Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

………This follows a blog I wrote yesterday indicating that national security – including wars – under Trump are being run by a bunch of clowns………

For those of us who have been critical of Donald Trump and his cronies, it would be possible to relish the current “signal chat” controversy.

But too much is at stake to dwell on relishing.

Members of the military could have been at risk because of what Trump’s cronies did.  They could be if there is a next time.  And, countries around the world are being repelled by the controversy, including the derision sparked by Vice President J.D. Vance.

But, at least, what happened showed that Trump, Pete Hegseth, the Department of Defense secretary, and their cronies are not up to the jobs they have.

More and more observers know it.

Hegseth, through national security adviser Michael Waltz, unwittingly invited a journalist into a private chat about the coming war in Yemen – a so-called “private chat” over a mechanism that was not secret.

Then, he contended said later that nothing classified was included on the call.

Rubbish.

The journalist on the call was none other than Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of Atlantic Magazine, who has been very critical of Trump and company.

When Trump’s cronies said nothing was classified, Goldberg proved them wrong.  He released more of what he heard on the call.

From the Atlantic:

“At 11:44 a.m. eastern time, Hegseth posted in the chat, in all caps, “TEAM UPDATE:”

“The text beneath this began, “TIME NOW (1144et):  Weather is FAVORABLE.  Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.”  Centcom, or Central Command, is the military’s combatant command for the Middle East.

“The Hegseth text continues:

• “1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
• “1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”

“Let us (Atlantic writers) pause here for a moment to underscore a point.  This Signal message shows that the U.S. Secretary of Defense texted a group that included a phone number unknown to him—Goldberg’s cellphone — at 11:44 a.m.

“This was 31 minutes before the first U.S. warplanes launched, and two hours and one minute before the beginning of a period in which a primary target, the Houthi ‘Target Terrorist,’ was expected to be killed by these American aircraft.

“If this text had been received by someone hostile to American interests — or someone merely indiscreet, and with access to social media — the Houthis would have had time to prepare for what was meant to be a surprise attack on their strongholds.

“The consequences for American pilots could have been catastrophic.

“The Hegseth text then continued:

• “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”
• “1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”
• “1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”
• “MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”
• “We are currently clean on OPSEC”—that is, operational security.
• “Godspeed to our Warriors.”

“Shortly after, Vice President J. D. Vance texted the group, “I will say a prayer for victory.”

“At 1:48 p.m., Waltz sent the following text, containing real-time intelligence about conditions at an attack site, apparently in Sanaa:  “VP. Building collapsed.  Had multiple positive ID.  Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job.

“Waltz was referring here to Hegseth; General Michael E. Kurilla, the commander of Central Command; and the intelligence community, or IC.  The reference to “multiple positive ID” suggests that U.S. intelligence had ascertained the identities of the Houthi target, or targets, using either human or technical assets.

“Six minutes later, the vice president, apparently confused by Waltz’s message, wrote, “What?”

“At 2 p.m., Waltz responded:  “Typing too fast.  The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.”

“Vance responded a minute later:  “Excellent.”  Thirty-five minutes after that, Ratcliffe, the CIA director, wrote, “A good start,” which Waltz followed with a text containing a fist emoji, an American-flag emoji, and a fire emoji.  

“The Houthi-run Yemeni health ministry reported that at least 53 people were killed in the strikes, a number that has not been independently verified.

“Later that afternoon, Hegseth posted:  “CENTCOM was/is on point.”  

Notably, he then told the group that attacks would be continuing.  “Great job all.  More strikes ongoing for hours tonight, and will provide full initial report tomorrow.  But on time, on target, and good readouts so far.”

There!

As The Atlantic said – make your own decision.  To anyone with a brain, even if not experienced, what was discussed was classified war planning.

And, meanwhile, what about Trump?  Well, no surprise, he holds no one accountable in his administration and proceeds to blame The Atlantic.

In the Atlantic, staff writer Tom Nichols put it this way:

“National security is not a joke, but the irresponsible attempts of Trump’s top officials to evade responsibility for a major security breach have become so surreal that they’re comical.”

But be sure of this:  Nichols and others are not laughing at this travesty.

Then, late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel said this:

Regarding Hegseth, “Who could have ever guessed that the host of ‘Weekend Fox and Friends’ would be bad at running the military?”

Enough!