Bowsite.com

I would be fine if he followed through with the full campaign level action on the conservative stuff but its likely disappointing to expect it.

Really? You think you know him that well?

One of the main worries with Trump around the world is we have just elected a crazy man. This would go a long way to showing a serious man, not a crazy one.

I've always thought Romney would make a better cabinet memeber than POTUS (maybe).

Interesting...

He was without a doubt the WORST vote I ever cast.

The best place for him is right where he's been for the past 4 years.....irrelevant.

The Rock

My memory is a little foggy, but I think perhaps it has been suggested here in the past, oh, once or twice, that Trump isn't the anti-Establishment hero some of you have allowed yourselves to be hoodwinked into thinking that he is.

Slade, Check your PM. Thanks.

Things Romney need to apologize for ( I borrowed this from a great American)

Del Parker · Dallas, Texas Romney, like Obama, believes the way to get America's interests properly sorted out, is to offer an "Apology Tour."

OK, here's a list...

1) Apologize to the Boy Scouts at the Winter Olympics, that were not allowed to volunteer, because you caved to the homosexual lobby, who at the time was critical of the Boy Scouts exclusion of Homosexuals.

2) Apologize to all the folks that had to put up w 4 more years of Obama, because you failed to campaign, after being entrusted w the Republican Nomination.

3) Apologize for even running as a Republican, when the WSJ and others believe you should be running as the worthless Dimocrat you are.

4) Apologize to the American Black community for being the point person of interest in keeping Brigham Young University segregated for some 14 years following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

5) Apologize for stealing every campaign slogan you ever used, such as, Margaret Thatcher's "Labor's not working," becoming "Obama's not working," which was used in the face of it being pointed out by the British Press, that it was a racist and inappropriate use of Margaret Thatcher's legacy.

6) Apologize for lying about marching w Martin Luther King, when that never happened.

7) Apologize for asking Americans to entrust you w the job of Sec of State, when you can not even be trusted to vote for the Republican Nominee of the Party you pretended to represent 4 years ag

You're making an awfully big assumption when you assume that Trump is a "non-establishment" president. Cripes, he's picked the RNC head - ULTRA-Establishment Reince - as his Chief of Staff. Nothing could be a better indicator that Trump is not anti-Establishment. Sure, maybe his campaign rhetoric intended to sell the notion he was anti-Establishment, but as with so many of his campaign "promises" and rhetoric, some of you are going to discover to your disappointment that it was lies.

Despite you whining, there is no indication Romney will be SOS,

Give it up!

I'm not pulling for Romney to be SOS. He's a Liberal. Though he would be better than some of the others under consideration for the post.

By the way, anyone but me think it's unseemly for Trump's advisers and his campaign manager to be so publicly attacking Romney and opposing him for the post? Shouldn't that be something that is deliberated internally with Trump? Gingrich, Huckabee, Conway, who continued her anti-Romney crusade on the Sunday morning shows this morning. Well, there was a story not long ago quoting anonymous sources inside the Trump campaign that the only way to actually get through to him on anything is through the media. So I guess maybe that is the operative intent here, continue to pillory Romney publicly through the media until Trump finally gets the message and decides not to nominate Romney? You have to think those advisers believe Trump is very seriously considering nominating Romney, otherwise they wouldn't be on this continuing "kick Romney" crusade.

Strange & disturbing. Going to be a turbulent next 4 years.

At what?? Origami? Enacting state run health care?

He needs to go away.

Exactly how deep does the hypocrisy run? Hillary a traitor, she put classified information and the nation at risk with her emails.... but our guy, like Trump... hey, it was just about sex..... never mind, nothing to see here, he's cool.... This isn't 3 strikes an your out..... this is a job where the HINT of a strike and you're out.... Maybe he's a good guy.... I don't know. Maybe some other position, although his strength being what it is..... what would he actually have clearance for? Advisory maybe? What clearance should an adviser need? Again, I don't know. SOS would be insanity.

I think Trump has made a few good appointments of good qualified people. He should continue that and quit making this some BS reality TV show no matter his inclinations..... and no matter how many of his voters wanted that....

