2:00PM Water Cooler 11/20/2024 | bare capitalism

“Trump’s casting name as he builds out his administration: TV expertise most popular” [Associated Press]. ” There’s a standard trait that President-elect Donald Trump is clearly prizing as he selects these to serve in his new administration: expertise on tv. Trump loves that ‘central casting’ look, as he likes to name it…. [He’s] working to arrange a extra forceful administration on this time period, and in his eyes, a lot of these individuals occur to intersect with movie star…. The White Home-to-cable information pundit pipeline tends to chop throughout administrations of each events, to some extent. President Joe Biden had three MSNBC contributors on his transition crew and his former press secretary went to the community after she left the White Home. Biden, although, appeared to profession diplomats, longtime authorities staff and army leaders for key posts just like the Protection Division.” • You can argue, I suppose, that the social capital intrinsic to movie star provides these appointments a sure autonomy; they’ll at all times return on cable or safe an “Orange Man Unhealthy”-type ebook deal. In fact, this cuts in opposition to the “loyalist” narrative. Readers, what do you assume?

“Trump reconsiders Treasury Secretary nomination, might not select pro-crypto” [Binance]. • Think about respiratory a sigh of reduction that we’re getting some non-public fairness weasel, and never some crypto bro.

“Elon Musk’s endorsement of a Treasury secretary candidate has reportedly rubbed Trump’s individuals the improper approach” [Fortune]. “Regardless of the obvious unease of some Trump staffers with Musk’s actions, there isn’t a proof that any rift has shaped between Musk and Trump. Musk remains to be spending a lot of his time at Mar-a-Lago, and traveled with Trump to New York Saturday to attend a UFC battle. Whoever turns into Treasury secretary, Musk is prone to work considerably intently with them as a part of his duties with the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE). DOGE will work with the White Home Workplace of Administration and Funds to implement the suggestions of Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk has mentioned beforehand he believes it’s potential to chop $2 trillion from the federal funds, although many have been skeptical of this determine.”

The Case for Matt Gaetz” [Compact Magazine]. “There are two methods to take a look at the corruption that’s rife in Twenty first-century American life. One view is that reform calls for a saint to reproach the depraved…. The second view is that if we should await an immaculate reformer, reform won’t ever come. So we must assist even clearly flawed people after they tackle the required work of confronting systemic evils.” This speaks nicely of him: “This 12 months, Gaetz took James Poulos and a movie crew from The Blaze on a tour of congressional workplaces whose occupants—together with Republicans—have been violators of Congress’s seldom-enforced guidelines in opposition to insider buying and selling.” And: “Gaetz has been complimentary towards Lina Khan, chairwoman of the Federal Commerce Fee, and the Biden Justice Division’s chief antitrust official, Jonathan Kanter. The New York Publish notes that Google, specifically, is prone to be a spotlight of antitrust consideration in a Gaetz Division of Justice, which could transfer to interrupt up the tech megalith. The identical story quotes Gaetz referring to Large Tech corporations in 2021 as ‘the web’s corridor displays’ with a bias in opposition to conservatives. Gaetz has described himself as a ‘libertarian populist,’ and that characterization is mirrored by his stances on civil liberties and social points.” •

How the Gaetz Ethics report may nonetheless come out if the panel blocks it” [Politico]. “Right here’s a breakdown of what may occur if [Ethics Committee] members vote to not launch the [Gaetz] report, and different methods the investigative findings may see the sunshine of day…. Somebody leaks it to the press: Ethics Committee members and employees don’t take the prospect of a leak evenly, if the panel votes to maintain the report below wraps. A part of that’s wanting to guard the credibility of the panel, however members additionally take an oath, pledging: “I cannot disclose, to any individual or entity exterior the Committee on Ethics, any info acquired in the midst of my service with the Committee, besides as approved by the Committee or in accordance with its guidelines.”… Utilizing the Home ground: Some lawmakers are privately theorizing that, ought to the committee block the discharge of the report, a lawmaker may go to the Home or Senate ground and browse it into the congressional report relatively than leak it to the media…. Sharing it with senators: Even when the Ethics panel doesn’t wish to make the report public, they’ll vote to share it with the Senate Judiciary Committee forward of potential affirmation hearings…. Sober warning: Employees-driven leaks have occurred earlier than, however usually not in a scenario with a lot at stake. Along with shedding a job, there are additionally actual issues of political violence if a employees leaker’s title turned public.” • Hmmm.

“What to find out about Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choose to steer Medicare and Medicaid” [Associated Press]. “Oz had a web price between $100 million and $315 million, in line with a federal monetary disclosure he filed in 2022, which supplies greenback values in ranges however doesn’t present particular figures.” • Oh.

“Prosecutors request keep in Trump NY case till 2029 as protection plans movement for dismissal ‘as soon as and for all’” [FOX]. “New York prosecutors are requesting a keep till at the very least 2029 in New York v. Trump, because the president’s protection attorneys put together to maneuver to dismiss the case completely. Prosecutors wrote a letter to Choose Juan Merchan on Tuesday, who agreed final week to grant a keep on all deadlines related to the conviction proceedings in opposition to Trump within the closing months earlier than he takes workplace. åMerchan granted the request, which points a keep on all deadlines, together with the Nov. 26 sentencing date, to think about the impact of his election as president. Prosecutors had requested for the pause in proceedings, which they mentioned would permit them to raised consider the affect of Trump’s new standing as president-elect. ‘Because of the election held on November 5, 2024, Defendant’s inauguration as President will happen on January 20, 2025,’ Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg wrote to Merchan on Tuesday.” And: “Trump’s attorneys have requested that Merchan overturn the responsible verdict, citing the US Supreme Courtroom’s determination that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in workplace. Trump’s authorized crew argued that sure proof introduced by Bragg and New York prosecutors throughout the trial shouldn’t have been admitted, as they have been ‘official acts.’”

Deploy the Blame Cannons!

“NBC’s Kornacki: Republicans Obtain Historic Realignment, 25-Level Shift Amongst Decrease-Earnings Voters Since 2012” [RealClearPolitics]. KORNACKI: “Bear in mind, three straight elections Trump’s been the Republican candidate. So pre-Trump voters below 30 have been going for the Democrats by 23 factors. People with incomes below $50,000, 22 factors for the Democrats. People with out school levels, 4 factors for the Democrats. That’s pre-Trump. What comes out of this election? Have a look at a few of these shifts. The youth vote, that Democratic margin lower greater than in half. Voters below $50,000, now a Republican constituency. Voters with no school diploma, take a look at that shift. Now a core Republican constituency. After which we will speak about race, ethnicity. This will get into that range I discussed a minute in the past. Examine this out. Once more, pre-Trump versus now. The Black vote nonetheless overwhelmingly Democratic, however that’s a 15-point shift. It was once 87 factors for the Democrats, all the way down to 72. How about this? You’ve heard lots about it this week. That is what the numbers appear like. Hispanic voters have been 44 factors Democratic earlier than Donald Trump. Now, principally a toss-up constituency. And Asian People, a 32-point shift there as nicely. That’s what’s occurred to the Republican Celebration since Donald Trump turned its customary bearer eight years in the past. This has been the motion.”