Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Pandaguineapig]

If DeVos ends up being 50-50, with Pence as the tie-breaking vote, surely Republicans know the backlash they're going to face for that...

lol you think they care.

Of course they think they can afford to ignore it. We'll see how well that works out for them.

Just like merrick garland was going to hurt republicans last year?

[Ronnie]

Rex Tillerson crossed 50 votes to become the next Secretary of State.

Gross.

Edit: Final vote is 56-43.

[Shadows]

Ben Sasse, Jeff Flake etc can vote against Devos can't they? Surely someone else can vote!

Any nominee voted down in a Republican majority Senate will be a massive embarrassment for the Republican party!

Imagine the Trump tweets - He is gonna burn the GOP senators!

[KingSweden]

If DeVos ends up being 50-50, with Pence as the tie-breaking vote, surely Republicans know the backlash they're going to face for that...

Anyone who is going to be extremely upset over devos being confirmed as education Secretary is already a hardcore democrat, odds are we hear very little about her if she gets confirmed

Devos is just so utterly incompetent and so clearly motivated by donations. She doesn't have the credentials for the job.

Every cabinet has patronage appointments unfortunately but this is a position that has very little power in a department that is controlled mostly by mid-level bureaucrats.

Yeah, but does it have to be this obvious? Make her ambassador to some county and call it even.

In hindsight devos was ridiculously controversial for an education Secretary(she'll still likely get confirmed with pence as a tiebreaker) there are charter school advocates with much less baggage

Moskowitz and Rhee were options A and B, but both said no.

[Pheurton Skeurto]

Ben Sasse, Jeff Flake etc can vote against Devos can't they? Surely someone else can vote!

Any nominee voted down in a Republican majority Senate will be a massive embarrassment for the Republican party!

Imagine the Trump tweets - He is gonna burn the GOP senators!

I think Ben Sasse burned his bridges a long time ago. What else does he have to lose?

[Gass3268]

Why in the hell did Warner and King vote for Tillerson?

[Pheurton Skeurto]

Why in the hell did Warner and King vote for Tillerson?

Because they're spineless dweebs who don't want to ruffle the Trumpenfuhrer's feathers.

[Xing]

If DeVos ends up being 50-50, with Pence as the tie-breaking vote, surely Republicans know the backlash they're going to face for that...

lol you think they care.

Of course they think they can afford to ignore it. We'll see how well that works out for them.

Just like merrick garland was going to hurt republicans last year?

Maybe, or maybe only Democrats will care, just like only Republicans cared about Hillary's emails.

[KingSweden]

Ben Sasse, Jeff Flake etc can vote against Devos can't they? Surely someone else can vote!

Any nominee voted down in a Republican majority Senate will be a massive embarrassment for the Republican party!

Imagine the Trump tweets - He is gonna burn the GOP senators!

I think Ben Sasse burned his bridges a long time ago. What else does he have to lose?

Sasse I'm sure would line up with DeVos views though. He's no moderate

[Shadows]

King is voting Yes on most GOP nominees. But Warner from VA is possibly the most damaging & the most conservative of all Dem Senators - He needs to face a primary!

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Yeah, Warner's got to go.  Progressives are sick of being cucked.

[Mr. Morden]

Why in the hell did Warner and King vote for Tillerson?

I guess Warner was telling the truth about not wanting to run for president in the future...

[Gass3268]

Virginia would probably be one of the hardest states in the country to run a insurgency primary against a 2 term Senator and former Governor.

[Illiniwek]

Ben Sasse, Jeff Flake etc can vote against Devos can't they? Surely someone else can vote!

Any nominee voted down in a Republican majority Senate will be a massive embarrassment for the Republican party!

Imagine the Trump tweets - He is gonna burn the GOP senators!

I think Ben Sasse burned his bridges a long time ago. What else does he have to lose?

Sasse I'm sure would line up with DeVos views though. He's no moderate

Yeah this is going to be tricky to find another vote. It will probably have to be a surprising one that hasn't gotten a lot of DeVos money in the past.

