[PassedOut]

I wonder who will be up next for Attorney General. Rudy?

[shyams]

barmar, on 2024-November-21, 17:03, said:

I agree that Rubio will probably be easiest to confirm. Not because of any particular policy issues, but simply because he's a "mainstream Republican". He's a career politician, he's been a Senator for 14 years, and has been a non-joke Presidential candidate. He's arguably one of the most qualified of all these crazy nominations.

The only way anyone could sail through the process more smoothly would be if Trump nominates Lindsay Graham or Mitch McConnell.

I presume this is some form of parody or satire.
* Lindsay Graham is the biggest war hawk in the Senate.
* Mitch McConnell once said that funding Ukraine was a bigger priority for the Senate than funding needs for disasters that had occurred (I think it was weeks after a hurricane or some such disaster had affected thousands of Americans).

[shyams]

• Let's see what happens with RFK Jr.
  Trump literally endorsed RFK's policy of "Make America Healthy". He said so in at least a couple of speeches; that he'll allow RFK loose on the food industry. So as per hrothgar's reasoning, RFK's nomination should be approved by Senate.
  However, my view is that Senate will create numerous obstacles in the confirmation because "Big Food" is another group of mega-donors for Congress (esp. Senate)
  
  
• The DOGE initiative is another that has Trump's explicit endorsement.
  Now, I dislike the idea that a Pvt. Sector person like Musk will be given power without oversight or accountability, but that's another matter.
  Your Senate will (I believe) have to confirm Vivek. I won't be surprised if his Senate confirmation runs into procedural obstacles.
  
  
• The Deptt of Govt. Efficiency will need formal Govt. resources. Let's see how soon your House of Representatives (esp. Speaker Johnson) move to arrange for them. I predict it will go too slowly for its own good.
  DOGE is a Govt. Deptt., it cannot be run in a freestyle, unregulated manner like what Vivek or Elon imagine it to be. So it will need a formal budget approval.
  Note that until the Senate confirms the Head of DOGE and/or formally recognises DOGE as a Govt. department, other Federal Departments will not be legally obliged to heed to any demands made by this team of people.
  
  
• Hegseth may well fail in his nomination for SecDef because he does not appear to be a M-I-C "champion". That view alone is disqualifying.
  Trump said something like "the enemy is within" and expressed a desire to update the Military. Hegseth is on record saying he will fire many of the 3-Star and 4-Star generals.
  This alignment of policy will be ignored; not even 1 out of the 44(!) 4-Star generals will be allowed to be fired without a huge resistance put up by Congress.

If it matters, I believe Lloyd Austin (the current SecDef) was the fastest/first confirmation by Senate for the Biden administration. Because he's so "mainstream"

I'd be happy if all of my predictions turn out wrong. Alas, I fear that the establishment's interests will prevail and you all (the average American people) will be worse off for it.

[pilowsky]

DOGE is an advisory body - the Senate isn't involved.

[hrothgar]

shyams, on 2024-November-21, 23:57, said:

[list=1]

So as per hrothgar's reasoning, RFK's nomination should be approved by Senate.

here is what I actually wrote

"RFK Jr is an interesting corner case since this is one of the (few) examples I can think of where questions of policy might prove significant"

RFK's belief's about policy are so detached from reality that the Senate might decide to reject him on these grounds.

Or, alternatively, the fact that he has zero experience with either

1. Administering large bureaucracies
2. Health care policies

His health care grifts are a relatively recent development

His major accomplishments during his early life involved heroin trafficking and use...

[barmar]

shyams, on 2024-November-21, 23:20, said:

I presume this is some form of parody or satire.
* Lindsay Graham is the biggest war hawk in the Senate.
* Mitch McConnell once said that funding Ukraine was a bigger priority for the Senate than funding needs for disasters that had occurred (I think it was weeks after a hurricane or some such disaster had affected thousands of Americans).

I don't see what either of these have to do with how easily they would get confirmed by the Senate for practically any cabinet position. They're both beloved members of that body already.

Of course, if they're not willing to kiss Trump's ass he wouldn't nominate them in the first place. Trump and McConnell have never gotten along well, but except when they were running against each other in the primaries, Graham has been a Trump booster.

[mycroft]

...and fat lot of good that's done him.

Having said that, I also am surprised he hasn't been lined up for some toady reward.

I guess the biggest failing of current R-members is that there are a lot more than just Cancún Cruz for whom Al Franken's quote could apply.

[shyams]

Kamala Harris Campaigning With Liz Cheney Flopped with Key Voter Group

Link: https://www.newsweek...-voters-1990516

Newsweek article of 22 Nov 2024 said:

Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning with former Representative Liz Cheney cost her enthusiasm among a key voter group in the presidential race, according to a newly released poll.
...

A new survey from left-leaning pollster Data for Progress suggested Harris' decision to appear with Cheney didn't play well among independent voters in two key swing states she narrowly lost.

The poll found that more independent voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania said they were "less enthusiastic" to vote for Harris after she campaigned alongside Cheney...