Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kerry is a good pick. Biden knows him and can rely on him.

While Biden has picked a good team so far, there seems to be a trend with him picking people who have been in his inner circle already and corporate lobbyists. It would be nice to see him branch out a bit.

He seems to be picking a mix. I suspect with a pick like Kerry, part of the goal is to not have the person doing the negotiating be the story. Except in the addled minds of the Swift Boaters, Kerry was barely even the story when he was running for President.

He's also picking people that can hit the ground running with our allies. People that our allies know and trust and have worked with before.

I find Avril Haines a little surprising for DNI, but she'll be good. I think it's also smart to not elevate DNI beyond what it was supposed to be, which is a major policy and coordination entity for the IC. I think that's been an issue almost since the beginning with DNI. Haines will right the ship in that regard.

I do wonder who the AG, CIA, and FBI picks will be. I think Haspel and Wray may be allowed to carry over until replacements are named. Obviously not so with Bill Barr.

Yeah, DNI is a bit of a traffic cop job. It’s very administrative—or at least it’s supposed to be. She’ll be terrific.

Will be very interesting to see who he picks for D/CIA.

Wray is a ten-year appointment. It would not be normal for Biden to replace him.

Barr and Haspel can leave anytime. Tick tock.

Comey was a ten year appointment too.

Let's not be naive here. The guardrails have been completely knocked down and it's stupid to pretend otherwise. The next Republican president will like do exactly what Trump has done. I don't advocate Biden doing the same, but reminding Congress that Democratic presidents can do the same is not a terrible idea in my book.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kerry is a good pick. Biden knows him and can rely on him.

While Biden has picked a good team so far, there seems to be a trend with him picking people who have been in his inner circle already and corporate lobbyists. It would be nice to see him branch out a bit.

He seems to be picking a mix. I suspect with a pick like Kerry, part of the goal is to not have the person doing the negotiating be the story. Except in the addled minds of the Swift Boaters, Kerry was barely even the story when he was running for President.

He's also picking people that can hit the ground running with our allies. People that our allies know and trust and have worked with before.

I find Avril Haines a little surprising for DNI, but she'll be good. I think it's also smart to not elevate DNI beyond what it was supposed to be, which is a major policy and coordination entity for the IC. I think that's been an issue almost since the beginning with DNI. Haines will right the ship in that regard.

I do wonder who the AG, CIA, and FBI picks will be. I think Haspel and Wray may be allowed to carry over until replacements are named. Obviously not so with Bill Barr.

Yeah, DNI is a bit of a traffic cop job. It’s very administrative—or at least it’s supposed to be. She’ll be terrific.

Will be very interesting to see who he picks for D/CIA.

I feel like it will be someone in the vein of a Tenet, Panetta, Hayden, but no one immediately comes to mind. Haspel has to go of course and her deputy isn't a successor. I just hope it's not a few of the old guard left in the building that folks just can't seem to quit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kerry is a good pick. Biden knows him and can rely on him.

While Biden has picked a good team so far, there seems to be a trend with him picking people who have been in his inner circle already and corporate lobbyists. It would be nice to see him branch out a bit.

He seems to be picking a mix. I suspect with a pick like Kerry, part of the goal is to not have the person doing the negotiating be the story. Except in the addled minds of the Swift Boaters, Kerry was barely even the story when he was running for President.

He's also picking people that can hit the ground running with our allies. People that our allies know and trust and have worked with before.

I find Avril Haines a little surprising for DNI, but she'll be good. I think it's also smart to not elevate DNI beyond what it was supposed to be, which is a major policy and coordination entity for the IC. I think that's been an issue almost since the beginning with DNI. Haines will right the ship in that regard.

I do wonder who the AG, CIA, and FBI picks will be. I think Haspel and Wray may be allowed to carry over until replacements are named. Obviously not so with Bill Barr.

Yeah, DNI is a bit of a traffic cop job. It’s very administrative—or at least it’s supposed to be. She’ll be terrific.

Will be very interesting to see who he picks for D/CIA.

Wray is a ten-year appointment. It would not be normal for Biden to replace him.

Barr and Haspel can leave anytime. Tick tock.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kerry is a good pick. Biden knows him and can rely on him.

While Biden has picked a good team so far, there seems to be a trend with him picking people who have been in his inner circle already and corporate lobbyists. It would be nice to see him branch out a bit.

He seems to be picking a mix. I suspect with a pick like Kerry, part of the goal is to not have the person doing the negotiating be the story. Except in the addled minds of the Swift Boaters, Kerry was barely even the story when he was running for President.

He's also picking people that can hit the ground running with our allies. People that our allies know and trust and have worked with before.

