The Biden Cabinet and Transition Thread (2 Viewers)

[GrandAdmiral]

Ok the rules:

• Your post can only contain one department and guess.
• You may post more than once for different departments.
• Post can contain comments about previous guesses.
• Guesses for one department can be used for other departments.
• Minds can, of course, be changed.

I will kick things off first...

Secretary of State: Susan Rice

This is as clear a choice as there can be. She has all of the credentials and rep to begin healing as relationships with our allies.

 

[GMRfellowtraveller]

Other Clinton. The one people like.

Chelsea? George?

 

[GrandAdmiral]

So CNN proposed Sally Yates as AG if not Doug Jones. I think I'd be more for her in the role than Jones. Only problem is the Trumpets in the Senate might cry bloody murder.

 

[Saint by the Bay]

So CNN proposed Sally Yates as AG if not Doug Jones. I think I'd be more for her in the role than Jones. Only problem is the Trumpets in the Senate might cry bloody murder.

I hadn't even thought about Sally Yates. That would be fantastic!

 

[DaveXA]

I hadn't even thought about Sally Yates. That would be fantastic!

Agreed. I think she'd be a solid AG.

 

[Booker]

Ron Klain appears to be the favorite for Chief of Staff...

Biden names Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff | CNN Politics

President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Ron Klain to be his incoming chief of staff, the Biden transition office said in a news release Wednesday, elevating his longtime aide to one of the most powerful positions in the White House.

www.cnn.com

Klain served as Biden's chief of staff during the opening years of his vice presidency and has been seen as the top prospect for the critical job as gatekeeper to the president. Klain also served as White House Ebola response coordinator in 2014 and has taken considerable interest in the response to the coronavirus pandemic, which is a central priority for the incoming Biden administration.

eta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Klain

eta2: They’ve updated the article to confirm it will be Klain.

 

[MT15]

I like the idea of someone with experience. They’re going to need it. I suspect everything will be in a mess.

 

[wardorican]

Ron Klain appears to be the favorite for Chief of Staff...

Biden names Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff | CNN Politics

President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Ron Klain to be his incoming chief of staff, the Biden transition office said in a news release Wednesday, elevating his longtime aide to one of the most powerful positions in the White House.

www.cnn.com

eta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Klain

eta2: They’ve updated the article to confirm it will be Klain.

Official.

 

[MT15]

Everyone I have seen has good things to say about this appointment. From Ilhan Omar to Hugh Hewitt.

 

[wardorican]

Seriously, can we drop the Lincoln project from this thread?

Anyway.. back to Biden's Cabinet and Transition.....

Have we ever gotten little press briefings like this from Trump after calls from dignitaries? Ignoring the Ukraine Transcript..ha.

 

[Xeno]

Everyone I have seen has good things to say about this appointment. From Ilhan Omar to Hugh Hewitt.

While their "progressive" acolytes deride him as just another corporatist neo-liberal. Nothing is good enough. These people aren't progressive. They're nihilists.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Seriously, can we drop the Lincoln project from this thread?

Anyway.. back to Biden's Cabinet and Transition.....

Have we ever gotten little press briefings like this from Trump after calls from dignitaries? Ignoring the Ukraine Transcript..ha.

It just seems so... presidential.

My guess is that we'll see more senior White House staff announced before we get announcements on the Biden Cabinet since they won't require Senate approval.

 

[wardorican]

It just seems so... presidential.

My guess is that we'll see more senior White House staff announced before we get announcements on the Biden Cabinet since they won't require Senate approval.

Nice to finally have some class and transparency back in the white house. Hope it lasts.

 

[Nebaghead]

It just seems so... presidential.

My guess is that we'll see more senior White House staff announced before we get announcements on the Biden Cabinet since they won't require Senate approval.

Biden said cabinet nominations will be after Thanksgiving. I guess a few will leak out before then.

 

[SaintForLife]

Isn't that what Flynn was doing?

 

[MT15]

Flynn would have been in zero trouble if he hadn’t lied about what was discussed. You know that.

 

[SaintForLife]

Flynn would have been in zero trouble if he hadn’t lied about what was discussed. You know that.

But they investigated Flynn because he was supposedly undermining the US government while talking to foreign governments during the transition. Biden isn't President yet. Can you explain the difference?

Also, its amazing how all the talk about Russian disinformation or interference disappeared as soon as Biden pulled ahead in the electoral college.

