Transition Team/Cabinet Thread

[Deblano]

AP just broke that Giuliani is the favourite to be SoS

https://twitter.com/AP/status/798332268884488192

I'm cool with that.

Anyone. But. Bolton. That's all I want.

Of course, my ideal pick would be Richard Haas, but he's unlikely to get picked at this rate.

[Ashley Biden's Diary]

One of the few benefits of Trump was supposed to be Pat Buchanan style isolationism. He doesn't seem to be going in that direction.

[ApatheticAustrian]

rudy makes only sense if someone else got promised the AG position.....

[Pandaguineapig]

rudy makes only sense if someone else got promised the AG position.....

I'm really starting in to think it's gonna be Jeff sessions is gonna be AG

[ApatheticAustrian]

according to huffpo sessions geta swiftboated...

https://mobile.twitter.com/ryangrim/status/798262710668558336

i wouldn't mind giving him a high office....

[KingSweden]

Now that Newt Gingrich is apparently out of the running for SoS I wonder what role he'll end up playing...

Saw someone somewhere express skepticism Gingrich would join Cabinet and leave his lucrative work

[Mr. Morden]

according to huffpo sessions geta swiftboated...

https://mobile.twitter.com/ryangrim/status/798262710668558336

That tweet is from midday, and I posted it in this thread earlier this afternoon:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=251413.msg5393864#msg5393864

The thing is, there've been subsequent news stories that pegged Sessions as being the solid favorite for Defense.  So I'm not sure who we should believe here.

[Kevin]

Breaking away from the Cabinet discussions a bit.

Appearently Trump is considering the niece of Mitt Romney-Ronna Romney McDaniel of the MI GOP for RNC Chair. Unlike her Uncle she was fairly supportive of Trump's Presidental bid even duering the primaries.

While he was considering Richard Grenell -an openly gay Bush era foreign policy aide as UN Ambassador

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-openly-gay-man-woman-appointments-20161114-story.html

[Bacon King]

Sessions was the only member of Congress who supported Trump from the very beginning - even while he was initially coy about making an explicit endorsement, he was already working with the campaign behind the scenes. I really don't envision Trump throwing Sessions under the bus. If he does that's a yuge sign that Trump won't be able to stand up for himself against the GOP Congress

[Deblano]

Sessions was the only member of Congress who supported Trump from the very beginning - even while he was initially coy about making an explicit endorsement, he was already working with the campaign behind the scenes. I really don't envision Trump throwing Sessions under the bus. If he does that's a yuge sign that Trump won't be able to stand up for himself against the GOP Congress

I expect to see a lot of shadowboxing in the White House and Congress among different Republican factions for the next four years. They certainly won't be in lockstep.

[KingSweden]

Saw on Fox earlier that Carson, Moskowitz and Rhee are being considered for Education.

The last two definitely make sense in a GOP administration, particularly Rhee. Carson is totally unqualified for the lost of course

[Deblano]

I do laugh my rear end off at some Trump supporters on the internet who legitimately hoped that RAND PAUL or even freaking RON PAUL would be Donald Trump's Secretary of State. My freaking sides. XD

[KingSweden]

I do laugh my rear end off at some Trump supporters on the internet who legitimately hoped that RAND PAUL or even freaking RON PAUL would be Donald Trump's Secretary of State. My freaking sides. XD

Jeez.

[Orser67]

Anyone. But. Bolton. That's all I want.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Tbh, I doubt Bolton or Giuliani could get confirmed.

[Simfan34]

I highly doubt either Moskowitz or Rhee would even be willing to consider. But those are themselves near-stereotypical choices, something you'd see in a beginner's timeline. Maybe Betsy DeVos?

Honestly I'm expecting someone we've barely heard of. Khalizad would fit that bill, but I don't sense it will be him.

We've heard of Khalilzad! He'd be a less bad choice, not to mention it'd be quite the thing if Donald Trump, of all people, ended up being the President who appointed the first Muslim cabinet member. Maybe if not at State, then National Security Adviser?

On the other hand, if it is Rudy, then possibly John Yoo for AG? Who knows, at this rate Trump may be able to boast of having the most diverse cabinet ever.

[Blair]

Their was a politico article that was clearly well briefed saying that Session is too much of a deficit hawk; and actually wants to be AG.

However it also says that he wasn't confirmed as a judge back in the 80's because of racist comments he made.

There's always a handful of people who fall through this stage (Richardson, Daschle and others got ditched in 08)

[Saruman]

Starting to look like the GOPe types are losing control of the transition process.

https://twitter.com/EliotACohen/status/798512852931788800

[ApatheticAustrian]

christie types lose.

sessions loses.

some pushback against sessions.

establishment nat-sec tyopes are gone.

i don't see any kind of pattern.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

On the other hand, if it is Rudy, then possibly John Yoo for AG?

There was this uncharacteristically self-reflective Vox article earlier this year that talked about, among other things, how liberal media/cultural tastemakers during the Bush years kind of let Yoo fall through the cracks because he couldn't be painted as a hick or a dope. I think there's something to that. And because Yoo was never really given the Daily Show treatment back then, he may once again be one of the most dangerous men in America.

[Mr. Morden]

Trump and Pence are meeting in New York today to discuss Cabinet picks:

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/15/trump-pence-meeting-in-new-york-on-cabinet-picks.html

[Mr. Morden]

On Predictit, Giuliani being given a 60% chance of being Secretary of State.  Sessions now a plurality favorite for both Defense (narrowly ahead of Talent, 37-33) and Attorney General (narrowly ahead of Gowdy, 43-33).  Michael McCaul now the favorite for Homeland Security, as David Clarke slides.  And Jan Brewer’s now taken the lead away from Palin for Secretary of the Interior.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

On Predictit, Giuliani being given a 60% chance of being Secretary of State.  Sessions now a plurality favorite for both Defense (narrowly ahead of Talent, 37-33) and Attorney General (narrowly ahead of Gowdy, 43-33).  Michael McCaul now the favorite for Homeland Security, as David Clarke slides.  And Jan Brewer’s now taken the lead away from Palin for Secretary of the Interior.

Doesn't Gowdy hate Washington and want to move back to Spartanburg?

[Gass3268]

Rand Paul: Will Donald Trump betray voters by hiring John Bolton?

[ApatheticAustrian]

paul believes into trump's opposition to the iraq war. xD