So Tillerson is Blowing off the NATO Foreign Minister's Meeting

[MineralMan]

to go to Russia and chat with Putin? WTF? And right in the middle of Congressional hearings on Russias influence on the election and possible collusion with the Trump administration? WTFF?

How blatant can this be? Trump has been dissing NATO for some time, and seems to be asshole buddies with Putin. So, what can be going on here? I mean, it's NATO, our most important military alliance.

I think I have a very good idea.

Trump can't communicate with Putin right now. He knows everything is being monitored, so how can he get directions from "his precious?" Well, he can send Tillerson over to the Kremlin for a tête–à–tête so he can get Putin's orders and then pass them along to The Donald.

Why now? Why plant this obvious conclusion in people's minds by skipping a very important get-together with NATO? Because Trump is in dire trouble and can't figure out what he's supposed to do. And he can't wait while his buddy Rex is hob-nobbing with those icky NATO people. He needs answers and he needs them now. He's in a river of shit and his boat is leaking badly. He lost his paddle long ago, and he's going down soon.

That's how desperate Trump is. Everyone knows that Rex Tillerson is going to get some advice or something from Putin, inside a closed room. Everyone knows he's going to come back and go in another closed room with Trump to relay that. But it doesn't matter. The situation is just that potentially disastrous for Trump.

Stay tuned...a message is coming in...

[DK504]

1. Tillers will soon be thrown under the bus for his traitorous

actions since becoming SoS. Rump won't hesitate to throw everyone under the bus.

[MineralMan]

2. Not likely. Who else can travel to Moscow

and meet privately with Putin? Only the Secretary of State. He can pretend it's something official and part of his job.

Think about it. Who better to pass messages between the two?

This is so obvious, it stinks like a five-day-old dead sturgeon.

[NastyRiffraff]

6. Not to mention Tillerson's deep ties to Russia

They started years ago, before he was Exxon's CEO. In fact, he was chosen as CEO largely because of his close relationship with Putin and Russia. Now he gets to visit his buddy as Sec. of State; a built-in reason excuse, even as he blows off our allies in NATO.

[MineralMan]

8. Yes, not to mention that.

"Emergency! Emergency! Everybody to Get from Street!

[Initech]

3. Straight outta Hitler's playbook.

Keep throwing away anybody and anything that doesn't kiss your ass 100%.

[WomanWhoRoars]

4. Let's hope....

Our intel is into this.

[MineralMan]

5. Here's the problem with that:

There are places in the Kremlin that we can't monitor.
There are places in the White House that our own agencies can't monitor.

In the world of spycraft, the only safe form of communication is through one trusted person talking privately to another trusted person in a place where they can't be overheard.

We might know where Rex Tillerson is, but we won't know what was said on either end.

The Trump administration and Putin have no other safe way to communicate any longer. So, there goes Tillerson to Moscow and then to return. What message will he be carrying?

[MineralMan]

7. Another scenario looms, too...

Trump has become inconvenient for Putin, perhaps. There's heat coming from more than one direction. So, Trump has also lost his chain of communication through Russian oligarchs who travel around to Florida and NYC. Some have apartments in Trump Tower, as a matter of fact. Others have private jets that seem to land in Florida sometimes when Trump is there... But, if Trump has become inconvenient to Putin, perhaps he can't trust those formerly trustworthy go-betweens.

Putin is a person who can, if he wishes, order nasty things to happen to people he does not like. A little polonium in a glass or sprinkled on a bucket of KFC chicken. You know, that kind of thing. And, of course, there's the old sharpened bumbershoot. What's an old orange-haired guy to do. So many risks. So many troubles.

Maybe if he resigns, those worries will be left behind. Maybe...

[Panich52]

9. Why bother with allies when one can get all-expenses paid

trip to close a billion dollar oil deal with the guy who helped get you your Cabinet post?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. What? I thought Tillerson was blowing off NATO to meet with Trump and the Chinese Prez.

Isn't Russia later in the month?

Meet with NATO or meet with China. Which is more pressing? I'd go with China.

China has real issues. NATO needs some ruffle feathers smoothed. Of course, if Russia invades Belarus/Poland/Lithuania/Latvia/Estonia/Ukraine (again), then priorities change.