Whats YOUR view of Trumps appointments so far?

[PJM]

Please share in charity YOUR views of Trumps appointments so far

Names of those who are reportedly being considered for the job, according to Politico and The New York Times.
• Chief of Staff: Reince Priebus
• Senior Counselor to the President: Steve Bannon
• National Security Adviser: Michael Flynn
• Attorney General: Jeff Sessions
• C.I.A. Director: Mike Pompeo
• U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: Nikki Haley
• Education Secretary: Betsy DeVos
• Secretary of State: TBD [Bob Corker, John Bolton, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Nikki Hayley]
• Treasury Secretary: TBD [Steven Mnuchin, Jamie Dimon]
• Defense Secretary: TBD [Kelly Ayotte, James Mattis, Jack Keane]
• Health and Human Services Secretary: TBD [Rick Scott]
• Interior Secretary: TBD [Lucas Oil, Sarah Palin, Robert Grady, Jan Brewer]
• Agriculture Secretary: TBD [Sid Miller, Sam Brownback, Dave Heineman]
• Labor Secretary: TBD [Victoria Lipnic]
• Commerce Secretary: TBD [Wilbur Ross, Chris Christie, Dan DiMicco]
• Energy Secretary: TBD [Harold Hamm, Robert Grady, Rick Perry]
• Homeland Security Secretary: TBD [David Clarke, Michael McCaul]
• Veterans Affairs Secretary: TBD [Jeff Miller]
• Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: TBD [Myron Ebell, Jeffrey Holmstead, Joe Aiello]

 

[Deus_tecum]

I think they stand in stark contrast to the liberal media spinning in some circles that Trump made false promises and will govern more like a liberal. The media treats him like Pope Francis. If there is the least glimmer of liberalism in anything he says, they spin it as full blown support. Some people were even insisting he would put Clinton back as Sec’y Of State as an “olive branch”. He does not need to give anyone like that an olive branch.

 

[john_ennis]

A pro-choice (school choice, that is) Ed Secretary is the most significant plus for America, in my view.

 

[DaveBj]

The only one that I don’t really like is Betsy Devos for SecEd. I would have preferred someone with more actual experience in the field. I’m hoping that she’ll be a pleasant surprise.

 

[john_ennis]

The only one that I don’t really like is Betsy Devos for SecEd. I would have preferred someone with more actual experience in the field. I’m hoping that she’ll be a pleasant surprise.

I’m thinking that experience (in the education field) matters far less than intelligence and a good perspective about kids and human nature. Granted, we don’t know for sure about her in that regard (except that her view of parents having wide-ranging choices is spot on).

I’ve seen enough 30-year educators with horrible views of what works, to make me doubt the benefit of experience in Public Education.

I think a randomly chosen American parent would likely make a better Secretary of Education than a randomly chosen education wonk.

 

[Gertabelle]

Is he required to appoint someone to every position?

He was talking about abolishing the Dept of Education – and I wish he would! – so why not just leave the position open and abolish the thing ASAP?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

The best thing that Trump could do is trim the size of the Cabinet and the Federal workforce in general. It now includes 15 Department heads as well as 7 other officials. For example, merge Commerce, Labor, and Energy. Merge Education Department back into HHS.

whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet

A new administration can significantly reduce the size of the Federal Government, which has been growing since the first Bush Administration. Privatize the Postal Service, NASA, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, several others. Review and reduce federal regulations. Re-institute welfare reform and welfare-to-work as the economy grows and illegal alien employment is discouraged.

 

[Magdalen2013]

Good luck with that!

After 33 years as a Federal employee I can tell you that Republican administrations always make the Federal Government and its budget larger.

Whenever a Democrat becomes President the Republicans in Congress try to starve the Executive Branch.

I’ve seen it happen several times now.

 

[john_ennis]

After 33 years as a Federal employee I can tell you that Republican administrations always make the Federal Government and its budget larger.
.

Never under pressure from the Democrats in Congress?
( Remember Reagan’s attempt to deal with them on future cuts? They reneged.)

 

[Erikaspirit16]

Nikki Hailey. I like Nimrata (or Nikki, as she calls herself now). She has a BA in accounting from Clemson, and as gov. she has taken a few trips overseas to push SC businesses. I don’t know if she knows a second language–even Punjabi.

Now take a look at the Wikipedia articles on Susan Rice and Samantha Power, the Obama UN representatives. Susan Rice: PhD from Oxford; thesis on Rhodesia and the Commonwealth. Experience in government. Samantha: BA Stanford, Harvard law degree. Pulitzer Prize for a book on international genocide.

I’m sorry, but on purely objective grounds of education, experience, and knowledge, poor Nikki is not in the same class as Susan and Samantha. She’s not in the same ballpark, the same league, or the same anything. She’s unqualified.

But yes, it could have been worse…he could have re-appointed some Bush re-treads like Bolton. But surely there must be some other people out there with spectacular international credentials. Why not appoint one of them?

 

[john_ennis]

Nikki Hailey. I like Nimrata (or Nikki, as she calls herself now). She has a BA in accounting from Clemson, and as gov. she has taken a few trips overseas to push SC businesses. I don’t know if she knows a second language–even Punjabi.

