Trump transition battle underway

[Geee]

Trump transition team announces five-year lobbying ban for appointees

 

Appointees to President-elect Donald Trump's administration will be asked to sign a form barring them from being a registered lobbyist for five years after they leave government service, officials announced Wednesday.

Republican National Committee chief strategist Sean Spicer said on a conference call with reporters that the prohibition would help to ensure people won't be able to use government service "to enrich themselves."

In addition, Spicer announced that Trump transition team members would be barred from lobbying about the issues they had worked on for six months after their departure. He did not immediately explain how either ban would be enforced.

The new Trump transition policy is one of several aimed at curbing the influence of lobbyists. During the presidential campaign, Trump vowed to institute a five-year lobbying ban for all departing members of Congress and their staff, in addition to executive branch officials.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/17/trump-transition-team-announces-five-year-lobbying-ban-for-appointees.html

[Geee]

Trump’s nominees may face roadblocks

 

Senators in both parties say President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks could be in for a rocky confirmation process next year.

 

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton have been flagged as problematic picks because of their hawkish policy views and, in the case of Giuliani, outside business dealings.

 

Both have been mentioned as possible nominees to head the State Department.

 

They face staunch opposition from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who says other Republican lawmakers have expressed concern.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin ®, who backed Trump in the primary, is a possibility to head the Interior Department. Some lawmakers question whether she would be up to speed on policy and note she has a penchant for going off script — something that Cabinet members are urged not to do.

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/306495-trumps-nominees-may-face-roadblocks

[Geee]

Nikki Haley To Meet With Trump Tomorrow, Eyed As Secretary Of State

 

CNN’s Jim Acosta is reporting that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is expected to meet with President-elect Donald Trump on a possible position in his White House as secretary of state. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is said to be the frontrunner for the position, but The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman noted that we probably should talk everything with a grain of salt since Trump is said to be drafting his own list—separate from the transition team—for cabinet positions. She also added that this palace intrigue is part of Trump’s demeanor concerning being in control of things, so let’s see how this plays out.

 

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/11/16/nikki-haley-to-meet-with-trump-tomorrow-n2247013

[Geee]

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley meeting with Donald Trump Thursday

 

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is set to meet with President-elect Donald Trump Thursday as Mr. Trump considers a host of candidates to fill key administration slots.

“We’re very happy that Governor Haley is coming to meet with President-elect Trump. I’m sure they’ll have a broad, wide-ranging conversation,” Trump transition official Kellyanne Conway said on “CBS This Morning.”

Ms. Haley’s name has been mentioned as a possible secretary of state for Mr. Trump, along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton and Sen. Bob Corker.

Ms. Conway said Mr. Giuliani is “a leading contender for any number of positions.”

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/17/nikki-haley-meeting-donald-trump-thursday/

[Geee]

Trump offers Flynn post of national security adviser

 

President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn the post of national security adviser, a transition official told Fox News Thursday night.

 

The official said that Flynn had not yet officially accepted Trump's offer.

 

Flynn, who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) between 2012 and 2014, has advised Trump on national security issues for months. As national security adviser, he would work in the White House and have frequent access to the president.

 

The position does not require confirmation by the Senate. Whoever holds it is typically shielded from congressional requests to testify or produce documents.

 

After leaving the DIA, Flynn became a virulent critic of the Obama administration and the Pentagon. He took issue with a wide range of national security policies, including the administration's approach to fighting ISIS and, more generally, its handling of global affairs.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/18/trump-offers-flynn-post-national-security-adviser.html

[Geee]

Gingrich rules out Cabinet role in Trump administration

 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich confirmed on Thursday that he is not seeking a Cabinet-level post in the next administration, dispelling rumors that he was being considered to lead the Pentagon or State Department.

 

"I will not be in the Cabinet," Gingrich, a steadfast supporter of President-elect Trump, told McClatchy.

 

Instead, Gingrich said he intends to assist the Trump administration as a private citizen. He will focus on "strategic planning" and working to expand "the GOP victories nationwide ahead of the coming 2018 mid-term elections."

 

"Which is exactly what I did under the Bush administration," he noted.

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gingrich-rules-out-cabinet-role-in-trump-administration/article/2607692

[Geee]

Conservative college president considered for education secretary

 

Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn is being considered by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Education in his new administration.

"Names fly around at light speed. Mine is one of the minor names. This is not the first time this has happened to me," Arnn wrote in an email to Hillsdale's campus newspaper on Thursday.

"Some people of influence would like for me to do it," Arnn said of filling the education secretary post, noting that he has not formally been asked by the president-elect's team if he is interested in the Cabinet-level position. "If those people decide to ask me, then I will make a decision. I will make no decision that I think would harm the college or result in my permanent separation from it."

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/conservative-college-president-considered-for-education-secretary/article/2607707

[Valin]

[Valin]

Gingrich rules out Cabinet role in Trump administration

 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich confirmed on Thursday that he is not seeking a Cabinet-level post in the next administration, dispelling rumors that he was being considered to lead the Pentagon or State Department.

