Trump's Cabinet: 'Draining the swamp' or diving right in?

[webfact]

Trump's Cabinet: 'Draining the swamp' or diving right in?

By JULIE PACE and JOSH BOAK

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump promised to "drain the swamp" in the nation's capital. Instead, he's diving right in.

 

So far, the president-elect is tapping people with deep ties to Washington and Wall Street as he fills out his Cabinet, turning to two power centers he vilified as greedy, corrupt and out of touch with Americans during his White House campaign. His choices have won praise from Republicans relieved by his more conventional choices, but could risk angering voters who rallied behind his calls for upending the political system.

 

Two of Trump's early picks are wealthy financial industry insiders with ties to the kinds of institutions he railed against as a candidate. Elaine Chao, his choice for transportation secretary and an accomplished political figure in her own right, is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — blending family and political power in a way Trump fiercely criticized campaign rival Hillary Clinton for. Jeff Sessions, Trump's selection for attorney general, has spent two decades in the Senate, and Tom Price, his health and human services nominee, is a six-term congressman.

 

The gap between Trump's campaign rhetoric and his governing decisions is most striking regarding his emerging economic team. On Wednesday, he announced that he planned to nominate former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as his Treasury secretary and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross to lead the Commerce Department.

 

As a candidate, Trump said Wall Street had created "tremendous problems" for the country. He included the CEO of Goldman Sachs in a television advertisement that accused global financial powers of having "robbed our working class."

 

Mnuchin and Ross also have financial links to Trump's White House bid, with Mnuchin having led the campaign's fundraising efforts. Trump repeatedly bragged that his personal wealth — he mostly self-funded his campaign during the primaries — meant he would not be beholden to donors who might expect their financial contributions to be repaid with powerful jobs or insider access.

 

"I can't be bought," Trump said during the campaign. "I won't owe anybody anything."

 

Trump's transition team brushed aside questions about whether there are inconsistencies between the president-elect's campaign rhetoric and his Cabinet picks.

 

"These are experts who know how to win," spokesman Jason Miller said Wednesday.

 

By picking billionaires, as well as a smattering of millionaires, for his Cabinet, Trump is asking voters to trust that privileged insiders can help a stressed and dispirited middle class — even though he, like past presidential candidates, promised he would change that dynamic. Few of his choices have outwardly displayed much of a common touch. Many live surrounded by a level of wealth that most Americans struggle to fathom — and prospered in recent decades as many Americans coped with stagnant incomes.

 

Not only did Mnuchin once work at Goldman Sachs, but so did his father. After leaving the investment bank in 2002, the Yale graduate pivoted into hedge fund management and producing blockbuster movies such as "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice." Mnuchin invested in the wreckage of the housing crisis, scooping up the troubled bank IndyMac and turning a $1.6 billion profit in under a year as millions of Americans endured foreclosure.

 

Ross orbits a similar world as Trump, as both of them have luxurious homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida. The billionaire investor bought up many struggling steel, auto and coal firms in the industrial Midwest at a steep discount and sold them for steep profits, even as factory and mining jobs at the core of American identity disappeared.

 

Chao is the offspring of a Chinese shipping magnate, in addition to serving on the boards of Wells Fargo bank, Dole Food and News Corp., the parent of Fox News. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the wealthiest of Trump's Cabinet nominees thus far, married into the family that started the sales company Amway.

 

Trump and other Republicans spent months warning voters that a possible Clinton administration would be lined with Wall Street insiders, campaign donors and other special interest hires. But GOP officials have raised no such concerns about Trump's picks.

 

If anything, some Republicans appear relieved. Many of Trump's picks are cut from a more traditional Republican mold and share the party's ideological preferences, in some cases more so than Trump himself.

 

"The picks so far have been fantastic and well-received by Republicans and conservatives of all stripes," said Cesar Conda, the former chief of staff for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. "Trump is unifying the party, which is essential to getting his agenda enacted."

 

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a lukewarm Trump supporter for much of the campaign, praised the economic picks Wednesday, saying he was "excited to get to work with this strong team."

 

Trump is still weighing his choices for several Cabinet posts, including secretary of state. Among the leading contenders: millionaire businessman Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, and millionaire lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor.

___

AP writer Chad Day contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-12-01

[boomerangutang]

Diving right in.