Now take a look at the Wikipedia articles on Susan Rice and Samantha Power, the Obama UN representatives. Susan Rice: PhD from Oxford; thesis on Rhodesia and the Commonwealth. Experience in government. Samantha: BA Stanford, Harvard law degree. Pulitzer Prize for a book on international genocide.

I’m sorry, but on purely objective grounds of education, experience, and knowledge, poor Nikki is not in the same class as Susan and Samantha. She’s not in the same ballpark, the same league, or the same anything. She’s unqualified.

But yes, it could have been worse…he could have re-appointed some Bush re-treads like Bolton. But surely there must be some other people out there with spectacular international credentials. Why not appoint one of them?

It will take many months for poor Nikki to prove herself, but on honesty alone, she is,as you say, in a different class from Susan Rice–in the other direction.

 

[Padres1969]

Is he required to appoint someone to every position?

He was talking about abolishing the Dept of Education – and I wish he would! – so why not just leave the position open and abolish the thing ASAP?

Good luck doing that.

 

[Gertabelle]

Good luck doing that.

Yeah, I know… But hope springs eternal.

When I was studying for my teaching license, I learned the history of the formation of the Dept of Ed. As a teacher of 20 years, I see the insanity it has created – teachers can barely teach for all the mandates, etc…

sigh

Only 15 more years of feeling like a contortionist, trying to do what’s best for children (content, instructional practices, etc.) while working with, around, through, under… the fed stuff.

Hope.

 

[meltzerboy]

Yeah, I know… But hope springs eternal.

When I was studying for my teaching license, I learned the history of the formation of the Dept of Ed. As a teacher of 20 years, I see the insanity it has created – teachers can barely teach for all the mandates, etc…

sigh

Only 15 more years of feeling like a contortionist, trying to do what’s best for children (content, instructional practices, etc.) while working with, around, through, under… the fed stuff.

Hope.

I hate to dash your hopes, but what about the state mandates in public education? There are just so many layers. OTOH, private education is sometimes too loose when it comes to hiring and firing teachers, that is, frequently at the whim of the headmaster or headmistress alone. And private schools, especially religious schools, often pay faculty less with fewer benefits. A happy teacher makes a successful teacher.

DeVos’ agenda is to ultimately demolish public education altogether. She has a track record in the field. Perhaps it is not an explicit agenda but she is in line with the privatization proponents of Medicare and other such programs.

Donald Trump’s choices? They could be better, far better. If he chooses Giuliani as SOS, be prepared for a bumpy ride. The latter, once a quite decent Mayor of NYC, has become an embarrassment. I’m hoping for Romney instead.

 

[Gertabelle]

I hate to dash your hopes, but what about the state mandates in public education? There are just so many layers. OTOH, private education is sometimes too loose when it comes to hiring and firing teachers, that is, frequently at the whim of the headmaster or headmistress alone. And private schools, especially religious schools, often pay faculty less with fewer benefits. A happy teacher makes a successful teacher.

DeVos’ agenda is to ultimately demolish public education altogether. She has a track record in the field. Perhaps it is not an explicit agenda but she is in line with the privatization proponents of Medicare and other such programs.

Yup and yup.

That’s why I’d like to see the federal DOE abolished all together. Let the districts and local governments work this out without the federal government interfering!

A happy teacher does indeed do better with his/her students. But having our careers constantly threatened, and being told our life’s work is a disastrous drain on society and the destruction of multiple generations of human beings – well, that’s not working out so well among the teachers I know.

Yes, we’re being used as pawns by officials at all levels, and we know it. But if we could remove the layer over which we have the least influence, that would be a Very Good Thing.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I am very pleased thus far.I do however hope Pres Elect Trump does not select Romney for Sec of State position

 

[gracepoole]

Names of those who are reportedly being considered for the job, according to Politico and The New York Times.
• Senior Counselor to the President: Steve Bannon

No one proudly associating with the alt-right should be near the president.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

No one proudly associating with the alt-right should be near the president.

Yeah, the alt right. This year’s version of the vast right wing conspiracy…

I can think of plenty of alt left Obama appointments. Including one mayor of Chicago.

To be fair I think the democratic leaders have had much more racist ( that’s what you mean by alt right, right?)
People appointed.

 

[gracepoole]

Yeah, the alt right. This year’s version of the vast right wing conspiracy…

I can think of plenty of alt left Obama appointments. Including one mayor of Chicago.

To be fair I think the democratic leaders have had much more racist ( that’s what you mean by alt right, right?)
People appointed.

In all of that, are you claiming that the alt-right doesn’t exist?

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

In all of that, are you claiming that the alt-right doesn’t exist?

Am I?

I’ll tell you that wackos exist. Sure. Neo nazis, radical Islamists, the kkk, eco terrorists, anarchists, Bernie sanders supporters…
When someone uses alt right I assume they are not acquainted with history.
The kkk in its most powerful phase was a democratic machine.
But let’s look at why all this hand writing and fear mongering doesn’t have any legs.
Hillary was in a far more powerful cabinet position and was a senator.
She
Was actively involved in trying to infiltrate and influence your own faith.

aND. Allied herself with one of the biggest racists if all time, Margaret Sanger, who advocated for killing black children to curb thier population. It doesn’t really get more racist than that.

So let’s look at our alt left appointments…
Hillary, Rahm, and indeed Obama himself could be considered alt left.

I think the current “alt right” appointee is quite the mild pendulum swing…
Who would you appoint?