Trump Shuns Sarah Palin, Picks Cathy McMorris Rodgers For Interior Secretary

Zero Hedge ^ | 12/09/2016

[SeekAndFind]

In what is being touted as further diversification of the president-elect administration, Donald Trump is expected to name Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) to lead the Interior Department, according to reports. McMorris Rodgers gets the nod ahead of Sarah Palin and Harold Hamm.

The candidates mentioned for the Interior Secretary were... 

• * Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor, 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee
• * Jan Brewer, former Republican Arizona governor
• * Forrest Lucas, founder of oil products company Lucas Oil
• * Harold Hamm, Oklahoma oil and gas mogul, chief executive of Continental Resources Inc
• * Robert Grady, venture capitalist, partner in private equity firm Gryphon Investors
• * Mary Fallin, Republican Oklahoma governor
• * Ray Washburne, chief executive of investment company Charter Holdings
• * Cathy McMorris Rodgers, U.S. representative from Washington state and Republican Conference chair

But as The Hill reports, Trump will tap McMorris-Rodgers, a five-term Republican who represents eastern Washington and is the chair of the House GOP Conference, to lead the department, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

McMorris Rodgers is a vice chair of Trump’s transition team and the highest-ranking woman in GOP leadership. She formally met with Trump on Nov. 20. Her office declined to comment Friday. 

 

If confirmed by the Senate, McMorris Rodgers would lead the 70,000-employee, $12 billion Interior Department, which manages federal lands for both preservation and energy and mineral development, controls offshore drilling and oversees national parks.

 

She would be Trump’s point person on public lands energy development, something Trump said he wants to expand as president. 

 

Trump opposes the Obama administration’s moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands and, in a September speech, proposed a “top-down review of all anti-coal regulations issued by the Obama administration,” an effort that would include the Interior Department.   

 

Trump’s transition website said he “will encourage the production of [fossil fuels] by opening onshore and offshore leasing on federal lands and waters.”

 

Trump, though, has professed a view of federal land ownership that is relatively moderate compared to some conservatives. 

 

In a speech this week, he said he would follow the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and “conserve and protect our beautiful natural resources for the next generation including protecting lands.” 

 

During his presidential campaign, he said he “[doesn’t] like the idea” of transferring federal lands to states because “I want to keep the lands great, and you don’t know what the state is going to do. I mean, are they going to sell if they get into a little bit of trouble? And I don’t think it’s something that should be sold." 

McMorris Rodgers is a booster of hydropower and has pushed legislation to tackle forest fires in the West. 

She has voted in favor of expanding fossil fuel development on public lands and in federal areas off-shore. She opposes efforts to change the royalty rates on federal coal mining, something pushed hard by Obama’s Interior Department, and voted for a GOP budget that would allow the sale of public lands to mining companies. 

In the past, she has introduced legislation to require congressional approval before the president can designate a national monument, and a bill directing the Bureau of Land Management to release public lands it holds that it has deemed not suitable for wilderness status.

[catnipman]

Renee Ellmers was primaried out; she’ll be gone on 1/3/2017.

[Zenjitsuman]

AS A TRUMP SUPPORTER GOING BACK TO BEFORE THE PRIMARIES, MY WIFE AND I TWEETED DJT, THAT WE ARE DISAPPOINTED HE IS NOT BEING LOYAL TO PALIN.

SHE EVEN WENT TO MICHIGAN THE WEEK BEFORE THE ELECTION AS DJT SURROGATE AND PROBABLY WON IT FOR DJT IT WAS THAT CLOSE.

PALIN WOULD BE BETTER AT INTERIOR, SHE HAS PRODUCED AND STARED IN MANY SHOWS ABOUT USA WILDERNESS. SHE HUNTS, FISHES, SLEDS, AND IS AN ALL AROUND EXPERT ABOUT THE OUTDOORS. PALIN IS FOR SMART ENVIRONMENTALISM. THIS WOMAN TAKING THE JOB IS A RINO. PALIN AND ME AND THE WIFE DON’T UNDERSTAND DJT.

