Well of course, it's hard to tell.
November 11, 2024
And indeed, there are already those, who pollyannish like insist that maybe this time Trump will be different, and not carry through with all his claims, promises, and threats.
I listed to all three weekend shows this week, and they're well worth listening to. For the most part, with one exception, Democrats have realized that latching on to far left social issues sank them. Even Bernie Sanders seemed to agree. The exception really seemed clueless.
A scary former Trump ambassador to Japan seemed, now in Congress for Tennessee, seems intent on cutting off all aid to Ukraine.
Susie Wiles will be Trump's chief of staff.
On that, there are already noting how that's "historic" as she's the first woman to be appointed to that role. No it isn't. Frankly, once Barrack Obama was elected President most of the claimed "firsts" are really meaningless.
Trump has apparently instructed Republicans in Congress to hold up Biden judicial nominees.
cont:
And now we know the "Border Czar" will be Tom Homan, who in a recent interview with 60 Minutes, supported deporting kids who were born and raised in the US to undocumented immigrants, stating: “Families can be deported together.”
Homan had stated at a Nation Conservatism conference: "Trump comes back in January, I'll be on his heels coming back, and I will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen. They ain't seen shit yet. Wait until 2025."
How charming.
cont:
Elise Stefanik has been chosen to be Ambassador to the United Nations.
November 12, 2024
Former Green Beret, Florida Republican Rep. Mike Waltz, a China hawk, will be National Security Advisor.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will head the Department of Homeland Security
Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York will run the Environmental Protection Agency. He's expected to go after environmental regulations, and be hostile to climate policy.
Somebody, or some group, is clearly advising Trump on these picks. But who is it?
Marco Rubio will be Secretary of State, a position that he undoubtedly will be unable to retain throughout a second Trump administration.
Russian television, which is presumed not to run items without Putin's permission, ran nude photos of Melania Trump. This is interesting in that Trump has a weird relationship with Putin, and you have to wonder what the message was supposed to be.
Cont:
Tom Homan:
The illegal animals coming across the border... 31% of women that make their journey get raped by criminal cartels.
Children get raped. I've talked to little girls as young as nine that have been raped multiple times.
These cartels are animals. And that's why President Trump's gonna take 'em off the face of Earth.
[Trump] will use them full might of the United States Special Operations to take 'em out.
Trump in fact asked about doing something of this nature in his prior term.
Cont:
John Ratcliffe will serve as CIA director.
November 13, 2024
Fox news commentator Pete Hegseth, a National Guard officer, has been chosen by Trump as Secretary of Defense.
Seems like a poor choice. Maybe even a bit of a scary one.
Former Arkansas Governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee, a very strong supporter of Israel, perhaps even one that might be regarded as extreme on the point, has been chosen as Ambassador to the country.
This will not be good for peace in the Middle East. Arab Americans who abstained from voting will no reap the fruits of that action, and they'll be bitter fruits.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been appointed to something that will be called the Department of Efficiency. I don't see this lasting.
These picks look a lot like what a lot of people expected, and feared.
Cont:
John Thune (R-S.D.) will be the next Senate Majority Leader.
Cont:
Secretary of Defense putative nominee has apparently stated "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles." Frankly, that's my view as well, and that view is widely shared within the military itself. This is interesting, however, as this would normally probably be a disqualifying viewpoint. We'll see if it had any impact on his chances of being confirmed.
We'll also see, of course, if he acts on his view. A large number of the views Trump expressed in his 2016 campaign of this type never saw the light of day in his administration.
I actually have a long and very old draft of a post on women in combat I've never completed. I ought to, but now I'm reluctant given that I don't want to be seen leaping on board the incoming administration's bandwagon.
Cont:
Trump has nominated Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General of the United States.
My prediction is that even the Republican Senate won't be able to stomach that.
What a joke.
November 14, 2024
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State.
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Security.
John Barrasso, Senate Whip.
Gaetz, who was the topic of an upcoming ethics investigation, has resigned from Congress.
Cont:
When he (Gaetz) was accused of sleeping with an underage girl, there’s a reason why no one in the conference defended him. We all saw videos he was showing us on the House floor of girls he slept with & brag how he would crush ED medicine so he could go all night.
Sen. Mullin, R. Oklahoma.
Cont:
Republican Senator John Cornyn is going to ask the House Ethics Committee to release the findings of the Matt Gaetz investigation.
