Rumored Presidential Appointments

[NinjaPenguins]

Brilliant, QQQQ!

[shok]

The Jason Miller/AJ Delgado sex scandal is hitting the NY papers. Wonder if the rest of the media will bury the story.

http://pagesix.com/2016/12/26/trump-staffer-allegedly-entangled-in-sex-scandal/?_ga=1.238687616.1095971603.1438431537

Donald Trump hasn’t even taken office yet, but already there’s allegations of a staff sex scandal.

Jason Miller abruptly resigned as White House communications director on Christmas Eve, two days after landing the coveted role, to “spend more time with his family.”

Insiders had already been buzzing about married Miller “spending time” during the campaign with Trump adviser A.J. Delgado — the staffers who famously went to a strip club with the media after the final debate in Vegas.

Miller’s appointment initially sent Delgado into a Twitter frenzy. She wrote, “Congratulations to the baby-daddy on being named WH Comms Director!” Miller and his wife are expecting their second child next month.

Delgado then went on to brand Miller “The 2016 version of John Edwards,” who famously hid his love child in 2008.

But Delgado didn’t stop there. She went on, “When people need to resign graciously and refuse to, its a bit . . . spooky.” And she added, “Jason Miller. Who needed to resign . . . yesterday.” And then she deleted her Twitter account and changed her cellphone number.

And then on Dec. 24, Miller did resign, saying in a statement (just two days after landing one of the top jobs in the White House): “After spending this past week with my family, the most amount of time I have been able to spend with them since March 2015, it is clear they need to be my top priority right now and this is not the right time to start a new job as demanding as White House communications director.”

Neither Miller nor Delgado responded to calls and e-mails for comment on Monday.

Insiders said upon the news of Miller’s appointment and the subsequent tweetstorm, the rumors of Delgado’s relationship with Miller, her direct supervisor, forced his resignation.

Other sources say Miller has been considering other more lucrative offers in the private sector. Trump’s transition team declined to comment on Monday.

[Duke Silver]

https://twitter.com/notsalome/status/814118743181762560

[AntiBeeSpray]

17 minutes ago, Duke Silver said:

https://twitter.com/notsalome/status/814118743181762560

It's ironic that they not only say that, but say that poor people are using entitlements and need to be off them. Well shouldn't they be off them as well? They're (the rich) the REAL entitled ones. They have NO need for them whatsoever. They have more than enough money to cover living expenses. But they're too greedy and penny pinching to do that. They want their way and their entitlements and will continue to whine about anyone who ACTUALLY needs them (the services). It's pretty damn bastardized.

[navelgazer]

5 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

It's ironic that they not only say that, but say that poor people are using entitlements and need to be off them. Well shouldn't they be off them as well? They're (the rich) the REAL entitled ones. They have NO need for them whatsoever. They have more than enough money to cover living expenses. But they're too greedy and penny pinching to do that. They want their way and their entitlements and will continue to whine about anyone who ACTUALLY needs them (the services). It's pretty damn bastardized.

Once Social Security is means-tested, it will go the way of "welfare as we know it."  There is social and political stigma attached to welfare while Social Security is something all wage earners pay into and have every right to expect to get back.  The politicians are strongly motivated to protect Social Security, unlike what we've seen them happily do to welfare benefits.  

Quote

Americans understand that Social Security is their money, not the government's, and they hold that view irrespective of their political affiliation or their financial situation at retirement. Means-testing Social Security would break faith with the American worker, would be unfair and would undermine public support for the program. 

Conclusion

While some find it easy to say that wealthier individuals should not receive Social Security because they do not need the income in retirement, means-testing the program is much more complicated and could result in a fundamental transformation of Social Security as we know it. It would no longer be an earned right, and the benefit would no longer be related to contributions.

Despite the impression left by some, the average Social Security retirement benefit today is modest - only about $16,000 per year. Cutting these benefits, no matter how it is accomplished, should be the last place Congress looks for budget savings.

http://www.ncpssm.org/Document/ArticleID/968

[more at link]

[BW Manilowe]

George Conway, Kellyanne's husband, is reportedly on the short list for Trump's US Solicitor General (among other things, they conduct the government's business in the Supreme Court).

http://abcnews.go.com/US/kellyanne-conways-husband-consideration-solicitor-general/story?id=44479394

[stormy]

^^^Good. He and the missus can go down on the Titanic together.

[Duke Silver]

https://twitter.com/pewresearch/status/815726107974598656

[BW Manilowe]

Robert Lighthizer has been picked as Trump's US Trade Representative.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/robert-lighthizer-picked-trump-s-u-s-trade-representative-source-n702536

[izabella]

Good on the NAACP for getting an early start to this year's much-needed protests, and occupying Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions' office.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/alabama_naacp_rebukes_jeff_ses.html

[Duke Silver]

[Bastet]

One of my favorite professors signed that letter, and there are a few others I was hoping/expecting to see on there; hopefully more will sign on.
 

