerile.

But he was snipped……Teehee.

And Anthony et al (Mods) are tolerant.

🙂

Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
July 6, 2018 9:45 pm

[snip]

MarkW
July 6, 2018 7:18 am

Here’s a list of EPA scandals from the past administration:

https://lists.grabien.com/list-epa-scandals-under-obama-administration

Russ Wood
July 6, 2018 9:27 am

So – the terrorists have won – again. It seems that in the Western World, if you don’t like someone’s policies, you don’t have to wait to vote them out – just attack, attack and attack until they give up! Democracy, I weep for your passing!

Reply to  Russ Wood
July 6, 2018 7:48 pm

Am I detecting a siege sentiment here? Ah, that’s good! The sooner the lunatic rejection of science this site promotes is defeated, the sooner…..
Nah – you guys are irrelevant and inconsequential. I don’t know why I bother.

chrisretusn
July 6, 2018 10:44 am

I am disappointed in this. In my opinion Pruitt was doing a good job . The any thing Trump haters have won this one. I really don’t blame Pruitt for resigning. Hope Wheeler can continue to set the EPA right. Sadely the anything Trump haters are probably already looking anything to smear Wheeler with.

Joel Snider
July 6, 2018 12:36 pm

I will say this – in the long-established tradition of being utterly unable to think dynamically, the progressive lefts two-year assault on Pruitt has left them with a replacement who was a coal lobbyist.

If their actions weren’t so utterly hateful, and therefore utterly devoid of humor, I would laugh.
As it is, all I can do is shake my head and roll my eyes.

Brett Keane
Reply to  Joel Snider
July 6, 2018 1:01 pm

Let me also thank Mr Pruitt for a tremendous start to the draining of EPA. All allegations, being from the Soros etc.-funded destroy Western democracy crew, are lies. Fascinating seeing the swamp scum swarming here now. Shows we are winning, and by the way, so is Trump.
Good comment Joel.

Reply to  Joel Snider
July 6, 2018 6:59 pm

Don’t worry too much, it may just be that it’s hard to see any humor in a situation where the most powerful nation on the planet has elected a narcissist delinquent as president and he has sort out sociopaths to help him bugger up all decency. It may just be that.

Simon
July 6, 2018 12:50 pm

Those who support Pruitt here seem to have only one justification for it….. the left has people who are bad or worse than him. That is such twisted thinking and sums up the one eyed support for “anything as long as it is not left” here. Happy to look past his corruption and dodgy dealings just because his views on climate change match theirs. What hypocrisy.

Gary Hagland
July 6, 2018 1:02 pm

The left will never go quietly into the night.

Simon
Reply to  Gary Hagland
July 6, 2018 1:55 pm

Mindless statement. No one who believes in what they are doing should.

Jeff Alberts
Reply to  Simon
July 6, 2018 9:59 pm

Just because you believe in what you’re doing doesn’t make it right.

Simon
Reply to  Jeff Alberts
July 6, 2018 10:36 pm

Of course but that was not my point. Anyone who believes they are right “should” fight for what they believe in. Left or right.

July 6, 2018 2:50 pm

I feel sick. What a fawning supplicating arse licking weasel resignation letter. He’s leaving Trump’s employ – why does he need to abase himself before ‘Trump the All Wise’?
To think that such a worm of a man has been making decisions affecting the future of our world is heartbreaking.
No wonder the space aliens haven’t made contact – they must be looking on in horror!

Wayne Job
July 6, 2018 3:39 pm

I am an old Aussie and thus look at America from the outside, it would seem from an outsider that you have a new civil war. Your 4th of July has just passed and I took the time to study some American history including reading your declaration of independence document. Even back at that time you had many that were not patriotic to your new country.

This time in history it would seem you have elected a real patriot as president who is trying to bring back the true essence of your historic documents. Some of the Democratic party and assorted watermelons looking from the outside are not patriots, they do not seem to care about America only their agenda.

The advent of your new president being elected has put a large dent in their plans, I do hope that he gets your country out of the UN for I believe it is their agenda that your democrats and watermelons are following. God bless America the world needs you alive and strong.

Reply to  Wayne Job
July 6, 2018 3:57 pm

You are kidding? Buggering up by egging on the lumpen?

