President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet and Staff Nominees

[Derec]

Ah. 2014. Ferguson;

We have discussed Michael Brown at length. He robbed a store. He attacked the cop. He ran away at first, but then advanced again toward the cop ignoring commands to stop.

And #BLM repsonded by violently rioting. QT and several other businesses were set on fire or looted. When the DA decided not to prosecute the cop, new round of violent riots commenced.
After Ferguson, there have been numerous other riots between 2014 and 2016 - Baltimore, Charlotte, Milwaukee etc.

Yes Trump was elected because skin heads, Nazis, and proud boys saw a man who would stand for white superiority.

There aren't enough "skin heads, Nazis and proud boys" to do that. No, Trump was elected, in part, because people were afraid because of rising violence by #BLM in American cities.

 

[lpetrich]

In this particular context I would say radicals oppose any fossil fuel development in the US. And eco-socialist would be socialists who are also radical on environment. The term is of course from that tweet praising Haaland. The author self-identified as "eco-socialist".

We will need fossil fuels for decades to come. It makes therefore zero sense to hamstring domestic energy production and infrastructure by for example opposing all pipelines.

Decades??? Given the roughly exponential growth in the development of renewable sources, I'd put the end of fossil fuels in a few decades. So we won't need more pipelines -- existing ones ought to suffice.

Then you have electricity production. Fracked gas allowed US to reduce the amount of coal we are burning. Gas emits a lot less harmful pollutants than coal and has a much more favorable CO₂ footprint as well. But radicals are opposed to gas as well, even though getting rid of gas for electricity and heating is impractical in the short to medium term. Focus should be on getting out of coal as quickly as possible, even if it means using more gas.

Electricity is what most renewable-energy sources are most suitable for, so renewables will end up displacing natural gas along with coal.

 

[lpetrich]

Haaland has been a supporter of a just economy powered by clean energy for her entire career. Now she'll have the power & position needed to further our fight for climate justice.
Haaland understands firsthand the toxic and exploitative relationship the federal govt has had with native communities and will work to ensure the sovereignty and dignity of tribal nations as a central part of how we run our country.

So she is a 5th columnist who will work for a sovereign nations other than the US while part of the US government?

The "sovereign nations" are some Native communities which consider themselves separate nations.

Seems like she may make a priority for renewable-energy development on Federal lands. Like giving priority for leases for wind farms and solar farms. Also for offshore wind farms.

Solar farms are a stupid idea. The main advantage of solar is that you can integrate it into existing surfaces such as rooftops or glass facades close to point of use and not 100s of miles away.

However, land is often much cheaper in such places, and the land underneath the panels can be used for agriculture. Look for "agrivoltaics".

Wind farms use a lot of space, are far away from point of use, and the offshore ones are bad for whales. And wind is very intermittent.

Wind farms need to be spread out over a lot of area, yes, but only a tiny bit of that area is needed for the turbines.

That's news to me about offshore ones and whales.

But wind often blows enough to be usable. Consider all the sailing-ship voyages across the world's oceans from roughly 1400 to roughly 1850 - 1900, when steam engines became usable enough to make sails obsolete. If wind is so horrible, then why were these ocean travelers able to get anywhere?

On the other hand I am sure she will be opposed to all offshore and other oil and gas drilling while other countries from Norway to Russia are allowed to develop their fossil resources.

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo.

 

[Elixir]

I suspect that the assumption that Haaland has a reverence for nature that would make her inclined to pursue environmental and climate concerns, is correct.

Pursuing climate/environmental concerns is not as much of the issue here as the word "reverence". It's a word with religious connotations. It means that her approach will not be rational or facts based.

That's a stretch and not supported by evidence. What it really means is that she is passionate about the environment and will elevate it as a priority above some others things, such as profits for oil companies.

We have seen similar lack of rationality in protests against oil and gas pipelines

We have seen similar priority sets among gas pipeline protesters, especially when the pipelines turn out to be illegal. But you subjective judgment that they are irrational presumes that YOUR priorities are rational, whereas others find the elevation of profits for oil companies over environmental concerns to be not only irrational but suicidal.

- we need these resources and pipelines are the best way to move large quantities of fluids over long distances.

No, we don't "need" those resources. We didn't have those pipelines a few years ago and nobody died.

We have seen it as well in the superstition-based opposition to the Thrity Meter Telescope - often by the same activist groups opposing pipelines and other energy projects.