Thanks for the laugh!

Steve Bannon is not a conservative. He's the brains behind the trillion+ $ infrastructure spending plan, that he was quoted as saying would drive the conservatives in Congress "crazy". FDR would be proud.

Who that may be, I don't know. We need a fair and strong diplomat for that position. Not some milqutoast like the last couple have been.

Nationalist Populism does not="Constitutional Conservatism". Something about which you are apparently confused.

"The left has painted him so far to the right he makes Reagan look like Carter."

I don't form my opinions of people from what the "Left" say about them, I let the words of the people themselves inform my opinion of them. There are plenty available for Bannon, just like for Trump.

If Trump passes on Rudy that will be his first built in banana peel that he slipped on.

The Rock

All the brouhaha over the alleged rifts within the Trump transition over Mitt Romney misses the point. I think it is theatre, a distraction by the same man who was able to direct media attention where he wanted it all throughout the campaign.

Donald Trump has a plan that eludes his critics, who can’t help thinking about politics the way it has always been played and still do not grasp his thinking nor the range of new tools he brings to the presidency.

The Department of State is badly broken and desperately needs to be fixed. State requires fundamental restructuring as well as the departure of many entrenched figures whose goals and beliefs are antagonistic to realistic confrontation with Islamic jihad and the generations-long efforts of Muslim states to "wipe Israel off the map." The State Department is full of people called "Arabists," who instinctively blame Israel when it is attacked and defends itself and who presume that the U.S. should attend to the prejudices of hundreds of millions of Arab Muslims because they are so populous, and because they have oil and have funded an amazing number of sinecures for retired bureaucrats with generous compensation and few demands (other than reflexive support whenever an issue arises).

This is just a start on enumerating the problems, for the Middle East is not the only problem ahead, merely the oldest. There are serious issues with Russia, China, North Korea, and Venezuela, among major problems for U.S. diplomacy.

Arnold Cusmariu today makes the case that John Bolton is the man to reform the State Department while implementing President-Elect Trump's policies. I am a great admirer of Bolton and would be happy if he were to get the job. But even though I am much closer to Bolton's politics than Mitt Romney's, the former governor's skill set seems ideal for the job ahead.

First of all, my assumption is that when he assumes the presidency, Donald Trump will largely make foreign policy from the White House, a move with much precedent. He would do this by using the National Security Council staff, who do not require Senate confirmation, and who can operate quicker and more flexibly than the barnacle-encrusted State Department protocols allow.

Mitt Romney as secretary of state would focus not on policy, but on doing to the State Department what he has done to poorly performing companies: close down entire segments of the organization and reorganize what the survivors do around re-thought goals and procedures. This is a formidable art, and one that Romney is an acknowledged master of, thanks to his many years at Bain Capital, buying companies and turning them around. He has deep experience in refocusing on what matters most and the most effective ways to accomplish the redefined priorities.

It helps a lot to be a total stranger if you are making ruthless cuts. Bolton's experience at the State Department could be a plus in many ways, but also his human relationships could be an obstacle for sweeping change. He would be only a phone call away from Romney, were the latter to need his advice. The portrait of Romney painted by the Obama campaign in 2012 could be turned to advantage if State Department employees started sending out their résumés in anticipation of Mitt the Knife forcing them out.

Donald Trump has endured a certain amount of mockery for saying that Romney "looks like" a secretary of state, but I take the remark as an indication that he intends to make unprecedented use of the media in his foreign policy (and everywhere else in his administration). Remember that he understands reality television's appeal better than anyone else in politics. And for better or worse, a sizable chunk – probably a majority – of the public apprehends politics at the level of TV drama, with heroes and villains, and especially with victims.

Donald Trump is spending a lot of time with Mitt Romney, and the two are to dine together. I think this suggests that the president-elect is using his formidable persuasion powers to explain to Mitt what the job he has in mind will look like and solicit Romney's formidable intelligence and experience in the task ahead.