 

 

 

Good For Newt. 1. He is an Idea man (or bomb thrower if you prefer), not an administrator. 2. Newt has problems being #2 to...pretty much anyone, (I suspect Callista being the exception)

[Geee]

Alabama senator Sessions accepts attorney general offer

 

 

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who jumped aboard the Donald Trump train long before the real estate mogul sewed up the Republican nomination, on Friday accepted the offer for attorney general, Fox News has confirmed.

 

Sessions, 69, who advised Trump on immigration during the bruising campaign, was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1981 to 1993 before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. He was re-elected to a fourth term in 2014.

 

Sessions was famously photographed in a "Make America Great Again" baseball cap at an August, 2015 Trump rally, and formally endorsed Trump on Feb. 28, 2016. His longtime spokesman, Stephen Miller, later joined the Trump campaign as a senior adviser.

 

Should Sessions accept the post, it would be the first of Trump's cabinet choices. Trump has named Republican National Committeechairman Reince Priebus as chief of staff and former Breitbart news executive Stephen Bannon to a senior advisory post.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/18/alabama-senator-sessions-offered-attorney-general-post-in-trump-administration.html

[Geee]

Kansas congressman Pompeo accepts Trump offer to head CIA, Fox News confirms

 

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kansas congressman and Tea Party favorite Mike Pompeo to head the CIA under his administration, Fox News has confirmed.

Pompeo, 53, initially supported Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the GOP primary but later played a key role in helping Vice President-elect Mike Pence prepare for his debate against Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.

Pompeo, of Wichita, met with the president-elect's transition team in New York's Trump Tower earlier this week. He is a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and has been an ardent supporter of the Patriot Act and the National Security Agency's collection of bulk data.

Pompeo was a vocal critic of President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran and has come under fire for what his critics have called anti-Islamic rhetoric.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/18/kansas-congressman-pompeo-tabbed-to-head-cia-fox-news-confirms.html

[Draggingtree]

The Mike Flynn I Know

By Jason Criss Howk • 11/18/16 2:29pm

As more people start hearing about Lt. Gen. (Retired) Mike Flynn, who is playing a key role in the Trump Campaign, I have been hearing a lot of speculation about a very private man in the news. Ninety percent of it is total crap, and the rest is speculation. As someone that has worked closely with Mike Flynn over the last 7 years, let me fill you in on some facts about him. I don’t claim to speak for all the military members and intelligence operatives that have worked with Mike Flynn, but I have gotten a lot of input from people still in the government and I want to clear the air a bit.

 

If you actually get to know Mike you will find an unapologetically patriotic American that lives a life that was shaped by two tough parents, even tougher siblings, hard sergeants, and amazing leaders. He sought his mother’s wisdom throughout his life because she represented everything that is right with America: hard work, paying your debts, being loyal to friends and standing up to injustice. Mike has a large group of family, friends and colleagues that are very loyal to him because he treats them as equals and gives them respect.

http://observer.com/2016/11/the-mike-flynn-i-know/

[Valin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhZURSntvP8

[Geee]

Trump's high-stakes decision for VA secretary

 

President-elect Trump made few campaign promises more passionately than his pledge to gut the mismanaged Department of Veterans Affairs and offer servicemen and servicewomen the dignified treatment they deserve, but his ability to deliver those results will likely depend on the people he chooses to lead the agency.

With more than 300,000 employees, the VA is the largest federal agency by personnel, aside from the Defense Department. It is the fifth-largest agency by budget. And much of that sprawling bureaucracy has succumbed to backlog, waste and even corruption as veterans increasingly find themselves waiting longer for worse care.

"We think it is absolutely critical that you have somebody as VA secretary that has the backbone and the courage to stand up to the VA bureaucracy," said Dan Caldwell, vice president of policy at Concerned Veterans for America. "You need someone who understands how entrenched and how resistant to change many mid-level and upper-level managers in the VA are."

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trumps-high-stakes-decision-for-va-secretary/article/2607883

[Geee]

Chris Christie shuts door on Trump administration job

 

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dismissed speculation Monday that he may yet be chosen to play a part in President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.

 

When asked about it on the monthly "Ask the Governor" radio show on New Jersey 101.5, Christie said, "I intend to be governor until Jan. 18 of 2018." He added, "that's what I want to do, and that's what I intend to do."

 

Christie met with Trump over the weekend in New Jersey as the president-elect continued his search for candidates to fill out his administration.

 

Christie was once rumored to be in the running for Trump's running mate, before Indiana Gov. Mike Pence got the job. He was also reportedly being looked at for attorney general, but that nomination has been bestowed upon Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/chris-christie-shuts-door-on-trump-administration-job/article/2607969

[Geee]

Trump 'seriously considering' Ben Carson for HUD secretary

 

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is under active consideration to be the next secretary of Housing and Urban Development, President-elect Trump said Tuesday.

