Dec.11

electoral-vote.com

Dem 47

   

GOP 53

Today's Nomination News

It was yet another day full of news on the nominations front:

• Don Donald: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) certainly changed her tune on Secretary of Defense-designate Pete Hegseth very rapidly, and now we have a clearer picture of what happened. In short, like a mafia chieftain, Donald Trump unleashed his foot soldiers on the Senator. She was subjected to an unrelenting barrage of harassment over the last week, harassment that had two very clear messages: (1) If you don't get on board, you'll be primaried, and (2) If you don't get on board, you better watch your back. In other words, the Trumpers made Ernst an offer she couldn't refuse.
  
  It is not clear what this means in terms of other Hegseth-skeptical senators. The "muscle" bit works better when there's only one target, and that target is out in the open for everyone to see. If there are, say, six GOP senators who say nothing and then vote "nay," it will be rather harder to make them pay. Not impossible, mind you, but harder. Remember, there are still two sitting Republican House members who voted for impeachment.
  
  
• Kid Gloves: A couple of hosts who work for the far-right-wing Newsmax propaganda operation had the temerity to suggest that Pete Hegseth might be a less-than-ideal nominee to lead the Department of Defense. This hurt Donald Trump's fee-fees, and he pitched a fit. And so, Newsmax management circulated a memo in which they laid down the law: Any on-camera person who says anything negative about Hegseth will be immediately terminated.
  
  
• Nominee in Trouble, Part I: Because there was so much attention on Pete Hegseth, the also-problematic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was flying under the radar (and probably producing chemtrails while he did it). Not anymore, though. Three GOP senators—Lisa Murkowski (AK), Susan Collins (ME) and Bill Cassidy (LA)—aren't saying they are "no" votes (they can see what happened to Joni Ernst), but they are also very pointedly not saying they are "yea" votes. Cassidy, in particular, is important because his committee will be primarily responsible for vetting Kennedy, and other senators are likely to take their cues from him.
  
  
• Nominee in Trouble, Part II: Tulsi Gabbard is another problematic nominee whose time under the radar appears to be over. It is her bad luck that she's been an apologist/useful idiot for Bashar al-Assad, whose regime fell from power this weekend. This has served to highlight the fact that, well, she's been an apologist/useful idiot for Bashar al-Assad. Trump still badly wants Gabbard to be confirmed, and she has more personal friends on The Hill than Hegseth or Kennedy, so she may still survive. Still, she rushed to Washington yesterday to start lobbying senators before they leave for the holiday break.
  
  
• Nominee in Trouble, Part III: Yesterday, Senate Democrats sent a letter to Mehmet Oz, in which they observe that he's heavily invested in private insurance concerns, and that he therefore stands to benefit financially from his stated plans to privatize as much of Medicare and Medicaid as is possible. The Democrats, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), would like some insight about that conflict of interest, and what the good doctor plans to do about it, if anything.
  
  We mention this because it was in the news. However, we doubt Oz will even address such questions. And whether he does or not, we very seriously doubt that it will affect his confirmation. Republican senators have made clear they aren't too bothered by a nominee who has conflicts of interest. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that Oz has already built a nine-figure fortune by virtue of his medical career and his TV work. How much money does one person need?
  
  
• Monopolized: This is one of those "inside baseball" jobs that is actually quite important. Yesterday, Donald Trump named Andrew Ferguson as chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Ferguson is already one of the five members of the Commission, but now, assuming he's confirmed (and he will be), he'll be calling the shots. He will replace Lina Khan, who was perhaps the leftiest member of the Biden administration. Needless to say, the switch will certainly mean less resistance to corporate mergers and less enforcement of consumer protections. This is good news if you're someone like... Elon Musk (more below).
  
  
• Bring on the Nepotism (Again): For the second time, Donald Trump has selected a relative to serve as an ambassador. Previously announced was Charles Kushner, father of Jared/father-in-law of Ivanka and convicted felon, who will lead the U.S. mission to France. Now joining the list is Kimberly Guilfoyle, fiancée of Donald Jr., who will lead the U.S. mission to Greece. Trump will also employ Massad Boulos, father-in-law to Tiffany, to serve as an advisor.
  
  
• Bring on the Nepotism (Again), Part II: It would seem that Trump daughter-in-law Lara, late of the Republican National Committee, is definitely a candidate to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). According to The Wall Street Journal, the President-elect is lobbying Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to make her the pick. We assume that this is all political theater, designed to make all of this look like a legitimate, considered process as opposed to a quid pro quo wherein DeSantis becomes the fallback SecDef nominee if Pete Hegseth fails.
  
  
• Matt Who?: Matt Gaetz, fresh off his failed AG bid, has lined up a new gig. He's going to host his own show on OAN. That seems a step down from "Attorney General" or "member of Congress." In fact, it seems like a step down from "Subway sandwich artist." In any case, we are sure that the network's viewers will enjoy his show enormously. Both of them.
  
  
• Kari Who?: Kari Lake has struck out again. After being floated as the likely pick for ambassador to Mexico, she's been passed over for Ronald Johnson. No, not Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), but Ronald Johnson, a former Green Beret and 20-year CIA staffer who also served as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. In other words, Donald Trump pivoted from someone who is utterly unqualified in Lake to someone who's actually got the résumé for the job. Who knows what Lake will do now? Maybe OAN is still hiring.

And that's the news. You stay classy, San Diego. (Z)