J Mac
Reply to  Wayne Job
July 6, 2018 6:15 pm

Wayne,
I’d say your view from the Great Down Under shows remarkable clarity. I would however characterize this as a new ‘Uncivil War’, as the response just above from Jack Davis so clearly illustrates. Clinically, we refer to it as Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). TDS can range from the mundane name calling to determined attempts to murder supporters of President Trump and his agenda. The following is an example of a murderous attempt to assassinate a group of Republican Representatives and Senators near Washington D.C. in June last year, as they were having a team softball game practice. The perpetrator was a socialist democrat, Bernie Sanders campaign supporter, and Obama ‘99%er’.
https://patriotpost.us/articles/49642-demo-slash-msm-rhetoric-and-the-attempted-murder-of-republicans

This was not the act of an ‘unhinged individual’ but rather a hatred fueled, politically motivated assassination attempt, designed to kill Republican Congressmen Trump supporters and cripple President Trump’s administration as it was just getting organized. The irrational hatred of the socialist democrats drives them to murderous extremes. They are convinced the ends justify the means and the Rule of Law be damned.

Tom Abbott
Reply to  J Mac
July 7, 2018 6:50 am

The baseball practice shooter *was* deranged. You don’t go mowing down innocent people unless you are deranged.

That’s the danger with overheated political rhetoric: You agitate the psychos out there to the point that they feel a need to act out violently, and the overheated rhetoric gives them permission to do so, in their minds.

There is a civil war going on in the United States but there is uncertainty about the numbers involved. On one side, you have the “Silent Majority” Right versus the Left and the Radical Left.

The Left and Right fight the civil war with rhetoric.

The Radical Left fights the civil war with all sorts of underhanded methods including violence.

Imo, the Radical Left is small in numbers. But they have a great deal of influence over the political dialog because they have the megaphones of the Leftwing Media, the News Media and the Entertainment media, which makes it look like their numbers are huge.

So I don’t rule out some violent incidents in this civil war but I don’t think they will amount to much because the American Right is not looking for a violent confrontation, and will avoid one if possible, and the Radical Left does not have the numbers or the political support to violently overthrow our government.

The Radical Left can cause some problems, but then the American people are going to stand up and demand that the lawbreakers be held to account.

July 6, 2018 7:35 pm

Gee Scott, couldnt you behave yourself. Whatever great things he may have accomplished, shame on him for his wanton waste for the taxpayers money. It is far too often that well paid officials abuse their offices by purloining public assets for personal use, chintzy chiseling on expense accounts and the like. It is selfish disregard and stupidity.

Reply to  Gary Pearse
July 6, 2018 7:56 pm

I couldn’t agree more, but watch the apologists here defend him because they like his particular destructive set of bizarre beliefs.

Dave Liggett
Reply to  Jack Davis
July 6, 2018 10:29 pm

Jack, I agree that apologists will show up and defend Pruitt based on his accomplishments and try to overlook any potential ethical breeches. Some will try the old “well someone else did so and so”. I agree with your earlier post that officials must be held accountable for their actions, no excuses! If these allegations against Pruitt bear out, he should be held to account. That that is the way things are done in DC is no excuse. That being said, are you willing to stand up and also argue that the alleged misdeeds of the previous administration should also be investigated and anyone found in violation of ethical standards be held accountable?

Trevor
July 7, 2018 7:46 am

WHATEVER !! With regard to the USA EPA :
I was an unashamed to be a SCOTT PRUITT fan and remain so !
He initiated the NECESSARY REFORMATION of the EPA at
POTUS TRUMP’S requirements and I hope his replacement will do likewise !
Fortunately , there is only ONE COUNTRY who seems to be capable of casting some
light into this bleak scientific darkness , and that is TRUMP’S AMERICA !
Australian science has been “blinded by the MONEY , no longer , by the LIGHT ! ”
.

