# Thoughts about the election that don't seem to belong anywhere else **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 14, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002 "2016-11-14T20:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/341 "2017-01-08T15:39:14Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Sure they’ve thought about it. In fact, there is a lot of energy right now going into plans for how they will blame Obama for the upcoming shit-storm of job losses and people without insurance. They’ve certainly had enough years of practice blaming him for not recovering from their economic meltdown fast enough, despite their best efforts to stop him. ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/342 "2017-01-08T15:44:42Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The scheduling of so many hearings on the same day is ugly and cynical. It deprives Americans of the right to learn about–and react to–the people who will, if confirmed, hold immense power over us. > > Trump’s plan to add to the circus is par for his usual course. I hope that the non-Fox media outlets will ignore him. Tape his shenanigans and play them back later–but don’t cut away from the hearings. > > (It’s not as if Trump is going to say anything that means anything, anyway. By now we’ve all learned that lesson.) One, “most” Americans don’t pay attention to the hearings. Never have, never will. But your concern is noted. Two, what happened to the Trump transition team being in disarray and Trump being unable to fill his cabinet positions? Is that last month’s news already? Damned if Trump does, damned if hTrump doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/343 "2017-01-08T15:51:56Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Two, what happened to the Trump transition team being in disarray and Trump being unable to fill his cabinet positions? Is that last month’s news already? Damned if Trump does, damned if hTrump doesn’t. You truly believe that all of these hearings are scheduled at the same time for the sake of efficiency? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/344 "2017-01-08T16:26:09Z")
Well, it is, isn’t it. That their purpose is malign doesn’t change the neutral consideration of “efficiency”. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/345 "2017-01-08T16:48:15Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > One, “most” Americans don’t pay attention to the hearings. They will this year. > [@](#): > > Damned if Trump does, damned if hTrump doesn’t. Yeah, your boy just can’t catch a break. In case you haven’t noticed, EVERY President (and DT isn’t even one yet!) is “damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.” Goes with the job. There’s no honeymoon anymore. If you can’t stand the heat…well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/346 "2017-01-08T17:48:12Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > They will this year. I really doubt this. I know the far left is freaking out over his Cabinet picks, but most people don’t care. Most people couldn’t name more than one or two of his nominees, and very few people (in terms of a normal TV audience size) will make any effort at all to watch any nominee’s hearing. ETA: let me put it this way: I strongly suspect more people will spend more time watching the Celebrity Apprentice than watching all the nominees’ hearings combined. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/347 "2017-01-08T17:55:39Z")
Well, good news for you, then. Unless you are bemoaning, rather than gloating. Not always easy to tell. Often seems as though you don’t really approve of Trump at all, but the chance to stick your thumb in the eye of the “far left”\* is simply too delicious to pass up. \*Obama? Schumer, Pelosi. Biden? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/348 "2017-01-08T17:57:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I really doubt this. I know the far left is freaking out over his Cabinet picks, but most people don’t care. Most people couldn’t name more than one or two of his nominees, and very few people (in terms of a normal TV audience size) will make any effort at all to watch any nominee’s hearing. > > ETA: let me put it this way: I strongly suspect more people will spend more time watching the Celebrity Apprentice than do watching all the nominees’ hearings combined. Well, so much for the talking point that it was the the left who was insulting Americans regarding how dumb they were. Of course you are not noticing that what you say here speaks volumes about why Trump managed to win the electoral vote. But going forward the reason why we all should worry is if the people does not care. Then the kleptocrats will have free rein. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/349 "2017-01-08T18:03:16Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Well, so much for the talking point that it was the the left who was insulting Americans regarding how dumb they were. Of course you are not noticing that what you say here speaks volumes about why Trump managed to win the electoral vote. But going forward the reason why we all should worry is if the people does not care. Then the kleptocrats will have free rein. I’m not trying to insult anyone, just maintaining a reality-based worldview that was so en vogue around here prior to the election. Let me ask you a question: what % of American adults do you think could name 3+ Trump Cabinet nominees without prompting or assistance? I suspect your answer will be a disappointingly-low number (although, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here). Is that because you’re insulting them, or because you have a realistic view of the American body politic? