Picking Biden's Cabinet

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said:

Who is Sullivan?

Sullivan served as Biden's national security advisor during the beginning of Obama's second term.  He played in integral role in the negotiations of the Iran agreement.  He also was one of Hillary's top national security advisors for both her campaigns (and the top one in 2016) and was widely expected to be her NSA if she had won.  Basically, he's a younger version of Blinken.

[Mindwalker]

10 hours ago, DMC said:

While she was almost certainly good for 51 votes, it's quite possible Biden wanted to steer clear of a confirmation fight, yes.  To that I say:

 

There's a German idiom for this behavior, "vorauseilender Gehorsam". There doesn't seem to be a tranlation for it, it roughl means "pre-emptive/ anticipatory compliance". I'm sure McConnell & Co. will play nice because of such behavior...

[DMC]

8 minutes ago, Mindwalker said:

There's a German idiom for this behavior, "vorauseilender Gehorsam". There doesn't seem to be a tranlation for it, it roughl means "pre-emptive/ anticipatory compliance". I'm sure McConnell & Co. will play nice because of such behavior...

Interesting, will have to look that up.  Sounds a lot like appeasement, which of course the Germans would have a more nuanced term for.  

[Mindwalker]

Heh... it can be seen as an appeasement strategy (and I think that's what Biden is trying to do).

But "Gehorsam" actually means obedience, following orders (I don't think that term would be used in Engslish, though, outside of the military); "vorauseilend" = hurrying ahead (of the expected order).

I think the term may originate during a militarized period, like Kaiser Wilhelm's reign... will have to look that up.

[Larry of the Lawn]

1 hour ago, Mindwalker said:

Heh... it can be seen as an appeasement strategy (and I think that's what Biden is trying to do).

But "Gehorsam" actually means obedience, following orders (I don't think that term would be used in Engslish, though, outside of the military); "vorauseilend" = hurrying ahead (of the expected order).

Like in One [Hundred] Years of Solitude when the Colonel finds his orders are being carried out before he gave them?

[Mindwalker]

Sounds like it, but I haven't seen that movie.

Found something:

https://www.linguee.com/german-english/translation/vorauseilender+gehorsam.html

Interesting: Usually I would search for it on wikipedia.de, then choose "English" from the language menu. In this case, there are only two Asian entries offered, meaning the concept is apparently not known in the anglosphere... or anywhere else.

[DMC]

Just saw this article naming Michelle Lujan Grisham and Vivek Murthy as the top two contenders for HHS, which isn't really news.  One part gave me a thought though:

Quote

If not picked to run HHS, Murthy is likely to be appointed to another prominent health post in the administration, several people close to the transition said — potentially as part of the White House’s Covid-19 response team.

That makes a lot of sense.  HHS has almost a $1.3 trillion budget - $87.1 billion discretionary - and about 80 thousand employees.  Outside of Defense it is the biggest department in the federal government, by far.  Lujan Grisham is much better equipped to run the agency and Murthy is much better equipped to be Biden's covid czar.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

[DMC]

Thought this was worth sharing - BLM is protesting against Eric Garcetti being considered for a Cabinet position due to his record as LA mayor on homelessness and, more importantly, police:

Quote

In the summer he rejected the group’s proposal to cut the Los Angeles Police Department's $1.8 billion operating budget by 90 percent.

"We are demanding that [Garcetti] stop giving the most murderous police department in the U.S. a blank check," BLM-LA stated in an email, obtained by City News Service.

The email continued: "We must defund the police and invest in life-affirming services. We also demand that the Biden administration refuse to select L.A.'s sycophant, self-seeking mayor for a Cabinet position in which he is completely unqualified."

 

[Larry of the Lawn]

Ok, I'm not sure what's weirder, learning that Tony Blinken is in a band called Ablinken and that he jams with Jeff Baxter, or learning that Jeff Baxter is now a consultant specializing in missile defense.  

https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/joe-bidens-new-secretary-of-state-has-a-wonk-rock-band-on-spotify-2824440

[Gaston de Foix]

On 11/26/2020 at 1:56 PM, larrytheimp said:

Ok, I'm not sure what's weirder, learning that Tony Blinken is in a band called Ablinken and that he jams with Jeff Baxter, or learning that Jeff Baxter is now a consultant specializing in missile defense.  

https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/joe-bidens-new-secretary-of-state-has-a-wonk-rock-band-on-spotify-2824440

I thought Blink 182? I'll see myself out.  

All the chatter about Neera Tanden reminds me how much the specific norm that the president is entitled to have a cabinet of his choice has devolved.  It used to be the Republicans yelling about how outrageous it was that a Dem Senate refused to confirm Bolton not so long ago.  

[DMC]

This is a couple days old but I'll put it here since you were nice enough to bump the thread @Gaston de Foix.  Tom Donilon has taken himself out of the running for CIA director.  If find this interesting for two reasons.  First, because before that report he looked to be on his way to being announced, and that would have essentially echoed my picks of Haines and him for the two intelligence posts, just flipped.  Second, the next guy on the list, at least according to the consensus of rumors/chatter, is Michael Morell.  Liberal Dem Senators, specifically Ron Wyden, have already essentially ruled Morell out due to previous comments on EITs.  Which would mean either Biden would be relying on support from GOP members, or he'll have to find someone else.

