Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on Friday rejected the idea that he would soon join the Trump administration as energy secretary.

Manchin told a town hall crowd at the West Virginia State Fair on Friday that he won't leave to join President Trump's cabinet, a Senate aide confirmed. Manchin is up for re-election in 2018.

A Wall Street Journal reporter also tweeted his remarks and said he won cheers for saying he wouldn't join the administration.

A decision to join the Trump administration would have opened the door for the GOP to try again on Obamacare repeal since Republican Gov. Jim Justice would likely appoint a Republican to fill the seat.

Manchin's name has been floated as a replacement for Rick Perry, who may leave the energy post to become the director of the Department of Homeland Security. That post is open after Gen. John Kelly left to serve as White House chief of staff.

Currently, there is a 52-48 GOP majority in the Senate. The GOP can only afford two defections on any legislation, as Vice President Pence could break a 50-50 tie.

While Manchin says he is staying put, there could be other shuffles in the Senate.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is expected to go to trial in less than a month to fight corruption charges. If Menendez loses then he would leave the Senate and Republican Gov. Chris Christie would appoint a replacement, also likely a Republican.

Christie is expected to leave office in January 2018.

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Joe Manchin won't join Trump's Cabinet - Washington Examiner - Washington Examiner

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U.S is 200 days into a Trump presidency and a lot has happened. While most decisions taken by the Trump Administration have been controversial in some way or the other, this has made it difficult for people to follow whats going. While the travel ban and a few other terms have been flying around, heres a quick run down of all the decisions Trump Administration has taken so far in case it comes up at a dinner party.

1. Paris Climate AgreementIn 2016, World leaders from 195 nations across the globe united against climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention by agreeing to curb greenhouse gas emissions. While America has always preferred to be a spectator in talks regarding curbing of GHGS, the Trump cabinet went a step further. In June 2017 Trump cabinet withdrew from the accord, as Trump felt that the US was getting a raw deal out of it and that it was unfair to the US Economy. He believed it would cost the US $3 trillion in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs, leaving the US impoverished. However, as matters stand today, the United States is not only the worlds largest economy but also, cumulatively, its largest greenhouse gas emitter. Hence its pulling out significantly weakens the global climate commitment towards the planet.

2.Healthcare Bill

One of the 1st orders of business for the Trump cabinet was to repeal ObamaCare. But the Trump cabinets replacement plan wasnt all that great which led even Republicans rejecting it saying it wasnt enough to just repeal ObamaCare. A second draft of the bill was submitted as well, but Republicans seem divided over the decision. With the plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare still hanging in balance, trump is in the hot seat.

Heres the whole scoop on the U.S Healthcare Bill

3.Travel Ban

The Travel ban is probably the most talked about decision of the Trump cabinet.In January 2017, Trump released an executive order barring entry into US for citizens from 7 Muslimcountries namely Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as he believed that the immigrants and refugees from these countries posed a serious security threat. He also called for the US to suspend resettling refugees from these regions until extreme vetting procedures can be implemented, including ideological tests to screen out extremists. While the policy got entangled in many lawsuits and 2 attempts by Trump to implement the ban were blocked by U.S courts. the Supreme Court ruled for the partial implementation of the policy and allowed the Trump administration to go ahead with the 90 days ban on visitors from the remaining 6countries and 120 days suspension of US refugee settlements, but asked the White House to ease down on the travel restrictions with respect to the relatives of the existing immigrants in the country.

Just in case you want to know more about the Travel ban

4. Multiple Firings

Ever since Trump assumed the office of POTUS, there have been dismissals galore of various top officials.While Acting Attorney general Sally Yates was fired for asking the travel ban to not be imposed.FBI Director James Comey was let go for his probe into the Russian investigation. Press secretary Sean Spicer resigned after the President appointed Anthony Scaramucci (an unworthy recruit in Spicers opinion) as his communications director. Right after Scaramuccis appointment, White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus was fired 10 days into his job after Scaramucci accused him of leaking information to the media and called him an ineffective Chief of staff.