Quote

 

We are 1140 faculty members from 171 different law schools in 49 states across the country. We urge you to reject the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions for the position of Attorney General of the United States.

In 1986, the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, in a bipartisan vote, rejected President Ronald Reagan’s nomination of then-U.S. Attorney Sessions for a federal judgeship, due to statements Sessions had made that reflected prejudice against African Americans. Nothing in Senator Sessions’ public life since 1986 has convinced us that he is a different man than the 39-year-old attorney who was deemed too racially insensitive to be a federal district court judge.

Some of us have concerns about his misguided prosecution of three civil rights activists for voter fraud in Alabama in 1985, and his consistent promotion of the myth of voter-impersonation fraud. Some of us have concerns about his support for building a wall along our country’s southern border. Some of us have concerns about his robust support for regressive drug policies that have fueled mass incarceration. Some of us have concerns about his questioning of the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change. Some of us have concerns about his repeated opposition to legislative efforts to promote the rights of women and members of the LGBTQ community. Some of us share all of these concerns.

All of us believe it is unacceptable for someone with Senator Sessions’ record to lead the Department of Justice.

The Attorney General is the top law enforcement officer in the United States, with broad jurisdiction and prosecutorial discretion, which means that, if confirmed, Jeff Sessions would be responsible for the enforcement of the nation’s civil rights, voting, immigration, environmental, employment, national security, surveillance, antitrust, and housing laws.

As law faculty who work every day to better understand the law and teach it to our students, we are convinced that Jeff Sessions will not fairly enforce our nation’s laws and promote justice and equality in the United States. We urge you to reject his nomination.

 

[BW Manilowe]

It appears 1 of the few Republicans I've actually met & like, former US Senator Dan Coats, R-IN, (who was also my Congressman when my hometown was in the Indiana 4th Congressional District--we got redistricted to the Indiana 3rd in 2003--& who was also US Ambassador to Germany in the Bush 43 administration) is about to become Trump's Director of National Intelligence (or is it National Director of Intelligence--that title confuses me). Or so says our local NBC station. Finally, somebody who doesn't freak me out, or have the potential to.

http://www.fortwaynesnbc.com/article.html#!/135889/6665ce411d8f423406e127da749da401

Edited January 4, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To add a comment.

[Duke Silver]

[MulletorHater]

And, because the swamp hasn't been filled enough, we now learn that Drumpf nominates a Wall Street lawyer to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr. Clayton is also an adviser to Goldman Sachs, as well as corporations on large acquisitions, IPO's and regulatory matters.

And, no, I do NOT want to see or hear any whining because Drumpf broke yet another promise to drain the swamp.  Like, how does that even work anyway when the person making the promise is a swamp creature himself?

Drumpf Selects Wall Street Lawyer to Head SEC

[SoSueMe]

I guess it's not a rumor anymore.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/04/omarosa-gets-job-in-trump-white-house.html

 

Guess she'll want us to get some knee pads.

[izabella]

2 hours ago, MulletorHater said:

And, because the swamp hasn't been filled enough, we now learn that Drumpf nominates a Wall Street lawyer to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr. Clayton is also an adviser to Goldman Sachs, as well as corporations on large acquisitions, IPO's and regulatory matters.

It's like Trumputin has no idea that any other investment firms exist besides Goldman Sachs.  He isn't even diversifying his own assets.

[Duke Silver]

https://twitter.com/thegarance/status/817050793165602820

[SpencerHawk]

Thanks for the heads up! That's very concerning. Nothing like using the usual distractions so they can try to get away with what we're trying to see. 

[Duke Silver]

[Duke Silver]

[izabella]

^^ I don't understand these Senate confirmation hearings.  Can someone explain?  How is it that the Republicans get to make the rules about how many nominations can be heard each day, and how much time to give them, and how quickly to push them through?  Can't the Senators take as damn long as they please to ask questions and get answers? 

[Duke Silver]

Because as the article explains/implies, majority leaders & committee chairs wield scheduling power.  The way to stop it?  Prevent a floor vote, but Dems likely won't be able to kill it in committee.

If you're really bored: Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure

[galaxygirl76]

6 hours ago, Duke Silver said:

Oh Chuck, don't ever change. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you did.

[Kromm]

Yes, I can see how putting a racist up there to talk about how qualified he is to be the head law enforcer for the entire country might be something you want to rush.

Of course, if he puts his foot in his mouth, it's not like there's anything we can do to stop it. So from that perspective I wonder why they're even bothering to give his nomination process the bum rush.

On 1/4/2017 at 6:19 PM, SoSueMe said:

I guess it's not a rumor anymore.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/04/omarosa-gets-job-in-trump-white-house.html

 

Guess she'll want us to get some knee pads.

"Bow down". "Revenge". "Anyone who disagreed". Do we even have to mention what's beyond disturbing about that?

I don't know what a "director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison" actually does (does anyone?) but it better not be communicating WITH the public, like the title implies. Because she's TERRIBLE at it.