I think there might be a better argument for "need" for a 30 meter telescope than for oil company profits.

Biden was very forthright about wanting to advance an aggressive climate agenda. Of course those who prefer the tyranny of the minority we have endured for the last four years to the tyranny of the majority that theyy fear is coming, are going to characterize anyone in agreement with Biden's platform as "whacko "eco-socialists"" whenever they can. Biden's platform is what it is, no surprises.

The wacko eco-socialists have characterized themselves as such. That moniker is not my invention.

So what?

And why do you think these whackadoodles are in the majority? I would say the large majority of Americans use fossil fuels in our daily lives. We heat our houses, we use electricity, we drive cars.

Some larger awareness beyond their own consumptive habits probably has something to do with it.

I do support reasonable environmental and climate policies.

As long as you get to be the arbiter of what is reasonable. I know.

I will even consider an electric car when the time comes to buy a new one (I bought my current car in 2015, so it still has 5 years useful life at least) if I am able to charge it at my condo by then.

Wow, what a maverick you are! Right on the cutting edge!
Seriously though... I'd like a Tesla Model X. 0-60 in 2.6 seconds? Who wouldn't like that?

but we must be realistic. We will need fossil fuels for decades from now even with very aggressive policies

.

We already HAVE fossil fuels. We shouldn't be investing in expanding that infrastructure when we could be investing in the future.

 

[ZiprHead]

Freudian slip?

A slip yes, but not Freudian. More like "posting at 3 am" slip.

That's just what an anti-Freudian would say.

 

[lpetrich]

...[there] was just an extreme disdain for this moneyed political establishment that rules Washington."

... which opened the door for a fatassed, blustering phony billionaire.
Yeh, makes sense to me...

I know, but look at the image he created of himself as some super business leader. Yes, it's completely phony, and he's been bailed out so much that at one point, he found it difficult to get loans. But he is very obviously a Washington outsider.

 

[lpetrich]

Nicholas Wu on Twitter: ".@AOC tells reporters Haaland's appointment is significant and historic not just as the first Native person in the role but also as someone who "brings a philosophy of both a commitment on climate and justice"

h/t Hill pool / @lukebroadwater" / Twitter

Nicholas Wu on Twitter: "@AOC @lukebroadwater “I’m over the moon right now. I think the Biden climate appointments, they represent progress, real progress, so I’m really excited, I’m so thrilled," she says." / Twitter

Political Revolution Shenandoah Valley on Twitter: "@nicholaswu12 @AOC @lukebroadwater From our 2018 election night watch party: https://t.co/O3I4hFsFVs" / Twitter

Job Guarantee Candidates:
Ocasio-Cortez NY-14
Omar MN-05
Haaland NM-01

Deb Haaland on Twitter: "A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior.

Growing up in my mother’s Pueblo household made me fierce. I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land.

I am honored and ready to serve." / Twitter

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Sen. Barrasso effectively says 'Get ready for the obstruction!'. The party that rubber stamped the nominations of people like Betsy Devos to be the head of the Education Department wants to let Biden know that this won't be a "garden party".

For most Americans, the term "garden party" has no meaning. What the Senator from Wyoming is saying is "Fuck you Biden".

Sen. John Barrasso on Sunday said that Cabinet nominees brought forward by President-elect Joe Biden in a Republican-controlled Senate should not expect an easy pathway to
confirmation, emphasizing that the party would make nominees "run the gauntlet," according to Politico.

The Wyoming Republican and chair of the Senate Republican Conference claimed that President Donald Trump's nominees were slow-walked compared to previous administrations and stressed that party members "are not going to forget what happened with President Trump's administration and the delayed process that went through it."

He added: "So, it's not going to be a garden party. If the Republicans are in the majority, these nominees are going to have to run the gauntlet."

Slow walked?

As of December 2019, the average time between nomination and confirmation of President Donald Trump's (R) 32 appointments of Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials was 37 days. According to the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan group that tracks political appointees, the time for President Barack Obama's nominees was 66 days and for President George W. Bush's nominees was 45 days.

 

[lpetrich]

Deb Haaland on Twitter: "A former Secretary of the Interior once proclaimed it his goal to “civilize or exterminate” Indigenous people. I’m a living testament to the failure of that horrific ideology.

