Posted on 03/22/2018 4:42:56 PM PDT by MarvinStinson
Rex Tillerson delivered farewell remarks to the State Department on Thursday, saying "this can be a very mean-spirited town" 10 days after President Donald Trump fired him.
"We're all just human beings trying to do our part," he said, urging in his closing for people to do an act of kindness for one another each day.
"This can be a very mean-spirited town," Tillerson said, drawing laughter and applause. "But you don't have to choose to participate in that. Each of us gets to choose the person we want to be and the way we want to be treated and the way we will treat others."
Tillerson and Trump differed on several key policies, notably the Iran nuclear deal, moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and the Paris climate accords. Their relationship was rocky throughout; at one point, Tillerson reportedly called Trump a "moron."
Tillerson offered thanks to all gathered for their contributions to the department's mission, and he also described the preparation of the transition to Mike Pompeo, the CIA Director who Trump has nominated to be the next Secretary of State.
"While the the policies and the strategies should never change, we must constantly review how the tactics are delivering on the objectives," he said.
The country faces many challenges, Tillerson said, ranging from perplexing foreign affairs to serious national security threats.
"In these times, your continued diligence and devotion to the State Department's mission has never been more necessary," he said. "As you go about your duties, each of you carrying out your individual responsibilities as well as your collective duty, it is my hope that you will be guided by and test your actions each day against the values that we have spoken about over this past year."
Tillerson called "personal integrity" the department employees' most important asset.
"Only you can relinquish it, or allow it to be compromised. Once you've done so, it is very, very hard to regain it, so guide it as the most precious thing you possess," he said.
He spoke less than five minutes and left the building to a large ovation. Tillerson will officially leave the State Department on March 31.
President Trump is trying to drain the swamp of mean-spiritedness but the GOPers keep standing in his way.
When your Boss says Jump ,you ask how high and nothing else
it might have been more warm-spirited if he hadn’t kept talking up the Iran deal to our European buddies, even after asked politely not to, instead of asking them to cooperate with Trump in sanctioning Iran up. Some people get lost in their office.
Welcome to Washington Rex.
I avoided it like the plague.
well, i never cared much for him..and never trusted him...
but he’s right about WashDC being a mean town
it would help a lot to cut it down to size, lay off maybe half the gummit workers...and send all of Obama’s embedded Islamicists and the rest of the anti-American Swamp Critters, icluding all the Snake Dept Nazis ... to guantanamo
then, WashDC would only be a mean little village
Maybe some of the gay scout leaders can comfort him.
Silly: “Each of us gets to choose the person we want to be.”
Genuine: Each of us is created by the Lord to serve Him, to protect our country and to develop our talents to help others.
Tillerson is a fat stupe who bet everything he could peel loose from Exxon on $120 oil in Siberia just in time to witness crude prices plunging to less than half that.
Anyone with any experience, and an ounce of brains, knew better than to expect those prices to last.
Heh! I still have an 1896? copy of treasure island.
Cue the boo hoo girl.
Moron Tillerson sucked.
Tillerson should be considered to head up the VA..........
Tillerson got the black spot.
He’ll be OK
Pull on your Big Boy skivvies, General.
Whiners and snivelers are a nickle a basket these days.
He aint a General, He’s civilian Eagle Scout.
Damn good one but yeah, pull up yer drawers.
We are sailing to parts unknown....
And sometimes we fail. I have been fired too.
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