Don Jindra
Why does everything have to be about left and right these days?
.
Don…….Since Marxism was first postulated and the French Post-Modern philosophers
came on the scene in the 1930’s ( or so ) and incorporated it into their thinking and it later
gained such wide acceptance ( mostly through YALE University’s humanities department )
EVERYTHING in the WESTERN WORLD has been viewed from these perspectives !
.
Obama & Clinton & the Democratic Party REPRESENT the LEFT.
Reagan & Trump & the Republican Party REPRESENT the RIGHT.
And then it ALL DEPENDS upon YOUR VIEW of History how you
regard each aspect of the influence and power that each “side”
should exercise…given that THERE SHOULD BE A BALANCE .
MOSTLY the LEFT want to destroy THE OPPRESSIVE WESTERN PATRIARCHY,
FREE THE DOWN-TRODDEN MASSES and establish their Communist UTOPIA.
This has EQUALITY OF OUTCOMES FOR GROUPS ( too bad if it’s NOT your group ! )
STATE OWNERSHIP of everything INCLUDING YOU ! PURE POWER !!
You get to SHARE in the State wealth , but have no rights at all.
NO INCENTIVE TO DO BETTER or BAKE a bigger “PIE” !
( Russia & China killed hundreds of millions of their own people and haven’t
managed to establish anything resembling a UTOPIA ! )
The RIGHT on the other hand has produced the CAPITALIST WESTERN
CIVILISATION and America has taken it to it’s finest level SO FAR with
INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS , FREE-SPEECH , EQUALITY OF
OPPORTUNITY , PRIVATE OWNERSHIP of property and labour and
FREE CHOICE in most things , and HIGH moral values, in SCIENCE & TRUTH !
It has CREATED ENORMOUS WEALTH and lifted the living standard
of everyone ! A larger “PIE” for everyone to share. LOTS OF REWARD
AND INCENTIVE TO DO BETTER ! Encouragement and HOPE !!
Most of Western Europe and Oceania and former British Colonies and
Britain also enjoy these same benefits , but the degree varies !
.
So Don , I do hope you will go away and READ A LOT about World
History and REALISE WHY PEOPLE fight so hard for their particular view
and WHY I regard the LEFT as basically murderous, ideological thugs
who intend to disrupt my pleasant lifestyle with their actions ;
and WHY I regard the RIGHT as more closely reflecting and
maintaining what I have come to value.
Then YOU won’t have to be so naive when you make YOUR CHOICE !
.

Carbon Bigfoot
July 7, 2018 2:56 pm

What happened to the CLIMATEGATE UPDATE??? It disappeared on Climate Audit Wesite as well.

nankerphelge
July 7, 2018 4:51 pm

Start naming them Scott.
Start telling the horror stories your family has copped.

Jens H
July 7, 2018 4:55 pm

Science doesn’t have anything to do with the political spectrum of left-right, conservative-liberal etc.

It would serve science a great deal if we could refrain from bringing party politics into every issue.

Pruitt was corrupt and incompetent, that is why it was a good thing he got kicked out.

Cliff Hilton
July 8, 2018 6:45 pm

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/396000-ex-aide-says-hell-take-credit-for-pruitts-downfall

Kevin Chmielewski, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whistleblower who played a central role in Scott Pruitt’s downfall at the agency, said he feels vindicated by the administrator’s departure.

“I hate to take a credit for a man losing his job, but I guess I’d have to say that I take the credit,” Chmielewski told The Hill on Friday, the day Pruitt left the EPA.

I hate to say it, but this guy would not have gotten any mileage, “if” all this was not true. I don’t know if any of it is true. Other than the jerk being left at the EPA to cause damage. Something the Left on knows how to do. I sure hope this guy does not find any troubles, in his life, due to this. Things are kind of crazy, nowadays.

If our good President, gets another 4 years as POTUS, I hope there are as many Right, remaining to do the same kind of damage. The DEMONcrats are teaching us all a lesson, in dealing with them.

Amber
July 9, 2018 12:01 am

The media attack Pruitt over chump change yet Mueller and his entrapment team
cost tax payers over $30,000 per day and the MSM zip it for the most part .
There must be a contest between Commey and Mueller to see who can shake down
tax payers more . I’m betting on Mueller and his team of Democrat donors . No bias there .
Nope .. just the swamp creatures looking out for other swamp creatures .

Brett Keane
Reply to  Amber
July 9, 2018 1:55 am

The Pruitt allegations remain without proof, like the thousands made up re Trump, also paid for by billionaires who think they should rule. As happened with the Caesars and their rich backers who took down the Roman Republic.
Judging by the troll harvest here, we must be hurting them, as we intend to go on…..
Great work Mr Pruitt. Thank You. Now for the next steps.

Philip Schaeffer
Reply to  Brett Keane
July 10, 2018 5:41 pm

No, the Chik-Fil-A story comes from emails obtained under FOI, and an email from Chick-Fil-A confirming what the discussion was about, which I provided a link to back up the page.