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/350 "2017-01-08T18:33:12Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I’m not trying to insult anyone, just maintaining a reality-based worldview that was so en vogue around here prior to the election. Let me ask you a question: what % of American adults do you think could name 3+ Trump Cabinet nominees without prompting or assistance? > > I suspect your answer will be a disappointingly-low number (although, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here). Is that because you’re insulting them, or because you have a realistic view of the American body politic? No, it just means that all the talking from the right about about being insulted about the deplorables and such things were poppycock. Indeed, a lot of the people that did vote for Trump remain of the low information variety. That many on the right puff up now to claim that they are right on many issues when in reality it is based on how much they mislead enough people that were/are not so attentive does not lead one to think that it leads to sustainable positions. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/351 "2017-01-08T18:41:39Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > No, it just means that all the talking from the right about about being insulted about the deplorables and such things were poppycock. Indeed, a lot of the people that did vote for Trump remain of the low information variety. And a lot of people that voted for Clinton are low-information voters. That’s my point. there are a lot of low-information voters on both sides. There are just a lot of low-information voters, which is why I think **ThelmaLou** ’s “They will this year” is wrong. That’s a pretty simple, straightforward observation. I wouldn’t expect it to be contested. You seem to want to label it an insult and tie it in with Clinton’s “deplorables” insult somehow. I’m not following your logic. Are you saying that Republicans shouldn’t have minded being called awful things by Clinton because many of them won’t listen to Senate committee hearings? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/352 "2017-01-08T18:54:54Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > And a lot of people that voted for Clinton are low-information voters. That’s my point. there are a lot of low-information voters on both sides. There are just a lot of low-information voters, which is why I think **ThelmaLou** ’s “They will this year” is wrong. That’s a pretty simple, straightforward observation. I wouldn’t expect it to be contested. Of course there a lot of that kind that voted for Clinton. What you miss is that surveys reported that there were/are more on the right: > **[Trump Won Because Voters Are Ignorant, Literally](https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/11/10/the-dance-of-the-dunces-trump-clinton-election-republican-democrat/)** > > Democracy is supposed to enact the will of the people. But what if the people have no clue what they’re doing? > [@](#): > > Trump supporters might be upset to learn that this method reveals that high-information voters (regardless of their income, race, employment status, gender, or where they live) tend to favor free trade and are pro-immigration. It’s not just that Trump’s anti-trade and anti-immigrant agenda flies against the consensus of economists on the left, right, and center, but it’s precisely the platform informed voters reject — regardless of their backgrounds. > **[Trump overwhelmingly leads rivals in support from less educated Americans](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-overwhelmingly-leads-rivals-in-support-from-less-educated-americans)** > > Trump overwhelmingly leads his rivals for support among the less educated, and draws more modest backing from college graduates and those with postgraduate study. > [@](#): > > Trump overwhelmingly leads rivals in support from less educated Americans > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > You seem to want to label it an insult and tie it in with Clinton’s “deplorables” insult somehow. I’m not following your logic. Are you saying that Republicans shouldn’t have minded being called awful things by Clinton because many of them won’t listen to Senate committee hearings? Well, the point that I made is that you are doing that here, you are not minding that indeed you are relying on the low information status of the voters (many of them Republicans BTW) to get your point across. IMHO one has to then not rely on the people not caring much and concentrate to see if the people being selected will be good for America. Then people like me will have to talk to others about what they are missing and why they should care. We should not just let Trump to set up rubber stamps for kleptocrats. