Pence Hires Fixer Chief of Staff as Trump Falls Apart

[babylonsister]

Pence Hires Fixer Chief of Staff as Trump Falls Apart
Thirty-four-year-old Nick Ayers has been a behind-the-scenes player in Vice President Mike Pence’s political circle, and now he’s about to take center stage as his chief of staff.
Patricia Murphy
07.14.17 6:15 AM ET


For many Republicans in Donald Trump’s Washington, Vice President Mike Pence has been the ax behind the glass you’re supposed to break in case of emergency: solid, sharp, and there to save you when the place is going up in flames.

Now, as the Trump White House has become engulfed in one media firestorm after another, Pence is bringing in a new chief of staff, a veteran political operative who Pence loyalists expect will help him manage one of the thinnest, highest tightropes in Washington—balancing the vice president’s need to be loyal to a president who requires it, while keeping his own brand and capital strong enough to stand on its own.

The man on the way to fill that role is Nick Ayers, a 34-year-old political consultant who has helped more than a dozen top Republicans in around the country launch, rescue, or cement their political careers, including Mike Pence.

If Ayers’ name is new to casual observers, it isn’t all new to anyone working in Washington. In 2007, Ayers burst onto the scene as the 24-year-old executive director of the Republican Governors Association. But his political break came even earlier, when Ayers, then 19, hit it off with a longshot candidate for Georgia governor named Sonny Perdue. Perdue hired Ayers as his driver, and then won the governor’s mansion a year later. Four years later, Ayers ran Perdue’s successful reelection in 2006 and then went with Perdue to the RGA, when the Georgia governor helmed the committee tasked with electing Republicans to governors’ mansions.

During Ayers four years at the RGA, success and attention followed. The Washington Post called him “Washington's youngest important operative.” Some of his fellow young conservatives, like Matt Lewis, called him “the most hated campaign operative in America,” complaining that young Ayers’ track record didn’t warrant the hype.

more...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/pence-hires-fixer-chief-of-staff-as-trump-falls-apart

[Solly Mack]

1. Not too long ago he was thinking of running for governor of Georgia.

I'm sure he has eyes on the oval as well one day. (Ayers)

I hope reporters are digging around for dirt on him.

The thought of a president Pence is nauseating, but then Trump is nauseating too.

Both are horrible in their own ways.

The Reality show Troll and the Theocrat.

Sick, sick, sick.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Pence is trying to get some distance and insulation, fast

[NightWatcher]

3. The best way to distance is to go on the attack

How long before repukes start turning on trump?

Do you think there's kompremat on pence too?

[Gabi Hayes]

4. Man o manischevitz!

[Blue_Tires]

6. Yeah, there's Russian dirt on Pence

but ironically not nearly as much dirt as there is on Paul Ryan and his PAC... Comparatively speaking, Pence is a minnow right now, and he's smart enough to not risk his loyalty to Trump (and loyalty is the only thing that Trump ever cared about) by going full attack...

And the Repubs will only turn on Trump when there is solid proof that supporting Trump is costing them a significant number of votes in their state to put their seats in jeopardy... But what scares me is the Repubs in congress are running things as if they'll never have to face a fair election ever again... Like they already know the cards before they're dealt.

[Kaleva]

5. Freepers have their knives out for Pence