Cont:
And now RFK Jr. for Health and Human Services.
With this appointment and Gaetz, Heath May put it best. "Another day, another dumb ass"
November 15, 2024
Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior.
This is again an interesting choice. Only 3.9% of North Dakota is Federal land. However, users of Federal land in the West might take some cautious optimism out of this as Western politicians, completely contrary to the views of those they serve, have taken on the land grabbing mindset illustrated by Utah's effort to grab Federal lands in court, which has been sadly supported by Wyoming.
Cont:
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson regarding the House ethics investigation report for Gaetz:
I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report.
Cont:
Governor
Gordon Commends Selection of Governor Doug Burgum for Secretary of the
Interior
CHEYENNE,
Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has issued a statement following the announcement
from President Trump that North Dakota governor
Doug Burgum will lead the Department of Interior.
“I congratulate my friend Doug Burgum and I
commend President Trump for his selection of Governor Burgum as Secretary of
the Interior. Since almost half of Wyoming’s surface land and 67% of its
mineral resources are managed by the federal government, the Secretary of the
Interior is integral to Wyoming’s economic well-being and future. It is good
that we have a friend in that office.
Doug has a deep understanding of the
importance of energy development while maintaining valuable wildlife and
outdoor recreation opportunities. He and I have worked together on these issues
for the past six years. We see eye-to-eye on the importance of a domestically
focused, all-of-the-above energy policy for public lands and minerals. I know
personally his love of the outdoors. I am confident that under his leadership,
future decisions regarding land management and wildlife issues in Wyoming will
not utilize a top-down, DC-driven approach, but rather be made cooperatively,
with local interests at the forefront. I look forward to working with him.”
-END-
November 16, 2024
Karoline Leavitt, age 27, as press secretary.
Cont:
Chris Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, secretary of the Department of Energy.
November 18, 2024
Mitch McConnell has stated there will be no recess appointments.
November 19, 2024
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce.
Cont:
Mehmet Oz to serve as administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Truly, this is the most pathetic set of appointments, ever.
November 23, 2024
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General.
Pam Bondi to replace Gaetz, who withdrew.
Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary.
Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon for Secretary of Labor.
Scott Turner, for the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
November 24, 2024
Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture. She's a Texas A&M trained lawyer with an undergraduate in agricultural development.
Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration commissioner.
Rep. Dave Weldon, a Republican from Florida, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Russell Vought, a co-author of Project 2025, to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
December 2, 2024
Joe Biden pardoned Hunter Biden.
cont:
Trump proposes to replace the currently serving head of the FBI, whom he appointed in the first place with Kash Patel.
This is absurd.
December 9, 2024
Trump was interviewed on Meet The Press (I guess a longer transcript of the interview is elsewhere on NBC).
While presented with a very flat aspect, Trump interestingly basically stuck with his promises, putting in some plausible deniability between himself and carrying them out. In other words, if his political enemies are prosecuted, that's the decision of other people, he'd have it, not him. He also left room for failure if things don't go as he promised.
He didn't back down from mass deportations, and in fact double downed on them, save for the "Dreamers", for whom he expressed a desire to find a solution. It's pretty clear that support for Ukraine is going to be decreased.
December 10, 2024
Sen. Lummis will be on the "DOGE Caucus".
December 11, 2024
Sigh . . .
Kimberly Guilfoyle Is Appointed Ambassador to Greece.
cont:
FBI Director Christopher Wray is going to resign at the end of the current administration.
Kerri Lake as head of Voice of America.
December 13, 2024
Mitch McConnell about indications that there may be Trump Admin vaccine dipshittery, on the polio vaccine:
Like millions of families before them, my parents knew the pain and fear of watching their child struggle with the life-altering diagnosis of polio. From the age of two, normal life without paralysis was only possible for me because of the miraculous combination of modern medicine and a mother’s love. But for millions who came after me, the real miracle was the saving power of the polio vaccine…
The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease. Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous. Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts.
Frankly, messing with childhood police vaccines is criminal at an epic level.
December 21, 2024
Congressman Hageman will chair the Article One Task Force which has as its mission going after regulatory agencies in favor of Congress, based on the conservative concept that regulatory agencies have usurped Congress.
December 24, 2024
Wyoming Senator Lummis is joining the newly formed U.S. Senate caucus led by Kansas Republican Dr. Roger Marshall that will work to promote legislation in line with the agenda of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who is widely regarded as a gadfly.
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