"I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the head of HUD. I've gotten to know him well — he's a greatly talented person who loves people," Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

 

Trump met with Carson at Trump Tower on Tuesday, presumably to discuss the Cabinet-level position. Carson had previously been floated as a possible Secretary of Education or Health and Human Services.

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-seriously-considering-ben-carson-for-hud-secretary/article/2607994

[Geee]

Trump to name SC governor as UN ambassador

 

President-elect Donald Trump will name South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley ® as the nation's next ambassador to the United Nations.

 

Haley's appointment, first reported by the Charleston Post & Courier in Charleston, S.C., represents an outside-the-box pick for the incoming Trump administration: Haley was critical of Trump during the Republican presidential primaries, when she backed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), though, like Trump, she is also a politician who won office based on her outsider credentials.

The Trump transition team is expected to name Haley to the post on Wednesday. She would be the first woman -- and, as an Indian American, the first minority -- named to a senior position in Trump's administration.

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/307322-trump-to-name-sc-governor-as-un-ambassador

[Geee]

Trump eyes House members for Cabinet jobs

 

Donald Trump has already tapped one House lawmaker for a key post in his fledgling administration: Conservative Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas) is likely to be the next CIA director.

 

But other relatively obscure House lawmakers — including Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Tom Price, Mike McCaul and Marsha Blackburn — could make the leap from lower chamber to presidential Cabinet.

 

There’s plenty of precedent for president-elects to bring House members into their inner circle. After Barack Obama won the White House in 2008, he named Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) his first chief of staff. Obama also picked Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) to lead the Labor Department and Rep. Ray LaHood, a Republican from his home state of Illinois, to run his Transportation Department.

 

http://thehill.com/news/house/307301-trump-eyes-house-members-for-cabinet-jobs

[Geee]

Democrat Harold Ford Jr. emerging as potential Trump pick

 

Former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. is emerging as a possible contender for transportation secretary, or another Cabinet post, in Donald Trump’s budding administration.

 

The telegenic Ford — who served five terms in Congress representing Tennessee and is the son of a long-serving Democratic congressman from Memphis — has worked as a managing director at Morgan Stanley since 2011, and is a regular news analyst on MSNBC.

 

Ford endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race, and he and his wife, Emily, contributed to Clinton's campaign. But Ford is also close with Trump’s children, Don Jr., Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, an associate said

 

http://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/11/harold-ford-cabinet-trump-231776

[Valin]

[Geee]

Charter school advocate Betsy DeVos picked for education job

 

WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump has selected a charter school advocate and GOP donor from Michigan to be education secretary.

 

Betsy DeVos becomes the second woman chosen to fill a spot in Trump's Cabinet. Earlier Wednesday, Trump named South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations earlier in the day.

 

Both selections require Senate confirmation.

 

Trump calls DeVos "a brilliant and passionate education advocate."

 

DeVos heads the advocacy group American Federation for Children. She's known for supporting charter schools and vouchers.

 

Before Trump's announcement, some conservatives were complaining about DeVos' ties to the political establishment. They also warned that she previously supported Common Core standards that Trump railed against during the campaign.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/23/charter-school-advocate-betsy-devos-picked-for-education-job.html

[Geee]

Report: Trump wants Wilbur Ross at Commerce Dept.

 

President-elect Trump is expected to name another billionaire as his secretary of commerce.

 

Billionaire Wilbur Ross is expected to be named as Trump's pick, according to the Associated Press.

 

Ross is a former banker who formed W.L. Ross, which invested in factories in the Midwest. The AP said Ross is a "specialist in corporate turnarounds" who buys bankrupt firms and then "seeks to shave costs and generate profits."

 

The AP said a senior Trump transition official confirmed that Ross is Trump's pick, but wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly because it hasn't been officially announced.

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/report-trump-wants-wilbur-ross-at-commerce-dept./article/2608150

[Valin]

Report: Trump wants Wilbur Ross at Commerce Dept.

 

 

Ross is a former banker who formed W.L. Ross, which invested in factories in the Midwest. The AP said Ross is a "specialist in corporate turnarounds" who buys bankrupt firms and then "seeks to shave costs and generate profits."

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/report-trump-wants-wilbur-ross-at-commerce-dept./article/2608150

 

 

 

Reminds Me Of Someone Else....

 

[Valin]

[Geee]

Trump to meet again with Romney amid State talks

 

Donald Trump is meeting with Mitt Romney again on Tuesday, amid an ongoing brawl within his inner circle about the 2012 GOP nominee's suitability to be secretary of State.

 

Along with Romney, whose meeting was revealed in a transition team conference call on Monday morning, the president-elect will be meeting with other contenders for the high profile post.

 

Trump is meeting Monday afternoon with former CIA director David Petraeus, who is also believed to be in the running to head the State Department. Petraeus resigned and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges after sharing classified documents with his biographer, with whom he was having an affair.

Trump is meeting another potential top contender on Tuesday: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who chairs the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee and has been loyal to Trump throughout his campaign.

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/307656-trump-to-meet-again-with-romney-amid-state-talks