Biden taps Trump appointee Norquist to be his temporary Defense secretary

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico


The confirmation of Biden's permanent nominee, Lloyd Austin, has been delayed.

By LARA SELIGMAN

01/14/2021 11:49 AM EST

Updated: 01/14/2021 12:20 PM EST

President-elect Joe Biden is tapping current Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist to temporarily run the Pentagon while the new team works to confirm a permanent DoD chief, according to four people familiar with discussions.

Norquist, the Pentagon's No. 2 since July 2019, will take over after the inauguration and be in charge until the Senate confirms retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin for the position.

Austin's confirmation has been delayed as the next administration seeks a waiver for him to serve, which must be approved by both houses of Congress. Retired officers are required to be out of uniform for seven years before becoming Defense secretary, and Austin retired in 2016.

As the No. 2 at the Pentagon who has served under three of President Donald Trump's Defense secretaries, Norquist was the expected choice to lead the Pentagon through the transition. A budget wonk who served as DoD comptroller under former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Norquist has managed to stay out of the spotlight throughout the duration of the Trump administration.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/14/biden-defense-secretary-austin-norquist-459321

[matt819]

1. On principle. . .

I don't like the idea of any trump appointees remaining in their positions, or in this case being raised one level.

[Jay25]

4. I agree

[COL Mustard]

29. Welcome to DU!

[Demsrule86]

34. Warren and Duckworth should not object to Joes' pick IMO.

Now we are stuck with a Trumper...that is certainly not better.

[rampartc]

11. +1

this is not a smart appointment. appoint a temp that will motivate mcconnel to confirm rather than delay.

[onenote]

17. There's a limited universe of persons who can be named acting Secretary

And by definition, they all are likely to be Trump appointees.

[Orangepeel]

20. fortunately, mcconnel won't be in charge much longer!

[rampartc]

21. i hope you are right

even as minority leader he can slow things to a crawl.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

2. My first thought was ??Grover??

Choke.

[stillcool]

3. me too...

now I got to go find my heart that fell on the floor somewhere.

[Escurumbele]

5. LOL...yes, I thought the same...Grover has tarnished that last name.

That was funny...thank you for the laugh

[OneCrazyDiamond]

12. Grover is the brother of David. N/T

[rickyhall]

13. Seriously? That can't be good.

Bad blood can run deep.

[DEbluedude]

24. In a bathtub. nt

[Escurumbele]

35. yes, you are correct...damn!

Norquist, who spent five years as a staffer on the House Appropriations Committee, is the younger brother of Grover Norquist, the anti-tax crusader who founded Americans for Tax Reform.

[still_one]

7. gosh, I guess we all thought the same on first look

[kirby]

8. His brother n/t

[DonViejo]

10. Me too! eom

[BobTheSubgenius]

30. I saw "Norquist" and my knee started jerking like you can't believe.

For a quarter of a second, I thought "Has Joe Biden lost his mind?"

But no. It was me.

[Yeehah]

6. Lloyd Austin is a damn fine man and will be an excellent Sec. Def.

Austin was my boss in 10th Mountain Division and he is an outstanding leader and human being.

[Bayard]

16. Good to know.

[LizBeth]

9. DOD also refused to approve NG to capitol, staying out of the spot light so much. I mean,

Biden knows but saying...

[mr_lebowski]

14. Nothing against Lloyd Austin, but what is the point of a 7-year requirement of someone being out of

uniform to serve in this post ... if it's basically routine for Congress to grant waivers?

I mean ... under what circumstances would they say 'no'?

Mattis got the waiver after like 4 years out of uniform.

IIRC, the original rule was 10 years, it was dropped to 7 a while back.

I mean obviously I trust Biden's judgement, but I would prefer an actual civilian, as was 'the idea' for this post.

Just sayin'.

[Miguelito Loveless]

15. Anyone appointed by Trump

should not be retained. It is just too dangerous given what we have seen in the last week.

[onenote]

18. Well, someone needs to be in charge of the Defense Department

And under the Vacancies Act, that person probably has to be a Trump appointee.

It has to be someone who already is serving in the executive branch as a Senate approved official or a senior official of the Defense Department above a certain pay grade with a certain amount of seniority.

[Miguelito Loveless]

22. After Trump, no one in charge is an improvement

Again, anyone appointed by Trump is a threat to national security, and the personal security off the president.

[onenote]

23. I'm certain Joe Biden disagrees

I’m also certain he knows a lot more about the subject than you.

[Miguelito Loveless]

27. I've gotten similar reactions

from people when I warned months ago that Trump would not leave peacefully, and would not accept a loss, that he would stir his maggot legions up to violence.

People dismissed me then, as well. Not going to happen. I was being melodramatic.

[onenote]

31. Predicting that Trump would incite his followers

and suggesting that there should be no one running the Defense Department aren't really the same thing.

[Miguelito Loveless]

37. I am suggesting that should the choice be

someone running the DoD and placing a Trump minion anywhere near President Biden, the better choice is an empty post. These people have literally plotted the death of the current Vice-President with armed mad men.

[LenaBaby61]

32. "I'm also certain he knows a lot more about the subject than you."

Just like Pres. Obama who I loved, but when he hired Comey I didn't like it, but he went on ahead and did it, and we see how well that went for Hillary Clinton and for our country 4 years later and how Dems and the more decent Republicans are suffering under the thumb of fascist fatso, MoscowMitch and his radicalized nazi, supporters who are out to MURDER anyone they can get their hands on because they think that the election was stolen from their fascist, covid-19 murdering leader.

The same James Comey who said that Joe Biden needs to pardon fatso, the same fatso who tried to turn this country into a Banana Republic by stealing yet another election, and who sent his radicalized supporters/thugs/murders/Nazi fascists down to the US Capitol to murder Nancy Pelosi, and to hang his lap dog Pence. God knows what those murderers would have done to Maxine Waters, who feels strongly that if they'd have gotten a hold of her she'd have been killed. I know that people can sometimes speak in an over-blown manner, but the way they talk so negatively and hateful about Maxine Waters, I bet that fascist fatsos nazi fascists would have murdered Rep. Waters. Hell, they wanted to hang a white, right-winged man like them in Pence.

[onenote]

36. The point is that Joe Biden isn't going to start his administration with the Department of Defense

having no one in charge.

It's hopelessly naive for anyone to think that he would.

[LenaBaby61]

33. "Anyone appointed by Trump View profile should not be retained."

Totally agree. Retired buddies from the military have told me that Biden really has a lot of house-cleaning to do to purge the tRump psychopants out of our governmental agencies. Tell you what, Biden cleaned house with his Secret Service detail didn't he because they wouldn't wear masks amongst other things. Plus, I bet He didn't want another insane clown possee ass like right-winged tRump psycho Dan Bongino in there 'watching' his back.

[Miguelito Loveless]

38. I would have every office occupied by a Trumpite

swept by the FBI, CIA and USAMRID, for bombs & bugs (electronic and biological).

[Montauk6]

19. Anyone else see this headline while entering the site and thought..

GROVER EFFIN' NORQUIST????!!!!!!

[Nitram]

25. At this point, what fucking difference does it make? Biden will have to thoroughly clean house

starting Day One.

[disndat]

26. Austin will be available by 2023

at the latest if he doesn't pass the waiver and Biden will be reelected in 2024.
A possible scenario.

[COL Mustard]

28. Oh, Great

David Norquist is Grover's brother.

I don't like having a holdover like this, but somebody has to run the show, and he's at least Senate confirmed.