Biden's Cabinet of Curiosities

Specter Von Baren

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Silvanus

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* Attorney General: Merrick Garland. I think everyone will probably recognise Garland: he was Obama's nominee to the SCOTUS, but the Republican-controlled Senate refused to vote on his nomination until Obama left office, so the position went to Neil Gorsuch.
 

Agema

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* Attorney General: Merrick Garland. I think everyone will probably recognise Garland: he was Obama's nominee to the SCOTUS, but the Republican-controlled Senate refused to vote on his nomination until Obama left office, so the position went to Neil Gorsuch.
He's a moderate, very centre-ish, which is why he was put forward by Obama at that point - force the Republicans to reject a highly viable, unbiased candidate.

By all accounts I've read, no-one disputes he's a very good judge. Whether he'll be a good AG is another matter.
 

Silvanus

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He's a moderate, very centre-ish, which is why he was put forward by Obama at that point - force the Republicans to reject a highly viable, unbiased candidate.
If that was Obama's intention, what benefit did it have? Make the Republicans look unreasonable in the eyes of moderate conservatives?
 

tstorm823

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If that was Obama's intention, what benefit did it have? Make the Republicans look unreasonable in the eyes of moderate conservatives?
No, the intention was to actually get him on the court. The Senate had no obligation to confirm a nominee they didn't approve of, so he picked one they should have. I can, and have, made the argument that Democrats ultimately started the petty tactics used over Supreme Court nominations and Mitch was taking revenge, but Mitch was definitely in the wrong and Obama was in the right. No underhanded politics by Obama, just honest recognition that he couldn't appoint a justice the Republicans disapproved of.

Obama generally wasn't into sleazy partisanship himself, only what he let other Democrats get away with.

On the topic of Merrick Garland, neat. One of the most famous people rejected by the political process, and also one of the exceptional few not to build a media career complaining about it. While everyone else was throwing a fit for his sake, he maturely accepted the circumstances and continued on with his job. The only thing I don't like about it is that it probably keeps him out of the Supreme Court if Biden gets an appointment, and I wish he'd get there eventually.
 

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* Labor Secretary: Marty Walsh. Two-term Mayor of Boston, former Representative of Massachusetts, and former President of the Laborer's Union. Walsh has been a trade unionist since the age of 21.

Progressives had been watching this role, hoping it would go to Bernie Sanders. Biden has said that he considered Sanders for the role, but that he and Sanders both agreed not to nominate him, as it would jeopardise the Democrats' control of the Senate (which as of Saturday stands 50-50, with Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote). He also said Sanders supported Walsh for the position.

As Mayor, Walsh introduced a pilot programme to assist residents to seal and/or expunge criminal records, provide free legal assistance, & cover associated costs. He also reaffirmed Boston's status as a sanctuary city, and reduced police department expenditure by 3%.
 

crimson5pheonix

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Didn't we already chase her away once for being shit? Guess she sucked off the right person.

* Labor Secretary: Marty Walsh. Two-term Mayor of Boston, former Representative of Massachusetts, and former President of the Laborer's Union. Walsh has been a trade unionist since the age of 21.

Progressives had been watching this role, hoping it would go to Bernie Sanders. Biden has said that he considered Sanders for the role, but that he and Sanders both agreed not to nominate him, as it would jeopardise the Democrats' control of the Senate (which as of Saturday stands 50-50, with Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote). He also said Sanders supported Walsh for the position.

As Mayor, Walsh introduced a pilot programme to assist residents to seal and/or expunge criminal records, provide free legal assistance, & cover associated costs. He also reaffirmed Boston's status as a sanctuary city, and reduced police department expenditure by 3%.
To preface, Walsh seems okay, there was a field to choose from and he has his pros and cons. But what I hate is the "Sanders can't be in the cabinet because of the senate" bullshit. Vermont has special elections and Sanders' seat has been occupied by someone as left as Sanders for years, it's not in danger and putting Sanders on the cabinet somewhere relevant would go a long way to making people believe Biden's bullshit.
 
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Silvanus

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To preface, Walsh seems okay, there was a field to choose from and he has his pros and cons. But what I hate is the "Sanders can't be in the cabinet because of the senate" bullshit. Vermont has special elections and Sanders' seat has been occupied by someone as left as Sanders for years [...]
Sanders' seat has been occupied by Sanders for years (since 2007). His predecessor was Jim Jeffords, a Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat, and an economic neo-lib.
 

crimson5pheonix

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Sanders' seat has been occupied by Sanders for years (since 2007). His predecessor was Jim Jeffords, a Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat, and an economic neo-lib.
And they've voted for Sanders for years. Getting worried about Sanders' seat now is just an excuse to keep him away from the cabinet. They just want him in the senate where he's much more ignorable.
 

Silvanus

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And they've voted for Sanders for years. Getting worried about Sanders' seat now is just an excuse to keep him away from the cabinet. They just want him in the senate where he's much more ignorable.
You reckon Biden's just lying about Sanders himself agreeing & endorsing Walsh, then? What's to stop Sanders just publicly contradicting that statement?
 

crimson5pheonix

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You reckon Biden's just lying about Sanders himself agreeing & endorsing Walsh, then? What's to stop Sanders just publicly contradicting that statement?
Not that part, like I said from the start Walsh seems alright. But the calls for "don't put Sanders in the cabinet, what about the senate?!" came months ago and have been disingenuous from the start. There are cabinet positions that could use someone like Sanders and some of them have been taken by odious trolls of horrible swamp things.
 

Avnger

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If you're going to sell your soul rat fucking for the guy who was below you in votes, make sure you get something worth it out of the deal.
So besides Pete being a moderate establishment Democrat (which obviously makes him worse than Hitler by itself), why do you hate him with such gusto? Is this just still left over misplaced anger from Bernie failing to expand his support beyond his traditional base in the primary? How did Pete "sell [his] soul rat fucking"?