Let's speculate.... Who's going to be in Biden's cabinet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michele Flournoy is at the head of the line for Sec Def.

...

Susan Rice needs a non-confirmation slot--she wouldn't make it through the Senate. A caveat for any of these names, if Biden thinks they'd be too hard to get through

Agree with everyone but Rice. I worked with her and she is not capable. We propped her up as well as we could.

Say more. I understand smart and savvy yet is focused up, not down, in her relations, so perhaps better for an advisor role, but less suited for a cabinet position, especially one that has been pretty bruised by Pompeo.

I worked with her too. She’s a bitch, and I mean that fairly literally. She threw a briefer out of her car once because she didn’t like the material she was being briefed.

I think Flournoy is a lock for SecDef nomination - will she face any issues with the Senate? I have only heard people speak highly of her.

+1 on the assessment of Rice. I have a friend that had to brief her during a major international negotiation a few years ago. Friend called Rice "The Wicked Witch" and was so afraid of her wrath friend literally stayed awake all night ready to brief just in case. And my friend was in a very senior position themselves! This was a posting where we had the head of pretty much every national security agency/organization/task force visit. I can only think of one other agency head that was kind of a dick. Everyone else was pretty decent and gracious.

Flournoy is a sure thing to have bipartisan support, but Rice can't get through. Non starter. I'm relieved about that. Brilliant but too many stories about her temper and lack of discipline to be in the top diplomatic post.

Agree that Rice is non-confirmable. I wonder if she will end up in the Administration at all. I think making her National Security Advisor again is not a great move. Wendy Sherman should be brought on to get the Iran Nuclear Deal back on track.

Rice is close to Biden and was on the short list to be VP. She will get something significant. She might have difficulty getting confirmed at State but that should not be an issue for other agencies. The only thing that matters is her relationship with Biden.

What is the case for Flournoy? It does not seem like she has all that much experience in Government. Could Duckworth end up at DoD instead with maybe Flournoy as a deputy to help run the agency?

Uh, Flournoy has a ton of experience, and at the Pentagon specifically. She's far more qualified than Duckworth.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/525765-top-contender-for-biden-defense-chief-would-be-historic-pick

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michele Flournoy is at the head of the line for Sec Def.

...

Susan Rice needs a non-confirmation slot--she wouldn't make it through the Senate. A caveat for any of these names, if Biden thinks they'd be too hard to get through

Agree with everyone but Rice. I worked with her and she is not capable. We propped her up as well as we could.

Say more. I understand smart and savvy yet is focused up, not down, in her relations, so perhaps better for an advisor role, but less suited for a cabinet position, especially one that has been pretty bruised by Pompeo.

I worked with her too. She’s a bitch, and I mean that fairly literally. She threw a briefer out of her car once because she didn’t like the material she was being briefed.

I think Flournoy is a lock for SecDef nomination - will she face any issues with the Senate? I have only heard people speak highly of her.

+1 on the assessment of Rice. I have a friend that had to brief her during a major international negotiation a few years ago. Friend called Rice "The Wicked Witch" and was so afraid of her wrath friend literally stayed awake all night ready to brief just in case. And my friend was in a very senior position themselves! This was a posting where we had the head of pretty much every national security agency/organization/task force visit. I can only think of one other agency head that was kind of a dick. Everyone else was pretty decent and gracious.

Flournoy is a sure thing to have bipartisan support, but Rice can't get through. Non starter. I'm relieved about that. Brilliant but too many stories about her temper and lack of discipline to be in the top diplomatic post.

Agree that Rice is non-confirmable. I wonder if she will end up in the Administration at all. I think making her National Security Advisor again is not a great move. Wendy Sherman should be brought on to get the Iran Nuclear Deal back on track.

Rice is close to Biden and was on the short list to be VP. She will get something significant. She might have difficulty getting confirmed at State but that should not be an issue for other agencies. The only thing that matters is her relationship with Biden.

