
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump is revealing his administration appointments at a machine gun rate. ; He literally has hundreds of positions to fill – and dozens that will garner a lot of public scrutiny. ; ; Opposing his appointments is a political hill that Democrats are determined to die on. ; Their excessive desire to be the resistance moment to everything about Trump will have Senate Democrats acting like an overzealous pack of political jackals in a food frenzy.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Democrats and those on the left are crazed that they have been beaten twice by a man they deplore – who they have proclaimed to be a fascist enemy of the people &#8230; and insurrectionist &#8230; and a doomsday bomb for the American Republic. ; In two races, they declared – and apparently believed – that Trump was unelectable. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For those on the left, Trump’s victories are more than political losses. ; They are deeply bitter emotional and humiliating experiences. ; So much so, that Democrats and the left-leaning media have come to hate and demonize the millions of Americans who supported and voted for Trump.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">All the animosity of the resistance movement will soon focus like a laser beam on the Senate confirmation hearings. ; You will see bed wetting lunacy coming from guys like California Senator-elect Adam Schiff – a man whose veracity is unquestionable. ; It totally stinks.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As I looked at the prospective Senate hearings, I wondered what the Republicans would do. Will they confirm all of Trump’s nominations out of lock-step partisan loyalty. Or will there be enough defections to defeat specific nominees? I wondered what I would do if I were a member of the GOP conference in the Senate?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Like most senators, I would be cautious at this point – waiting to see the hearings unfold. But as a practical matter, I would probably vote in favor of the vast majority of Trump’s appointments. After all, a President is entitled to put his team on the field – and should only be denied that right in exceptional cases.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It is especially true in this case, because Trump has been very clear during the campaign about his policy agenda &#8212; and those he would put in place to carry it out. ; Throughout the campaign, even the Democrats said that Trump would do what he said he would do. ; They mistakenly thought that would dissuade voters. ; Au contraire. ; Instead of being dissuaded, the people of America gave Trump the mandate to do what he said he would do. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But &#8230; if I were a senator, what would I do in some of the more controversial appointments?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Well &#8230; based on my initial commentary about the plan to name Florida Congressman <strong>Matt Gaetz</strong> as Attorney General – headlined “Gaetz is a joke &#8230; seriously” – it is obvious that I would have cast my vote against him. I know enough about him to determine that he is, in my judgment, unfit to hold that office.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After Gaetz dropped out, Trump turned to former Florida Attorney General <strong>Pam Bondi</strong>. ; Having lived in Florida throughout her years as AG, I got to see her in action from a closer vantage point. ; I thought that was a great selection. ; If I was in the Senate, I would declare mine as a “yes” vote for Bondi &#8230; period.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Then there is <strong>Matt Hegseth</strong> for Secretary of Defense. This one has been evolving for me. I was not initially thrilled with the appointment. Despite his military record and as an advocate for veterans, he still seemed bit light on the big picture – such as global military strategy. But I was willing to consider giving Trump his guy.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To say Hegseth has a messy personal life is an understatement. ; I wondered whether he could get the necessary respect of the real commander military types. ; As more things have been revealed, Hegseth started looking more like a frat boy in the John Belushi tradition. ; Hard to imagine him presiding over a meeting of major uniformed military leaders.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As far as the womanizing, that seems to be an evergreen problem for politicians. ; Sometimes a real problem and sometimes false politically based accusations. ; The one thing that bothered me most was the email from his mother. ; I mean &#8230; really? ; His mother? ; She basically called his son a sexual reprobate – specifically a predator. ; Ouch!</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">(Since the Bill Clinton scandals, we the people have been advised to separate personal conduct from official duties. Ironically, the Democrats&#8217; ability to save Clinton with that argument lowered the bar – and is arguably one of the reasons Trump could overcome his own sex-related issues. But I digress.)</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Before deciding my vote, I would want to go through the hearings – if it gets that far. ; But at this moment, I am leaning to a “”no” vote on Hegseth. ; I would not be surprised to see this nomination be shown the Gaetz.