There was fear of Bachmann/Palin-like mouth breathers seeding Trump's cabinet in order to drain the swamp by bringing the swamp to Washington. In this case, it's more like 60s era cabinets appointments of plutocrats tasked to safeguard the industries they're in, and have been known to oppose or to weaken those cabinet agencies. But hey, if after four years, they strengthen protections for consumer and the American people, I'd be the first to say I'm wrong.
The only person missing from Trump's cabinet at this point is "Chainsaw" Al Dunlap. {Trigger warning - humor alert}
I am not sure why yet, but I am not getting that warm, fuzzy feeling that I like to have about Rex Tillerson as the SOS. It is not going to be because of the reasons the liberals give. I wish someone would make the case for this guy in an insightful and compelling way. To be fair, I think I understand why Trump did not want to go with any of the people that had consistently been named as his top candidates up until now. But why Rex Tillerson for SOS? And while I am at it, I feel pretty much the same about Trump's Labor nominee, Andrew Puzder.
Obama’s initial team included three generals: Retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones as national security adviser Retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki as veterans affairs secretary Retired Navy Adm. Dennis Blair as director of national intelligence
He ran a massive organization with tens of thousands of employees that interacts with almost every country on the planet. Much like a SoS. I wouldn't have picked him, but that's the argument.
I am going to need something more than that. I know there are a lot of Trump groupies out there that will support literally anything this guy says or does, just like the the vast majority of the Democrat left did with Barack Obama. But I am not one of those people. I am not comfortable that this is a good way to go here at this point.
The best Secretary of State I think I have seen during my lifetime was James Baker under George H. W. Bush. Here are a few paragraphs of an article in the Houston Chronicle that sums that time up better than I can: After serving as chairman for George H.W. Bush's successful presidential campaign in 1988, he became secretary of state, a role in which he oversaw U.S. policy at the end of the Cold War as well as the breakup of the Soviet Union, the end of apartheid in South Africa, the end of rebel wars in Central America and serious conflicts in the Mideast, including the 1991 Gulf War for which he orchestrated the creation of the 34-nation alliance that repelled the invasion and annexation of Kuwait by Iraq. It was during this period that Baker cinched his reputation as an effective consensus-builder who could negotiate treacherous politics in Washington and around the globe, a make-it-happen strategist and fixer who would become known as "The Man Who Made Washington Work," the title of a 2010 documentary on his accomplishments. "Jim's legacy as one of the most decent and capable men to help guide our nation's foreign policy, and before that its economy, is secure," former President George H.W. Bush said. "No one knew their brief better; no one was a better advocate for American interests; no one was a more effective spokesman for the four presidents he served with class and distinction. On a personal note, it is highly unlikely I would ever have been president without his superb and wise counsel." I think we need a real leader who can "make things work" internationally. We don't need a bunch of deals, just for the sake of stroking the egos of the signatories, such as the Paris Climate Agreement was. There are so many big problems in the world right now, most of which are poised to get worse before they get better. To solve these will require someone with some real skill - like James Baker in his day - who can strategically and inter-personally provide some high level international leadership and work together across international lines in a statesmanlike way to resolve some of these seemingly intractable problems. We don't need someone here who distinguishes himself because he has run a large organization before and therefore can presumably make the trains run on time over at the Department of State. We need a world-class statesman and international political strategist, someone who is a charismatic leader in a room full of top-level world leaders, with a vision towards making the United States stronger within the context of a world that is on a much better, safer and prosperous track than it is right now. We need someone like that. Forget that Trump is the one doing the nominating for a minute, is that person Rex Tillerson? Maybe it is, I don't know him well enough to say. But I am concerned that maybe he isn't. That he is supposedly a great deal guy and that he knows and has dealt with many of these top level leaders around the world is excellent and could help him a lot. But does he have a head and a passion for foreign affairs and geopolitical strategy that will be so critical in the days to come? Hillary Clinton and John Kerry have been a joke in this role and have done more harm than good. Certainly they are not even in the ballpark of what we really need in this role. To help clean up their messes, as well as many others that have developed without their assistance, we need someone with some real skill in this role, for a change. If Rex Tillerson is that guy, then great, go with Tillerson, even if the lefties and the media go berserk. But the goal should not be to make these people go berserk, it should be something along the lines of the criteria I have discussed above. I believe Mitt Romney could be that guy. I know, the Trump supporters do not want Romney because he was disloyal during the campaign. At the same time, Trump was a real ******* to pretty much everyone during the campaign himself, so that kind of reasoning does not really impress me here. The people that can do all of this do not grow on trees, after all.
Maybe I'm off, but I'm almost 100% sure he isn't against the minimum wage. Where are you getting this that he said he wants no minimum wage?
My mistake. I meant to say that he is against minimum wage increases, not necessarily a minimum wage. I was not clear. I apologize. He's also against paid sick leave.
Rick Perry? The one and only Rick Perry? Bwahahahaha. “The third agency of government I would -- I would do away with Education, the --Commerce...Commerce and, let’s see. I can’t. The third one, I can’t. Sorry -- oops,” As long as he didn't forget the existence of DOE, we should be good to go. This should really help America have a good savvy 21st century approach to our energy future.
Rick Perry tapped for Secretary of Energy. This was the primary spot that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) was supposed to be a contender for.
so the guy that wanted to eliminate the Department of Energy..is now going to be in charge of the Department of Energy. I truly don't understand that pick. I liked Romney for SOS though - he had the potential be the best one we've had in a long while. Sad he was passed over
Rick Perry is just not a smart individual. I highly doubt his intelligence. One of the lower IQ people Trump can choose from IMO.
Maybe that is what he will be tasked to do under Trump. Wind up the business of the Energy Department and then cut the lights out on his way out.
The business of DOE ain't going away. You can call it something different, but that's about it. By the way, DOE has one of the largest contractor to Fed employee ratios in government. Seems Repubs would like that.