What is the case for Flournoy? It does not seem like she has all that much experience in Government. Could Duckworth end up at DoD instead with maybe Flournoy as a deputy to help run the agency?

Well, here's part of the case for Flournoy (?Not much experience in government?!}:

Michèle Angélique Flournoy (born December 14, 1960) is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy under President Bill Clinton and the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under President Barack Obama, serving as a principal advisor to U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta from February 2009 to February 2012.[1] During her tenure in the Clinton administration, Flournoy was the principal author of the May 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which advocated the unilateral use of military power in defense of US interests.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mich%C3%A8le_Flournoy

Or you could read the numerous other news articles about her. She was slated to be SecDef in a Hillary Clinton Administration. Nothing against Duckworth, but that's just a celebrity type appointment, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michele Flournoy is at the head of the line for Sec Def.

...

Susan Rice needs a non-confirmation slot--she wouldn't make it through the Senate. A caveat for any of these names, if Biden thinks they'd be too hard to get through

Agree with everyone but Rice. I worked with her and she is not capable. We propped her up as well as we could.

Say more. I understand smart and savvy yet is focused up, not down, in her relations, so perhaps better for an advisor role, but less suited for a cabinet position, especially one that has been pretty bruised by Pompeo.

I worked with her too. She’s a bitch, and I mean that fairly literally. She threw a briefer out of her car once because she didn’t like the material she was being briefed.

I think Flournoy is a lock for SecDef nomination - will she face any issues with the Senate? I have only heard people speak highly of her.

+1 on the assessment of Rice. I have a friend that had to brief her during a major international negotiation a few years ago. Friend called Rice "The Wicked Witch" and was so afraid of her wrath friend literally stayed awake all night ready to brief just in case. And my friend was in a very senior position themselves! This was a posting where we had the head of pretty much every national security agency/organization/task force visit. I can only think of one other agency head that was kind of a dick. Everyone else was pretty decent and gracious.

Flournoy is a sure thing to have bipartisan support, but Rice can't get through. Non starter. I'm relieved about that. Brilliant but too many stories about her temper and lack of discipline to be in the top diplomatic post.

Just not Rice please. It’s the same group swirling for too long from Albright to Clinton to Rice to Powers; time for some new, fresh, self-built people to come in — Obama can’t be the only story like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Susan Rice is going to be Sec State. And if McConnell won't review her, then Biden can make her acting Sec State and just leave her there. If McConnell complains then Biden can point out that Trump set the precedent with Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli and 15 other appointment positions that the Senate never approved and McConnell didn't complain about it then, so clearly McConnell approved of the procedure and established the precedent.

There is no one that will argue with her credentials. She would be one of the most experienced Secretaries of State to ever step into the position. She could hit the ground running and would be able to immediately start righting the horrible degeneration of the US foreign policy reputation that Trump and his rotating clown car of Sec States caused over the last 3.5 years.

Susan Rice is a very flawed human being, of the worst kiss up/kick down type. Isn’t actually that smart either given that she was handed the world on a silver platter from a young age and messed up in every role. The reaction to her name around Washington is a collective groan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Susan Rice is going to be Sec State. And if McConnell won't review her, then Biden can make her acting Sec State and just leave her there. If McConnell complains then Biden can point out that Trump set the precedent with Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli and 15 other appointment positions that the Senate never approved and McConnell didn't complain about it then, so clearly McConnell approved of the procedure and established the precedent.

There is no one that will argue with her credentials. She would be one of the most experienced Secretaries of State to ever step into the position. She could hit the ground running and would be able to immediately start righting the horrible degeneration of the US foreign policy reputation that Trump and his rotating clown car of Sec States caused over the last 3.5 years.

Susan Rice is a very flawed human being, of the worst kiss up/kick down type. Isn’t actually that smart either given that she was handed the world on a silver platter from a young age and messed up in every role. The reaction to her name around Washington is a collective groan.

