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Wall Street Journal: Mitt Romney Leads Donald Trump’s Picks for Secretary of State
Wall Street Journal ^ | 11/22/2016 | By MICHAEL C. BENDER and DAMIAN PALETTA

Posted on 11/22/2016 1:49:45 PM PST by SeekAndFind

President-elect leans toward the former governor but advisers’ tug of war delays decision

President-elect Donald Trump is leaning toward asking former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to be his secretary of state, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The next U.S. president is also likely to name retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as His Secretary of Defense and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is his leading candidate for Ambassador to the United Nations.

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2016cabinet; bookmark; mittromney; romney; romney2016; statesecretary; trump; trumptransition
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To: SeekAndFind

Meh, could be worse.

Could be SoS Bush or SoS Graham.


41 posted on 11/22/2016 2:04:44 PM PST by chris37 (It's time to burn the GOP down.)
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To: Piranha

Here is what we know of Romney on his foreign policy based on his PUBLIC statements:

SOURCE: http://www.ontheissues.org/Mitt_Romney.htm

Do whatever it takes to destroy ISIS-including ground troops. (Nov 2014)

ISIS: bad things happen as a result of inaction. (Jun 2014)

Don’t allow Syria to give WMD to terrorists. (Sep 2013)
We can’t kill our way out of the mess in the Islamic world. (Oct 2012)

Coordinated investment in Middle East to shift from jihad. (Oct 2012)

Syria is humanitarian disaster; arm the rebels. (Oct 2012)

No military involvement in Syria; work with our allies. (Oct 2012)

US should have supported 2009 Green Revolution in Iran. (Oct 2012)

Dissuade Iran from nukes by peaceful means, like sanctions. (Oct 2012)

Not conquest, but promoting human rights & free markets. (Sep 2012)
No daylight between the United States and Israel. (Sep 2012)

Troops to Syria if Assad spreads chemical weapons. (Aug 2012)

1965: Picketed AGAINST Vietnam protestors. (Jan 2012)

1966-68: Missionary deferment; 1969: drew high draft number. (Jan 2012)

Disagree with Israelis in private; stand with them in public. (Dec 2011)

If we reelect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. (Nov 2011)

Crippling sanctions against Iran, & military, to stop nukes. (Nov 2011)

To Jihadists, democracy is blasphemous since people make law. (Feb 2008)

Let lawyers decide if authorization needed to attack
Iran. (Oct 2007)

After surge, move to support phase, based in Kuwait. (Sep 2007)

Deal with Iran nukes with Dems at home & with allies abroad. (Sep 2007)

Slow progress vs. frightening consequences of withdrawal. (Aug 2007)

It’s time for people of America to show a surge of support. (Aug 2007)

You attack US and we respond; but use nonmilitary too. (Jan 2006)

Afghanistan

Paksitani Pashtuns will rush to Afghan Taliban when we leave. (Oct 2012)

Leave Afghanistan when generals on the ground say so. (Jan 2012)

We should withdraw from Afghanistan after 2012. (Aug 2011)

Stay in Afghanistan until our generals say to leave. (Jun 2011)

Timetable for troop reduction ok; but not for withdrawal. (Jan 2008)

Keep option to attack Al Qaeda in Pakistan, but don’t say it. (Aug 2007)

Osama bin Laden will die for the outrage he has exacted. (May 2007)

Iraq

Leave 20,000 US troops in Iraq as an ongoing presence. (Jun 2014)

American resolve in Iraq counters jihad with fortitude. (Mar 2010)

Military should have private timetable for Iraq withdrawal. (Aug 2009)

$700B was well-spent to win freedom in Iraq. (Feb 2009)
Never, ever supported specific timetable for exit from Iraq. (Jan 2008)

It was the right decision to go into Iraq. (Jan 2008)

Supported timed withdrawal, but only by Iraqis and in secret. (Jan 2008)

Staying in Iraq protects lives of American citizens. (Dec 2007)

Right to invade Iraq, but not what came after. (Jun 2007)

FactCheck: Saddam didn’t refuse UN inspectors prior to war. (Jun 2007)

Iraq part of global jihadist effort to bring down the West. (May 2007)

Don’t decide policy by polls; don’t leave Iraq precipitously. (May 2007)

Withdrawal from Iraq would be a mistake. (Dec 2006)

Bush gave inadequate rationale for Iraq war. (Nov 2006)

Supported the surge; never supported a timed withdrawal. (Jan 2006)


42 posted on 11/22/2016 2:05:33 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: MplsSteve

Bolton is a tainted neocon Bushite.
Trump convinced many voters through bis honest criticism of the neocon Bush-Clinton permanent-war adventurism. Bolton is the embodiment of this failed foreign policy.


43 posted on 11/22/2016 2:06:41 PM PST by SolidWood
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To: KeyLargo

I totally don’t get this...SOS was a major pipeline for jihadists. Have never heard Romney go after jihad. Many foreign agents, refugee programs flow through that office. Just sickening if he does this.
A bad day for right-wing...
If he would announce Kobach for DHS at least I could lick my wounds....


44 posted on 11/22/2016 2:07:21 PM PST by magna carta
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To: DOC44

All appointemd officials serve at the pleasure of the President. A SECSTATE can be fired as easily as heis hired.