 

[boomerangutang]

I'm trying valiantly to think of any things that Trump could be good for, and it's a tough mental assignment. The people he surrounds himself with are dregs.  Perhaps the only good thing about Trump at this time, is he says he'll reconsider his asinine stance on GW/Climate change. 

[iReason]

No question.

Diving right in.

After all, this huckster has been a member of the fetid pond scum club since his silver spoon days.

He doesn't know any other way. 

[Emster23]

when you're up to your arse in alligators clamoring to be on your cabinet, it's hard to remember you were there to drain the swamp

[Silurian]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump and other Republicans spent months warning voters that a possible Clinton administration would be lined with Wall Street insiders, campaign donors and other special interest hires. But GOP officials have raised no such concerns about Trump's picks.

 

Typical Don the Prez bait and switch. He never had any intention otherwise. He will toss out some red meat tweets to excite his base (i.e. flag burning) and then quietly fill his cabinet with insiders (Wall Street and DC). It is a wonderful show.

 

And of course GOP officials aren't saying anything. They are overjoyed with several of the conservative choices that are being made such as Sessions and Price.

 

When Don the Prez stated to "drain the swamp", he meant drain the current administration and then fill the swamp back up with his own set of critters.

[aslimversgwm]

17 minutes ago, Silurian said:

 

Typical Don the Prez bait and switch. He never had any intention otherwise. He will toss out some red meat tweets to excite his base (i.e. flag burning) and then quietly fill his cabinet with insiders (Wall Street and DC). It is a wonderful show.

 

And of course GOP officials aren't saying anything. They are overjoyed with several of the conservative choices that are being made such as Sessions and Price.

 

When Don the Prez stated to "drain the swamp", he meant drain the current administration and then fill the swamp back up with his own set of critters.

Not a dicky bird from the Trump supporters on here who were so vocal after he was elected.

Lost your voices have you?! I wonder why!

[silent]

1 hour ago, Emster23 said:

when you're up to your arse in alligators clamoring to be on your cabinet, it's hard to remember you were there to drain the swamp

President "Swampy" Trump sounds like a good fit

[mike324]

You just can't run a country without being surrounded by sharks and highly influential figures in the industry to get things done. "Drain the swamp" is a nice slogan, but those who actually believe it simply don't know what it takes to run a country.

 

Look at how many policies Trump is already backtracking, or saying we'll keep a bit of this and that. Before he says he will close it down / stop it completely / etc.

[Chip Allen]

Now, I do not have a country to go back to. The USA has been taken over by racists, nativists and xenophobes. I can stay in Thailand  and get that. 

Edited December 1, 2016 by Chip Allen

[gfields54]

so if Hillary was elected it would make all those voting for her criminals?Be positive, hope for the best .After all we got thru 8 yrs of Obama.

[ilostmypassword]

It's been announced that Trump is going to make Steve Mnuchin his Treasury Secretary:

"Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, who worked for Goldman Sachs and billionaire investor George Soros, made millions buying failed IndyMac. His résumé appears at odds with the president-elect’s campaign rhetoric, which targeted Wall Street banker "

http://www.wsj.com/articles/steven-mnuchins-defining-moment-seizing-opportunity-from-the-financial-crisis-1480547063

 

He bought himself a bank and proceeded to foreclose with unusual harshness on homeowners:

Foreclosures on the homes of delinquent IndyMac borrowers sparked protests outside Mr. Mnuchin’s mansion in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. The bank, which was renamed OneWest Bank and is now part of CIT Group Inc., is under civil investigation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for loan-servicing practices.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/steven-mnuchins-defining-moment-seizing-opportunity-from-the-financial-crisis-1480547063

 

Yes. Trump is draining the swamp. He plans to turn it into a cesspool.

[iReason]

Just now, gfields54 said:

so if Hillary was elected it would make all those voting for her criminals?

 

What on earth are you babbling about?

[Jimbo2014]

Scam me once.... you cant scam me again.  Bingo America - youve been scammed.  

[ToS2014]

4 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

I'm trying valiantly to think of any things that Trump could be good for, and it's a tough mental assignment. The people he surrounds himself with are dregs.  Perhaps the only good thing about Trump at this time, is he says he'll reconsider his asinine stance on GW/Climate change. 

Perhaps the only good thing about Trump is it's not Hillary.   Just providing a different perspective to ease your valiantly pondering gray matter.

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, gfields54 said:

so if Hillary was elected it would make all those voting for her criminals?Be positive, hope for the best .After all we got thru 8 yrs of Obama.