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/353 "2017-01-08T18:59:16Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > And a lot of people that voted for Clinton are low-information voters. That’s my point. there are a lot of low-information voters on both sides. There are just a lot of low-information voters, which is why I think **ThelmaLou** ’s “They will this year” is wrong. That’s a pretty simple, straightforward observation. I wouldn’t expect it to be contested. > > You seem to want to label it an insult and tie it in with Clinton’s “deplorables” insult somehow. I’m not following your logic. Are you saying that Republicans shouldn’t have minded being called awful things by Clinton because many of them won’t listen to Senate committee hearings? Fair point. There are low information voters on both sides. But as polls and studies show, the more educated/informed a given voter is, the more likely he or she is to vote for the more liberal/progressive issues. Translated into today’s American political party landscape, that means the more informed voter is more likely to vote for the Democratic candidates. I assume this isn’t something that is a contested observation either. So for which type of voter does the conservative right (Republican party) tend to have greater appeal, statistically? Do you think they have a keen interest in having low information voters paying attention to the hearings? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/354 "2017-01-08T20:45:56Z")
They just don’t want to overload the voter with pointless information, like the background, finances, views and opinions of the nominee. That’s why they have scheduled all these confirmation hearings in a couple of days. “What is your full name? Thank you, you are approved by this committee.” By comparison, Mitch McConnels requirements for nomination confirmation in 2009. [https://thinkprogress.org/mitch-mcconnell-confirmation-ethics-hypocrisy-2c75b671d694#.j5voi0naf](https://thinkprogress.org/mitch-mcconnell-confirmation-ethics-hypocrisy-2c75b671d694#.j5voi0naf) **Mitch McConnell ignoring cabinet confirmation procedure he demanded in 2009** Letter shows he demanded full ‘financial disclosures’ before hearings. And the opinion of the ineffable Reince Preibus: > **[Reince Priebus: 'There's No Reason' To Do Background Checks On Trump's...](https://crooksandliars.com/2017/01/reince-priebus-theres-no-reason-do-background)** > > Reince Priebus, chief of staff to Donald Trump, argued on Sunday that there was "no reason" to complete background checks on the president-elect's cabinet appointments. > [@](#): > > …“No,” Priebus replied. “They have to get moving. I mean, they have to move faster. And they have all the information. These are people that have been highly successful in their lives. They need to move quicker.” > > The fact is there’s no reason," he continued. “I mean, it’s the first week of January, they have all the details that they need, they have all the information that they need. It’s no different from any other new administration coming in and the American people demand it.” > > “Change was voted for and change we will get.”… QFT, WTF! ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/355 "2017-01-08T21:54:15Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I’m not very familiar with how the schedules this time around compare with, for example, Obama’s nominees. Do you have any particular knowledge about how this compares, or is this just liberal belly-aching? In 2009, confirmation hearings for Obama’s cabinet picks appear to have taken place over at least twelve days. I’m not seeing a list of the hearings in one place–instead, I’m searching at the name of each Cabinet member: Hilda Solis, Labor, January 9; Steven Chu, Energy, and Arne Duncan, Education, January 13; Tom Vilsack, Agriculture, January 14; Ken Salazar, Interior, and Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security, January 15; Eric Holder, Attorney General, January 16; Tim Geithner, Treasury, January 21. That’s not the entire list, of course. But it’s definitely not ‘six in one day.’ > [@](#): > > McConnell has done his best to fracture journalist attention by ensuring that six different confirmation hearings are scheduled for the same day. Wednesday will see hearings for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the nominee for attorney general; ExxonMobil chairman Rex Tillerson, the nominee for secretary of state; billionaire conservative activist Betsy DeVos, for secretary of education; Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS), for CIA director; Gen. John Kelly, for secretary of homeland security; and Elaine Chao, for secretary of transportation. > > Several of these nominations are extremely controversial. The American people deserve to know more about Tillerson’s ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, learn why white nationalists are so excited about Sessions’ nomination, hear what Pompeo thinks about Trump’s reported plan to gut the CIA after the agency produced information about Russia’s influence on the 2016 election that he didn’t want to hear, and determine whether DeVos would use her post to destroy public education. > > But with all the hearings stacked on the same day, on top of Trump’s press conference, it’s impossible for the media to provide the information people need. And that’s the point – it appears to be a deliberate effort to manipulate both the press and the public. [https://mediamatters.org/blog/2017/01/05/how-overwhelm-media/214932](https://mediamatters.org/blog/2017/01/05/how-overwhelm-media/214932) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/356 "2017-01-08T22:10:04Z")
