General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWould you encourage Biden to appoint Republicans to cabinet if it means flipping the Senate?
Ponder this...
If the Republicans control the Senate with 51 or 52 seats, there is one ploy a President Biden could try. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Richard Burr (R-NC) have all announced that they will not seek reelection in 2022. Biden could offer one or more of them cabinet positions. It just so happens that all three of their states have Democratic governors. In Pennsylvania and North Carolina, the governor appoints the new senator, who would surely be a Democrat. In Wisconsin, there is a special election, which a Democrat would have a decent shot at winning.
Baitball Blogger
(46,700 posts)It's time to give Mitch McConnell a bad day.
flor-de-jasmim
(2,125 posts)SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)Then fire the mofo!
ret5hd
(20,491 posts)SpankMe
(2,957 posts)634-5789
(4,175 posts)BBG
(2,535 posts)Worst thing that happens is he has to fire them later on. Best case the take it and we flip the seat then he fires them.
yardwork
(61,599 posts)Ain't gonna happen.
EVDebsforPresident
(49 posts)Historic NY
(37,449 posts)Burr because MCConnell screwed over him might be a likely choice.
mtngirl47
(988 posts)Ron Johnson needs to be investigated for his ties to Russia and put in jail.
There. Fixed it for you.
carpetbagger
(4,391 posts)Orangepeel
(13,933 posts)Ron Johnson is a straight up Russian stooge.
besides, they'd never take it.
sweetloukillbot
(11,009 posts)And would they want the jobs?
Fiendish Thingy
(15,587 posts)Assuming we are only 1 seat from a majority.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)President. He knows the Senators and he knows how to work with them because hes always done that.
It would also be a brilliant undermining action that would weaken assholes like McConnell.
C_U_L8R
(44,999 posts)Plus Romney should just switch parties.
rzemanfl
(29,556 posts)I don't think any Repuke Senator would do it.
I've thought about that....maybe colonizing the uncivilized areas of the nation.
True Blue American
(17,984 posts)Would have to have a Democratic Governor.
C_eh_N_eh_D_eh
(2,204 posts)And if they refuse publicly (which they would, with evidence no less), it would make Biden look like an idiot for trying it in the first place.
Fiendish Thingy
(15,587 posts)No on Burr, as NC has law requiring Gov. to appoint replacement from same party.
That leaves Toomey. I wouldnt have a problem with Biden appointing him to a low profile cabinet slot like Transportation or Small Business Administration.
rwheeler31
(6,242 posts)one to consider and he may want to run for president. Interesting idea though, we need to think of every angle.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,853 posts)McTurtle would probably bribe them to stay.
BruceWane
(345 posts)Sure, in theory.
In reality, every one of those guys is a scumbag, and none of those guys would accept the position.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)Retrograde
(10,133 posts)we want to see in a Biden administration? I doubt it.
DFW
(54,358 posts)True Dough
(17,302 posts)Buckeye_Democrat
(14,853 posts)napi21
(45,806 posts)Obviously some cabinet positions, like the AG & HHS, he would NEVER put a Pub in, but there are some cabinet spots, maybe SBA & Trade Rep.
LizBeth
(9,952 posts)I am telling you, with Republicans actively working to take my health care and leave me to die, broke and penniless, I do not want a damn thing form them. fuck them. If I am saying fuck them, to my Republican family, I certainly feel it about the fuckers that laugh when talking about those of us without jobs because of covid going hungry and being homeless.
So to answer your question. No.
And Joe, yes, for people like me they very much are my enemy.
KatyMan
(4,190 posts)Appoint acting secretaries. I truly hope this "Republicans aren't our enemy" noise was just playing nice for the election. Dems need to run the country using the R playbook. Fuck them. Every time we reached across the aisle we got our hand bit off, because the Republican definition of compromise is "do it our way". We can't keep that up.
DUgosh
(3,055 posts)Although only those shady senators with Democratic governors - they can always be fired
msongs
(67,395 posts)L.Pharmstrong
(152 posts)She might take it to stick it to McConnell and appear the conciliator. I offered this last night.
meadowlander
(4,394 posts)to appoint a senator from a different party to the one that was elected for the seat.
I don't see it happening.
Also Richard Burr should be in jail, not the cabinet.
Response to True Dough (Original post)
pinkstarburst This message was self-deleted by its author.
rustbeltvoice
(430 posts)Johnson of Wisconsin--hell no! Yes, any state where a Democratic governor can appoint a Democrat. Achieve 50 Democratic senators, as soon as those are sworn --the Repukes are expendable. Then govern. All appointees serve at the pleasure of the president. They can whine if they want to, but it means nothing. Active Republicans are not to be trusted.
lanlady
(7,134 posts)Plus, the resulting abuse and threats from right-wing nut jobs wouldn't be worth the trouble.
For the next couple of years, President Biden will have to appeal directly to the American people to put pressure on GOP Senators to do the right thing. He needs a pitch-perfect messaging campaign. And then we go all out to flip the Senate in 2022. What a shame that eluded us this year!
jmowreader
(50,555 posts)As well as any GOP senators that have Democratic governors.
After their replacements have been seated, President Biden calls them in one at a time... "You're an asshole. I don't need any assholes in my Cabinet. You're fired."
Tarc
(10,476 posts)It's time to let this fantasy go.
Cuthbert Allgood
(4,921 posts)And by that, I mean FUCK HIM. He is the fucking worst. If Biden put him in the cabinet, it would be the single most fucking ridiculous thing I have seen.
In case I was unclear. FUCK RON JOHNSON.
karynnj
(59,502 posts)The ONLY way it would make sense is if there is no deal with the Governor to honor the "choice of the people" by selecting someone similar to the person stepping down. (ie Phil Scott has said he would pick an independent to replace Sanders (and yes, I am completely aware that there are independents on the right!) In addition, it has to be for a position where their history shows that they agree with the policies that Joe Biden would want propagated. (best example I can think of though it would never have happened is President Obama (or President Kerry had that happened) putting McCain in the Veterans position.)
Here, I can think of NO department where "Club for Growth" Toomey would work -- and he is the best of the three! Burr has ethics issues - while Trump may not think that an issue, Biden should and I sincerely hope will care. Ron Johnson is a right wing nut case. There is NOWHERE that he fits.
Susan Collins has a Democratic governor. She once was a genuine moderate. I wonder if Secretary of Agriculture would work. The question would be if she is good on all the issues in this department, including SNAP ( the successor of Food Stamps)