Hewing to that time-honored advice about giving an important new task to someone who is already busy, President Trump has just tapped the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as the Acting DNI (DNI: Director of National Intelligence), replacing the outgoing Acting DNI, retired USN Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire.

Grenell may be looking closely at his closet space, figuring out how to make room for all the "hats" he will be wearing. In addition to being the State Department's top-ranking representative to Germany--a "gig" he will continue to hang with for the foreseeable future--Grenell is also President Trump's Special Envoy for dialogue and reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo.

Closet space for all of his many "hats" or not, Grenell is literally "out of the closet." As Acting DNI, he is the first openly gay person in U.S. history to take on a Cabinet-level assignment, if only in an Acting role. He's known as the "architect" of the Trump administration's effort to seek the decriminalization of homosexuality in the 68 sovereignties around the globe where it is still punishable by law. That's 68, or maybe just "one down, 67 more to go," as the High Court of Botswana has erased that African nation's anti-homosexuality laws as the culmination of a long-running legal challenge. That, after Grenell's international "Add a Touch of Gay" project was already underway.

Just four days into his new job as Acting DNI, Grenell has come up to speed like a race car driver who's just seen the starting flag. He's already outed--make that "ousted"--Andrew Hallman from the second highest slot in the DNI hierarchy and hired a "slew" of new reports, including an "expert on Trump conspiracy theories' (whatever that means) and also a former top aide to Republican Congressman and ardent Trump ally Devin Nunes. That would be Kashyap "Call me Kash" Patel from Trump's National Security Council, the author of a 2018 memorandum that called out Obama-era FBI and Justice Department officials for overstepping the boundaries of lawful surveillance activities ahead of the 2016 presidential election; there's more about all this online at "The Hill."

"Trump's new intel chief makes immediate changes, ousts top official"
Brooke Seipel for The Hill; February 21, 2020.
https://thehill.com/policy/...s-ousts-top-official

Reads like a man who's literally hellbent on "Deep Six'ing" the "Deep State."

It's the most breathtakingly wide-ranging portfolio of assignments on a single federal official's desktop since President Trump introduced his son in law Jared Kushner to the nation (and the world) as the Trump Administration's point man on just about everything under the sun.

The only other comparable paradigm of versatility or "human Swiss Army Knife" that is likely to come to any American's mind is Taysom Hill, the young New Orleans Saints quarterback who has already shown proficiency in just about everything an NFL player can do during a game, except snapping the ball. ("Sean Payton suggests Saints could sign Taysom Hill to a long-term extension." SaintsWire.)

But Susan Rice, who was National Security Advisor during President Obama's second term, has a different take:

quote The problem is that Rick Grenell is one of the most massively dishonest people I’ve ever encountered. I’m not using this language lightly. He is a hack and a shill and that’s all he’s ever been."

YouTube video content that was aired on MSNBC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u09Xst5GBuo

I guess she really "unmasked" him(!)

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 02-22-2020).]

To say that Grenell "ousted" Andrew Hallman is a bit of a sensationalized stretch, just one step short of an outright lie. "Relieved" might have been a more apropriate term, considering the following from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence:

quote Oct. 30, 2019 Andrew Hallman has joined the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as Principal Executive. Hallman is responsible for performing the duties and responsibilities of the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence until the position is filled by a Presidential Appointee confirmed by the Senate.

It seems that anything Trump does which aligns with his policies (the policies which he was elected to implement) is tagged as "partisan", while any opinion of a former (ousted) Obama administration official is lauded as genuine "concern for national security".

It is always enlightening to take a couple of steps back and gather in the landscape as a whole. It provides a useful perspective.

Quote
"The problem is that Rick Grenell is one of the most massively dishonest people I’ve ever encountered. I’m not using this language lightly. He is a hack and a shill and that’s all he’s ever been." Susan Rice

You mean the Susan Rice who accidentally had a meeting on the tarmac with ex president Clinton while the DOJ and the FBI was investigating Hillary?