Time to retire Rice and a bunch of others. Need fresh talent. I like Booker, Bottoms, Harrison

[Anonymous]

I hope Albright has no say. She was a massive harridan too, falsely celebrated for her smarts — she married into a dynasty, got a leg up and her first job in her 40s was a high ranking one in the admin, shortly thereafter the State. Does not happen to normal talented people. Rice was her protege. I bet there’s a Degeneres type scandal with Rice. Like there was with Klobuchar. At least Abedin and Weiner are out of the picture. What a gallery of rogues. Really like the new gen: Yang, Pete etc...

[Anonymous]

I always thought Cory Booker would be a great Secretary of State.

[Anonymous]

Sonja Sontelises Baltimore City Public Schools. She’s an education reformer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Susan Rice is going to be Sec State. And if McConnell won't review her, then Biden can make her acting Sec State and just leave her there. If McConnell complains then Biden can point out that Trump set the precedent with Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli and 15 other appointment positions that the Senate never approved and McConnell didn't complain about it then, so clearly McConnell approved of the procedure and established the precedent.

There is no one that will argue with her credentials. She would be one of the most experienced Secretaries of State to ever step into the position. She could hit the ground running and would be able to immediately start righting the horrible degeneration of the US foreign policy reputation that Trump and his rotating clown car of Sec States caused over the last 3.5 years.

Susan Rice is a very flawed human being, of the worst kiss up/kick down type. Isn’t actually that smart either given that she was handed the world on a silver platter from a young age and messed up in every role. The reaction to her name around Washington is a collective groan.

Time to retire Rice and a bunch of others. Need fresh talent. I like Booker, Bottoms, Harrison

Do you mean Corey Booker, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Jaime Harrison? You realize they have totally different backgrounds than Susan Rice, right?

What positions are you imagining they’d occupy? You can’t just swap people out interchangeably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Susan Rice is going to be Sec State. And if McConnell won't review her, then Biden can make her acting Sec State and just leave her there. If McConnell complains then Biden can point out that Trump set the precedent with Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli and 15 other appointment positions that the Senate never approved and McConnell didn't complain about it then, so clearly McConnell approved of the procedure and established the precedent.

There is no one that will argue with her credentials. She would be one of the most experienced Secretaries of State to ever step into the position. She could hit the ground running and would be able to immediately start righting the horrible degeneration of the US foreign policy reputation that Trump and his rotating clown car of Sec States caused over the last 3.5 years.

Susan Rice is a very flawed human being, of the worst kiss up/kick down type. Isn’t actually that smart either given that she was handed the world on a silver platter from a young age and messed up in every role. The reaction to her name around Washington is a collective groan.

Time to retire Rice and a bunch of others. Need fresh talent. I like Booker, Bottoms, Harrison

Do you mean Corey Booker, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Jaime Harrison? You realize they have totally different backgrounds than Susan Rice, right?

What positions are you imagining they’d occupy? You can’t just swap people out interchangeably.

Yeah, I feel like PP just named three random black democrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michele Flournoy is at the head of the line for Sec Def.

...

Susan Rice needs a non-confirmation slot--she wouldn't make it through the Senate. A caveat for any of these names, if Biden thinks they'd be too hard to get through

Agree with everyone but Rice. I worked with her and she is not capable. We propped her up as well as we could.

Say more. I understand smart and savvy yet is focused up, not down, in her relations, so perhaps better for an advisor role, but less suited for a cabinet position, especially one that has been pretty bruised by Pompeo.

I worked with her too. She’s a bitch, and I mean that fairly literally. She threw a briefer out of her car once because she didn’t like the material she was being briefed.

I think Flournoy is a lock for SecDef nomination - will she face any issues with the Senate? I have only heard people speak highly of her.

+1 on the assessment of Rice. I have a friend that had to brief her during a major international negotiation a few years ago. Friend called Rice "The Wicked Witch" and was so afraid of her wrath friend literally stayed awake all night ready to brief just in case. And my friend was in a very senior position themselves! This was a posting where we had the head of pretty much every national security agency/organization/task force visit. I can only think of one other agency head that was kind of a dick. Everyone else was pretty decent and gracious.

