Transition Team/Cabinet Thread

[ApatheticAustrian]

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https://twitter.com/MariannaSotomay/status/799651517070512128?lang=de

[Ronnie]

Sessions' proposed AG appointment confirms that the Trump administration is fully committed to turning the United States into a kakistocracy, a government run by the worst people.

[KingSweden]

after reading stuff like that about sessions...

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/sen-sessions-praises-donald-trump-central-park-5-controversy-article-1.2756902

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-attorney-general.html?_r=1

.... i guess if he isn't blocked, nobody is going to be.

I wouldn't say that.  He's a sitting US Senator, so the people who are voting on his confirmation are people who know him personally.  So it's entirely possible that he gets through on that basis alone.  That wouldn't necessarily imply smooth sailing for other controversial nominees who don't have the benefit of being sitting Senators.

Good point

[Mr. Morden]

Trump will meet with Mattis on Saturday:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/retired-marine-gen.-mattis-to-meet-trump/article/2607760

And Mattis has now taken the lead in the highly volatile Secretary of Defense market on Predicit.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Rohrabacher is perfect, and I think Trump would be very wise to appoint him; he won't, of course, because he never does exactly what I'd really want him to do. Trump is going to Trump, after all. But still, Rohrabacher would be excellent.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

So how does the Sessions pick affect pot?

[Classic Conservative]

Mike Huckabee to be Ambassador to Israel and Embassy will move to Jerusalem!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3950596/Trump-set-make-Mike-Huckabee-ambassador-Israel-U-S-embassy-Jerusalem-transition-official-says-Governor-Huckabee-going-through.html

[Gass3268]

So how does the Sessions pick affect pot?

Not looking good for pot

[Illiniwek]

Mike Huckabee to be Ambassador to Israel and Embassy will move to Jerusalem!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3950596/Trump-set-make-Mike-Huckabee-ambassador-Israel-U-S-embassy-Jerusalem-transition-official-says-Governor-Huckabee-going-through.html

Well at least he won't be around here ruining things.

[RogueBeaver]

NSA Director Mike Rogers leading DNI candidate.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

So how does the Sessions pick affect pot?

Very positively, if you're a fan of DEA raids.

[Virginiá]

So how does the Sessions pick affect pot?

The measure that defunded DoJ activities against medical marijuana in states where it is legal is still active, so Sessions wouldn't be able to investigate or prosecute medical marijuana patients/growers/dispensaries/etc. However, the measure regarding defunding DoJ activities against legalized cannabis failed by a relatively small margin (iirc) in the last budget.

That being said, it's possible that pro-cannabis groups/lobbyists manage to get a defunding measure in the budget and thus prevent Sessions from doing anything against legalization.

Trump said he wanted to leave it to the states, and from a political perspective, there is nothing beneficial about starting a war on pot right now - not when legalization is so popular. It would use up valuable political capital on a fruitless endeavor. It definitely would look bad on Trump's administration, at least in the legalized states. With that in mind, I'm not convinced the next 4 years will be that bad for legalization/med. marijuana.

[Ronnie]

Mike Huckabee to be Ambassador to Israel and Embassy will move to Jerusalem!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3950596/Trump-set-make-Mike-Huckabee-ambassador-Israel-U-S-embassy-Jerusalem-transition-official-says-Governor-Huckabee-going-through.html

The U.S can't, in good faith, be a mediator between the Palestinians and Israelis if it takes sides in such a blatant way.  It looks like the Trump administration will see to it that the "one state solution" becomes a reality, in which case, RIP Israel.

[ApatheticAustrian]

to be fair, since Bibi took sides in the US, the debate about Israel became way more partisan.

[ApatheticAustrian]

murdoch doesn't like flynn.

[Mr. Morden]

Jeff Flake says he supports the Sessions nomination:

https://twitter.com/JeffFlake/status/799681200663117824

I'm not expecting any Republicans in the Senate to oppose Sessions, though I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[KingSweden]

NSA Director Mike Rogers leading DNI candidate.

Some sanity

[Mr. Morden]

John Katko is among the rumored names for Secretary of Homeland Security:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/18/donald-trump-cabinet-nominations-what-we-know-so-far

Which seems odds, since he was #NeverTrump.  Then again, so was Romney, and he's apparently in the mix for Secretary of State.

[ApatheticAustrian]

i have feeling nearly every elected nevertrumper at least gets a private audience.

mostly for show and giggles, i guess but still....


btw

[KingSweden]

John Katko is among the rumored names for Secretary of Homeland Security:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/18/donald-trump-cabinet-nominations-what-we-know-so-far

Which seems odds, since he was #NeverTrump.  Then again, so was Romney, and he's apparently in the mix for Secretary of State.

Wouldn't McFaul make more sense?

[Mike88]

If you thought things couldn't get any weirder, here it is:

https://twitter.com/jeneps/status/799700690029383680

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[Mr. Morden]

John Katko is among the rumored names for Secretary of Homeland Security:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/18/donald-trump-cabinet-nominations-what-we-know-so-far

Which seems odds, since he was #NeverTrump.  Then again, so was Romney, and he's apparently in the mix for Secretary of State.

Wouldn't McFaul make more sense?

You mean McCaul?  Yes, I assume he's the frontrunner for that job.  But there are of course many names being floated.  As I posted yesterday, there's even the suggestion being floated that Kobach might get Homeland Security now that he's apparently not going to be AG.

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

John Katko is among the rumored names for Secretary of Homeland Security:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/18/donald-trump-cabinet-nominations-what-we-know-so-far

Which seems odds, since he was #NeverTrump.  Then again, so was Romney, and he's apparently in the mix for Secretary of State.

Katko, like most incumbent upstate New York Republican Congresscritters, seems significantly less terrible than average, so okay...?

Sessions as AG and Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel are of course terrifying.

[Maxwell]

Rohrabacher is perfect, and I think Trump would be very wise to appoint him; he won't, of course, because he never does exactly what I'd really want him to do. Trump is going to Trump, after all. But still, Rohrabacher would be excellent.

Rohrabacher is a bit nutty, but he's so preferable to Giuliani and Bolton that it would be almost a relief if he were picked.

[ApatheticAustrian]

not that it was in question anytime but this is doubling down for republicans....restraining the liberal democracy is only a problem if some states do it.

on the other hand....i would take 10 Netanyahus each day compared to one Putin.