Former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins is Trump's pick to head the VA. Collins is a hardline abortion opponent; opposes Obamacare; thinks climate change is a hoax; opposes gay marriage; signed onto a lawsuit contesting the 2020 election; and. . .
. . .has no experience even remotely related to the VA.
However, he has two sterling qualities: (a) he thinks the sun rises and sets in Donald Trump's ass, and (b) he's really good on his Fox News hits. He should be confirmed easily.
All according to plan...
Not according to my plan. I’m personally furious he went with Gaetz at DOJ over the vastly more experienced Rudy Giuliani. It’s an outrage. I hope he at least considers Rudy for White House counsel. Gaetz would’ve been more appropriate for Education Secretary, what with his experience working with children and all.
lol. Plus Giuliani really needs the money.
Disbarred lawyers always make the best AGs
Who knew there were so many Executive Jobs in the Federal Government with "No Experience Necessary!"
Just the sort of jobs Musk's Department Of Government Efficiency will eliminate.
I think you mean no experience *preferred*.
He loves the poorly educated.
His administration will be filled with nothing but loyalists and yes men.
The poorly educated or uneducated make the best followers of autocrats. They don't question.
Biden used to say that one of the chief weaknesses of autocratic governments was that no one was willing to speak truth to power, and dictators surrounded themselves with yes men. Now we'll have a president that will be told only what he wants to hear. He never listened to anyone rational and reality-based before, but now no one like that will be within earshot.
I'm expecting the worst at the federal level, but I'm not sure how to prepare for it.
Biden can go fuck himself. I liked him but he just welcomed Trump back into the White House with a smile and told us all that we must unite because he’s president over all of us. Literally 2 weeks ago the Democrats were shrieking about Trump being a fascist who would destroy everything, and now are all like “everything’s going to be ok” while smoothing the path for them to assume power. I’m done: the current Democratic Party leadership needs to be shown the door because they aren’t up for the fight ahead.
Right! Biden should hold a rally on the day the election is to be certified in Congress and then send a mob of Antifa, et al to the Capitol! /s
Seriously, what do you expect Biden to do? The PEOPLE have spoken. It was a fair election. Harris lost. Trump won. And you don't have to worry about Biden any more, he is no longer the leader of the Dems. I'm waiting to see what Schiff, Newsom, and the more active Blue State governors come up with.
A statement to this effect would have been appropriate in the circumstances.
President-elect Trump ended the tradition of presidents meeting their replacements back in 2020. As a former president he needs no introduction to the inner workings of the White House. Moreover he has made it abundantly clear he would neither seek nor listen to any advice from me. Accordingly I see no need for a meeting prior to his inauguration.
Would you have preferred a more Trump like responce? A January 6th style coup? He is participating in the peaceful transfer of power. He's doing what's expected of him. What the constitution demands of him. He is not Donald Trump. I'm not sure what you expect from him.
Agreed. It's a tough pill to swallow, but continuing to honor the rules and remaining committed to democracy is the only thing that offers a chance of beating those who want to tear democracy down. Weakening democracy to oppose somebody else who is weakening democracy just ends up weakening democracy.
It's bitter, but being professional and respecting how the process is supposed to work is actually Resisting.
Good on ya, Joe. History will tell if you were better than we deserved.
Well stated.
Agreed. I think Biden, too, was trying to build on the fact that, although the result was terrible, we did have a normal, smooth election, and we will have a smooth transition of power. That’s not nothing.
I'm not sure I could be as civil. As usual the Democrats are the adults in the room. If the roles were reversed Trump would be furiously at work trying to over turn the election, possibly planning another insurrection. That's the difference between the two parties now.
+1
His new chief of staff seems likely to be the grown-up in the room for a year or so. It will be interesting to see if she lasts as long as the previous chiefs of staff or longer.
Don't worry, Trump brings out the worst in people. She'll be no different. We'll find out just who she is within a year or two.
My bet is that normality will be even more inversely correlated with longevity this time around, because the whims are stronger and flightier now. If she's very good at managing the child-emperor's mood she might last a year, but I'd go a little lower, like maybe she could get past a dozen Scaramuccis.
To refresh memories, eleven days = one Scaramucci.
There’s another aspect: among those most willing to swear fealty will be some ambitious, but others truly fanatic, intent on some end which justifies any means. Maybe it’s Christianizing public institutions, maybe it’s ending vaccine mandates of all kinds, maybe making war on Iran. But they need to be close to the center of power to accomplish their goal. Then they can sway the Great Leader, or work behind his back, but one way or another, they will persist.
He's very susceptible to manipulation. Keep him happy and the job is quite easy.
Well, you can make the argument that Presidents are busy deciding broad policy, based on being briefed on stuff.
Cabinet level executive branch stuff is where the work starts. Appointing a bunch of people who have no interest in doing such work is alarming but the question is how worrying?
Trump has never and will never listen to a briefing. "Cabinet level executive branch stuff is where the work starts. " Cabinets have been completely neutered. They have precisely zero influence derived from their position as cabinet secretary.
I wouldn't say Collins had NO relevant experience; he did serve two stints as a chaplain, including five months in Iraq.
Any guess as to who he will get to lead the Department of Labor? Maybe he'll just get rid of it all together.
I have long suspected that “Labor Day” would be changed to “Job Provider Day” where everyone works for free in order to honor our munificent job providing benefactors. I suppose this is the administration that will do this.
The working class will suffer during his presidency. Whether or not it's enough to change minds is the question. Is his hold over them that good?
I went to law school with Doug, he’s a terrible choice for running a complex large organization like the VA.
Apparently Collins worked as one of Trump's lawyers over the last three years. A slew of his personal attorneys are getting government appointments, presumably in lieu of having their bills paid.
+1