Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

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

News on Puzder: Obviously, his hearing has been delayed until February. Rumors spread that even Puzder himself is considering to drop out of the whole thing (CNN, DailyCaller). Hopefully that is true or he simply doesn’t get confirmed. This dude is a horrible pick.

At a guess, it's to do with the domestic violence allegations.

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

So Tillerson gets through 51-50 even if Graham and Rubio act on principle-like motivations. Lovely.

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

School choice is one of the few areas where I'm moderate. I went to one of the supposedly best public high schools and it wasn't all that good. The curriculum was disjointed, there was no structured social life, there was no effort to foster student-teacher relationships, the material wasn't sufficiently challenging, afterschool programs weren't adequately advertised, and-- well, in general it left a lot lacking, especially for a 'top' school. I'd like to see what private industry could do in the sector. Education is so important because it has a big impact on people's lives. It's funny how the areas I'm most moderate about, other liberals tend to be most passionate about, and vice versa.

I'm relatively moderate about this for a maroon avatar too--my position is that excellent, well-funded public education has to be the ideal but I understand why parents might want school choice in some actually-existing situations--but that doesn't make DeVos specifically any less horrible.

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

Shulkin seems objectively ~qualified~ for VA, but am I the only one who thinks the symbolism and optics of him not actually being a veteran are really bad?

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

Zinke is one of the less-godawful choices, although he's still pretty bad. I'd probably vote for cloture but against final confirmation.

Ross is vomitrocious. Wtf Schatz and Brown?

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

Zinke is one of the less-godawful choices, although he's still pretty bad. I'd probably vote for cloture but against final confirmation.

Ross is vomitrocious. Wtf Schatz and Brown?

Presumably anti-Free Trade.
He's honestly one of the few Trump noms I'd consider voting for.

I don't trust Ross on trade as far as I can throw him, and neither should anybody else who's looked at his business record.

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

Why did a bunch of Democrats decide they didn't like Carson anymore?  And some of them thought he's not qualified but Perry is?

Carson's problems were more publicized and got more media play than Perry's, so Democratic senators who'd previously supported Carson got more pushback from their constituents.

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

Executive Calendar #218 – James S. Gilmore, of Virginia, to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of Ambassador

CAN'T KILL THE GIL

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

What and where is the Kingdom of Eswatini?

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

What and where is the Kingdom of Eswatini?

For reference: it was formerly known until 2018 (& has still been commonly referred to since) as Swaziland.

Thanks. I know where that is, I just didn't get the memo on the name change.