Incoming

[elgordo38]

November the 8th 2016. Is this the day that will go down in infamy?

[gfields54]

3 hours ago, iReason said:

 

What on earth are you babbling about?

racists, nativists and xenophobes  as stated earlier as to not having a country. What has changed? were these types not already in America.? 

[seadigital]

"Trump said Wall Street had created "tremendous problems" for the country. He included the CEO of Goldman Sachs in a television advertisement that accused global financial powers of having "robbed our working class."

 

1st 100 days: Repeal Dodd Frank so we can bail them out again! Gamble with our money GS, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. - you can fool me once, you can fool me twice; take our home equity twice in the same decade Mr. Robber Barron.

 

Hire Mitt Romney and a bunch of out of touch neocons.  Trump promised to be the Washington outsider and fill his ranks with non-career politicians. Oops, just Tweet something stupid and people's attention will be ready for the 3 card monte.

 

Oh well, America you've been conned. Vote Jerry Springer 2020! Make America dumb again!

 

I still maintain Sanders/Rand Paul (Dem/Rep) were the best choices. Out of HRC & Trump, I gave up and voted for Gary Johnson. I take no responsibility in this disastrous election. 

Edited December 1, 2016 by seadigital

[Roadman]

Sanders, Rand best choices? At the rate the Muricans are going with electing morons as President then Kim Kartrashcan or whatever her name is will be a shoe in for 2020.

[DM07]

Oooooh, you mean he lied about his intentions?

Who'd have thought?!

[SaintLouisBlues]

5 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Oooooh, you mean he lied about his intentions?

Who'd have thought?!

I'm conflicted. Did he lie about his intentions in order to get elected, or did he utter whatever outrageous idea he could think of because he didn't want to get elected?

[DM07]

1 minute ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

I'm conflicted. Did he lie about his intentions in order to get elected, or did he utter whatever outrageous idea he could think of because he didn't want to get elected?

Very good question...

[CMNightRider]

Wow, I hear a lot of whaling, sobbing, and hysterical rants coming form these posts.  I'm surprised anyone would bother reading anything Julie Pace or Josh Boak would author, other than left-wing wackos.  Oh wait, never mind, I see all the negative posters fall into that category.

 

On a positive note, Trump made a call to the Carrier manufacturer CEO and talked him out of moving the Indiana business to Mexico.  Trump hasn't even took office yet and is making good on his promise to keep manufactures in the U.S. instead of leaving for other countries.  Apple's CEO has even been talking to Trump about possibly moving manufacturing out of China and relocating to the U.S.

 

So far Trump's cabinet picks are stellar, unlike his predecessor who relied on yes men that avoided busting Obama's bubble he resided in.  You guys should be able to relate to that, since many of you reside in the same bubble.

 

Anyway, it won't be long and America will have a real leader that will make America great again.  God Bless America and the free world.  

 

You feather merchants can rest assure the Islamic terrorists are having some sleepless nights thinking about what's coming there way.  Trump has balls like coconuts whereas Obama's balls resembled bee bee's.  

 

Okay, you guys can go back to your hysterical rants and non-stop weeping and sobbing.   

 

 

[Gandtee]

Is Mnuchkin a spelling mistake and should read Munchkin. If not, how is it pronounced? If Munchkin, it is very appropriate as he will be like the Diddy Men. For non Brits the Diddy Men were in the Ken Dodd TV show, which Trump seems trying to emulate. The Munchkins were together with The Tin Man. The Man Without a Brain and the Man without a Heart. All very  appropriate methinks.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Gandtee
Wrong facts

[dunroaming]

37 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

I'm conflicted. Did he lie about his intentions in order to get elected, or did he utter whatever outrageous idea he could think of because he didn't want to get elected?

 

Now if it is the former then there must have been a lot of gullible, naïve people out there to believe that rhetoric and if it was the latter then there must have been a lot of gullible, naïve people out there to actually vote for him.   Take your pick

[jesimps]

39 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

Wow, I hear a lot of whaling, sobbing, and hysterical rants coming form these posts.  I'm surprised anyone would bother reading anything Julie Pace or Josh Boak would author, other than left-wing wackos.  Oh wait, never mind, I see all the negative posters fall into that category.

