Would you encourage Biden to appoint Republicans to cabinet if it means flipping the Senate?

[True Dough]

Ponder this...


If the Republicans control the Senate with 51 or 52 seats, there is one ploy a President Biden could try. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Richard Burr (R-NC) have all announced that they will not seek reelection in 2022. Biden could offer one or more of them cabinet positions. It just so happens that all three of their states have Democratic governors. In Pennsylvania and North Carolina, the governor appoints the new senator, who would surely be a Democrat. In Wisconsin, there is a special election, which a Democrat would have a decent shot at winning.

[Baitball Blogger]

1. YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's time to give Mitch McConnell a bad day.

[flor-de-jasmim]

13. The longest day... 6 yrs, if he lasts that long

[SheltieLover]

2. Absolutely!

Then fire the mofo!

[ret5hd]

3. Appoint...wait...then fire.

[SpankMe]

4. Thumbs up to this. n/t

[634-5789]

5. YEP!

[BBG]

6. Sure, go for it

Worst thing that happens is he has to fire them later on. Best case the take it and we flip the seat then he fires them.

[yardwork]

7. No Republican Senator would accept this if it meant losing the Senate.

Ain't gonna happen.

[EVDebsforPresident]

10. Agreed nt

[Historic NY]

8. Fuck Johnson....

Burr because MCConnell screwed over him might be a likely choice.

[mtngirl47]

9. Richard Burr needs to be investigated for insider trading and put in jail.

Ron Johnson needs to be investigated for his ties to Russia and put in jail.

There. Fixed it for you.

[carpetbagger]

44. I would give Burr Treasury if it kneecapped Turtle. Nt

[Orangepeel]

11. Secretary of ratfuckery?

Ron Johnson is a straight up Russian stooge.

besides, they'd never take it.

[sweetloukillbot]

12. I doubt Mitch would allow them to come to a vote

And would they want the jobs?

[Fiendish Thingy]

21. But if Toomey resigned first, Mitch wouldn't be majority leader anymore

Assuming we are only 1 seat from a majority.

[lagomorph777]

28. Oh, you are EVIL!

[lunatica]

14. Yes. He would be putting truth to his words that he is everyone's

President. He knows the Senators and he knows how to work with them because he’s always done that.

It would also be a brilliant undermining action that would weaken assholes like McConnell.

[C_U_L8R]

15. Yes. And we should go all out on the midterms too.

Plus Romney should just switch parties.

[rzemanfl]

16. Easier than my plan to move thousands of Dems to Georgia for the runoffs.

I don't think any Repuke Senator would do it.

[Delarage]

38. LOL

I've thought about that....maybe colonizing the uncivilized areas of the nation.

[True Blue American]

17. Now that is a nice thought, but

Would have to have a Democratic Governor.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

18. Kind of an obvious ploy, isn't it?

And if they refuse publicly (which they would, with evidence no less), it would make Biden look like an idiot for trying it in the first place.

[Fiendish Thingy]

19. Johnson, no fucking way- he should be investigated for Russia/Ukraine espionage, others

No on Burr, as NC has law requiring Gov. to appoint replacement from same party.

That leaves Toomey. I wouldn’t have a problem with Biden appointing him to a low profile cabinet slot like Transportation or Small Business Administration.

[rwheeler31]

20. Johnson and Burr are under investigation I think. Toomey would be the only

one to consider and he may want to run for president. Interesting idea though, we need to think of every angle.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

22. Sure, if they'd be that stupid.

McTurtle would probably bribe them to stay.

[BruceWane]

23. In theory.......

Sure, in theory.

In reality, every one of those guys is a scumbag, and none of those guys would accept the position.

[joshcryer]

24. I posted a similar thread posing this sitution earlier:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214455136

[lagomorph777]

25. Yes, if it works. Put them in relatively harmless posts, and monitor closely.

[beachbumbob]

26. lets wait for Biden to be president, but any path way to flip Senate NEEDS to explored

[blueinredohio]

27. Yep, knock Moscow Mitch down a few pegs.

[Retrograde]

29. Are there any GOP senators with a fraction of the integrity

we want to see in a Biden administration? I doubt it.

