Looks like the Trumpster is serious about the possibility of Mitt Romney as his Secretary of State. Others in the running include General Petreaus, and Bob Corker. Of the three, I think Mitt makes the most sense. Although the constant moaning of Kellyanne Conway and Newt Gingrich makes this decision a bit more difficult.
Or perhaps it's a double burn on Mitt. One more chance to make him feel like he is in the running, only to go in another direction? I would think a decision might be coming this week.
16 comments:
If it's just a burn, he should ask HRC or even Kerry to sit in, or both, as a bipartisan effort to evaluate Romney objectively.
Isn't Petraeus a felon? Kind of hard to see him getting confirmed by the Senate if Trump nominates him for anything.
Anonymous Indy Voter said...
Isn't Petraeus a felon? Kind of hard to see him getting confirmed by the Senate if Trump nominates him for anything.
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yup. paid a $100,000 fine and convicted of a misdemeanor. and his crimes pale in comparison to those of clinton. so i suppose that if the dems want to continue their uninterrupted streak of hypocrisy they'll fight his nomination.
At least now you could legitimately say that there is precedent that any mishandling of classified information as a Secretary of State is not illegal, even normal for that office. Petraeus can relax his standards.
Trump Picks Tom Price for HHS
Donald Trump has announced another cabinet selection, and it's very bad news for liberals: Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), who has been tapped for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
It is clear, at this point, that Trump himself has little-to-no idea of how to dismantle and replace Obamacare. Price, by contrast, does. Not only is he one of the loudest Obamacare critics in Congress, he was an orthopedic surgeon for 20 years. So, he has both a clear plan for what needs to be done and the credentials to sell that plan to skeptical colleagues.
Price's ideas are actually very similar to those of Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI); they both want to replace Obamacare with private health savings accounts, and Medicare with block grants and vouchers. The odds are very good that, assuming Price is approved, Trump will tell him to meet up with Ryan, come up with something "fantastic," and then The Donald will sign whatever it is.
In the long term, the American people ARE LIKELY TO BE VERY UNHAPPY WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES that are wrought, but in the short term it just became much more likely that the anti-Obamacare faction is going to get exactly what it wants.
(Bates)
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But in other words, this will all catch up to the GOP later.
Petraeus for Secretary of State?
A new name has emerged in the apparently-heated contest for the Secretaryship of State: David Petraeus. Petraeus' selling points are that he is a decorated general, and one who has earned the respect of both Democrats and Republicans. He's got foreign policy and diplomatic experience aplenty, thanks to his time as Director of the CIA and his various military commands. Further, he might be an acceptable compromise for the pro-Romney faction of the GOP (who want a grown-up doing the job) and the pro-Giuliani faction (who pretty much just want anyone who is not Mitt Romney). Donald Trump reportedly said he "was very impressed" after meeting with the General.
And now, the big, red, glaring problem: Petraeus lost his job at the CIA because he knowingly shared classified information with his biographer (Paula Broadwell, who was also his mistress at the time).
As we have pointed out many times, including just two days ago, intent is what turns a mistake into a crime, and there was certainly intent here. Petraeus' punishment, beyond the loss of his post, was a $100,000 fine and two years' probation. The only reason he avoided jail was that Broadwell, unlike her paramour, actually can keep a secret, and did not divulge the information that she was given.
As we noted in the item from November 27, Trump's pick for National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, has much the same black mark on his record. Well, he didn't share classified information with his lover (as far as we know), but he did share it with unapproved NATO allies. Flynn, however, doesn't have to pass muster with the U.S. Senate.
The Secretary of State, by contrast, most certainly does. Could GOP Senators actually keep a straight face while approving a man who definitely and deliberately leaked classified information, just months after calling for investigations of/imprisonment for a Secretary of State who might have accidentally leaked classified information (but probably didn't)? And would those same GOP Senators be willing to shift uncomfortably in their seats for several days while Democrats asked probing questions about security clearances, and double-secret probation, and exactly how Petraeus would respond the first time Angela Merkel makes goo-goo eyes at him?
Who knows, but we're getting dangerously close to C-SPAN becoming must-watch TV. (Bates)
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Does it begin to seem the GOP Klown Karnival is going to stretch on and on and on?
at electoral-vote.com:
Trump keeps changing his views.
He may have difficulties deporting undocumented criminals.
"Draining the swamp" ain't gonna be easy.
When the lease for Trump's towers expires for Trump's Chinese tenant, there could be problems.
AP says start calling Alt-righters what they really are: either racists, or neo-Nazis, or white supremacists or combinations of certain of those.
Petraeus didn't intend for his mistress and biographer to pass any sensitive information to our enemies, any more than Clinton did with, say, her daughter or personal aides.
What you're saying is that Petraeus has the competence and intelligence, sophistication to assume "intent", that Clinton lacked. That would make him a better choice for Secretary of State wouldn't it? Having more competence, more intelligence, more experience than Secretary of State Clinton?
To knowingly share classified information is to intentionally share classified information.
A clear legal distinction.
Trump and Romney will have dinner today.
Hopefully we'll have a chance to see how the courts actually rule on that James. After Trump assumes office and purges Justice of political insiders.
James said...
To knowingly share classified information is to intentionally share classified information.
A clear legal distinction.
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utter bullshit.
gross negligence is as illegal as intent. comey knew this, but buckled under the political pressure.
Price leading H&HS is more concerning. Having listened to his town halls, this is a really bad idea.
Obamacare is a really bad idea. Something has to be done, and no matter what Price does, it's better than it is now.
i'm not seeing a big problem with the price pick, wp.
Price has written on NRO about his vision for replacing Obamacare several times.
Two big elements of his plan are purchasing insurance across state lines and tort reform.
The Empowering Patients First Act would allow the interstate purchase of insurance – a practice that is currently illegal. When companies compete across state lines, consumers have more and better options for coverage. As in all markets, this competition drives down costs and empowers families with more choices.
But a lack of competition is not the only obstacle to lowering costs. Lawsuits are another. In a recent study commissioned by Jackson Healthcare, “physicians estimate[d] the cost of defensive medicine to be in the $650 to $850 billion range, or between 26 and 35 percent of annual health care costs in the U.S.”
The practice of defensive medicine, which squanders hundreds of billions of dollars annually, is a response to an increasingly litigious society in which one in 14 physicians faces a malpractice suit every year. This creates a strong incentive to perform additional and perhaps unnecessary tests to exhaust every potential diagnosis — no matter how improbable — to buttress a defense in court. These costs are passed on to patients or to “the system.” Through creative, meaningful lawsuit-abuse reforms, our solution reduces the need for defensive medicine, resulting in lower medical bills for American families while still honoring patients’ rights.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/morning-jolt/442544/ohio-state-terrorist-jihadist-murderer-plays-millennial-victim
I don't know what he's written rrb, but in his town hall telephone presentations the literal ignorance disqualified him in my mind. Even accounting for dumbing down for the audience.
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