Flournoy is a sure thing to have bipartisan support, but Rice can't get through. Non starter. I'm relieved about that. Brilliant but too many stories about her temper and lack of discipline to be in the top diplomatic post.

Agree that Rice is non-confirmable. I wonder if she will end up in the Administration at all. I think making her National Security Advisor again is not a great move. Wendy Sherman should be brought on to get the Iran Nuclear Deal back on track.

Rice is close to Biden and was on the short list to be VP. She will get something significant. She might have difficulty getting confirmed at State but that should not be an issue for other agencies. The only thing that matters is her relationship with Biden.

What is the case for Flournoy? It does not seem like she has all that much experience in Government. Could Duckworth end up at DoD instead with maybe Flournoy as a deputy to help run the agency?

Well, here's part of the case for Flournoy (?Not much experience in government?!}:

Michèle Angélique Flournoy (born December 14, 1960) is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy under President Bill Clinton and the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under President Barack Obama, serving as a principal advisor to U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta from February 2009 to February 2012.[1] During her tenure in the Clinton administration, Flournoy was the principal author of the May 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which advocated the unilateral use of military power in defense of US interests.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mich%C3%A8le_Flournoy

Or you could read the numerous other news articles about her. She was slated to be SecDef in a Hillary Clinton Administration. Nothing against Duckworth, but that's just a celebrity type appointment, IMO.

Flournoy is super, duper well respected in defense circles. Lolz that she isn't experienced. You'd struggle to find someone better prepared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biden fell in love with Mayor Pete during the primary and wanted to adopt him as a surrogate son. And he did a fantastic job on Fox fighting for Biden. I bet there is a place for him.

I like Chief of Staff for Pete.

I think we all fell in love with Mayor Pete. He would succeed wherever they need him.

Would the jobs discussed here seem like demotions, when he ran for President?

He is brilliant in press interviews, but do politicians with executive aspirations take press spokesperson jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:State: Mitt Romney
Treasury: Michael Bloomberg
Defense: Tom Ridge
AG: Patrick Morrisey
Interior: Jeb Bush
Agriculture: Sonny Perdue is doing a good job
Commerce: John Kasich
Labor: _____
Health:urthy_____
HUD: Ben Carson is doing a good job

Carson is awful. Thinks poor people just need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps. There was also an ethics scandal I think early in his tenure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, Ron Klain is probably the #1 choice for CoS. He was CoS to both Gore and Biden when they were VPOTUS and he was a senior advisor on the Biden presidential campaign. He has been with Biden forever and is whip-smart when it comes to the politics. Basically, if he wants the CoS staff position (and why wouldn't he?), it's his.

Actually, I think an amazingly brilliant idea is that Biden should find a cabinet position for Senator Kennedy from LA. Kennedy is a moderate Republican. Until 2007, he was a Democrat and then flipped. He has no love lost for Donald Trump and has periodically strayed across the aisle to join the Democrats including helping to block three of Trump's judicial nominees. He's a very astute and well educated lawyer, so maybe AG? Louisiana has a Democratic governor, so offering a cabinet position to Kennedy allows Biden to come off as reaching across the aisle, plus with a Democratic governor, the replacement Senator would likely be a Democrat. Additionally, Kennedy is up for reelection in 2022 and is likely to face a hard reelection campaign. He's only moderately popular in Louisiana (46% approval rating). He might be happy to have a resting place for four years instead of looking at a hard reelection in 2 years. Could be a valuable win-win for Kennedy.

I like the thinking, but no way would McConnell would let this happen. Kennedy is also not a moderate republican. He votes with Trump 90% of the time. He also would be a horrible AG, as he is super tough on crime, going against dems push for criminal justice reform. And also, his 2022 election will be a cakewalk. Bill Cassidy was just reelected with 60% of the vote.

[Anonymous]

I like Booker but not Yang