5.Transgender restrictions

The Trumps administration has taken a series of deliberate steps against the transgender community. In February, the administration withdrew federal protection of transgender students that allowed them to use bathrooms of the gender they identified with in schools. This led to to a full blown debate within the Trump administration itself, but finally the bathroom bill was passed. To add to this, he recently banned transgenders from joining the army and claimed this was because ofthe tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. With about 6,000 or so transgender troops already serving in the military,whether it would it bar trans people from joining the military going forward, or would it force the military to discharge trans people who are already serving is still to be seen.

Read the rest here:
Trump Administration: Things That May Come Up At A Dinner Party - WTDnews (blog)

Former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo. LYN RILLON

No replacement has been named so far for former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo after her rejection by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, according to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.

Taguiwalo was the third Cabinet member rejected by the CA.

Abella said President Duterte had supported her despite their different views, but he has to respect the CAs decision.

We wish Secretary Taguiwalo all the best in her future endeavors. She knows she will always have the Presidents gratitude and friendship for the time, albeit brief, that they spent together in the service of our people, Abella said.

Mr. Duterte had given her his full trust and support even when she sided with leftist groups opposing the Presidents positions, he said.

The social activist-educator would remain the Presidents friend, Abella said.

Abella also said it did not seem likely that Vice President Leni Robredo would replace Taguiwalo as suggested by some netizens, as there might be conditionalities that may not be too favorable regarding that.

Abella was also asked about the results of poll that Assistant Communications Secretary Mocha Uson conducted on her personal Twitter account on who should replace Taguiwalo.

As of Friday afternoon, Leni had 82 percent of the vote. The other options were others, Assistant Social Welfare Secretary Lorraine Badoy, and Prieto-Teodoro, presumably referring to former lawmaker Monica Prieto-Teodoro.

But Abella said Mr. Duterte has a different set of categories when it comes to deciding on Taguiwalos replacement.

Im sure the President has other ways of measuring a candidates capability aside from surveys, he said.

As for Robredo, he said there were conditions that work against the idea of naming her to the post.

He noted that Robredo had resigned from her Cabinet position as housing chief.

Im not saying no for Leni. Im just saying that it seems to be a difficult choice, he said.

Robredo, a top official of the Liberal Party, resigned from the Cabinet after she was told to stop attending meetings.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

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Palace: No replacement yet for Taguiwalo - Inquirer.net

Semihandmade started out as a Los Angeles cabinetmaker called "Handmade," but when they got a commission to design aftermarket doors for a cheap and surprisingly robust set of Ikea kitchen cabinets, they realized that they could supply excellent-looking, high-spec kitchens at a tiny price by just manufacturing replacement doors for Ikea's ubiquitous cabinetry.

I happened on the company's showroom this weekend in Palm Springs and was blown away by the quality and aesthetic properties of the doors, which are made from a variety of materials, including some great molded fiberglass pieces that were really kick-ass. The company also sells aftermarket wheels, legs, and other hardware that can transform the identikit Ikea staples into striking and pleasing home furnishings. They've expanded beyond kitchens into bathrooms, bookcases and other furnishings.

It's a great way to capitalize on the economies of scale that Ikea gets in designing its hardware without subjecting yourself to the compromises it makes on finishes and materials for the exteriors.

Semihandmade Doors

The mystery of yesterdays India-wide censorship orders which blocked the Internet Archive from the worlds largest democracy has been solved: it was the result of complaints by two Bollywood studios, Prakash Jha Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment, who chose to target infringing copies of their movies by securing an injunction at the High Court of []

Five years ago, a patent troll called Personal Audio started demanding money from podcasters, claiming that their patent on mailing cassette tapes of people reading magazines (a ridiculous patent on its face) also covered podcasting.

In 2016, CBS/Paramount brought a lawsuit against Axanar, a very successful group of fan-film producers whod crowdfunding more than $1M to make a kick-ass Star Trek video.

