Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are drawing from marginal figures on the fringes of the Republican Party, a reflection of the fact that he has no firsthand political experience, few allies and, for that matter, knows almost no one of note in Washington.
Mr. Trump Goes to Washington, a Strange Land
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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«Mr Trump goes to Washington, where he doesn’t know anyone.» You are no doubt far better informed on this matter than I am, Ted, but I’d be willing to bet you a beer (you’ll have to come to Stockholm to collect) that he has lots of pals on K Street….
Henri
We should thank dog that Hair Furor didn’t choose to invest in the MIC. (like President Cheney did – and we saw how well that worked out.)
You are no doubt better informed om Mr Trump’s stock portfolio than I, CrazyH. The nice thing about Richard Bruce Cheney is that not only did he invest in the MIC, he worked for it – and it for him. Not the sort of chap one would want to go bird hunting with….
Henri
“Just days after picking Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped another wealthy outsider by naming Joaquín Guzmán, known as “El Chapo,” to head the Drug Enforcement Administration.”
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/trump-picks-el-chapo-to-run-d-e-a
“Almost as bad as Eric Holder, the Wall Street defense lawyer who ignored spectacular fraud, tax evasion, market manipulation, money laundering, and bribery committed by a long list of bankers, Obama’s Attorney General.”
See the complete list at:
http://www.blackagendareport.com/fake_news_satire_new_yorker
Well, Glenn, hasn’t the argument always been that one has to appoint members of the industry/organisation to be regulated as regulators, for they are the only one who understand the issues involved ? Thus Señor Guzmán as head of the DEA makes a lot of sense, just as did the appointment of Mr Holder as US Attorney General (or, to take another example, Ms Clinton as US Secretary State)….
The foxes will continue to guard the hen house….
Henri
I find the fuss about Trump’s business conflicts of interest amusing.
Capitalist organization of governance is a conflict of interest in itself, whether legislators receive emoluments from other corporations in return for favorable legislation, or if legislators provide favorable legislation for their own corporations by their own hand.
It is as if the president, while in the business of bestowing favors on other businesses, should have no business interests of his own receiving favors, standing as an icon of purity amidst corruption.
There is an intrinsic conflict of interest here between those who govern and those who are governed in either case.
Call the conflict crony capitalism.
«It is as if the president, while in the business of bestowing favors on other businesses, should have no business interests of his own receiving favors, standing as an icon of purity amidst corruption.» Dear Mr Trump as an icon of purity ? I’m impressed, Glenn, and should anyone dare accuse you of a lack of imagination or creativity, just refer him or her to me…. 😉
Henri
He’s naming his cabinet about as adeptly as I would name my own football team. Let’s see… Joe Namath, oh wait he’s retired? Okay, then OJ Simpson – no wait, forget Simpson. Umm let’s see …