Trump Transition & Staffing

[sonrisa]

Nov 19, 2024 11:08:31 GMT -5 cville said:

I know, I truly know, how hard the Biden administration has been working on normal, not flashy, good government I initiatives. And that those things are important.

But my God, where the actual fuck are Democrats right now? Where is party leadership? We've got 2 months left, why aren't we going balls to the wall? Where is Dark Biden?

There's not much that can be done to stem the flow of absolute bullshit that is going to rain down on us, but party leadership are the ones who need to be handing out umbrellas.

Push judges through NOW. Start fighting in the media NOW. Plan rallies. Present a consistent counterpoint message to each facet of Project 2025. Do whatever it takes to make it harder for alleged non-MAGA Republicans not to reject these choices and repudiate these plans. Fuck shit up so that it's harder for him to do stuff his first 2 years and begin NOW laying the groundwork for 2018.

Yeah, I went into a cave of denial for a bit. But I wasn't elected to office to represent the interests of the people. You do that, you don't get to go into a cave. You have your hands on the levers of government now and you have the manual for how to run the machine.

Where
Are
You

Obviously, we all have our own roles to play and our own responsibility to resist and persist. I'm not looking to anyone else to save us. I'm looking for US to save us.

yes. Throw people at one way processes. They can roll back legislation, but it’s much harder to undo actions like appointing judges, filling ranks. fast tracking name change passports to get those out in time, etc.

[cville]

Nov 20, 2024 0:33:45 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Nov 19, 2024 10:59:22 GMT -5 lostrn said:

Me too lol

What's scary to me is that so many of us did that and didn't immeidately reject the thought that he would do such a thing.

Has he nominated anyone with even a modicum of competence or relative experience? I guess mr fracking technically counts, as would lutnick, but I think I'd rather hulk hogan rather than someone whose positions are antithetical to good policy.

He is purposefully picking people who are innately hostile to the mission of the departments that he's selecting them to lead. It doesn't matter whether they're hostile to it because they aren't experts or because they are and they suck. The dismantling IS the point. He's picking disruptors because he wants government to cease to function the way it should.


Eta: I know we all know this. But this is why norms like looking for folks who are ostensibly experts are not being followed. He says fuck your democratic norms. I want to be dictator. I'm a felon and a rapist and you elected me to rule, so watch me put other rapists, felons, and idiots into positions of power. He wants us to be demoralized. I AM demoralized. But I have to keep fighting it, as do we all, by reminding myself that the chaos and cruelty are the points.

[rubytue]

@@@ mentions below

just saw some of the names being floated for surgeon general (on Dr Jen Gunter’s Instagram, so take that for what it’s worth). Dr. Viney Prasad. And oncologist with an MPH in epidemiology, who has been discussed here before for how he went all in on masks being useless in 2020. In particular, he was doubling down on pediatrics and mask use for kids. Before that, he was known as smart, but a diva in the oncology world.

edit: ha! Here was my opinion of him in October 2021 pandce.proboards.com/post/14034497

[mrsukyankee]

He's basically picked people who won't have a clue as Project 2025 comes into play (or else, they'll help it along in their own idiocy). It'll be easy to pave the way with the clueless in charge - they'll be kept out in front, getting a lot of attention (which is basically all that they want) and money, and the US as you know it will be destroyed.

I'm honestly looking into seeing if we can get my mom over here if worse comes to worse. I'm not so worried about my dad but my mom really depends on the state for money and healthcare.

[basilosaurus]

Gaetz isn't the only one accused of SA. Hegseth, too

edition.cnn.com/2024/11/21/politics/pete-hegseth-police-report-defense-secretary-trump/index.html

[fortnightlily]

Breaking: Gaetz has withdrawn himself.

[livinitup]

Nov 21, 2024 12:32:46 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Breaking: Gaetz has withdrawn himself.

I was in a Teams meeting when the alert popped up & nearly fell out of my chair.

So, he was on the list for a 1/2 Scaramucci ?

[fluffycookie]

Nov 21, 2024 12:32:46 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Breaking: Gaetz has withdrawn himself.

Good!   He met with GOP leaders yesterday.  I wonder that has something to do with it. But I also read yesterday that someone hacked into the email of the lawyers representing two people in a defamation case involving the parties and got a hold of documents and that the documents were much more damaging to Gaetz than the parties in the lawsuit.

[Velar Fricative]

Nov 21, 2024 12:32:46 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Breaking: Gaetz has withdrawn himself.

And since he resigned, he won’t be in Congress either!

Sadly I still expect him to be in this administration somewhere somehow though.

[konapoppy]

So he is just straight up is out of government now, right??!?Since he resigned from the house?

I want to laugh but also cry.

[curbsideprophet]

Did he only resign his current seat? Can he be sworn in for the next Congress?

[marqueelurker]

Nov 21, 2024 12:55:21 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

So he is just straight up is out of government now, right??!?Since he resigned from the house?

I want to laugh but also cry.

This may have been answered before, but did he resign from both the current and next session, or just the current?   

[rachers]

Good. Although honestly I hate seeing his face all over news/SM. That smarmy smile is so ick.

[pixy0stix]

AP article has this - However, Gaetz did win re-election earlier this month for the new Congress which convenes Jan. 3. But it’s unclear if he would take office. There’s also been plans for a special election in Florida for his seat.

