Out of the myriad promises Donald Trump made during his campaign for president, one that bears further examination is his promise to “drain the swamp”. Trump was merely copying what President Ronald Reagan vowed to do in 1980. Reagan said he would "drain the swamp" of bureaucracy in Washington. No surprise there, he also got his famous "Make America Great Again" from Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign!.
As for draining the swamp Trump has announced plans to do that but mostly will just limit his staff and members of congress from becoming lobbyists by proposing tougher rules and he plans on trying to get a constitutional amendment passed that would set term limits on congressmen. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the States. Either way that’s tepid reform but let’d see where this goes. First let’s look at a few of his proposed cabinet members. Is he “draining the swamp” or filling the White House with Swamp Things?
Steve Bannon!
Steve Bannon will be Donald Trump’s Chief “Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor.” This former editor of Breitbart.com and related sites, has been accused of courting white supremacists, who now call themselves the alt right, through Breitbart, which they have found to be a safe haven for their beliefs. How could we know this? "We're the platform for the alt-right," Bannon said, when he was interviewed at the RNC. Is Bannon a white supremacist? Despite his stint at Breitbart.com there seems to be a dearth of evidence to prove he is, yet he seems deeply disturbing. It’s like one episode of The Simpson’s showed painted on a helicopter, “Fox News, Not Racist, But #1 With Racists”. Is Bannon guilty or is this guilt by association? Is he a Swamp Thing? Or not?
The Southern Poverty Law Center is so incensed at the idea of Bannon being in the White House that they even have a petition against him being in the White House. Another opponent of Bannon is the National Jewish Democratic Council.
“Enough is enough,” the NJDC said in a statement. “We had planned to withhold judgment on the president-elect, giving him time to make his administration appointments, but his choice of Steve Bannon as chief strategist and senior adviser is wrong...His racism and anti-Semitism have no place in the White House, and he must step down.”
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the Third!
Jeff Sessions is Trump’s choice for Attorney General. Sessions failed to get appointed as Ronald Reagan’s nominee for the U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Alabama in 1986 but why did he fail? Allegations of racism. It was during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Thomas Figures, an assistant US Attorney who worked under Sessions in Mobile, testified. Figures spoke of Sessions joking that he thought the KKK was "OK until I found out they smoked pot." Figures, who was African-American and passed away last year, also told committee members that Sessions had called him "boy" on several occasions and once cautioned him to "be careful what you say to white folks" after Figures had spoken harshly to a secretary who was white.
Another federal prosecutor, J. Gerald Hebert, testified that Sessions had called the ACLU and NAACP "un-American" and "communist-inspired." According to Hebert, Sessions said the two groups "forced civil rights down the throats of people.”
Now 31 years later Sessions meets with that same committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee. Politifact has something to say about Jeff! Bottom line, Sessions says he’s no racist, he is against waterboarding, and a muslim ban and would recuse himself from an investigation of Hillary Clinton if Trump decides to persecute her. All good answers yet he seems an uncomfortable fit for the job. Is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the Third
a Swamp Thing or not?
Betsy DeVos!
Betsy DeVos is an Amway heiress and school choice advocate who had state leadership positions in the Republican Party and was a mega-donor to Trump’s presidential campaign and is Trump’s choice for US Secretary of Education. The job requires knowledge of education and Betsy admits she has no education background or degree. The New York Times feels she is too ignorant of the subject matter to do the job. She also admits a complete lack of familiarity with the US Public School system. The Washington Post posits two negative outcomes. Let's see if she is approved. Is she another Swamp Thing? Or no?
Rudolph W. Giuliani!
Rudy Giuliani was, at one point last year, told he was in the running for Secretary of State! Rudy has been claimed to be a good friend of Donald Trump but it seems that Trump might have been just toying with him. Rudy Giuliani was offered an ill-defined cybersecurity post instead; Trump rewarded a loyal sycophant with a lesser, created position. Everyone knows of Rudy’s ghoulish attachment to 9-11. For more information consult your local search engine. Knowledge is power! Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia called Giuliani! “Nosferatu” on twitter in 2016 and the name has stuck! Is Giuliani! a Swamp Thing? Or no?
Reince Priebus!
Reince Priebus was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2011 until Trump, as president, became the assumed head of the Republican Party. Reince Priebus is a rock solid, establishment Republican. Here at The Strangest Adventures, we do not find Reince Priebus troubling; the presence of such an established, knowledgable figure within the Trump Administration is a comforting thought. Maybe he can convince the new president to quit using twitter! Reince is certainly no Swamp Thing! Hopefully he will guide Trump through the difficulties of the White House!
There are many others, the Russia loving Rex Tillerson comes to mind but the question remains-is President Trump draining the swamp or filling the White House with Swamp Things? It is a Saga we all must wait on…to be continued!
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