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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump offered Rick Perry a job neither one of them understood
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-offered-rick-perry-job-neither-one-them-understood?cid=sm_fb_maddow
Trump offered Rick Perry a job neither one of them understood
01/19/17 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen
An official at the Department of Energy recently found it necessary to carefully explain to a Trump transition aide what the agency actually does. The official did so after the Trump staffer aide asked a series of questions that indicated he wasnt quite sure about the departments portfolio.
As it turns out, the ignorance is widespread in Trump World, as evidenced by this New York Times article on the man the president-elect chose to lead the agency.
In the days after, Mr. Perry, the former Texas governor, discovered that he would be no such thing that in fact, if confirmed by the Senate, he would become the steward of a vast national security complex he knew almost nothing about, caring for the most fearsome weapons on the planet, the United States nuclear arsenal.
Revelations like these arent just scary for the public; theyre also deeply embarrassing for the amateurs wholl tomorrow take over the executive branch of the worlds largest superpower.
For Perry, whose confirmation hearing begins today, this is obviously cringe-worthy. Four years ago, the then-governor was determined to eliminate the Department of Energy, despite not knowing what the agency does. The DOE has a major research laboratory in Texas, but Perry, who led the state for 14 years, still never learned anything about the departments work.
If the Times reporting is correct, the Republican then accepted a cabinet post without having any idea what his responsibilities would be.
But as bad as Perry looks, lets not overlook his future boss.
Donald Trump couldve Googled Department of Energy while putting together his cabinet, taken 30 seconds to read an overview of the agencys work, and considered qualified people. If the president-elect didnt feel like doing any of this, Trump couldve assigned this basic task to someone on his payroll.
But Trump and his team never bothered.
Who looks more foolish: Perry for accepting a job he knew nothing about or Trump for offering a job he knew nothing about?
Postscript: The Daily Beast recently noted, n recent years, the trend has been to appoint a Secretary of Energy with real technical expertise. President Bush appointed Samuel Bodman, who had a distinguished career as an MIT-trained chemical engineer before making a fortune in the private sector. President Obama upped the ante, appointing Berkeleys Steven Chu and MITs Ernest Moniz to the position. Both are physicists. Chu has a Nobel Prize.
Perry, however, studied animal husbandry and led cheers at Texas A&M University.
MattP
(3,304 posts)blogslut
(37,999 posts)Perry was Texas' governor for 15 years. Texas has a DOE nuclear munitions facility. Even the dumbest Aggie should have picked up on this.
Dave Starsky
(5,914 posts)I guess he wouldn't.
dalton99a
(81,451 posts)NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)excuse my french. Trump even said Perry was stupid before and only wore glasses to try to look smart.
Ilsa
(61,694 posts)Okay, animal husbandry is a little more than that, but selective breeding is part of the study, along with with farm animal care.
Nominating him, a C student, is a gross abandonment of judgment by the PEETUS.
wishstar
(5,268 posts)Isn't that sufficient?
panader0
(25,816 posts)I thought repugs were against bestiality....
madokie
(51,076 posts)even knows what google is for
Google don't know everything is something I've heard many times. Googles doesn't and doesn't claim too, its simply an index to the vast array of information out there
Dumbasses doen't know the difference though
Gothmog
(145,130 posts)LeftInTX
(25,258 posts)Why didn't he just ask Perry to be head of USDA??
I think Perry may have some experience as a farmer, then I think he sold ag products.
I know Perry is stupid, but I think he does know a little bit more about agriculture than nuclear physics.