# Let's name a Biden Cabinet **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040 "2020-11-08T05:34:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/262 "2020-12-17T20:04:21Z")
I wonder why we haven’t heard any news on the AG front. I think Biden has two different people in mind, a more mainstream nominee should Perdue and Loeffler win and a more liberal nominee if Ossoff and Warnock win. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/263 "2020-12-17T20:34:42Z")
My read is that he wants Merrick Garland, but he knows that McConnell will likely block any replacement he tries to nominate to Garland’s current seat on the DC court of appeals. If Ds take the two Senate seats in GA then it’s not an issue. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/264 "2020-12-18T07:49:04Z")
Good pick for Interior. She’s the vice- chair of the committee on Natural Resources and the chair of the subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. She just might know something about the Interior Department. In addition, I really like that she’s Native American and a 35 generation New Mexican. I have hopes that she will not lease out all of our Federal lands to big corporations. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/265 "2020-12-18T14:04:20Z")
Here’s more on her: > **[Deb Haaland makes history as Biden's pick to run Interior Department | CNN...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/17/politics/deb-haaland-makes-history/index.html)** > > President-elect Joe Biden's selection of Rep. Deb Haaland to lead the Interior Department marked a historic victory for an alliance of progressives and Indigenous leaders who campaigned relentlessly to elevate one of their own to a powerful federal... ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/266 "2020-12-21T15:04:21Z")
Kamala Harris faces challenging dynamics in White House full of longtime Biden allies: [Kamala Harris faces challenging dynamics in White House full of longtime Biden allies](https://www.aol.com/news/kamala-harris-faces-challenging-dynamics-154039660.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/267 "2020-12-22T13:35:34Z")
with all the vets Biden picks another crony to run the VA. And shockingly, he’s a white guy. He better watch out he’s near the limit for white guys. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/268 "2020-12-22T13:48:45Z")
**Warning** for [Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/267). You were already modnoted to cease thread-shitting. > [@Let's name a Biden Cabinet](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/216): > > ModNote: This is thread-shitting. Please cease it now. As you can’t help yourself, you are now **officially being told to stop posting in this thread**. Any complaints, remember to take it to ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/269 "2021-01-06T07:02:34Z")
How will McConnell stop him? 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/270 "2021-01-06T09:20:48Z")
McConnell won’t be stopping pretty much anything. For a while at least. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/271 "2021-01-06T16:41:27Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > McConnell won’t be stopping pretty much anything. > > For a while at least While McConnell’s power has, indeed, been massively reduced by the 2 Dem wins in GA, I think this is an overstatement. With a razor-thin 51-50 majority for the Dems, McConnell and his cronies can still block a LOT of things with the filibuster, unless the Dems somehow grow a spine and kill it, which is not likely to happen. So I would expect continued obstructionism to the limits of what the minority party is generally capable of. As regards Cabinet picks, though, at this point I doubt McConnell with expend too much energy filibustering many of them. He’ll save it for bigger fish. But the number will be more than zero, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/272 "2021-01-06T16:55:55Z")
Assuming the election results hold up, Republicans will still be able to hold up and obstruct nominees, although not indefinitely. One immediate question is what will the committee ratios be? The last time the Senate was 50-50 (2001), they had even numbers of Republicans and Democrats on all of the committees and had to have a special procedure to bring things to the floor if the committee deadlocked. Will Schumer go along with the same arrangement this time? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/273 "2021-01-06T17:16:26Z")
Merrick Garland for AG. Will find link soon… ahhh, thanks Politico: > **[Biden to tap Merrick Garland for attorney general](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/06/biden-to-tap-merrick-garland-for-attorney-general-455410)** > > The pick comes after Democrats appear poised to gain control of the Senate, making the task of finding a replacement for the judge far easier. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/274 "2021-01-06T17:38:14Z")
I love this pick so much. It’s the hardest slap in the face to Mitch, it allows Biden to select as young of a replacement on the 2nd most important court in the nation, and Garland is eminently qualified for the position. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/275 "2021-01-06T17:46:56Z")
It’s such an important position, especially now. In my view, Garland is the right pick for this moment. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/276 "2021-01-06T17:48:56Z")
Good pick on Garland. Someone who definitely will not be a toady for Biden. Someone with integrity and respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. The polar opposite of Billy Barr. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/277 "2021-01-06T18:13:57Z")
I don’t know much about Garland’s record, but my first thought on hearing this is that it sets up the R’s to be able to say that anything DoJ investigates (eg, that shady KY aluminum deal) about personal vengeance , and that the AG will need to recuse himself because of it. Of course they’d do that for anyone else, too ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/278 "2021-01-06T18:22:53Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > McConnell and his cronies can still block a LOT of things with the filibuster, unless the Dems somehow grow a spine and kill it, which is not likely to happen. Why not? Look the GOP got rid of the filibuster for SCOTUS. Once Mitch becomes obstructive, it’s gone. All it takes is a simple majority. Since the GOP has shown they will dump the filibuster the minute it gets in their way, there is no longer any benefit to keeping it around. Mitch shot himself in the foot with that one. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/279 "2021-01-06T18:26:02Z")
Manchin has said he’s opposed, and he likely wouldn’t be the only Dem. You need all 50 to torch the filibuster. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/280 "2021-01-06T18:26:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Why not? Look the GOP got rid of the filibuster for SCOTUS. Mostly because the moderate Democrats are not on board with it. Senator Manchin said he doesn’t want to get rid of the filibuster for one. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/281 "2021-01-06T18:41:34Z")
One reason not to is that the Democratic Party will not always be in the majority and eliminating the filibuster is sure to bite them in the ass when they are not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040.md?page=15)