Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[publicunofficial]

Any liberal who thought McCain, Rubio, ect. was going to be on their side should promptly find the nearest magazine, roll it up into a tube, and beat themselves in the head while repeating "I will not trust Republicans" over and over again until it sticks.

[publicunofficial]

I disagree with Rand Paul on 99% of issues but at least he commits to his beliefs, and I can be certain that his ideas are HIS ideas.

[publicunofficial]

Schumer is a NO on DeVos, Mulvaney, Tillerson, Sessions, Price, Mnuchin, Pruitt, and Puzder.

[publicunofficial]

I disagree with Rand Paul on 99% of issues but at least he commits to his beliefs, and I can be certain that his ideas are HIS ideas.

Well they're his father's ideas, not his, but he does have his heart in the right place, and isn't corrupt like a lot of other politicians.

We all get our ideas from someone else.

[publicunofficial]

Tester is reportedly a "No" on Sessions, citing Sessions' support for the Patriot Act and his opposition to the Violence Against Women Act.

[publicunofficial]

I'm going to express what I believe to be the truth, and that's just how it is. I don't care about my Atlas approval rating.

Woah watch out, got a tough guy over here.

[publicunofficial]

I don't understand a thing, maybe it's just because I'am a fool...Collins and Murkoswski are both in the Committee competent about Education...this Committee is 12-11 Republican...so, not even both, but just the vote of one of them would have blocked DeVos in the preliminary fase, without the need of a full floor Senate vote...if they weren't willing to vote for her, why did they vote for advancing her nomination in Committee?

It looks pretty clear now that McConnell let these two vote no to placate their constituents who were going hard at them on DeVos. But he wasn't going to let them actually block the process. So just like the 50 other R senators had no choice but to vote "Yay", Collins and Murkoswki had no choice but to vote "Yay" on the Committee. We, critics of DeVos, should really not hold them up as Moderate Heroes...

Those who pay close attention know how much of a "moderate" Collins really is. Ordinary voters, though, just hear about how she doesn't always vote with the Republicans, so she gets to keep up her image as a moderate.

The people of Maine should decide whether she's moderate enough for them, not Atlas Forum. In 2008, a huge Dem wave, she beat back a serious challenge by 20 points. It's pretty clear that the people of Maine feel she is moderate enough for them, and it is their judgment that counts. Regarding DeVos, Collins was clear about her views: She opposed the nomination, but did not feel the matter was serious enough to prevent the full Senate from having their say on it.

Wulfric you have repeatedly said in the past that Congress should refuse to seat people that you consider to be Socialists. Why can Maine decide what it wants, but Seattle can't?

[publicunofficial]

McCaskill was the absent Dem.

[publicunofficial]

I'm fine with Walker. Opens up WI-GOV.

[publicunofficial]

Appointing Huntsman to a major position was the obvious next step in Trump's plan of publicly castrating Mitt Romney.

Also I'm not entirely sure what the UN Food and Agriculture Ambassador does, but I'm sure Brownback will find a way to be terrible at it given his track record.

[publicunofficial]

Joe Manchin will be Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Official Announcement Monday: http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/01/politics/donald-trump-joe-manchin-interior-sec/index.html

Mods plz ban.