If anyone is a hack it would be her along with several other dozen of the Obama administration. Hoping that soon Barr will come looking for them. Maybe even launching an early morning raid similar to what was done to some people associated with the Trump campaign. Oh, and maybe a little heads up so that Fox News can video the perp walks.

I like to "spin" certain elements of a story (usually) to achieve all of the space for creative writing that a would-be Gossip Columnist aspires to.

Susan Rice:

quote And he has been put in that job for one reason only, which is to turn the intelligence community into a tool for the president’s re-election.

And of course the OUSTED Susan Rice and her OUSTED boss, Barack Hussein Obama did exactly what, with the intelligence community during the last presidential election?

quote Originally posted by williegoat: Susan Rice: And of course the OUSTED Susan Rice and her OUSTED boss, Barack Hussein Obama did exactly what, with the intelligence community during the last presidential election?

That is what it is all about. Projection. Projection of the crimes that you commit onto your opponents. I believe it is all tied to the Big Lie idea. And yet there are slightly less than half of this country that believe that big lie. What a shame.

quote Originally posted by MadMark: That is what it is all about. Projection. Projection of the crimes that you commit onto your opponents. I believe it is all tied to the Big Lie idea. And yet there are slightly less than half of this country that believe that big lie. What a shame.

Yeah, and it seems that that same "slightly less than half of this country" believes what they see in the fun-house mirror that they like to call the "news media".

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: I like to "spin" certain elements of a story (usually) to achieve all of the space for creative writing that a would-be Gossip Columnist aspires to.

I think all that "spin" is making you dizzy.

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: I like to "spin" certain elements of a story (usually) to achieve all of the space for creative writing that a would-be Gossip Columnist aspires to.

Translation: Ronald is a compulsive and unrepentant LIAR.

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: Closet space for all of his many "hats" or not, Grenell is literally "out of the closet." As Acting DNI, he is the first openly gay person in U.S. history to take on a Cabinet-level assignment, if only in an Acting role. He's known as the "architect" of the Trump administration's effort to seek the decriminalization of homosexuality in the 68 sovereignties around the globe where it is still punishable by law. That's 68, or maybe just "one down, 67 more to go," as the High Court of Botswana has erased that African nation's anti-homosexuality laws as the culmination of a long-running legal challenge. That, after Grenell's international "Add a Touch of Gay" project was already underway.

That's the 2nd time you have made a huge deal out of that Ronald.

Are you having homosexual fantasies about Mr. Grenell now?

Don't you think that your other fantasy boyfriends on MSDNC and CNN will be jealous?

[This message has been edited by randye (edited 02-23-2020).]

quote Originally posted by MadMark: Quote "The problem is that Rick Grenell is one of the most massively dishonest people I’ve ever encountered. I’m not using this language lightly. He is a hack and a shill and that’s all he’s ever been." Susan Rice You mean the Susan Rice who accidentally had a meeting on the tarmac with ex president Clinton while the DOJ and the FBI was investigating Hillary? If anyone is a hack it would be her along with several other dozen of the Obama administration. (snip)

Uh, that was Loretta Lynch.

Susan Rice did the tv circuit after Benghazi, among many other things....

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Uh, that was Loretta Lynch. Susan Rice did the tv circuit after Benghazi, among many other things....

My bad. You're right. Hard to keep track of all the criminal Democrats.

I trust Richard Grenell in general, and Richard Grenell as DNI or Acting DNI about as far as I could throw a copy of the President's Daily Brief. If I had a copy of the President's Daily Brief.

Last I heard, there will be a new U.S. Ambassador to Germany to replace Acting DNI Richard Grenell. He won't have both of those slots in the Big Federal Org Chart at the same time. A new U.S. Ambassador to Germany? Or a new Acting U.S. Ambassador to Germany? Or a No (vacancy unfilled) U.S. Ambassador to Germany?

Is Trump going to try to have Grenell confirmed by the Senate to become the (not just Acting) DNI ..? If Trump gets someone else for DNI, will Grenell go back to being the U.S. Ambassador to Germany?

So many questions, so little time.