ESSAY: The Coming Cabinet of Crazy

How far and how numb we’ve become.

Back around this time in 1992 I was reveling in the Bill Clinton victory. I was 23 and “out of college, money spent” and Amy and I were living at our respective parents houses. Or maybe we had moved in together in Detroit. Not sure.

Either way, we had tickets and went to that Inauguration and I remember getting to our hotel room in Chevy Chase after the drive and turning on CNN to another Clinton controversy.

Bill’s second pick for Attorney General had been pulled because she (like the first) had employed an illegal nanny. It was the day before the swearing in itself, and I remember how that was portrayed.

How far, and how numb.

By and large, the standard for presidential cabinet nominees remained pretty much the same for the next 24 years. Yes, there were exception and fights, but they were all pretty much within a realm of generally agree upon decency — be it political philosophy, or personal character issues.

There was a bit of a paradigm shift in 2016. I mean, sure, Jeff Sessions (for example) as AG was considered pretty radical, but the “establishment” held. It held because the modern assumption in Washington, D.C. had always been “deference” to the incoming president. To the victor go the spoils. And there were plenty of people in the Trump 2016 picks that fit that bill. Very conservative? Yes. Sane? Also, yes.

We know what happened to those people as Trump squeezed behind the Resolute desk. Picked off one by one. Even Sessions didn’t make it. And after January 6^th he had virtually no one left because no one ever thought someone could survive that kind of treason.

We know what happened there too.

How far, and how numb.

Here we are, with Trump picks and Trump nominees who have to confirmed by the Senate in the “advise and consent” clause of the United States Constitution.

How bad is it, you ask?

Fucking bad.

There’s very few of the choices that you could even throw up as “normal” until now — including Trump 1.0.

In a normal world, Marco Rubio would be an acceptable nominee for Secretary of State. On paper, he is. He’s well within the general norms on foreign policy. But, he’s also been castrated by Trump, and will do his master’s bidding or be fired. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee he will fly though.

But, there’s that eunuch bit…

How dumb and how numb.

Not so long ago, even some of these Ambassador picks would be shocking. Don’t get me wrong, most of our political history is bereft with donors taking ambassadorships. Even before Trump it’s been the last vestige of terrible, old-school, Tammany Hall politics.

But, even here, there are some comical and terrible choices. Jared’s dad to France is something. I assume this is the first (pardoned) criminal to take the position. Unless, you included Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, etc. were considered “criminals” by the Crown in the late 1770s.

The MSM is also virtually ignoring the Departments of Interior, HUD, Education, Commerce, and Labor.

Why?

Numb.

Because it's just a “given” that that these nominees aren't just antithetical to those departments, but will actively try to destroy them. The ramifications of all that? Apparently, not important. Wait until we key in on the "division" people just below cabinet level. Just a cavalcade of some mixture of inept, influenced, and evil…

But, numb and dumb.

We know the BIG FISH here. But, still worth noting:

KENNEDY @ HHS

What hasn’t been said?

Answer: The Russia connection, maybe?

Robert Kennedy Jr. is a fucking nut. He’s a loon. Total, beyond the pale, loon. Not just vaccines, but virtually everything. He and Musk are the poster boys for this Deep Generalist Idiots (Rich Edition) that is hard to even comprehend. It’s an amazing VSOP blend of conspiracy, power, and shame.

The damage of RFK simply "being" there at HHS is incalculable. The “win” with this rapist douche bag is that he’s pro-Polio virus. Okay. But, everything else, including autism, is on the table.

If there's a communicable health crisis? God help us.

HEGSETH @ DOD

Qualifications, addiction, and rape aside, total this dude is a total White Christian Nationalist. Judge him by the tattoos or the hours of books, podcasts, and interviews that are all right there.

This is a guy who will purge the military.

And wants to.

There’s been lots of “floating” of a “patriot”-type of commission that will make recommendations to Trump. Note, that as Commander-in-Chief, Trump can fire any and all generals. What he’s looking for is cover.

Cover for what?

Power, first and foremost. But, also tied to DEPORTATIONS. Given the tabloid nature, he may not make it. But, know that there’s another radicalized idiot behind him.

GABBARD @ DNI

I guess the "upside" to having a virtual foreign asset leading our intelligence is that we're shifting over to the bad guys anyway. If there’s any pick that is a “tell,” this is it.

That this person would be picked for the Director of National Intelligence — the office all intel flows through — is beyond comprehension. This is the equivalent of FDR putting a potential Nazi in charge of our secrets. Or Kennedy or Regan doing the same for a Communist.

This is NOT a good sign.

BONDI @ AG

This is Gaetz without the rape. Our Justice Department will be run by an unqualified Trump hack who believes in ALL the conspiracies. So that is just a general edict to “root out” all the “deep state” actors and purify the department. The Garland “I don’t know anything about anything” will be a nice template to follow.

RATCLIFFE @ CIA

All over Project 25. Deep in ‘20 steal. True believer.

I mean, where do you think this is all going? On paper, at least, the CIA is forbidden to spy on Americans unless very specific benchmarks are cleared. Some of those benchmarks are what has incensed Trump since 2016. The Obama “spying” on him, culminating with Russia, Russia, Russia…

Pretty easy to see where this is going. I’ve been wrong far too many times, but when you add…

PATEL @ FBI

…it’s hard to downplay shit.

Especially when the entire “MAGA-Verse” is foaming for it.

So, Kash Patel.

Yes, J Edgar Hoover was terrible. But, he was "of the times" and subtly played/blackmailed all sides within the system. The FBI inherently records everything, via recordings or notes. And Hoover made a point to know everything and be the puppet-master behind the scenes.

Frankly, I think Trump more in common with Hoover than you would think given his relationship with David Pecker of the National Enquirer, but that’s all lost now.

To the point. Kash will not only purge the FBI but likely turn it into some KGB/SS hybrid. EVERYTHING under the Justice Department is the scariest part of all this.
Because, THIS is where Dictatorships starts.

And it starts when people are numb, dumb, and out of the game.

Let’s not do that.

That begs the obvious question what can you do? Let’s be honest. There’s only so much normal folks like you and me can do to stop a cabinet nominee. Putting pressure on a few R senators would be the usual route. If you live in Alaska or Maine it wouldn’t hurt to call your senators office and voice your opinion. But, sadly, those traditional pressure points don’t work like they used to.

Republicans are much more worried of being primaried from the right then they of Democrats in a general election. And even so-called “moderates” like Collins and Murkowski seem impervious to pressure. They’d just as soon quit.

It’s up to Dems in the senate to rake these people over the coals and just maybe create a groundswell against them. And that’s where you do come in. News organizations DO follow what’s trending on social media. So, if you’re posting, liking, and sharing your negative views about these candidates your ARE helping in a small way. If you haven’t been on this under-the-radar mission you can start by sharing this little overview.

It may not sink any of these nominees, but even educating the general population a little bit can help in the long-term in damaging the Trump administration and showing it as the cabal of kooks and extremists that it is.