...

So who knows what will happen. I forgot how quickly Trump's career killer orbit could move.

[Velar Fricative]

Nov 21, 2024 13:07:53 GMT -5 marqueelurker said:

Nov 21, 2024 12:55:21 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

So he is just straight up is out of government now, right??!?Since he resigned from the house?

I want to laugh but also cry.

This may have been answered before, but did he resign from both the current and next session, or just the current?   

The NYT reported that he stated he did not intend to be sworn in for the next Congress. But I guess he can take that back anytime and go anyway. Dammit!

[Velar Fricative]

Seems likely that the findings and reports are so bad that this might have been the only way from ever seeing the light of day. Well, from government officials at least.

[fernweh]

Nov 21, 2024 13:07:53 GMT -5 marqueelurker said:

Nov 21, 2024 12:55:21 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

So he is just straight up is out of government now, right??!?Since he resigned from the house?

I want to laugh but also cry.

This may have been answered before, but did he resign from both the current and next session, or just the current?   

I don’t know for sure but I suspect that he won’t take office again in January. This is just my hunch but since he likely resigned to keep the ethics report from coming out and probably being removed, being reseated in January would just reopen that can of worms for him.

[curbsideprophet]

I guess the issue with him taking a seat in the next Congress is then they would need to release the report. So he probably does not want that.

[mrsslocombe]

I'm genuinely surprised, I didn't think these people had shame.

I also think that report is coming out one way or the other.

I assume Trump will just appoint him to whatever Super Special post he invents that doesn't have to be confirmed.

[fernweh]

I don’t have a NYT subscription but I’m also seeing on social media that they published the police report filed against Pete Hegseth for sexual assault.

I hope it’s damning enough that he also withdrawals from consideration (and loses his Fox News job).

[Velar Fricative]

Nov 21, 2024 13:35:31 GMT -5 fernweh said:

I don’t have a NYT subscription but I’m also seeing on social media that they published the police report filed against Pete Hegseth for sexual assault.

I hope it’s damning enough that he also withdrawals from consideration (and loses his Fox News job).

Latest updates from the NYT show R Senators totally supporting him.

[dior]

Nov 21, 2024 12:32:46 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Breaking: Gaetz has withdrawn himself.

I do not like Gaetz but I have to give him his due credit, I did not think he would withdraw himself from consideration as attorney general

[5kcandlesinthewind]

Nov 21, 2024 14:31:01 GMT -5 dior said:

Nov 21, 2024 12:32:46 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Breaking: Gaetz has withdrawn himself.

I do not like Gaetz but I have to give him his due credit, I did not think he would withdraw himself from consideration as attorney general

Only because he knew that he wouldn't be confirmed. He'll slink away for a few weeks and be added to whatever non-confirmation post they come up with for him in January.
Unfortunately, I fear this clears the way for a competent monster at AG, but any day Matt Gaetz is humiliated is at least a somewhat good day.

[ellipses84]

Nov 21, 2024 15:11:44 GMT -5 5kcandlesinthewind said:

Nov 21, 2024 14:31:01 GMT -5 dior said:

I do not like Gaetz but I have to give him his due credit, I did not think he would withdraw himself from consideration as attorney general

Only because he knew that he wouldn't be confirmed. He'll slink away for a few weeks and be added to whatever non-confirmation post they come up with for him in January.
Unfortunately, I fear this clears the way for a competent monster at AG, but any day Matt Gaetz is humiliated is at least a somewhat good day.

What they have on him is really awful. He comes from money so I wouldn’t be surprised if his family in addition to Rs in Congress convinced him to decline. Things going back to his frat house days, creating points games with colleagues for sex acts when he was in Florida politics, using his @@ informally “adopted” son (ex gf’s underprivileged brother he let live with him) as bait for underage girls, in addition to the underage trafficked prostitutes in Congress.

[pugz]

Hegseth and his supporters are basically saying it was a consensual encounter but because she was married she didn't want it to appear that way. She did the rape kit and everything but he was never charged.

[basilosaurus]

Nov 21, 2024 13:35:31 GMT -5 fernweh said:

I don’t have a NYT subscription but I’m also seeing on social media that they published the police report filed against Pete Hegseth for sexual assault.

I hope it’s damning enough that he also withdrawals from consideration (and loses his Fox News job).

I posted above

[muffin0]

Pam Bondi as new AG pick. 😵‍💫😵‍💫

www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-transition-news-11-21-24/index.html

[neverfstop]

Nov 21, 2024 19:43:38 GMT -5 muffin0 said:

Pam Bondi as new AG pick. 😵‍💫😵‍💫

www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-transition-news-11-21-24/index.html

Hmpf....at least she has attorney general experience? Although the does give off "Barbie villain" vibes. Trump is liking his florida picks.

[basilosaurus]

Nov 21, 2024 19:54:17 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Nov 21, 2024 19:43:38 GMT -5 muffin0 said:

Pam Bondi as new AG pick. 😵‍💫😵‍💫

www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-transition-news-11-21-24/index.html

Hmpf....at least she has attorney general experience? Although the does give off "Barbie villain" vibes. Trump is liking his florida picks.

I constantly wonder if it's better zero experience or September of some but awful response

[underwaterrhymes]

I wish I believed in hell. These people suck so much and there are no consequences.