I’m here on the shoulders of my ancestors and all the people who have sacrificed." / Twitter

Who's In Biden's Cabinet? : NPR was most recently updated Dec 17.

• Sec'y of Health and Human Services: Xavier Becerra
• Sec'y of Housing and Urban Development: Marcia Fudge
• Sec'y of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack
• Sec'y of Transportation; Pete Buttigieg
• Sec'y of Energy: Jennifer Granholm
• Sec'y of the Interior: Dem Haaland
• EPA Admin: Michael Regan

Unfilled:

• CIA Director
• Attorney General
• Sec'y of Labor
• Sec'y of Education

 

[Derec]

Deb Haaland on Twitter: "A former Secretary of the Interior once proclaimed it his goal to “civilize or exterminate” Indigenous people. I’m a living testament to the failure of that horrific ideology.

Is she saying she is not civilized, lmao? I really dislike this pick. She seems all about the politically correct part of her identity (ignoring she is half Norwegian and btw. Norwegians are not hamstringing themselves by opposing oil drilling) and her Indianness seems to be the sum total of her qualifications for the job - her education for example being one of the easiest majors there is outside of underwater basket weaving. She is like identity politics made flesh.

[*]Sec'y of Energy: Jennifer Granholm

A PolSci and French major for Energy department? Obama had two physicists run it, including a Nobel laureate, and Biden comes with fucking humanities? A scientist or an engineer would be a much better fit for the department.

What the hell? On the other hand, maybe she could put her education to good use by visiting France and seeing how they have low carbon emissions compared to other developed countries because they have a lot of nuclear power.

 

[thebeave]

Yup. She's the top dog at the Dept of Energy, but its doubtful she even knows what a joule or erg is.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Yup. She's the top dog at the Dept of Energy, but its doubtful she even knows what a joule or erg is.

So now that a democrat is president, qualifications matter?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Yup. She's the top dog at the Dept of Energy, but its doubtful she even knows what a joule or erg is.

So now that a democrat is president, qualifications matter?

Everyone remember when Sec. Perry learned that the Dept. of Energy (which he wanted to end) was in charge of the nukes?

 

[Politesse]

Yup. She's the top dog at the Dept of Energy, but its doubtful she even knows what a joule or erg is.

So now that a democrat is president, qualifications matter?

If they're women or of minority race.

 

[Elixir]

Yup. She's the top dog at the Dept of Energy, but its doubtful she even knows what a joule or erg is.

So now that a democrat is president, qualifications matter?

If they're women or of minority race.

Zackly. Put some fatass blustering white male in the position and the conservotards embrace him like a true Brother.
Take Matthew Whitaker for instance; the "attorney general of the united states (acting)" ... a fraudulent toilet vending schemer with zero qualifications. Nary a peep.

 

[thebeave]

Yup. She's the top dog at the Dept of Energy, but its doubtful she even knows what a joule or erg is.

So now that a democrat is president, qualifications matter?

No, I thought Obama, a Democrat, made a sensible choice in Stephen Chu, who knows his physics.

 

[blastula]

He is picking too many politicians imo. That's Trump's m.o. He should definitely stop naming any more House members considering the small majority they have.

 

[Derec]

So now that a democrat is president, qualifications matter?

If they're women or of minority race.

Quite the opposite. If they are a white or Asian man, they must have actual qualifications. If they are woman and/or a PC minority, that in itself is seen as the best qualification for identitarians like you.

 

[Derec]

Zackly. Put some fatass blustering white male in the position and the conservotards embrace him like a true Brother.

Or maybe Biden should strive to do better than just be Trump in reverse.
Also what's with the fat shaming dude? Body positivity, please! Not like Deb Haaland is a model herself.

Take Matthew Whitaker for instance; the "attorney general of the united states (acting)" ... a fraudulent toilet vending schemer with zero qualifications. Nary a peep.

I looked him up. He was a US attorney in Iowa and then worked as chief of staff at DOJ before becoming acting AG. Seems way more qualified than Grenholm and Haaland.
But again, Trump should not be a bar against which Biden measures his cabinet picks. Because that bar is so low, it's barely a threshold.

 

[lpetrich]

Biden to Pick Latino Chief of Connecticut Schools as Education Secretary - The New York Times - "Dr. Miguel A. Cardona will fulfill Mr. Biden’s promise to appoint a diverse cabinet with an education secretary with public school experience."