Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy predicted that President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general would be rejected by the Republican Senate next year.
    • Em Adespoton
      58·
      1 month ago

      I’d say the comparison between Edison and Musk is pretty spot-on. Both were men who were better at taking credit and monetizing an idea than at improving things for the common people.

      https://www.grunge.com/250292/the-shady-side-of-thomas-edison/

      Besides Edison’s famous rivalry with Tesla, he also made a LOT of money as a patent troll. He’d buy patents for cheap from starving inventors and then sue anyone who made anything remotely similar. He’s even the one responsible for the precursor to the MPAA - the Motion Picture Patent Company.

      Like Musk, Edison wasn’t stupid, and had some business sense. He knew how to take advantage of others, and had no reservations for doing so if it got him further ahead. He wasn’t above ruining someone’s reputation if he couldn’t beat them at technology or business.

  • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    61·
    1 month ago

    So Trump gave Gaetz an AG nomination in order to give him a reason to resign from Congress abruptly and immediately. And by sheer coincidence, he does so right beofre a scathing report was about to come out that would have taken a giant shit on his head. But Golly Gee Darn, ethics rules say that since Gaetz quit the report remains sealed and out of public view, sparing Gaetz from a life on the sex offender registry.

    I’m not worried, though. I’m sure all of this is on the up-and-up and has nothing to do with Trump helping Gaetz make his own charges go away in exchange for future loyalty. I’m sure that a future AG Gaetz would absolutely avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest and recuse himself from investigations into himself and Trump, and Trump is in no way just trying to install a puppet who will follow his commands without question.

      • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
        12·
        1 month ago

        Tomorrow. There had been a House Ethics Committee investigation into his antics, which was just wrapping up. But that committee can only investigate House members, so now that he isn’t anymore they may not be able to release that report.

        He is in the unique position that his political career may actually improve after resigning a House seat but getting his nomination torpedoed by the Senate. He can make a living off listing off his grievances on Conservative talk shows, biding his time for the 2028 Presidential Nomination.

        • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          1 month ago

          but getting his nomination torpedoed by the Senate

          He will not get his nomination torpedoed by the Senate. By doing this, Trump has ensured that he has an AG that will do his bidding without question, since Trump will be able to hang this investigation over his head to keep him in line.

          This is why Trump was demanding recess appointments a few days ago. This is why Tuberville is threatening to torpedo careers of Senators who don’t fall in line. This is a test for Republicans to get back in Trump’s good graces until he demands another loyalty pledge. He will either remain as “acting” AG and stay that way for Trump’s whole term, he’ll be appointed in a recess appointment, or dissenting senators will fall in line to save their political careers (and possibly their safety, as many of them have already confessed to being threatened).

          And this won’t even be to “own the libs”. Heck, he doesn’t give half a shit about Gaetz outside of his usefulness as an AG puppet. If not Gaetz, there was always Cannon. Or Jim Jordan. Tuberville. Plenty of suck-ups to choose from. It’s just that Gaetz just happens to be the suck-up that’s also the easiest to blackmail if push were to come to shove.

          This will be Trump’s way of making sure that republicans know who’s calling the shots. This is Trump’s way of telling republicans that the train isn’t stopping. This is Trump’s first loyalty test for them. This will tell Trump who needs to be purged and who can be trusted in the party. Trump just put his dick out on the table, and told Republicans that if you want careers, you had better get in line to pet it.

          Mark my words, one way or the other, they’ll all line up.

      • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        1 month ago

        Sometime last night. He allegedly quit abruptly and immediately in preparation for the AG role he was nominated by Trump for, because abruptly quitting in the middle of the night without warning is what all nominees do, don’t you know…

        In completely unrelated news, the house Ethics committee was about to release a report about his involvement in underage sex trafficking, among other criminal activity. And wouldn’t you know it? Committee rules prohibit the release of that report since he’s no longer a member of Congress. Complete coincidence, I’m sure.

        • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          1 month ago

          Committee rules prohibit the release of that report since he’s no longer a member of Congress.

          That has to be the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard in my life. Why in the hell would that be a rule? They could have all kinds of damning evidence and he walks because he quit in time?

          WTAF.

    • paddirn@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      1 month ago

      And the ani-vaxxxer guy with brain worms from running Health and Human Services. Or the convicted felon from becoming President.

  • AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space
    28·
    1 month ago

    My theory: Gaetz’ nomination was suggested by Trump’s GRU handler as a smokescreen for ensuring GRU asset Gabbard’s nomination glides through unchallenged.

  • _stranger_@lemmy.world
    171·
    1 month ago

    I hope they fail, not because accelerationism, but because Republicans lack empathy. They only get it when it happens to them, and I want the “moderate” and “traditional” Republicans to feel exactly like the girls Ge aetz creeps on: powerless and alone.

    Maybe then they’ll understand what the sane half of the country has been yelling about.

    • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      1 month ago

      The only way to stop the nomination is for a Republican sentator on the relevant committee to vote no, or for 4 Republican Senators to vote no if it leaves committee. What are the odds of that?

      • Furball@sh.itjust.works
        71·
        1 month ago

        Very likely. This guy does not have the support and multiple Republican senators have said they won’t confirm him.

      • Billiam@lemmy.world
        3·
        1 month ago

        Well I’m certain Susan Collins will do her dog-and-pony show of pretending to care about women again, and Murkowski will probably also object. It would be amusing, given the bad blood between them, if McCarthy had any allies in the Senate who would knife Gaetz.

    • very_well_lost@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      1 month ago

      Some Senate Republicans are signaling that they won’t vote for him, and it wouldn’t surprise me all that much if 4 Rs defect to block his confirmation.

      Of course, Trump can and will still force him through as a recess appointment (fitting, giving Gaetz’ track record on consent) which will secure him as AG at least until the midterms when the balance of power in the Senate will inevitably shift again.

      • egerlach
        6·
        1 month ago

        My understanding is that there hasn’t been a technical Senate recess in a long time. I think there b has to be a 5 day gap or something, so one senator stays in DC, calls the Senate to order, then adjourns it. Something like that.

        • very_well_lost@lemmy.worldEnglish
          61·
          1 month ago

          That’s true, but Trump’s team is already lobbying the incoming majority leader to call an intentional recess so he can ram through all the appointments he wants without any Senate oversight.

          Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t bet money on the new majority leader standing up to Trump on day one, right after he was elected with a significant mandate and handed full control of the legislative branch to Republicans. More likely, Thune will fold to whatever Trump demands until the the political winds begin to shift and Republicans need to start playing defense for the midterms. At that point we might start to see the Senate push back on Trump’s agenda if his approval ratings have gotten are low enough and the Dems have gotten their act together enough to run some decent congressional campaigns.

          • egerlach
            2·
            1 month ago

            Yeah, I just saw news about that last night. If he can make recess appointments it’s all over.

    • Ajen@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      1 month ago

      McConnell already blocked Trump’s ally from becoming the leader of the house. They voted yesterday, and the next senate majority leader is John Thune, who has criticized Trump for Jan 6 and for claiming the 2020 election was stolen. He was also against Trump’s tarrifs 6 years ago. Thankfully the senate doesn’t seem to be ending up under Trump’s control, and the checks and balances in our government might actually be working.

  • Etterra@lemmy.world
    5·
    1 month ago

    Good. Because of of all the stupid appointments he’s ever made, that one’s the must stupid be an order of magnitude.

    • Drusas@fedia.io
      3·
      1 month ago

      I think appointing a political commentator to lead the world’s most powerful military might be worse.

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      I don’t know about that. There is a lot of stupid in the running here. Gabbard? Not sure where Brainworms is at right now. Same with Elon’s role in “efficiency”…I mean the guy with actual brainworms, in charge of health and food safety? Elon, the guy who is running Xitter into the ground, in charge of “efficiency”?

      FFS.