 

On a positive note, Trump made a call to the Carrier manufacturer CEO and talked him out of moving the Indiana business to Mexico.  Trump hasn't even took office yet and is making good on his promise to keep manufactures in the U.S. instead of leaving for other countries.  Apple's CEO has even been talking to Trump about possibly moving manufacturing out of China and relocating to the U.S.

 

So far Trump's cabinet picks are stellar, unlike his predecessor who relied on yes men that avoided busting Obama's bubble he resided in.  You guys should be able to relate to that, since many of you reside in the same bubble.

 

Anyway, it won't be long and America will have a real leader that will make America great again.  God Bless America and the free world.  

 

You feather merchants can rest assure the Islamic terrorists are having some sleepless nights thinking about what's coming there way.  Trump has balls like coconuts whereas Obama's balls resembled bee bee's.  

 

Okay, you guys can go back to your hysterical rants and non-stop weeping and sobbing.   

 

 

Never met a leftie yet who wasn't a hypocrite.

Go the big D!

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by jesimps

[ilostmypassword]

6 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

Wow, I hear a lot of whaling, sobbing, and hysterical rants coming form these posts.  I'm surprised anyone would bother reading anything Julie Pace or Josh Boak would author, other than left-wing wackos.  Oh wait, never mind, I see all the negative posters fall into that category.

 

On a positive note, Trump made a call to the Carrier manufacturer CEO and talked him out of moving the Indiana business to Mexico.  Trump hasn't even took office yet and is making good on his promise to keep manufactures in the U.S. instead of leaving for other countries.  Apple's CEO has even been talking to Trump about possibly moving manufacturing out of China and relocating to the U.S.

 

So far Trump's cabinet picks are stellar, unlike his predecessor who relied on yes men that avoided busting Obama's bubble he resided in.  You guys should be able to relate to that, since many of you reside in the same bubble.

 

Anyway, it won't be long and America will have a real leader that will make America great again.  God Bless America and the free world.  

 

You feather merchants can rest assure the Islamic terrorists are having some sleepless nights thinking about what's coming there way.  Trump has balls like coconuts whereas Obama's balls resembled bee bee's.  

 

Okay, you guys can go back to your hysterical rants and non-stop weeping and sobbing.   

 

 

Yes. Carrier was a good thing.  It's provides about .2 percent of all manufacturing jobs in Indiana. Let him reproduce that on a large scale and it will actually be meaningful. 

As for his picks being stellar: Tom Price, Trump's choice for Secretary of Health, wants to privatize Medicare. That's right, the system that Donald Trump vowed to defend is now being headed by a guy who wants to privatize it.  And reduce the benefits. He's also in favor of employers being able to fire employees for using birth control. He voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. That is estimated to cost the system anywhere from 50 to 100 billion dollars per year. It's funny, right wingers are always saying Government should act more like business. But when Medicare tries to do what insurance companies do, like negotiating drug prices, that's a no-no.Actually, that statistic is out of date. Drug prices have skyrocketed since then. His reform plan for medical insurance is basically to throw the elderly, the ill, and the poor to the wolves.

Steve Mnuchin, his choice for Treasury Secretary, is an alumnus of Goldman Sachs and a former associate of George Soros.  Thank goodness he's not connected to the corrupt world of high finance. In the wake of the financial meltdown he bought himself a bank that was noted for being unusually harsh with people facing foreclosure. More than 36,000 foreclosures in all during his tenure. You know how many Goldman Sachs people in top positions Obama has working for him? None.. Mnuchin does come from a modest background. His father was head of block trading at Goldman Sachs. Poor boy grew up in a townhouse in Manhattan. What with foreclosing mortgages and a privileged background, he's definitely equipped to understand the problems facing middle Americans.

Wilbur Ross, commerce secretary, is a buyout artist. Apart from that, what his credentials o be commerce secretary is anybody's guess. Oh yes, he's also a billionaire. Another guy who is hardly connected at all to Wall St. But here's an interesting bit that should cheer up the good citizens of West Virginia:

"Following the Sago Mine disaster, the New York Post's Roddy Boyd reported that Ross "had been intimately involved with the company that owned the West Virginia mine where 12 miners perished — and he knew all about its safety problems, former executives charged." The article also reported that the mine had 12 roof collapses in 2005, and that the U.S. Department of Labor data showed 208 citations for safety violations in that same period, including 21 times for build-up of toxic gasses. Despite these figures, Ross refused to shut down the mine.[16]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Ross

Ross also grew up in an affluent family. So you can be sure he understands in his gut how hard it is for Americans in the heartland to get by.

