Joe's Gang

[JackLuis]

As Joe starts listing his cabinet some are not too welcome.


How Michèle Flournoy's Pentagon dreams collapsed: Progressives fought back

Just a few weeks ago, super-hawk Michèle Flournoy was being touted as a virtual shoo-in to become Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of defense. But some progressives insisted on organizing to raise key questions, such as: Should we accept the revolving door that keeps spinning between the Pentagon and the weapons industry? Does an aggressive U.S. military really enhance "national security" and lead to peace?

By challenging Flournoy while posing those questions — and answering them in the negative — activism succeeded in changing "Defense Secretary Flournoy" from a fait accompli to a lost fantasy of the military-industrial complex.

She is "a favorite among many in the Democratic foreign-policy establishment," Foreign Policy magazine reported on Monday night, hours after news broke that Biden's nomination will go to retired Gen. Lloyd Austin instead of Flournoy. But "in recent weeks the Biden transition team has faced pushback from the left wing of the party. Progressive groups signaled opposition to Flournoy over her role in U.S. military interventions in Libya and the Middle East in prior government positions, as well as her ties to the defense industry once she left government."

Of course Gen. Austin is a high-ranking part of the war machine. Yet, as Foreign Policy noted: "When Biden pushed to draw down troops from Iraq while vice president, Flournoy, then Pentagon policy chief, and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen opposed the idea. Austin did not."

But that is not settled either!

It seems that he has only been retried for 4 years and the DOD job says he has to be 7 years out to be eligible???

 

[KeithD]

It seems that he has only been retried for 4 years and the DOD job says he has to be 7 years out to be eligible???

The same was true of Mattis. They can get an exemption.

 

[JackLuis]

The same was true of Mattis. They can get an exemption.

Thanks, I wondered about this when I read it.

SO Yellen for Treasury? Who else has he named?

 

[butters]

Chief of Staff
Ron Klain
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Deputy Chief of Staff
Jen O'Malley Dillon
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED


Counselor to the President
Steve Ricchetti
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Counselor to the President
Jeff Zients
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

National Security Adviser
Jake Sullivan
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Director, Office of Management and Budget
Neera Tanden
CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Director, National Economic Council
Brian Deese
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Director, Office of Public Engagement
Cedric Richmond
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Julie Chávez Rodriguez
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Senior Adviser to the President
Mike Donilon
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Director, Office of Legislative Affairs
Louisa Terrell
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Director, White House Office of Presidential Personnel
Cathy Russell
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Counsel to the President
Dana Remus
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Communications Director
Kate Bedingfield
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Press Secretary
Jen Psaki
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Principal Deputy Press Secretary
Karine Jean-Pierre
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Chief of Staff for the Vice President
Tina Flournoy
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Chief Spokesperson for the Vice President
Symone Sanders
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

Chief of Staff for the First Lady
Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon
NO CONFIRMATION NEEDED

 

[Carnal_Flower]

Antony Blinken, SOS

Marcia Fudge. HUD Secretary

Alejandro Mayorkas Homeland Security

Tom Vilsack, Agriculture

Xavier Becerra HHS

Rumor has it Doug Jones is going to be his pick for AG

Thanks, I wondered about this when I read it.

SO Yellen for Treasury? Who else has he named?

 

[jaF0]

I don't expect Mitch to allow anyone.