Nonsense! They simply want to get these trivial “housekeeping” procedures over with, and out of the way. Got a whole bunch of governin’ to do! ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/357 "2017-01-08T23:33:58Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > You truly believe that all of these hearings are scheduled at the same time for the sake of efficiency? I don’t know. But, then again, I also don’t care when they are done as I haven’t in the past, and I don’t now. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > They will this year. No, they won’t. Only the most politically “attached” dedicate time to following confirmation hearings. The election is over, as a result most people have tuned out, so to speak. I doubt any significant percentage of those people who have continued to follow politics are following the hearings, much less with any sort of interest. > [@](#): > > Yeah, your boy just can’t catch a break. > > In case you haven’t noticed, EVERY President (and DT isn’t even one yet!) is “damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.” Goes with the job. There’s no honeymoon anymore. If you can’t stand the heat…well, you know. Not what I meant. You guys and gals aren’t going to be happy with Trump no matter what he does. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/358 "2017-01-09T00:09:56Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > In 2009, confirmation hearings for Obama’s cabinet picks appear to have taken place over at least twelve days. > > I’m not seeing a list of the hearings in one place–instead, I’m searching at the name of each Cabinet member: Hilda Solis, Labor, January 9; Steven Chu, Energy, and Arne Duncan, Education, January 13; Tom Vilsack, Agriculture, January 14; Ken Salazar, Interior, and Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security, January 15; Eric Holder, Attorney General, January 16; Tim Geithner, Treasury, January 21. > > That’s not the entire list, of course. But it’s definitely not ‘six in one day.’ Thanks for digging up this information. I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/359 "2017-01-09T00:38:06Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Thanks for digging up this information. I appreciate it. You’re welcome. (My face will be red if it turns out there’s already an article with all the information available online; my search didn’t turn one up, anyway.) More: Ray LaHood, Transportation: 1-21-2009 Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services, 3-31-2009 Gary Locke, Commerce: 3-18-2009 Robert Gates, Defense –had no hearings as he was already Secretary of Defense during the Bush administration Eric Shinseki, Veterans Affairs: 1-14-2009 Now that the list is lengthier we can see that the 13th (of January, 2009) may have had as many as four hearings. Note, though, that two of the four had previous federal government jobs (and thus had been through vetting): –Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State –she had been a US Senator –Shaun Donovan, Housing and Urban Development: 1-13-2009 – “During the Clinton administration and the transition to the Bush administration, Donovan was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing at HUD, and was acting FHA commissioner” [quoting Wikipedia] –Steven Chu, Energy – was a professor at UC Berkely when picked –Arne Duncan, Education – was superintendent of Chicago Public Schools when picked. In addition to this contrast (in the greater spread of hearing dates) between the Obama and Trump transitions, there are issues with the Trump cabinet picks’ failure to provide routinely-supplied information for ethics review (mainly financial). The Hill has: > [@](#): > > “I am not aware of any occasion in the four decades since OGE was established when the Senate held a confirmation hearing before the nominee had completed the ethics review process,” said [ethics office director Walter] Shaub, who was appointed by President Obama to his position in 2013. [http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/313175-ethics-office-accuses-gop-of-rushing-trump-cabinet-confirmations](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/313175-ethics-office-accuses-gop-of-rushing-trump-cabinet-confirmations) ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/360 "2017-01-09T03:00:11Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > In addition to this contrast (in the greater spread of hearing dates) between the Obama and Trump transitions, there are issues with the Trump cabinet picks’ failure to provide routinely-supplied information for ethics review (mainly financial). The Hill has: > [http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/313175-ethics-office-accuses-gop-of-rushing-trump-cabinet-confirmations](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/313175-ethics-office-accuses-gop-of-rushing-trump-cabinet-confirmations) Not to mention that this paperwork was required for cabinet picks to have already completed in 2009. A requirement set forth, ironically, by [Mitch McConnell](http://imgur.com/a/EgK8B). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002.md?page=19)