The Pry.Me Bottle Opener holds tens of thousands of times its own weight, and you can pick one up now from the Boing Boing Store.This remarkable keychain is considerably smaller than any of your keys, but dont let that fool you: it can easily open any bottle, and could even tow a trailer full of []

Guaranteeing your privacy online goes way beyond checking the Do Not Track option in your browsers settings. To ensure that your internet activity is totally hidden from Internet Service Providers, advertisers, and other prying eyes, take a look at Windscribes VPN protection. It usually costs $7.50 per month, but you can get a 3-year subscription []

This project management bundle will help you get organized and learn how to lead a team to success. You can pay what you want for these five courses when you pick them up from the Boing Boing Store.To help you become an invaluable asset for your company, this bundle includes a curated collection of professional []

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Ikeahacking turned pro: the aftermarket cabinet-doors of ... - Boing Boing

Some White House and Republican officials are exploring the idea of putting West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin in charge of the Energy Department, according to four people familiar with the discussions, a move that could boost President Donald Trumps stalled legislative agenda.

If Manchin were offered and accepted the position, that would allow West Virginias Governor Jim Justice -- a newly minted Republican -- to appoint a GOP successor and bring the party a vote closer in the Senate to being able to repeal Obamacare. The idea is in the early stages of consideration, and its unclear whether it has support within the administration, according to the people, who described the conversations under condition of anonymity.

A spokesman for Manchin declined to say whether the senator would take the Energy secretary job -- currently held by former Texas Governor Rick Perry -- if offered.

Senator Manchin has not had any recent conversations with the Administration about the Secretary of Energy position. He remains committed to serving the people of West Virginia, said Jonathan Kott.

Manchin, who faces a tough re-election battle in 2018, was considered for the post after Trump won election in November. His nomination fell through in part because Trump wouldnt assure him he could pick his own staff, according to two people familiar with the staff selections, who described them on condition of anonymity.

Perry was named Energy Secretary instead, and its unclear whether he would be open to taking another position in the administration. He has been among the candidates considered to replace John Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security, according to three people familiar with the deliberations. Kelly, who became White House chief of staff last week, and Trump havent yet decided who should succeed him as Homeland Security secretary.

Perry has not been a seamless fit with the Energy Department, where the two most recent secretaries had Ph.D.s in physics. Perry was an animal science major at Texas A&M, and he advocated abolishing the department during his own presidential bid. The Air Force veteran was initially under consideration to lead the Pentagon under Trump.

With an annual budget of about $30 billion, the Energy Departments work ranges from safeguarding nuclear weapons to the research into carbon-capture technology and maintaining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Perry has expressed a deep interest in the nuclear security and intelligence aspects of the post, and has become a vocal advocate for the national laboratories and for U.S. energy exports.

The ultimate goal of such a Cabinet shift would be to jump-start Trumps agenda in Congress, particularly repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

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Yet to execute the idea and pass an Obamacare repeal, Republicans and the administration would have to pull off a highly choreographed series of events. Perry would have to agree to take another job, the Senate would have to confirm Manchin as Energy Secretary, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would then have to bring a repeal bill back up without losing any of the 49 Republican senators who voted for the so-called skinny repeal.

Some of those senators, however, like Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said they were only voting for the bill to bring it to negotiations with the House. Other Republicans, like Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, are working on a bipartisan fix.

Moreover, Manchin would face intense pressure from fellow Democrats not to leave the Senate and bear some personal responsibility for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Manchin has said in interviews that he warned Trump personally that people in his state who gained insurance under the law dont know who gave it to them, but would surely know who took it away.

Earlier this month, Trump appeared at a political rally in Huntington, West Virginia, where Justice announced that he was changing parties from Democrat to Republican.

Manchin has sought to position himself as a political independent. In a recent interview with the Charleston Gazette-Mail that he wont commit to Democratic policy positions just to win re-election.

The bottom line is, if it doesnt help West Virginia, it doesnt make sense to me,Manchin told the newspaper. Just because theres an election doesnt mean I sign on or dont sign on,

See more here:
Manchin Emerges as Possible Pick for Energy Department - Bloomberg

It remains unclear how seriously any of those individuals are being considered.

Since Kelly took his position as President Donald Trump's right-hand man, he is expected to have an outsized role in the process of finding his replacement.

