Senate panel approves William Barr, Donald Trump’s AG pick
The Latest on William Barr’s nomination to be attorney general (all times local): 1 p.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. William Barr’s nomination was approved along party lines Thursday. It now heads to the Senate floor, where Barr is expected to be confirmed. Barr, who served as attorney general between 1991 and 1993, would succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was pushed out by Trump last year. Democrats have largely opposed Barr’s nomination, saying they want a stronger commitment from him to fully release special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report. Barr says he will release as much as he can under the law. Opponents have also cited a memo Barr wrote to the Justice Department before his nomination in which he criticized Mueller’s investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice. __ 12:12 a.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to approve William Barr’s nomination to be attorney general, a vote that is likely to be mostly along party lines as Democrats have questioned how transparent Barr will be once special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation concludes. Once the committee approves the nomination Thursday, it will head to the full Senate, where Barr is expected to be confirmed. That vote could come as soon as next week. Barr would replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was pushed out by Trump last year. Barr previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993. Democrats and many Republicans have said Mueller’s final report should be fully released. Barr has said he will be as transparent as possible under Justice Department regulations, but many Democrats are skeptical. Republished with permission from the Associated Press
Bentley-Ivey cabinet: who’s out, who’s in
When Gov. Kay Ivey assumed office last April, following the resignation of scandal-ridden former Gov. Robert Bentley, she pledged the people of Alabama that would work with them to steady the Ship of State and improve Alabama’s image. “Today is both a dark day for Alabama yet also one of opportunity. I ask for your help and patience as we together steady the Ship of State and improve Alabama’s image. Those are my first priorities as your 54th Governor,” Ivey said following her swearing-in. “There’s no doubt there’s been a dark cloud hanging over our great state. People all over the world had their eyes on Alabama, and not for the right reasons. People have lost trust in government leaders.” Part of steadying of the Ship of State has meant cleaning house of the Bentley administration as Ivey has dismissed several Cabinet and staff members. Of her 22-member Cabinet, Ivey has currently replaced nine, or 41 percent, of its members. Ivey’s cabinet as of Jan. 29, 2018: Administrator of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board: H. Mac Gipson Superintendent of State Banking Department: Mike Hill Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education: Jeana Ross Secretary of Commerce: Greg Canfield Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Chris Blankenship As of August 11, 2017 Former: Gunter Guy Commissioner of the Department of Corrections: Jeff Dunn Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs: Kenneth Boswell As of May 5, 2017 Director of the Emergency Management Agency: Brian Hastings As of September 5, 2017 Former: Art Faulkner Director of Finance: Clinton Carter Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources: Nancy Buckner Commissioner of Insurance: Jim Ridling Director of the Office of Information Technology: Jim Purcell As of July 15, 2017 Former: Joanne Hale Commissioner of the Department of Labor: Fitzgerald Washington Secretary of Law Enforcement: Hal Taylor As of August 11, 2017 Former: Stan Stabler Commissioner of the Alabama Medicaid Agency: Stephanie Azar Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health: Lynn Beshear As of July 10, 2017 Former: Jim Perdue Director of Minority Affairs: Nichelle Nix Commissioner of the Department of Revenue: Vernon Barnett As of May 12, 2017 Former: Julie Magee Commissioner of the Department of Senior Services: Todd Cotton As of July 15, 2017 Former: Neal Morrison Director of the Tourism Department: Lee Sentell Director of the Department of Transportation: John Cooper Alabama Military Department: Major General Sheryl Gordon As of July 28, 2017 * Ivey appointments in red.
