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Trump picks former Sen. Coats as Director of National Intelligence
Fox News ^ | 01/05/2017

Posted on 01/05/2017 2:50:26 PM PST by SeekAndFind

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as director of national intelligence, two sources briefed on the decision told Fox News.

The official announcement is expected later this week, according to the AP, as Trump makes final decisions on some of the major positions he needs to fill before he is sworn in on Jan. 20.

Coats, a Republican, served as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee before retiring from Congress last year. He also served as U.S. ambassador to Germany.

As director of national intelligence, Coats would oversee an office created after 9/11 to improve coordination of U.S. spy and law enforcement agencies.

Coats is very much beloved in the Senate, a source told Fox News, and is considered to be an interesting balance to some of the other personalities such as Gen. Michael Flynn and Rep. Mike Pompeo.

The senator was banned from visiting Russia back in late 2014 for his participation to punish Russia because of Moscow’s move to annex the Crimea region of Ukraine, which he seemed to enjoy at the time.

“While I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to go on vacation with my family in Siberia this summer, I am honored to be on this list,” he said after Russia’s announcement, according to The Indy Star.

The choice comes amid Trump's questioning of the U.S. intelligence community's assessments that Russia interfered with the election on his behalf, and one day before the president-elect is briefed by senior intelligence officials on the Russian hacking allegations.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Government; US: Indiana; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: coats; dancoats; dni; intelligence; nationalsecurity; trump; trumpcabinet; trumptransition
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To: ASA Vet; SeekAndFind; Alas Babylon!; American_Centurion; An.American.Expatriate; arthurus; ...

Having spent most of my Army years in the intel field, I’d rather see the entire DNI organization eliminated. However, I think we can trust Dan Coates to do a honest job. His biggest chore should be getting the politicos out of the intel field.


41 posted on 01/05/2017 4:08:42 PM PST by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: 9YearLurker
Yuck—another Priebus/Pence pick in a key position.

You're out of your mind. Pence is an outstanding pick for VP. He was exactly the type of guy Trump needed.

42 posted on 01/05/2017 4:10:47 PM PST by ETL (On the road to America's recovery!)
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To: MIchaelTArchangel
Look for a mass exodus of liberal crap meister keester sitters from the CIA.

One can only pray and hope - don't think it happened when GWB took over. If memory serves me correctly the CIA was as war with Bush for at a minimum of 6 years - anyone remember that infamous Val lady that was NEVER COVERT?? She was what the lefties were claiming would be the eviction/conviction of Bush and Darth Vader, and instead they have to settle for Scooter!!
43 posted on 01/05/2017 4:20:32 PM PST by Cheerio (Barry Hussein Soetoro-0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: SeekAndFind

What brilliant selections. Absolutely stellar!


44 posted on 01/05/2017 4:22:52 PM PST by WENDLE (I urge the appointment of TED CRUZ to the Scalia seat on SCOTUS.)
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To: SE Mom

He’s a retired Senator and his main job will be testifying to hostile Senate Committees. The pick makes sense.


45 posted on 01/05/2017 4:31:23 PM PST by lodi90
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To: SeekAndFind

Think I’ll wait for an official announcement from the President elect. We’ve had this dance a couple of other times; Cathy McMorris-Rogers comes to mind. Sometimes I wonder if the Trump team leaks these as a way of gauging how their base reacts. At least in the case of McMorris-Rogers, when the backlash was immediate and became pretty vocal, it was suddenly revealed that she was never in consideration.

At least I hope this is the case, because I don’t like this pick...at all.


46 posted on 01/05/2017 4:31:44 PM PST by lonevoice (diagonally parked in a parallel universe)
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To: WENDLE
What brilliant selections. Absolutely stellar!

And, unlike you, all harsh critics of KGB/FSB Putin.

47 posted on 01/05/2017 4:33:19 PM PST by ETL (On the road to America's recovery!)
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To: ETL

Pence is clearly steering Trump toward Ryan/Priebus GOPe guys.

He is very, very close to Ryan.


48 posted on 01/05/2017 4:48:44 PM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: hoosiermama; onyx

I thought that name was on my RINO list. Hmmmm....these RINO’s better toe the line, under Trump.

I noticed my RINO Senator, Cornyn, was standing behind VP-elect Pence, the other day. He made sure to NOT disparage Trump, during the campaign (unlike my other disappointing Senator cRuz)...so...he’s moving up on the pedestal :)


49 posted on 01/05/2017 4:50:03 PM PST by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow!)
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To: onyx; hoosiermama

I have scant knowledge of Coats, either, and should stop with that. But, must say he never set the world on fire, neither for good nor for ill, and in recent years he really produces mostly a yawn. Coats doesn’t really sound like the type for Intelligence, but maybe his harmlessness, makes him perfect. What do I know.

Another FReeper said his name is a “float” for DOI, but it will NEVER happen. Not over National Intelligence.

