GOP clinches House majority with 12 races left to call
Republicans hold on to House control - POLITICO
Republicans Narrowly Hold House Majority, Giving GOP Governing Trifecta | National Review
Depending on how many of the remaining 12 go to the GOP, Trump's poaching three House GOP members for his administration could turn into a huge (but not permanent) problem for Republicans. Much depends on how fast Ron DeSantis can get special elections called for the seat to be vacated by Rep Mike Waltz and already vacated by Rep Matt Gaetz (more on that below.)
.
Just One Thing: Trump's picks go from excellent to maybe not to oh-my-god
The election is over and I want to not think about Donald Trump but it’s impossible and probably will remain impossible for the next four years. He made some very good initial picks for his administration including Rep Mike Waltz for National Security Advisor and Elise Stefanik for UN Ambassador. And his announcement today of Marco Rubio for Secretary of State is a good one.
I mentioned yesterday that I thought Pete Hegseth wasn’t a good choice for Secretary of Defense though I do think it’s reasonable to have him in DOD focusing on eliminating wokeness from the military. But Hegseth looks like a great choice compared to Trump’s announcement of former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as his nominee for Director of National Intelligence and the utter insanity of nominating Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General. These choices are ALL Trump rewarding loyalty above all. I understand wanting someone who will fight for your administration’s values, but these people, especially Gaetz, are not fit or qualified for these critical roles.
Many Americans (including yours truly) are eager for Trump to take the fight to our ridiculously massive, intrusive and expensive bureaucracy. The bureaucracy is what can turn us into Europe, along with Europe's lower standards of living and reduced freedom and opportunity. In order to do that successfully, in addition to his loyal "warriors" in some key positions he must have people who understand how to navigate and shape large organizations. Hegseth and Gabbard and Gaetz are not those people. Trump Has Been Given Another Opportunity to Defang Deep State
All that said...
I do believe presidents are due tremendous deference in their nominees and if a nominee is borderline (s)he should be confirmed. I think the Senate should not be in the business of second-guessing or saying "we'd like someone else better." The nominees should be confirmed unless they're manifestly unqualified or unfit for the job. That's obviously true of Gaetz, probably true of Hegseth and Gabbard. And so far, I think everyone else should be confirmed based on the current information I have. Again, my issues with Gaetz and Hegseth and Gabbard is that it's obvious (to me) that they do not have the knowledge or skills (or, arguably, at least in the case of the two men, the ethics) to hold these crucial positions.
And while I will probably take this on tomorrow rather than today, the entire issue of "recess appointments" now looms VERY large.
Current full list of Trump selections: Trump Admin 2.0: Full List of Cabinet Appointments - The Foreign Desk | by Lisa Daftari
Meanwhile, about the controversial nominees:
Hegseth:
How's this guy going to get confirmed? Words and deeds out of alignment for potential Cabinet appointment and Fox News personality | APM Reports
Gaetz:
Matt Gaetz Is a Bad Choice for Attorney General - WSJ
The best news of the day: Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress - POLITICO The resignation is effective immediately which means it ends the House Ethics Committee's investigation which was nearing a report on Gaetz, likely to be extremely damning: Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress before key Ethics Committee meeting
From one of Trump's former lawyers: “There’s no conceivable justification for nominating somebody this smarmy and this offensive for a position of such significance in this democracy other than to have a puppet and somebody who, as Gaetz has demonstrated, will do anything Trump asks,” said Ty Cobb, a former Trump White House lawyer.
You thought DOJ staffers were in full-blown freakout before … - POLITICO
Gabbard:
What to know about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick to be director of national intelligence | WCBD News 2
Sen Fetterman: It's "god-tier level trolling"
That's one hell of a flip-flop: Outspoken GOP Matt Gaetz Critic Flip-Flops After Attorney General News: 'I Completely Trust Trump's Decision-Making'
One More Thing: The state had planned to kill Peanut the Squirrel all along
And Fred the Raccoon too
Not just killers, but liars. It's a challenge because some of these people were just obeying the law but still I hope several of them lose their jobs and the law MUST be changed.
..
Today's Guest
Maggie Anders is the host of "Undoctrination", and social media content creator, at the Foundation for Economic Education
We'll discuss the lunacy of the 4B movement (which started in Korea) and its offshoots. Essentially, it's women saying they will not have any important relationship (romantic or physical or even friendship) with men. In the aftermath of the Trump election, it seems to be gaining a little steam here too.
South Korea Is Running Out of Kids. Is This America’s Future? | The Free Press
Actually, it gets worse: What Is 'MATGA?' Anti-Trump Women's Deadly New Trend - Newsweek
https://youtube.com/shorts/2IFubdy4p78?si=IbCoCKVGJC-ftu-1
(Sorry I can't get the embed for that video to work but you should watch it.)
Speaking of poison: Misquotes - International Churchill Society
Other Stuff
RIP Ted Olson: Prominent conservative lawyer Ted Olson, who argued Bush recount and same-sex marriage cases, dead at 84
I love this article and this way of thinking: Opinion | How to Talk About Fluoride, Vaccines and Raw Milk - The New York Times
And this is interesting, psychologically, as well: Buy Happiness—by Giving Your Money Away - WSJ
Mahomes and Kelce homes burglarized. This is not the same as giving money away: Patrick Mahomes calls burglaries of his and Travis Kelce's homes 'frustrating, disappointing'
Come on, Jared, are you really just figuring this out now? Polis cautions about electrification rate increases | Environment | denvergazette.com
Dragon needs me to talk about this on the show and is very upset that I didn't cover it in more detail yesterday and I'm worried about the hammer: Danny DeVito breaks top 10 of world's sexiest bald men for 2024: study
Interesting insight...and terrible financial (mis)management: "Reports say the Harris campaign expected a delayed result on Election Day, and officials were planning to continue fundraising as votes were counted in the following days." Top Democrat officials worried tens of millions in Harris campaign debt could be their problem: report
An excellent wager: CSU, Wyoming participate in wager between art museums | Arts & Culture | denvergazette.com
NO CEASEFIRE with Hamas, ever. Only victory. Because they will never stop doing what they do and being what they are: IDF: Rocket launcher positioned in southern Gaza humanitarian zone destroyed in airstrike
A judge gets it right, at least based on Elon’s eventual description of his “sweepstakes.” Judge explains why he handed Elon Musk his $1 million-a-day sweepstakes win
Heard this kind of story too many times: Long Island firefighter accused of setting Medford brush fire - CBS New York
Another fake hate crime solved: District of Colorado | Three People Indicted on Charges Related to Hate Crime Hoax | United States Department of Justice
Don’t sit there for too long: Don’t sit on the toilet for more than 10 minutes, doctors warn | CNN
A few stories I want to mention following the election (and didn't get to yesterday):
A good example of the kind of thing that white progressive elites think that they can buy minority group votes with when it’s really the opposite, like “Latinx”: Voters in California city reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races
Oakland mayor and county’s district attorney ousted in historic recall
Washington state votes against energy tyranny: Their Democracy - Doomberg
Washington Initiative 2066, Natural Gas Policies Measure (2024) - Ballotpedia
Speaking of energy: Shell Wins Appeal in Critical Dutch Climate Case | Energy Intelligence
Today's Videos
Is that a TV or a wannabe hang-glider?
A perfect message for a hoodie (if you want to be left alone)
p.s. Includes foul language in the image