Donald Trump auditions Cabinet prospects high above Manhattan
Donald Trump held court from his perch high above Manhattan on Monday, receiving a line of former rivals, longtime allies and TV executives while overseeing a presidential transition that at times resembles a reality show like the one he once hosted. Trump met with nearly a dozen prospective hires, all of whom were paraded in front of the cameras set up in the Trump Tower lobby as they entered an elevator to see the president-elect. Out of public view himself, he fell back on his TV star roots by filming a video that touted his legislative goals once he takes office. Trump; did not immediately announce any appointments after the meetings, which came on the heels of a two-day whirlwind of interviews at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. Unlike his predecessors, who often spoke with Cabinet candidates under a cloud of secrecy, Trump has turned the search into a very public audition process. The extraordinary exercise took on a routine feel on Monday: First, former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown stepped off the gold-plated elevator into the marble-coated lobby after his meeting to declare to waiting reporters that he was “the best person” to become Veterans Affairs secretary. Next, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a candidate for interior secretary, did much the same, striding off the lift to say she had “a wonderful discussion” with Trump. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry declined to speak to reporters, but he did take time for a photo with the Naked Cowboy, the underwear-sporting, guitar-strumming New York institution who is normally a fixture at Times Square but has spent recent days camped out at Trump Tower singing about the president-elect. Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned her post on the Democratic National Committee after endorsing Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton, also met with Trump but entered and exited out of sight. She later defended crossing party lines to meet with Trump about U.S. involvement in Syria, saying in a statement she would never “play politics with American and Syrian lives.” Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a longtime Trump ally, also arrived with his wife, Callista, and told reporters that he indicated to Trump that he was interested in being a “senior planner” to coordinate long-term political efforts among the Republicans in control of all three branches of government. Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said of the visitors, “Not all of them will be in his Cabinet and his federal government, but they are all incredibly important in offering their points of views, their experience and certainly their vision of the country.” No one was saying whether Trump would announce more appointments before heading to Florida for Thanksgiving. He was planning to leave Tuesday or Wednesday to spend the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate, while Vice President-elect Mike Pence will spend Thanksgiving in Mississippi, where his Marine son is stationed. Trump has largely remained out of sight since winning the election, save for a flurry of brief public appearances over the weekend, often with Pence at his side, to flash thumbs-ups and provide quick updates on his progress in building a government. He remained in the upper floors of his skyscraper Monday, seeking counsel on the phone and interviewing candidates all while keeping an eye on the cable news coverage of the day’s events. He appeared in a two-and-a-half minute video released late Monday in which he pledged to the American people that he was appointing “patriots” to his administration and reiterated a number of his campaign promises, including plans to renegotiate trade deals, scrap excessive regulations and institute a five-year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists. The video — which made no mention of key pledges to build a border wall with Mexico or repeal the Affordable Care Act — continues the president-elect’s practice of trying to go over the heads of the media and take his case directly to the American public. Since Election Day, he has twice ditched the group of reporters designated to follow his movements and has so far eschewed the traditional news conference held by the president-elect in the days after winning. Trump has not held a full-fledged news conference since July. But the media were clearly on his mind as he met with executives and on-air personalities from TV networks. He frequently singled out the media — declaring them “so dishonest” — for criticism during the campaign, but it’s not unusual for presidents to hold off-the-record meetings with journalists when trying to promote policies or programs. Among the attendees were NBC anchor Lester Holt and “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, ABC’s “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos and anchor David Muir, CBS’ “Face the Nation” host John Dickerson, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and several executives at the networks. None of the attendees would discuss the meeting with reporters in the lobby, though Conway said it was “very cordial, very productive, very congenial.” Those Trump met with over the weekend included former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a former critic now being considered for secretary of state; retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, who Trump dubbed an “impressive” prospect for defense secretary, and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, who is under consideration for Commerce secretary. “We’ve made a couple of deals,” Trump said Sunday. He gave assurances that “incredible meetings” would be bringing “incredible people” into the government. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
With Donald Trump in The White House, what’s in store for Jeff Sessions?
Now that Donald Trump has won the White House, promotions could be in store for his most loyal supporters, including Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. Though not as visible on the campaign trail as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sessions was one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of Trump’s presidential campaign, and could be offered a Cabinet position. Sessions endorsed Trump in February, becoming the first senator to back the president-elect, and he also gave Trump’s nominating speech during the Republican National Convention. Trump even named Sessions during his acceptance speech Wednesday, saying the longtime senator is a “great man” and is “highly respected in Washington because he’s as smart as you can get.” Sessions, who holds a seat on the executive committee of Trump’s transition team, could be up for a few different positions. Before becoming a U.S. senator, Sessions was the Alabama Attorney General, though serving as U.S. AG may not be the position he is looking for. Sessions also may have his eye on becoming Secretary of Defense, and he faces significantly less competition from other Trump surrogates for that position. The other Trump backer that could be up for the job, retired Army Lieutenant General Mike Flynn, is not eligible to take on the post for five more years due to his prior military service, leaving Sessions as one of the most qualified for the position among Trump’s inner circle. Of course, if Sessions were selected for a Cabinet post, it could create a domino effect in Alabama politics. If Sessions leaves the Senate, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley would get to appoint a temporary senator, though he also would have to set special election dates to find a permanent replacement. The special election could draw more than a few candidates, including some of Alabama’s congressmen, and if one of them won the race to succeed Sessions, another special election would follow to choose their successor.