I find Avril Haines a little surprising for DNI, but she'll be good. I think it's also smart to not elevate DNI beyond what it was supposed to be, which is a major policy and coordination entity for the IC. I think that's been an issue almost since the beginning with DNI. Haines will right the ship in that regard.

I do wonder who the AG, CIA, and FBI picks will be. I think Haspel and Wray may be allowed to carry over until replacements are named. Obviously not so with Bill Barr.

Yeah, DNI is a bit of a traffic cop job. It’s very administrative—or at least it’s supposed to be. She’ll be terrific.

Will be very interesting to see who he picks for D/CIA.

Anonymous wrote:I worry about Biden striking the right balance between hiring people with experience and trying to move forward in a world very different from four years ago. I think his age makes him feel comfortable around other 75 year olds.

We need experience period. If Trump hadn’t f**ked everything up 10 ways to Sunday and dropped us out of treaties and accords that took YEARS to formulate we wouldn’t need as many older heads as we do.

You can have your batch of 30 and 40 year-old Cabinet Secretaries in 2024 when the ship is righted. Until then put some of that energy into winning 2022 midterm seats.

I worry about Biden striking the right balance between hiring people with experience and trying to move forward in a world very different from four years ago. I think his age makes him feel comfortable around other 75 year olds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kerry is a good pick. Biden knows him and can rely on him.

While Biden has picked a good team so far, there seems to be a trend with him picking people who have been in his inner circle already and corporate lobbyists. It would be nice to see him branch out a bit.

He seems to be picking a mix. I suspect with a pick like Kerry, part of the goal is to not have the person doing the negotiating be the story. Except in the addled minds of the Swift Boaters, Kerry was barely even the story when he was running for President.

He's also picking people that can hit the ground running with our allies. People that our allies know and trust and have worked with before.

I find Avril Haines a little surprising for DNI, but she'll be good. I think it's also smart to not elevate DNI beyond what it was supposed to be, which is a major policy and coordination entity for the IC. I think that's been an issue almost since the beginning with DNI. Haines will right the ship in that regard.

I do wonder who the AG, CIA, and FBI picks will be. I think Haspel and Wray may be allowed to carry over until replacements are named. Obviously not so with Bill Barr.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:John Kerry?? He would not be in my top 50 for climate czar.
He’s prominent and well known but old and has not been deeply involved in climate change work

He has apparently been leading an international organization focused on addressing climate change for the past year.

Longer than that. He worked on the Paris Accords and has been involved in climate advocacy since leaving the Obama Administration. He's a great pick for any political role in climate, especially since Biden's first action will be to rejoin the Paris Accords.

Way longer than that. "In the 1980s and 1990s, Mr. Kerry worked closely with Mr. Gore, then a senator from Tennessee, on climate change policy on Capitol Hill. In 1992, Mr. Kerry attended the first United Nations climate change summit meeting, in Rio de Janeiro, where he kindled a connection with Teresa Heinz, who attended with a delegation representing the elder President George Bush.

Married three years later, the couple went on to write a 2007 book together, “This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future.” By that time Mr. Kerry had run for president and lost, and then was one of the founders of a think tank, the American Security Project, that defined climate change as a national security threat."
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/03/world/asia/kerry-shifts-state-department-focus-to-environment.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Beautiful!

Disappointing retreads.

I’m thrilled.

— Someone who will actually be working with these people

So happy for you. It must have been horrible the past 4 years.

To the PP who wants excitement, I have faith that Biden will bring in new blood and ideas. But right now we need people who have experience.

Aim your ire on Trump, not Biden.

Thank you!! Yes it’s been awful. So happy right now.

Flournoy not necessarily a sure thing, Johnson in running for SecDef or AG.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/23/transition-biden-secretary-defense-440123

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m shocked, shocked to hear that UMC DMV people like these picks.

Dude, you voted for a billionaire with a golden toilet. Shut up.

Amen!

Anonymous wrote:I’m shocked, shocked to hear that UMC DMV people like these picks.

Dude, you voted for a billionaire with a golden toilet. Shut up.

I’m shocked, shocked to hear that UMC DMV people like these picks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The folks over at Fox are losing their minds about Kerry. Can someone school me on why he might not be approved?

He doesn't need approval, so that might be one reason.

They are just mad that he lost a Presidential election and didn't fade into the ether.

He married rich and needs something to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Beautiful!

Disappointing retreads.

I’m thrilled.

— Someone who will actually be working with these people

So happy for you. It must have been horrible the past 4 years.

To the PP who wants excitement, I have faith that Biden will bring in new blood and ideas. But right now we need people who have experience.

Aim your ire on Trump, not Biden.