[daveosupremo]

If DeVos ends up being 50-50, with Pence as the tie-breaking vote, surely Republicans know the backlash they're going to face for that...

Anyone who is going to be extremely upset over devos being confirmed as education Secretary is already a hardcore democrat, odds are we hear very little about her if she gets confirmed

Devos is just so utterly incompetent and so clearly motivated by donations. She doesn't have the credentials for the job.

Every cabinet has patronage appointments unfortunately but this is a position that has very little power in a department that is controlled mostly by mid-level bureaucrats.

Yeah, but does it have to be this obvious? Make her ambassador to some county and call it even.

In hindsight devos was ridiculously controversial for an education Secretary(she'll still likely get confirmed with pence as a tiebreaker) there are charter school advocates with much less baggage

Moskowitz and Rhee were options A and B, but both said no.

I'm guessing that if she isn't confirmed, Trump will go nuclear and nominate Bill Evers.

[Shadows]

If DeVos ends up being 50-50, with Pence as the tie-breaking vote, surely Republicans know the backlash they're going to face for that...

Anyone who is going to be extremely upset over devos being confirmed as education Secretary is already a hardcore democrat, odds are we hear very little about her if she gets confirmed

Devos is just so utterly incompetent and so clearly motivated by donations. She doesn't have the credentials for the job.

Every cabinet has patronage appointments unfortunately but this is a position that has very little power in a department that is controlled mostly by mid-level bureaucrats.

Yeah, but does it have to be this obvious? Make her ambassador to some county and call it even.

In hindsight devos was ridiculously controversial for an education Secretary(she'll still likely get confirmed with pence as a tiebreaker) there are charter school advocates with much less baggage

Moskowitz and Rhee were options A and B, but both said no.

I'm guessing that if she isn't confirmed, Trump will go nuclear and nominate Bill Evers.

He can nominate anyone he wants - He will have egg on his face & will be the president with having a nominee voted down in many decades while having a majority in the Senate.

Oh boy, I am waiting for the tweets! Schumer should play it in his face - We'll get to see a 5 year boy throwing tantrums & name calling like you have never seen before!

[Chief Justice Keef]

Manchin and Heitkamp votes are expected, but honestly, screw Warner.

[JMT]

Maybe Dean Heller could vote against DeVos?

[Shadows]

Maybe Dean Heller could vote against DeVos?

Yea, he is up for election in 2020. or McCain!

[/]

Maybe Dean Heller could vote against DeVos?

Yea, he is up for election in 2020. or McCain!

(Dean Heller is up in 2018)

But yeah, it would be really nice if we could get that one extra vote. McCain and Graham are also possibilities. So close...

[Pheurton Skeurto]

Maybe Dean Heller could vote against DeVos?

Yea, he is up for election in 2020. or McCain!

(Dean Heller is up in 2018)

But yeah, it would be really nice if we could get that one extra vote. McCain and Graham are also possibilities. So close...

I feel like Graham would do it just to spite Trump.

[RI]

Maybe Dean Heller could vote against DeVos?

Heller supports DeVos

[Klartext89]

Extremists, promoting violence in their signatures, are calling somebody "unqualified" and "out of mainstream". Very funny. Let's get help, guys!

DeVos will get confirmed. I'll love the meltdown after Pence is breaking the tie.

I'm not angry towards Collins, but Murkowski should be out... Joe Miller...

[Blair]

Now it seems to be hoping for a wildcard like Fischer.

I really thought they'd pull Devos after this happened; she's the fatal combination of an incompetent ideologue

[Shadows]

Maybe Dean Heller could vote against DeVos?

Yea, he is up for election in 2020. or McCain!

(Dean Heller is up in 2018)

But yeah, it would be really nice if we could get that one extra vote. McCain and Graham are also possibilities. So close...

Yea 2018, typo. Graham supports, Sasse suports, Heller supports.

McCain is the only home - Some people are targeting Toomey & Portman (PA & OH)