ONLY THE VA POST IS OPEN TO A PALIN APPOINTMENT. HOW DJT CAN BE CONTEMPLATING A POS LIKE ROMNEY AND NOT PICKING A LOYAL FRIEND LIKE PALIN BAFFLES MANY OF US.

[Syncro]

She is a fantastic conservative who has had her time of truly useful public service.

Nonetheless, I believe she will be quite active behind the scenes if Trump sees the importance of that function.

Of course she will still be an outspoken advocate for our Constitutional Republic and the political process in all the venues she uses quite often even at this time.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Donald Trump himself said in the summer of 2015 that Sarah Palin would be a good choice for Energy Secretary.

Sarah once headed the Alaska Oil & Gas Commission, which is no small potatoes in Alaska.

However, comments made in the summer of 2015 were a life time ago in the world of politics.

[9YearLurker]

The Ryan/Priebus express continues...

[af_vet_1981]

I have no problem with President Elect Trump's choice. This election was not about Sarah Palin and the Democrats were denied their target at Interior. Being loyal to Palin does not equate to choosing her for a Cabinet position.

Not tired of winning

[jch10]

A Bushie, for sure.

[Engedi]

Yes, totally agree. She shot off her mouth before reasoning the whole situation. I lost some respect for Palin when she dangled the carrot several times about running for President or Congress only to not go there.

[Jim W N]

I didn’t really care for the movie the “Fight Club”. Felt it was cynical and sadistic. Not sure where that puts the gaggle of writers at ZH, but I don’t like their “shun” mischaracterization of Trump choosing one of many good candidates.

[CodeToad]

Thanks, I stole it from a friend.

[StAnDeliver]

DRILL BABY DRILL

[tomkat]

Ya gotta love the use of the word “shun”....cute...

My first thought as well (except for the 'cute' part ;-)

[JediJones]

Pretty Rodgers have a GOP address within the last year or two touting amnesty and other RINO policies.

[JediJones]

Pretty sure Rodgers gave a GOP TV address within the last year or two touting amnesty and other RINO policies.

[proud American in Canada]

‘Ya gotta love the use of the word “shun”....cute...’

__________________________________________________

My first thought exactly.

So .... (thought withheld) .... biased.

As if the media ever liked Sarah in the first place! Now they claim she hasn’t been treated well?

They have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes. I am sure she and Donald have a very good relationship.

[proud American in Canada]

‘Plus, she has a special needs child that requires constant attention. I think she’ll stay in Alaska.’
________________________________________________

That is an excellent point, one that is often forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.

[proud American in Canada]

‘Sarah is a target and would do my harm than good simply being who she is.’

______________________________________________

Yes, thanks to McCain’s leaving her to twist in the wind and not defending her, she was completely trashed. Thanks a lot, Tina Fey and NBC’s clever editing ...

Sarah even said at the outset she did not want to harm Donald’s chances by being associated with him. I can’t remember when she said it, but she did.

[JediJones]

If you think a billion-dollar “public works” project is conservative, than I guess you think W and Hussein were conservative stalwarts too.

[catnipman]

“Not sure where that puts the gaggle of writers at ZH”

there’s actual evidence that the ZH founder is pro-Russian (this isn’t just the latest nonsense about how Russians are under very rock). Certainly the founder is a very disreputable character, and the site itself is pretty skeezy, with many grains of salt needing to be taken with anything written there. Many (maybe all) of the non-Tyler-Durden writers are just out and out hucksters, peddling over-priced “investment” newsletters and singular investment strategies like buying gold, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Hedge#History_and_authorship

https://www.google.com/search?q=Daniel+Ivandjiiski&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

[StormEye]

"She might be great at the Library of Congress,"

Archives, it's the United States Archives agency, department, whatever.
The US Congress controls the Library of Congress.