The master showman is also a master persuader (hat tip: Scott Adams). I think he has big plans for big changes at State, and he thinks Romney is the guy to do it.

I found the uncropped version of that Trump and Romney photo. pic.twitter.com/VdeLh3QnB1

— neontaster (@neontaster) November 30, 2016

I'm old enough to remember when Trumpists thought that Ted Cruz's wife working for Goldman Sachs as a financial adviser to the wealthy meant that Cruz would be a tool of the one-world globalist cabal. My, how things change, huh? I can. not. wait to hear the rationalizations and excuses for why this is a super smart move totally in line with the "anti-Establishment" theme of his campaign for President and why this proves Trump is playing chess while everyone else is playing candyland.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/11/trump-could-pick-goldman-sachs-president-231995

"Trump considering Goldman Sachs president for top post"

Maybe this guy is, I don't know.

Yes, a cabinet with multiple big government Democrats in it and multiple Establishment, career Washington GOP types could only be described as "one very conservative Cabinet".

Trax, you are seriously in need of a self-awareness injection.

Let me paraphrase.... "I have no TOT's and you keep telling me things that make me feel uncomfortable."

For starters, they're still moving a bunch of jobs to Mexico. Secondly, "a good thing" for who? And what is your measuring stick? Limited, Constitutional Government? If that is not your measuring stick, then sure, anything like this can be spun as good. If you're in favor of free trade and free market capitalism, though, then "government inducements" (aka Taxpayer Cash infusions) to convince a company to stay and do business somewhere it couldn't reasonably do so without taxpayer subsidies, then no, that is not a good thing.

"I'll bet the people that work for Carrier appreciate Trumps efforts."

I have no doubt of that. Is that the measuring stick for whether something is right for the government to do or not? Because if it is, then I'm sure there's a lot of people in America who would really appreciate the Treasury opening it's doors and letting them come in and walk out with as much money as they can carry. Should Donald Trump just write an executive order outlawing a company's ability to fire or lay off workers? I'm sure America's workers would really "appreciate" Trump's efforts in that regard.

"He attacks the "evil rich", how dare they be allowed in Trump's inner circle! Vilify the evil rich and all accomplished conservative operatives"

I never said a single thing about the "evil rich", and what I said about Trump's cabinet picks doesn't remotely have to do with their wealth status. I'd love to be rich myself, and hope someday to get to that point. I think it's wonderful that Mitt Romney and others have the opportunity in America to gain wealth and have taken good advantage of that opportunity. Good for them. That doesn't mean they are remotely "Conservatives".

"Trump is putting together a truly conservative and very accomplished Cabinet"

"accomplishment" doesn't equal "conservative", otherwise there are lots and lots of people who are eligible for Trump's cabinet whom I don't want anywhere near the White House.

Trax, I don't know what your occupational status is, but you would make a fabulous Trump lackey in his office of DIS-information (aka Propaganda). Your natural eagerness to defend him in the face of actual facts to the contrary would make you right at home in that department. Frankly, you make Baghdad Bob look like a bloody amateur.

You don't base your whole campaign around being an "outsider", "anti-establishment", rail constantly against the elite and international bankers, and then once you're elected hire a whole menagerie for your cabinet of the types of people you railed against your whole campaign. A lot of you people have been saying till you're blue in the face that Trump isn't a politician. I said he was, and he's proving it in spades right now with his easy ability to bring career Washington and Establishment hands into his cabinet despite railing against those people the whole campaign, and fooling ya'll all along while he was doing it.

If only anyone would have warned us he perhaps wasn't what he seemed and didn't intend to keep his promises....

Mr Trump, this is bullshit. Can you hire someone who doesn't work for Goldman Sachs?

What about that swamp? Huh? https://t.co/t2QkXsrtBy

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) November 30, 2016

I won't go along with you. Nor will I apologize for not doing so. All politicians should be judged by the same standard regardless of their party affiliation (or their pretended party affiliation, as in Trump's case). Failure by anyone to do just exactly that renders their future complaints and criticisms against politicians in the "opposition" party as null and void, completely bereft of moral authority or meaning.