[DFW]

30. Sure. Susan Collins can be Secretary of Concern. n/t

[True Dough]

32. Thanks for the chuckle! n/t

[Buckeye_Democrat]

37. LOL!!

[napi21]

31. I would encourage nominating one of those Pubs for some cabinet posts that aren't very political.

Obviously some cabinet positions, like the AG & HHS, he would NEVER put a Pub in, but there are some cabinet spots, maybe SBA & Trade Rep.

[LizBeth]

33. I'm looking for run off and getting two more senators for a tie, VP making it Democratic Majority.

I am telling you, with Republicans actively working to take my health care and leave me to die, broke and penniless, I do not want a damn thing form them. fuck them. If I am saying fuck them, to my Republican family, I certainly feel it about the fuckers that laugh when talking about those of us without jobs because of covid going hungry and being homeless.

So to answer your question. No.

And Joe, yes, for people like me they very much are my enemy.

[KatyMan]

34. No.

Appoint acting secretaries. I truly hope this "Republicans aren't our enemy" noise was just playing nice for the election. Dems need to run the country using the R playbook. Fuck them. Every time we reached across the aisle we got our hand bit off, because the Republican definition of compromise is "do it our way". We can't keep that up.

[DUgosh]

35. Absolutely

Although only those shady senators with Democratic governors - they can always be fired

[msongs]

36. sure hire them and after senate flips, fire them. trump would be envious lol nt

[L.Pharmstrong]

39. Susan Collins should be offered Secretary of Agriculture, or maybe Interior.

She might take it to stick it to McConnell and appear the conciliator. I offered this last night.

[meadowlander]

40. That's assuming democratic governors in very purple states have the huevos

to appoint a senator from a different party to the one that was elected for the seat.

I don't see it happening.

Also Richard Burr should be in jail, not the cabinet.

[rustbeltvoice]

42. To be crafty:

Johnson of Wisconsin--hell no! Yes, any state where a Democratic governor can appoint a Democrat. Achieve 50 Democratic senators, as soon as those are sworn --the Repukes are expendable. Then govern. All appointees serve at the pleasure of the president. They can whine if they want to, but it means nothing. Active Republicans are not to be trusted.

[lanlady]

43. They wouldn't fall for it

Plus, the resulting abuse and threats from right-wing nut jobs wouldn't be worth the trouble.

For the next couple of years, President Biden will have to appeal directly to the American people to put pressure on GOP Senators to do the right thing. He needs a pitch-perfect messaging campaign. And then we go all out to flip the Senate in 2022. What a shame that eluded us this year!

[jmowreader]

45. I would encourage Biden to appoint Mitch McConnell to the Cabinet

As well as any GOP senators that have Democratic governors.

After their replacements have been seated, President Biden calls them in one at a time... "You're an asshole. I don't need any assholes in my Cabinet. You're fired."

[Tarc]

46. No Republican is going to step into the Cabinet, knowing what would happen in his stead back home

It's time to let this fantasy go.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

47. As someone from WI, fuck Ron Johnson.

And by that, I mean FUCK HIM. He is the fucking worst. If Biden put him in the cabinet, it would be the single most fucking ridiculous thing I have seen.

In case I was unclear. FUCK RON JOHNSON.

[karynnj]

48. Not likely

The ONLY way it would make sense is if there is no deal with the Governor to honor the "choice of the people" by selecting someone similar to the person stepping down. (ie Phil Scott has said he would pick an independent to replace Sanders (and yes, I am completely aware that there are independents on the right!) In addition, it has to be for a position where their history shows that they agree with the policies that Joe Biden would want propagated. (best example I can think of though it would never have happened is President Obama (or President Kerry had that happened) putting McCain in the Veterans position.)

Here, I can think of NO department where "Club for Growth" Toomey would work -- and he is the best of the three! Burr has ethics issues - while Trump may not think that an issue, Biden should and I sincerely hope will care. Ron Johnson is a right wing nut case. There is NOWHERE that he fits.

Susan Collins has a Democratic governor. She once was a genuine moderate. I wonder if Secretary of Agriculture would work. The question would be if she is good on all the issues in this department, including SNAP ( the successor of Food Stamps)