Biden Taps Susan Rice As Domestic Policy Adviser, Denis McDonough For VA | Talking Points Memo

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is naming Susan Rice as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, giving her broad sway over his administration’s approach to immigration, health care and racial inequality and elevating the prominence of the position in the West Wing.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1348535

Susan Rice has an ownership stake in Comet Ping Pong Pizza. Just sayin’…

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A Foreign Policy expert selected as a Domestic Policy Adviser?
I have a whole-lot to say, but will save it for a later time…but; having-said-that- it feels like Joe Biden is listening to too many disparate voices advising on which Minorities to place in his administration- where…and not placing the talent where it belongs:

A delicate two-step-dance to place historically overlooked Minority talent…all-the-while knowing the reflexive push-back from the GOP controlled Senate, come confirmation time.

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Susan Rice excels at whatever tasks she takes on.
She will be a Force To Be Reckoned With.

McDonough is a skilled manager, which is what the VA needs.
Being a veteran offers no particular set of skills to managing the VA, so his lack of service is a red herring.

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I can already see zero confirmations for any cabinet (or judicial) appointments if Rethugliklans maintain control of the Senate. It’ll be just a continuation of America Held Hostage: The Mitch McConnell Story, Part II.

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Next to look out for is Secretary of Labor; In the running is Julie A. Su-California’s Secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. She has an incredible resume but DISMAL record with California’s EDD. This year’s horrendous roll-out of benefits using antiquated technology…she functioned like a true Bureaucrat with zero awareness about the impact on millions of Californians: We literally LOATHE her here.

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Here’s just hoping he has a keen awareness of the rather horrendous experiences a majority of Vets ( every age and service branch) have in dealing with the Veteran’s Administration obtaining information and services.

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Who is we?

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Rice was never going to get through the Senate confirmation, it would just be a replay of the Benghazi hearings…which is of course completely unfair, as she honestly reported what they thought at that moment had happened. Republicans don’t care though, they will use any flimsy excuse to block every Biden nomination. This way, Rice is a power on policy…it’s an interesting choice not to put her in a foreign policy seat, but she’s sharp so she probably will do well.

Overall, Biden’s picks seem reasonably balanced…people can complain about every one in some way, but that was going to be true no matter who was selected. The most important thing is that it’s a diverse group, selected with care and reason, who will be ready to fix the mess as soon as they start. It’s far different from the current Cabinet, that’s for damn sure.

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Someone more cleaver than me could do a mash up of Mitch McConnell and Ayatollah.

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OOOOOOOO EEEEEEEEEEE…the appt. of Susan Rice is gonna make their teeny tiny little Republican butt hurt brains explode!

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Nah, there’s nothing in it for Mitch to wholesale deny cabinet nominations. If he tried anything like it, Joe could just (with Nancy’s help) declare a recess and make them all recess appointments. Mitch will be an obstinate motherfucker as always, but he’ll pick his targets with a little more specificity and slowball all of them.

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I think Biden is playing a long game with Rice. This position is good for her because it allows her to gain some domestic policy experience as she prepares to run for something in a couple of years.

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Totally agree. I’m not sure what being a veteran brings to the table in what is an administrative role. What is required is great managerial skills, not combat ones.

Nah, I don’t see that happening. There appear to be at least two or three Republicans who aren’t interested in destroying democracy and I would think that at least a couple of them understand the power they wield if they don’t engage in nonstop obstruction. Plus, Biden could appoint his picks as “acting” just as his predecessor has.

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The way our country has crumbled have foreign policy experience should stand her well in dealing with this form of extremism that has taken hold of our country.

And for those that are complaining about Biden’s administration shaping up to be Obama 2.0 we should be so lucky. Obama brought in young talented people, that only got better with serving. These folks know how to get things done now, better than before. They know how the machine works and should work.
This election saw the winning candidate win by the largest number of votes ever cast, but it also didn’t result total Biden domination. So buck up and face the fact that Biden will have to deal with Republicans/McConnell. I believe that Biden won the nomination and the Presidency because he can bring some balance back to our governing after living with an off the rails Trump and his maladministration. Things always change, but we don’t need an earth quaking shift back to the left, we need a sure and experience Captain and crew to get us back on course.

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This is an opportunity to round out her policy experience so she can have a truly encyclopedic technocratic background should she decide to run for any office in the future.

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The VA has suffered through several retired Generals as Secretary of the VA. Being a Veteran doesn’t mean you are going to be a good VA secretary. Retired Generals have something in common people overlook. They are RETIRED.

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She’ll be “unmasking” the nefarious plot.

“Confirmation time”
Once Rice is confirmed for this domestic policy role she can then be moved to State Dept. without the need to confirm.

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