Now that we know the whole story, it’s Michael Flynn, the erstwhile National Security Advisor, hands down. That’s amazing, when one considers some of the other appointments, like the spectacularly unqualified Ben Carson, Rick Perry, appointed to lead an agency he has previously said should be eliminated (and couldn’t remember its name); and the embarrassingly unethical Tom Price, the HHS head.
Earlier this week, Flynn, who was forced to resign February 13, for lying to Vice-President Pence, filed with the Justice Department revealing that he had done work from August to November “that could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey.” That work had netted Flynn’s firm more than a half-million dollars, and made Flynn legally obligated to register as a foreign agent.
On Election Day, Flynn’s op-ed was published on The Hill praising Turkish President Erdogan as an ally against ISIS. On November 18, Representative Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, wrote a letter to Pence inquiring about Flynn’s ties to the Turkish government. When the White House confirmed that the Trump transition team knew before Inauguration Day that Flynn might be required to register as a foreign agent. it was stating the undeniable.
How could someone like General Flynn ever be appointed national security adviser? White House spokesman Sean Spicer (speaking of bad hires) has made the silly excuse that Flynn’s status as a registered foreign agent didn’t mean he had a disqualifying conflict of interest. A top national-security aide who was under contract to lobby for a foreign government deeply involved with U.S. Middle East policy? Outrageous! Outrageous, and guaranteed to spark a scandal as soon as this became public. Not only was this a bad appointment, an incompetent appointment, an irresponsible, reckless and dangerous appointment, it was a really stupid appointment.
The job of the national security adviser is not subject to Senate confirmation, making a thorough vetting by the administration even more essential than usual. Yet either the thorough vetting didn’t occur, or the President didn’t pay any attention to it, which is worse.
If the President couldn’t see that Flynn was a terrible choice for a key position, and no advisor could or would stop him from making the appointment, that indicates serious problems that must be addressed, and fast. If the President didn’t have all of the information he needed to make the right decision (that is, appoint someone else), then Flynn isn’t the only one who needed to go. Needs to go.
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Facts: The Atlantic
Ethics Alarms 
Dear Jack,
Some much needed critique of the Trump administration was in order. Sad that the Republicans allowed Dr. Carson, Dr. Price. and Mr. Perry into Trump’s administration, Seems that ethics was not at the top of their priorities.
RBW
Sadly, there’s no doubt about it. The Trump administration is a pretty motley crew. They’re definitely not “the best people.” Unfortunate.
How did you not end that comment on with the word “Sad?” Wasted opportunity.
What do you mean?
Trump ends many of his semi-rational Twitter rants with with a “Sad!” with a gauge of how much he’s upset by the exclamation point mark count.
Thanks for explaining that, M. Maybe that’s what Chris meant. I don’t do twitter so I wouldn’t know how Trump tweets.
Yes, that’s what I meant.
Agreed. Seems like this is why the administration has a Don McGahn. Was he enlightened, or kept in the dark? [Neither is good.]
The problem, as I see it, is that Trump doesn’t care at all about competence. Flynn’s (and his son’s) apparent endorsement of the ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy theory should have been the canary in the mine as far as he was concerned. It’s clear to me that the only thing that Trump cares about is personal loyalty – to Trump and to Trump’s family. Flynn got his post not because he was qualified but because he was a trump campaign booster. Jeff Sessions was one of the first sitting Senators to endorse Trump, and so he became Attorney General.
Not sure that explains it CD. Are there any administrations that aren’t stacked with all sorts of campaign leftovers and loyalists? Basic patronage. Valerie Jarrett applied for her job through the GSA? An administration is either well staffed or not.
Yay! Criticism of Trump!
I can’t wait for knee-jerk right wingers to defend Trump just like knee-jerk Lefties did for Obama until their faces turned blue.
Until they chime in (which I’m not going to hold my breath for), I will comment:
Whether Perry is or is not qualified to lead a particular department, I don’t think that his stated opposition to the department he is tasked to lead is a disqualifying characteristic.
As a matter of checks and balances, I think it’s a possible plus for department heads to approach their departments from a skeptical point of view – that is to say approaching their department from an angle that is constantly questioning: are the actions my people taking good for the Rule of Law and good for the Rights of the People or not?
Theoretically, you are right but…
1. I would not want to work for anyone who had expressed disrespect for my job or the mission of my organization.
2. If the idea is not to end the agency, it’s a confounding message that needs clarification.
3. If the new leader is an acknowledged problem solver/ manager extraordinaire, then we believe he can do the job well no matter what his views. But this is Rick Perry.
But he looks good in a suit and glasses in a kind of George Hamilton way. So he’s got that going for him.
Yeah, I think there’s a difference between “Previous people in my job have taken things too far and amassed too much power” and “My job should not exist.” That way lies Ron Swanson, who is a great character, but who should never be put in charge of anything in real life.
Between
1) taking my federal executive job too far
2) balancing it right
And
3) being extremely critical of my department’s power
If #2 isn’t an option, I’ll take #3 over #1 every day.
But “being extremely critical of my department’s power” still isn’t “My job shouldn’t exist.”
And if #3 isn’t available. I’ll still take #4 “my job shouldn’t exist over #1 every day