Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Heisenberg]

So, I guess CIA Director and DNI have been promoted to cabinet-level, and CEA Chair has been demoted?

[Heisenberg]

Jon Huntsman to be appointed Ambassador to Russia
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/jon-huntsman-ambassador-to-russia-235841

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback to be appointed UN Food and Agriculture Ambassador
http://kcur.org/post/source-kansas-gov-brownback-be-named-ambassador-un-food-and-agriculture

Would Brownback have to resign to accept that position?

Yup, he's bailing on his mess in Kansas.

And Kansas Republicans cry out in joy

Bet Jeff Colyer does everything he can to clean it up over the next 18 months and have a big platform to run on

It'll now be interesting to see how this affects the plans of Republicans who were planning on running. (Have any officially declared yet?)

[Heisenberg]

Amul Thapar nominated to the 6th Circuit.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2017-03-20/mcconnell-friend-amul-thapar-being-named-to-appeals-court

Awesome! Can't wait to hear some more lower court nominees. Also, there is another Kentucky seat on the 6th that is still open. Somewhere, I think I heard that Bunning is the frontrunner for the other seat?

[Heisenberg]

Bunning...? Isn't he a tad old?

His 50 year old son is a judge who serves with Thapar on the Eastern Kentucky District.

[Heisenberg]

Bunning's the guy who BTFO'd Kim Davis, if memory serves.

He said that he wanted to avoid creating any dangerous precedents. He'd be a good addition to the court simply to move the Judiciary away from overreaching activism and legislating from the bench. Sounds like a smart person, and he didn't actually express his personal opinion.