 

[MT15]

No, just no, you cannot just rewrite history to serve your own biases. They opened the investigation after Pence assured everyone publicly that sanctions had not been discussed by Flynn. They knew that was a lie. If Flynn hadn’t lied to Pence, and then subsequently lied to the FBI, he wouldn’t have been charged with anything. It was stated in articles at the time, the only problem was the lying.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Isn't that what Flynn was doing?

NO!

Flynn made contact with the Russians and urged them to ignore the sanctions that were just placed on them for interfering with the 2016 elections.

"This is General Flynn ... "

Kislyak, "Yeah, General... Thank you for picking up my call. I just wanted ... as a follow up. To share with you several points. One. That your previous telephone call, I reported to Moscow and it was considered at the highest level, in Russia.

Secondly, here we are planning taking in account and rally [PH] your arguments to raise ahem, a proposal of idea of continued consultations in NY. We will do it today. To give time for working out something ahem, that would be, maybe less controversial."

Flynn, "OK, that. That's good news."

Kislyak interrupts to continue with his points. Kislyak, "Secondly [PH], if ah, the orders will put it in to the vote and I understand my colleagues tell me that Egyptians are not pressing for the vote. But may be others."

Flynn continues, "you know that the strategic goal is stability in the Middle East. That's the strategic goal. And, and, you know, between you and I, and you know this, and we know this, you know between Moscow and Washington. We will not achieve stability in the Middle East without working with each other against this radical Islamist crowd. Period. I am very adamant about that and I want to make sure that you know that and in the conversations that we'll have in the future ... if there is a common e ... common threat that we face ... " Kislyak, "I agree with you." Flynn," ... and I am, I am still sickened, sickened by the ... by the murder of your ambassador to Turkey ... And if ... if Russia ... "

Kislyak interrupts Flynn, "General! If you allow me to cont. .. ah, to complete my presentation of these points ... So, we will try to help ah ... to give additional time for the conversation on this issue. But if it is put on vote, for historical reasons, as I explained to you ... we cannot ah ... other than to support it."

Flynn, "Ok."

Kislyak, "That is something, ah ... that is ah, part of the position that we have developed within ahem, countries in the region for long period of time ... But, responding to your telephone call, and our conversations we will try to help to postpone the vote and to allow for consultations."

Flynn, OK, ok, that's good. That's great ambassador. That's all we can ask for it at this point and time."

The negotiation begins here:

Flynn wants to convey the following [to Moscow]: Do not allow this administration to box us in right now! Kislyak says the have conveyed it very clearly.

Flynn: So, depending on what actions they take over this current issue of cyber stuff, where they are looking like they are going to dismiss some number of Russians out of the country. I understand all that and I understand that the information that they have and all that. But I ask Russia to do is to not, if anything, I know you have to have some sort of action, to only make it reciprocal; don't go any further than you have to because I don't want us to get into something that have to escalate to tit-for-tat. Do you follow me?

Kislyak says he understands what Flynn is saying, but Flynn might appreciate the sentiments that are raging now in Moscow.

Flynn: I know! Believe me I do! I very much appreciate it! But I really do not want us to get into the situation where we everybody goes back and forth and everybody had to be a tough guy here. We don't need that right now. We need cool heads to prevail. And we need to be very steady about what we are going to do because we have absolutely a common threat in the Middle East. Kislyak agrees.

Now when FSB and GRU are sanctioned and Kislyak asks himself, does it mean that the U.S. is not willing to work on terrorist threats, Kislyak poses a question.

Flynn says, yes. Kislyak says he heard Flynn and he will try people in Moscow to understand. Flynn repeats asking to reciprocate moderately because if Moscow sends out 60 people, "you will shut down the embassy. "

Flynn: Let's keep this at even-kill level; then when we come in, we will have a better conversation where we are going to go regarding our relationship. And also, basically, we have to take these enemies on that we have. We definitely have a common enemy. You have a problem with it. We have a problem with it in this country and we definitely have a problem with it in the Middle East. Flynn promises to rely about the 21st. He cannot commit to it, but he will relay it.

Kislyak says, wonderful. Flynn appreciates the reservation of the current administration's position on the Middle East. That doesn't do anybody any good. Flynn says they will come up with the solution that is good for everyone else.

Flynn: Remember Ambassador, you are not talking to a diplomat; you are talking to a soldier. I am a very practical guy. It is all about solutions. Kislyak is looking for an opportunity to have a longer conversation. Flynn says, maybe the end of next week.

https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2020/05/FlynnTranscripts.pdf