Then there's Karen Devos. Like Trump she got rich the old-fashioned way: she inherited it.  But she did do Trump one better: she also married into it. She's spent her adult life promoting school vouchers and charters in Michigan. Vouchers are an especially interesting idea.  Unlike Charter schools, vouchers don't necessarily completely pay for a child's education. It's just a contribution towards that education. And they can be used to fund schools that tell your kids that the earth is 5000 years old.  She's also fiercely anti-union, because, you know, workers don't need unions. Government and corporate executives have a genuine inclination to treat their workers fairly. Just ask Wilbur Ross. Or any of the other billionaires like Mnuchin or Devos that Trump has hired. Clearly, these are 3 people who know what it means to struggle economically.

 

 

[Morch]

41 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

Wow, I hear a lot of whaling, sobbing, and hysterical rants coming form these posts.  I'm surprised anyone would bother reading anything Julie Pace or Josh Boak would author, other than left-wing wackos.  Oh wait, never mind, I see all the negative posters fall into that category.

 

On a positive note, Trump made a call to the Carrier manufacturer CEO and talked him out of moving the Indiana business to Mexico.  Trump hasn't even took office yet and is making good on his promise to keep manufactures in the U.S. instead of leaving for other countries.  Apple's CEO has even been talking to Trump about possibly moving manufacturing out of China and relocating to the U.S.

 

So far Trump's cabinet picks are stellar, unlike his predecessor who relied on yes men that avoided busting Obama's bubble he resided in.  You guys should be able to relate to that, since many of you reside in the same bubble.

 

Anyway, it won't be long and America will have a real leader that will make America great again.  God Bless America and the free world.  

 

You feather merchants can rest assure the Islamic terrorists are having some sleepless nights thinking about what's coming there way.  Trump has balls like coconuts whereas Obama's balls resembled bee bee's.  

 

Okay, you guys can go back to your hysterical rants and non-stop weeping and sobbing.   

 

 

 

 Apple's CEO has even been talking to Trump about possibly moving manufacturing out of China and relocating to the U.S.

 

The actual details were discussed and sources linked on a previous topic. The short version, Apple asked two of its biggest suppliers to look into it. That was, if memory serves, a few months before the elections, and not the first time it came up either. The larger of these suppliers accepted reviewing the prospects, but it's CEO wasn't enthusiastic, the smaller supplier declined to consider it. 

 

With regard to Trump's appointments being stellar - no issues with the prevalence of billionaires, former business associates, former office holders, ties to politicians etc? 

[ilostmypassword]

49 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

Wow, I hear a lot of whaling, sobbing, and hysterical rants coming form these posts.  I'm surprised anyone would bother reading anything Julie Pace or Josh Boak would author, other than left-wing wackos.  Oh wait, never mind, I see all the negative posters fall into that category.

 

On a positive note, Trump made a call to the Carrier manufacturer CEO and talked him out of moving the Indiana business to Mexico.  Trump hasn't even took office yet and is making good on his promise to keep manufactures in the U.S. instead of leaving for other countries.  Apple's CEO has even been talking to Trump about possibly moving manufacturing out of China and relocating to the U.S.

 

So far Trump's cabinet picks are stellar, unlike his predecessor who relied on yes men that avoided busting Obama's bubble he resided in.  You guys should be able to relate to that, since many of you reside in the same bubble.

 

Anyway, it won't be long and America will have a real leader that will make America great again.  God Bless America and the free world.  

 

You feather merchants can rest assure the Islamic terrorists are having some sleepless nights thinking about what's coming there way.  Trump has balls like coconuts whereas Obama's balls resembled bee bee's.  

 

Okay, you guys can go back to your hysterical rants and non-stop weeping and sobbing.   

 

 

Oops. I forgot to mention the redoubtable Jeff Sessions, the guy who was rejected for a federal judgeship by a Republican headed committee in the Senate because of racism. And then there's this: in 1985 he authorized prosection of 3 civil black civil rights workers for voter fraud. There were 39 counts against them: 

 "A jury of seven blacks and five whites acquitted the defendants of all charges. The presiding judge threw out more than half of the charges for lack of evidence before the jury received the case."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/18/black-belt-voter-fraud-case-alabama-shaped-sen-jeff-sessions-career/94088186/