Considering Trump, in the last couple of days, indicates a mind to shrink the out of control congregation of intelligence-type agencies, perhaps Coats was/is thought to be adept at breaking down and doing away with the excesses among the several overstaffed and leaks-like-a-sieve turf warring departments dotting the landscape in Washington.

DC is falling all over itself with government employees, as you well know, better than anyone. Apparently, it includes Intelligence.


50 posted on 01/05/2017 5:02:01 PM PST by RitaOK (Viva Christo Rey! Public Education is the farm team for more Marxists coming,... infinitum.)
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To: ETL

Well this gives balance and keeps the Russians guessing. I advocate TRUTH not russia.


51 posted on 01/05/2017 5:17:59 PM PST by WENDLE
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To: fieldmarshaldj

I’ll second that: Whut?

He’s all over the place depending on wind direction.

From Wiki:

On multiple occasions, Coats has supported gun control measures. In 1991, he voted in favor of the Biden-Thurmond Violent Crime Control Act of 1991. This act, which did not become law, would have created a waiting period for handgun purchases and placed a ban on semi-automatic firearms. Subsequently, he supported the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act that President Clinton signed into law in 1993.[6] The legislation imposed a waiting period before a handgun could be transferred to an individual by a licensed dealer, importer, or manufacturer. This waiting period ended when the computerized instant check system came online. Coats also supported Feinstein Amendment 1152 to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1993.[7] The purpose of the Feinstein Amendment was to “restrict the manufacture, transfer, and possession of certain semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices”.[8]

In April 2013, Coats was one of forty-six senators to vote against passage of a bill which would have expanded background checks for gun buyers. Coats voted with 40 Republicans and 5 Democrats to stop the passage of the bill.[9]


52 posted on 01/05/2017 5:34:11 PM PST by AFreeBird (BEST. ELECTION. EVER!)
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To: 9YearLurker

I was never excited about Pence. Too many unknowns and too many ties to the GOPe. When others here were enthralled with Trump’s pick, I was envisioning 8 years from now and how we’d be stuck with someone that might undo the good Trump did and give power back to the RINOs.


53 posted on 01/05/2017 5:53:22 PM PST by CottonBall (Thank you, Julian)
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To: Pinkbell

I forgot about that little weasel’s response when the tape came out


54 posted on 01/05/2017 6:47:49 PM PST by MyDogAteMyBallot
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To: 9YearLurker
You should see this. I saw this article because Pence himself retweeted it:

Across the Capitol, Pence’s task was to mend fences. A pal of Paul Ryan’s, Pence successfully negotiated the détente between the feuding House Speaker and party nominee. Like a Sunday-school teacher, Pence told the pair to knock it off and get back to the same hymnal. Then after the election, when conservatives threatened Ryan’s role as Speaker, Pence was on the phone calling potential naysayers to tell them that Trump wanted to keep Ryan in that role.

http://time.com/4606111/mike-pence-is-no-ordinary-wingman/?xid=tcoshare

55 posted on 01/05/2017 7:15:17 PM PST by Pinkbell (http://dtforpres.blogspot.com/2016/11/cnn-lies-multiple-times-to-help-hillary.html)
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To: CottonBall

I was very critical of the Pence pick on here initially and took a lot of heat for it. That said, as time went on, I grew to really like Mike Pence and think he was a great pick. I still think Pence was the best choice for Trump. He did a great job defending Trump and sticking by him. He’s obviously going to work hard.

I know he and Ryan are friends, though, and I’m not a supporter of Ryan.

See post 55.


56 posted on 01/05/2017 7:47:07 PM PST by Pinkbell (http://dtforpres.blogspot.com/2016/11/cnn-lies-multiple-times-to-help-hillary.html)
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To: Pinkbell

Trump wanted to keep Ryan? In God’s name WHY?

I wasn’t doubting that pence wouldn’t be a good vice President. That he wouldn’t tow the line, tow Trump’s line. I just don’t trust him on his own, if he were to be president someday. He’s wat too establishment for me. And one of those types can never be trusted. Like Bush did to Reagan.

But I hope you’re right that he will be OK.


57 posted on 01/05/2017 7:58:46 PM PST by CottonBall (Thank you, Julian)
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To: Pinkbell; CottonBall

That retweet from Pence makes me want to hurl.


58 posted on 01/05/2017 8:04:14 PM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

What retweet was that?


59 posted on 01/05/2017 8:19:41 PM PST by CottonBall (Thank you, Julian)
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To: CottonBall

In my opinion, I don’t think Trump wanted to keep Ryan. I think those around Trump including Reince, Pence, etc. encouraged him to keep Ryan and Trump went along with it for the sake of unity. We know Bannon’s Breitbart does not like Ryan. It would be very interesting to see what would have happened if Trump had a non-establishment VP and staff there. Perhaps Trump would not have supported Ryan and there would have been dispute over his becoming Speaker among the Republicans in the House.


60 posted on 01/05/2017 8:47:48 PM PST by Pinkbell (http://dtforpres.blogspot.com/2016/11/cnn-lies-multiple-times-to-help-hillary.html)
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