As for this blog, I had been wanting to move towards more personal writing but the election pretty much blew that out of the water so I will continue tilting at windmills and trying to share important information and a few arguments here and there.
I think for starters we should take a look at who Trump's appointing to his Cabinet, it appears many are big-time Republican donors. Go figure.
Other articles quoted and linked to:
Trump's Cabinet Picks Gave Big to the Senators Who Will Confirm Them
Will Donald Trump "drain the swamp?"
Trump’s Cabinet picks: A rundown of upcoming hearings
Republican unity thwarts Democrats’ plans to block Trump’s Cabinet nominees
Republicans run the spread offense to ram through Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees
Trump's Cabinet picks appear to have wildly diverging views on Russia
Voter Backlash Forced Republicans To Abandon Plans To Destroy Ethics Committee.
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Will Donald Trump "drain the swamp?" As he fills out his administration and raises inaugural funds, the public will be watching to see whether Trump changes the culture in D.C.
Many of the men and women Donald Trump has named to his Cabinet have been big political donors for years. Below is a breakdown. Please note that the "Favorite Politicians" for each nominee were tabulated without including money given to joint fundraising committees or political parties.
List of nominees:
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Trump's Cabinet Picks Gave Big to the Senators Who Will Confirm Them
Donald Trump's cabinet will be the richest in history—one estimate calculated that 16 of his picks for top posts have as much wealth as the poorest third of American households put together. These selections have something else in common: They have given a lot of money to the senators who will be charged with vetting and confirming them.
According to a new report from the Center for Responsive Politics and additional data from the center's website, cabinet-level appointees and their spouses have given nearly $1.7 million to confirming senators' campaigns, leadership PACs, and outside groups that poured money into their races. (This total does not include donations from prospective ambassadors, many of whom are often political donors and require Senate confirmation but are not considered part of the cabinet.)
"There have been donors in the cabinet before… but there hasn't been such a large number of them at one time before," Adam Smith, communications director of the campaign finance reform group Every Voice, told me. "Trump is literally putting big donors in charge of his administration, everything he accused Hillary Clinton of doing during the campaign.”
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Trump’s Cabinet picks: A rundown of upcoming hearings
January is poised to be a volatile month that’s jam-packed with Senate committee hearings to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. Here is a look at the nominees and their upcoming hearing schedules.
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Republican unity thwarts Democrats’ plans to block Trump’s Cabinet nominees
Some of Donald Trump’s most bitter critics among Senate Republicans are warming to the idea of giving the president-elect his choice of Cabinet members, further complicating Democrats’ plans to impede the confirmation process.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, has put a bull’s-eye on at least four of the nominees and assailed Mr. Trump’s Cabinet selections Tuesday in his first floor speech of the 115th Congress.
“Too many of his Cabinet picks support the same hard-right doctrinaire positions that many in the Republican Party have held for years — policies that the American people have repeatedly rejected,” Mr. Schumer said.
His hopes for sinking any of the nominees depends on Democrats’ ability to peel off Republican votes in the narrowly divided chamber. Trump transition team officials, however, have grown increasingly optimistic about keeping Senate Republicans unified and picking up support from Democrats facing tough re-election races in 2018.
“Even those who have not supported Donald Trump appear ready to work together,” said Rep. Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Republican and a member of the Trump transition team.
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The Daily 202: Republicans run the spread offense to ram through Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees
By James Hohmann January 5, 2016
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Trump's Cabinet picks appear to have wildly diverging views on Russia
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Now with Trump and his cronies taking over all branches of our government what's a concerned citizen to do? I don't know, but lots and lots of phone calls do make a difference up on the hill.
Voter Backlash Forced Republicans To Abandon Plans To Destroy Ethics Committee. - January 4, 2017
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Tips on Calling Your Member of Congress
When you dial 202-224-3121 you are directed to an operator at the Capitol switchboard. This switchboard can direct you to both senators as well as representatives.
Once the operator answers, ask to be connected to whomever you are trying to reach. They will send you to your senator's or representative's office line, and a legislative assistant will answer the phone.
It is important to let them know why you are calling and what issue you are calling about. You will sometimes be able to speak directly to your senator or representative, but more often you will speak to a staff person in the member's office. This person keeps track of how many people called and their positions on issues, and provides a summary to the member. Be assured that your call does count, even if you are not able to speak directly to your senator or representative.
* You can also find the direct number to any member's office by consulting the
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How to be effective about contacting your senator: What Really Happens When You Call?
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