45 posted on 11/22/2016 2:08:10 PM PST by billyboy15 (L9)
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To: SeekAndFind

Like having the wolf watch out for your flock of sheep


46 posted on 11/22/2016 2:08:37 PM PST by stocksthatgoup (these protestors are not anarchists. They are Hillary Supporting Demoncr)
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To: SeekAndFind

Doubt that Trump wants any big distractions with foreign affairs early in his first term. A staid figure like Romney may be intended to “reassure” the world and not distract him. His attention will be centered on revitalizing the economy to give a tangible benefit to his supporters. Yet would not doubt that if he is successful with the economy,he very well may address the long term problems with the EU, Saudi Arabia,NATO and the uneven trade deals mentioned during the campaign. If he is inclined to follow through on those reforms, Romney may be pushed aside.


47 posted on 11/22/2016 2:08:46 PM PST by allendale
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To: billyboy15

A Secretary is not easily hired at will by the President.
There is still hearing & confirmation through congress.


48 posted on 11/22/2016 2:11:13 PM PST by SolidWood
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To: SeekAndFind

In March 2016 Mitt gave a speech and in it he said this about Trump:

“He creates scapegoats of Muslims and Mexican immigrants, he calls for the use of torture and for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit first amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.

Here’s what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.

His domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president. And his personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.”

So if he is Secretary of State he starts out with this sort of judgment, having said Trump was playing American people for suckers. American people, I think are VERY tired of being mocked, called names like “sucker” and “tea bagger”, “hillbilly”, “redneck”, “racist”. If those who look down on us and call us names still keep getting on the inside, what are we to think? Therefore, I don’t think Trump would bring Mitt inside.


49 posted on 11/22/2016 2:12:32 PM PST by Anima Mundi
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To: SeekAndFind

Future Order of Succession...

1 Vice President - Mike Pence (R)
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives - Paul Ryan (R)
3 President pro tempore of the Senate - Orrin Hatch (R)
4 Secretary of State - Willard Mitt Romney (R) ????

Can Mitt get on the Trump Train??


50 posted on 11/22/2016 2:12:35 PM PST by missnry (The truth will set you free ... and drive liberals crazy!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Ahhh.... ambassador to Mexico...


51 posted on 11/22/2016 2:16:44 PM PST by reed13k
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To: SolidWood

Mattis is on the board of the big scam company Theranos.


52 posted on 11/22/2016 2:17:13 PM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: Piranha
But substantively, where would he be likely to act in ways that are adverse to President Trump’s own foreign policy objectives?

I think it would have to do with Romney's being seen as a free trader and outsourcer.

Either Romney will follow a different course on foreign trade from Trump or the State Department will have little to do with trade agreements (or Romney won't be Secretary of State).

I suspect the reason why Romney's under consideration is that he doesn't fit neatly into either of the two main foreign policy camps -- hawks and doves, or interventionists and isolationists, or Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians, or neocons and nationalists or libertarians or whatever you want to call the two sides.

53 posted on 11/22/2016 2:18:48 PM PST by x
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To: Anima Mundi

Trump has a pretty thick skin. He said some nasty things about people himself during the campaign.

I think it was Milton Friedman who said (I’m paraphrasing since Incan’t find the quote): we don’t get good government by hiring good people. We get good government by creating incentives for average people to do the right things.

I would not trust Romney one bit. He implemented Romneycare in Massachusetts and introduced gay marriage in that state. But would he undermine President Trump in the international arena?


54 posted on 11/22/2016 2:19:43 PM PST by Piranha (Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have - Saul Alinsky)
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To: Dog

I was consistently “head fake”.

I was right.

Your right about the freakout.

...but pop corning fellow Freepers is fk up!

Seek to persuade or shut up.


55 posted on 11/22/2016 2:20:41 PM PST by Eddie01
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To: Piranha
But substantively, where would he be likely to act in ways that are adverse to President Trump’s own foreign policy objectives?

Russia. Mitt: "First of all, Russia I indicated is a geopolitical foe. Not... excuse me. It's a geopolitical foe, and I said in the same -- in the same paragraph I said, and Iran is the greatest national security threat we face. Russia does continue to battle us in the U.N. time and time again. I have clear eyes on this. I'm not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia, or Mr. Putin."

56 posted on 11/22/2016 2:20:58 PM PST by pepsi_junkie (ui)
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To: ifinnegan

Mattis called Israel an apartheid state and blamed Israel for the fact that our military is not aligned with the military in Muslim countries. I would not want him to be Secretary of Defense.


57 posted on 11/22/2016 2:21:46 PM PST by Piranha (Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have - Saul Alinsky)
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To: SeekAndFind

No, please, no!


58 posted on 11/22/2016 2:22:19 PM PST by Bigg Red (To Thee, O Lord, I lift my soul. Thank you for saving our Republic.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Dear God, please let this be nothing but a spurious rumor.

Mitt Romney is a back-stabbing “let’s reach across the aisle and surrender” RINO worthless P.O.S. NeverTrumper LOSER!!! If President Trump appoints Romney he will instantly regret it. Mitt is a traitor and cannot be trusted, ever.


59 posted on 11/22/2016 2:22:55 PM PST by RooRoobird20 ("Democrats haven't been this angry since Republicans freed the slaves.")
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To: pepsi_junkie

Good point. If Trump is trying to warm up relations with Russia, Romney has to get on board if he is to be Secretary of State.


60 posted on 11/22/2016 2:23:42 PM PST by Piranha (Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have - Saul Alinsky)
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