Secretary of State Sweepstakes
The Associated Press is reporting that a source close to the Trump transition says that the President-elect is considering other candidates for the post of Secretary of State than "front-runners" Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. Other names in the mix are retired General David Petraeus and Tennessee Senator Bob Corker. Those are the four names mentioned by Kellyanne Conway as the "top four" this past Friday. Now it appears there is a new name under consideration, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.
In evaluating the fitness of General Petraeus to serve as Secretary of State one has to consider his misdemeanor conviction for mishandling classified information. Edward Snowden is claiming that there is a two-tiered system of justice in the U.S. because General Petraeus disclosed classified information to Paula Broadwell that was classified at a much higher level that what Snowden hiself disclosed.
That the information Petraeus passed to Broadwell was more highly classified than what Snowden released is entirely correct. But there is a significant difference. Ms Broadwell did not publish or disclose any of that information. Petraeus retrieved the book of code-word documents he gave to Broadwell three days later. The damage done to the national security by what General Petraeus did was very minimal while what Mr. Snowden did seriously damaged that national security. The two are not comparable in the harm done to the United States.
However, that doesn't change the fact that what General Petraeus did should disqualify him from serving in any government position where any level of security clearance is required. No one convicted of disclosing of classified information to any unauthorized individual should ever be again allowed access to classified information.
As to Rudy Giuliani, his fitness for the position is tenuous at best. Especially in light of his foreign business ties. The conflicts in interest in the Oval Office are more than enough to mire the Trump administration in that morass without adding another set at Foggy Bottom.
I do not believe that Mr. Trump will appoint Mitt Romney as his Secretary of State. I'm not entirely convinced that S.E. Cupp's theory that this is a set-up, but it is a possibility. Their views on a number of issues are not the same. Would he abandon his positions and take up those of the man he called "a fraud" is an interesting question.
But based on relevant experience and knowledge; while admitting I am probably not going to like or approve of anyone Donald Trump nominates to serve in his Cabinet, I believe the best of the bunch is Senator Bob Corker. He has been the Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee for the past two years and a member of that committee before then. He's honest enough to have said for the record that the problems in the Middle East pre-date the Obama Administration. He also likened the 2003 War in Iraq to "...taking a big stick and beating a hornet's nest" which is a fairly accurate analogy.
Jon Huntsman, Jr. is also worth of consideration. His tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and then later to China gives him valuable diplomatic experience in a part of the world that will be crucial to determining the course of the next four years.
In the end, it seems obvious that Donald Trump, with the behind-the-scenes guidance and counsel of Mike Pence will set the agenda and the tone, no matter who is the boss at Foggy Bottom.
In evaluating the fitness of General Petraeus to serve as Secretary of State one has to consider his misdemeanor conviction for mishandling classified information. Edward Snowden is claiming that there is a two-tiered system of justice in the U.S. because General Petraeus disclosed classified information to Paula Broadwell that was classified at a much higher level that what Snowden hiself disclosed.
That the information Petraeus passed to Broadwell was more highly classified than what Snowden released is entirely correct. But there is a significant difference. Ms Broadwell did not publish or disclose any of that information. Petraeus retrieved the book of code-word documents he gave to Broadwell three days later. The damage done to the national security by what General Petraeus did was very minimal while what Mr. Snowden did seriously damaged that national security. The two are not comparable in the harm done to the United States.
However, that doesn't change the fact that what General Petraeus did should disqualify him from serving in any government position where any level of security clearance is required. No one convicted of disclosing of classified information to any unauthorized individual should ever be again allowed access to classified information.
As to Rudy Giuliani, his fitness for the position is tenuous at best. Especially in light of his foreign business ties. The conflicts in interest in the Oval Office are more than enough to mire the Trump administration in that morass without adding another set at Foggy Bottom.
I do not believe that Mr. Trump will appoint Mitt Romney as his Secretary of State. I'm not entirely convinced that S.E. Cupp's theory that this is a set-up, but it is a possibility. Their views on a number of issues are not the same. Would he abandon his positions and take up those of the man he called "a fraud" is an interesting question.
But based on relevant experience and knowledge; while admitting I am probably not going to like or approve of anyone Donald Trump nominates to serve in his Cabinet, I believe the best of the bunch is Senator Bob Corker. He has been the Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee for the past two years and a member of that committee before then. He's honest enough to have said for the record that the problems in the Middle East pre-date the Obama Administration. He also likened the 2003 War in Iraq to "...taking a big stick and beating a hornet's nest" which is a fairly accurate analogy.
Jon Huntsman, Jr. is also worth of consideration. His tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and then later to China gives him valuable diplomatic experience in a part of the world that will be crucial to determining the course of the next four years.
In the end, it seems obvious that Donald Trump, with the behind-the-scenes guidance and counsel of Mike Pence will set the agenda and the tone, no matter who is the boss at Foggy Bottom.
posted by me at 12:47 PM
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