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Former Trump advisor <strong>Kash Patel</strong> is being put up as director of the FBI. He has been a strong Trump loyalist. He is very much in line with Trump as a disrupter &#8212; and disrupting (reforming) a well-entrenched political bureaucracy, such as the FBI, is not an easy task. It is chaotic by the nature of it.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">By focusing on Patel’s more aggressive statements and positions, Democrats distract from his experience and competency as a lawyer. ; I also think that reforming – or disrupting, if you prefer – is needed in many places in the federal bureaucracy, including the FBI. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Unless there is some major negative information revealed in the future, I am a “yes” vote for Patel.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump has proposed wrestling impresario <strong>Linda McMahon</strong> as Secretary of Education. ; While she has headed a major entertainment enterprise, McMahon also has a history of involvement in overseeing a federal bureaucracy.  ;In the first Trump presidency, McMahon served as head of the Small Business Administration.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">McMahon has expressed strong support for school choice programs – something I have long supported personally and professionally. Some claim that such a program would undermine the public schools. As a former consultant to both the Chicago and Detroit boards of education, I firmly believe that the lack of competition is the reason so much of the public school system sucks – and most tragically, those serving the large, segregated minority communities in our Democrat-controlled cities.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There is also the issue of the very need for a federal Department of Education. ; Our private school system seems to have been better before we federalized education. ; One of my disappointments with President Reagan was his failure to abolish the DOE. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In terms of advancing school choice and abolishing the DOE, I give McMahon a “yes” vote.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Then we have <strong>Tulsi Gabbard</strong>. Trump has proposed the former Hawaiian Democrat congresswoman and presidential candidate as Director of National Intelligence. She has spent most of her career in Congress involved in intelligence and terrorist issues. She served on the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Gabbard was an upcoming star in the Democratic Party according to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi &#8212; and was considered for an appointment to the United States Senate to replace Democrat Senator Daniel Inouye.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Gabbard has a far more impressive record in intelligence and foreign affairs than Democrats claim. ; The ferocity of Democrat opposition may be more a matter of Gabbard’s switch to the GOP &#8212; and especially her endorsement of Trump – than any lacking in her credentials for the office.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Initially, I was dubious about this appointment. ; But after more research, I lean heavily to a “yes” vote on the Gabbard nomination.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Finally, there is <strong>Robert F. Kennedy</strong>, Jr. ; This is where politics becomes stranger than fiction. If I had penned a book about one of the members of the Kennedy Clan – in this case, the son of Attorney General &#8230; senator &#8230; and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy – becoming a supporter of a disruptive Republican presidential candidate, the book would be rejected by publishers as too absurd.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">RFK,Jr. is a unique personality in the pantheon of political celebrities. ; It is not just the name. ; Contrary to the orator reputations of his political ancestors, RFK.Jr. has a speech impediment that results in a gravelly voice. It is like listening to a radio that has severe static. ; RFK,Jr. has also espoused controversial theories on subjects ranging from the efficacy of vaccines to the assassination of his uncle, President Jack Kennedy.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump has tapped him to head the Department of Health and Human Services. ; This is another disrupter (reformer) appointment. ; RFK. Jr. is a staunch critic of the government health bureaucracy. ; He has pledged to do a lot of house cleaning.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I have long believed that the healthcare bureaucracy has severe problems. It has one of the worst reputations – well deserved &#8212; for waste and corruption, from the rip-offs of Medicare and Medicaid to the entire grants and research operations. On that belief alone, I give RFK. Jr. a “yes” vote.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Summary</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">That is how I would vote. ; If I put on my pundit hat, I think the Senate confirmations will be in line with my personal vote. ; That means that those covered above will get confirmed, except Hegseth. ; I think it is more than likely that he will drop out.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However it all comes out, the next few months will be political mud wrestling for the committees dealing with specific nominees. ; Fasten your seatbelts, we are heading into political turbulence.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there ‘tis.</p>

Trump’s appointments: Democrat reactions … and my votes