Also, it is interesting that SecDef has not been announced yet, and it seems the assumption it was Flournoy is now being widely questioned.  Retired Army General Lloyd Austin is getting a lot of attention recently.  This may well be a decision between the first female and the first African-American.

[Gaston de Foix]

10 hours ago, DMC said:

This is a couple days old but I'll put it here since you were nice enough to bump the thread @Gaston de Foix.  Tom Donilon has taken himself out of the running for CIA director.  If find this interesting for two reasons.  First, because before that report he looked to be on his way to being announced, and that would have essentially echoed my picks of Haines and him for the two intelligence posts, just flipped.  Second, the next guy on the list, at least according to the consensus of rumors/chatter, is Michael Morell.  Liberal Dem Senators, specifically Ron Wyden, have already essentially ruled Morell out due to previous comments on EITs.  Which would mean either Biden would be relying on support from GOP members, or he'll have to find someone else.

Also, it is interesting that SecDef has not been announced yet, and it seems the assumption it was Flournoy is now being widely questioned.  Retired Army General Lloyd Austin is getting a lot of attention recently.  This may well be a decision between the first female and the first African-American.

My own read is that Tom Donilon wanted State and probably thought CIA director was a sideways punt at best for a former NSA.  Not an unfair reaction but I think sitting out Biden's presidency may not be the best career move if you do want State.  CIA directors have gone on to be SoS and SoD in the last two admins...

With Flourney, given how much she was the consensus pick up front,  I think the greater the delay, the worse her chances.  I don't really have a dog in the fight though and know nothing about Austin. 

Kinda sucks Biden hasn't offered McRaven a gig.  He would make a good CIA director. 

Also regrettable that Rhodes has not been offered a job. 

He's obviously a lightning rod for Iran and Cuba, but he was also the author of some Obama's best foreign policy speeches.  The Cuba one was particularly elegant:  https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/22/remarks-president-obama-people-cuba

[DMC]

2 hours ago, Gaston de Foix said:

My own read is that Tom Donilon wanted State and probably thought CIA director was a sideways punt at best for a former NSA.  Not an unfair reaction but I think sitting out Biden's presidency may not be the best career move if you do want State.  CIA directors have gone on to be SoS and SoD in the last two admins...

I really don't think Donilon took himself out of the running because he thought CIA was beneath him or not good for his career trajectory.  As you mention, CIA is still a pretty prestigious job - if it was good enough for Panetta it should be good enough for Donilon.  I think it has much more to do with him not wanting to stop being chairman of the world's largest asset manager (BlackRock).  He's also 65, it's entirely possible he's not interested in the demands of a high government post anymore.  OTOH, I do agree that the wording of the article - he's not ready to back into government "right now" - perhaps suggests maybe he would be interested at a later date and/or for a higher-level post (presumably Defense or State).

Agreed McRaven would make a great CIA Director.  I have seen him mentioned for Defense, but the fact he stepped down as chancellor of UT two years ago for health/family issues may mean he's not interested either.  As for Rhodes, meh.  Insofar as his speechwriting capabilities, that's kinda lost on/overkill with Biden anyway.  This is hyperbole and just downright being mean, but that's kinda like hiring Picasso to paint your house.

[Fragile Bird]

Doug Jones was just asked on CNN about the rumour he was being considered for AG (not Defense!).

[DMC]

10 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said:

Doug Jones was just asked on CNN about the rumour he was being considered for Defense.

Do you mean AG?  Dunno why they'd be asking about Defense.

[Fragile Bird]

3 minutes ago, DMC said:

Do you mean AG?  Dunno why they'd be asking about Defense.

Corrected myself - I was reading your post about Defense and my fingers typed it instead of AG, lol!

[DMC]

1 minute ago, Fragile Bird said:

Corrected myself - I was reading your post about Defense and my fingers typed it instead of AG, lol!

[Gaston de Foix]

2 hours ago, DMC said:

This is hyperbole and just downright being mean, but that's kinda like hiring Picasso to paint your house.

Hehe.  Biden does have to give an inaugural address though, as well as periodic SOTUs.  He should try to give at least one inspirational speech not written by Neil Kinnock. 

Biden is signalling he is keeping Chris Wray as FBI Director assuming Trump doesn't fire him. 

I disagree with this decision, but I can see why Biden would make it.  Of course leaking his intentions may be a fiendishly clever move to have Trump fire Wray....

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, Gaston de Foix said:

I disagree with this decision, but I can see why Biden would make it.

I don't.  It's incumbent upon Biden to depoliticize the FBI, and not abiding by the standard 10-year term of the director would be a horrible move.  I also could never see that happening considering Biden's institutionalist bend.

[Gaston de Foix]

1 minute ago, DMC said:

I don't.  It's incumbent upon Biden to depoliticize the FBI, and not abiding by the standard 10-year term of the director would be a horrible move.  I also could never see that happening considering Biden's institutionalist bend.

Fair enough, assuming Wray hasn't done anything as FBI director that is cause for firing. 

Wray has been Malcolm in the Middle for a number of years now.  I suspect we will learn, in due course, of a number of quiet compromises he made during his tenure to satisfy Trump's bloodlust.  There's no evidence right now.  But that information is also less likely to leak during the Trump Show.