"I think he will have a great deal of say in who goes over to replace him because he has had this position," a source close to Kelly said. "He now has a very soft spot in his heart for the Department of Homeland Security," the source added, saying that it's "now his baby."

Kelly is especially concerned about his replacement continuing the trajectory he feels he got the department on, particularly on issues like morale of the workforce, the source said.

Multiple sources close to the White House and the administration expect the process will take some time, and that having acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke, who was confirmed this spring as the deputy secretary, reduces the pressure to speed things up.

"Elaine Duke is a steady hand at the wheel so you don't need to rush this process, because she's very, very steady," said a congressional aide. "She can run the ship well, so they can take their time."

Here's a look at some of the options being discussed.

Jeff Sessions

Given Trump's public berating of Sessions in recent weeks, there was speculation that the President could move Sessions to the opening at DHS to get him out of the Justice Department without firing him.

Doing so would eliminate what was a growing source of frustration for the President -- namely Sessions' recusal from the investigation into Russian election meddling and the special counsel at DOJ -- and puts an experienced hand atop an agency key to Trump's immigration and counter-terrorism agenda, all without firing a man who was defended aggressively by members of Congress and conservative organizations.

But the White House has denied that option is under consideration.

"There are no conversations about any Cabinet members moving in any capacity, and the President has 100% confidence in all members of his Cabinet," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said when asked about the rumor on Monday.

Mike McCaul

The Texas congressman, who's also the chairman of the House homeland security committee, is considered a strong contender for the position given his experience and border-state ties. He also would likely face an easy road to confirmation among his peers in the upper chamber.

He also has had a good relationship with Kelly during his tenure, the aide said.

"How the administration has leapt from one chaotic episode to the next and seeing how Trump loyalists like Sessions and (New Jersey Gov. Chris) Christie have been treated by the President will likely cause pause," the well-placed source said.

And like during the initial process of selecting Trump's secretary of homeland security last November, McCaul faces fierce opposition from groups advocating for the restriction of immigration and hard-line enforcement of immigration laws.

NumbersUSA, which lobbies and mobilizes for strict immigration laws, put out a statement of opposition just at the suggestion of McCaul's name.

"Congressman McCaul's record in the House suggests that he doesn't have the inclination or experience to continue and improve on the great start that General Kelly has had in leading DHS to be a pro-worker institution," said NumbersUSA President Roy Beck. "His actions in recent years put him in the bottom third of Republican representatives in terms of immigration enforcement and policies that achieve Pres. Trump's priority of putting American workers first."

Elaine Duke

Duke's time serving as acting secretary could end up serving as an audition of sorts, with former DHS officials singing her praises as a longtime civil servant.

Duke has a nearly three-decade career in government, the last eight of which were spent at DHS. She has expertise in acquisition and management. Duke was confirmed as deputy secretary in April on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 85 to 14.

James Norton, a former DHS official in President George W. Bush's administration who worked with Duke, said her experience with acquisition and reorganizing DHS' emergency management after Hurricane Katrina make her a strong candidate.

"One of the biggest struggles for DHS is acquisition and to have someone at the top that understands that process is good," Norton said. "From the standpoint of a new cybersecurity organization (being debated in Congress), which would be the biggest reorganization of DHS since Katrina reform, she's well suited to that."

Norton also noted that her acting stint makes her one of the highest ranked women in the Cabinet, especially in the national security space.

"I think it's an opportunity to perform on a big stage," he said. Another former DHS official calls her a "bureaucrat's bureaucrat" who "doesn't make waves" and is respected on both sides of the aisle.

Kris Kobach

The Kansas secretary of state has been a prominent advocate of aggressive immigration policies at the state level, having helped write Arizona's controversial immigration law -- and has long been supported by the immigration hawks for a role in the Trump administration.

But another person close to Kelly called Kobach a "non-starter," and he is not seen as confirmable in the Senate, according to the congressional source. Kobach does have a role in the administration, as co-chairman of Trump's commission on voting integrity, and that tenure alone has brought controversy and court challenges.

The White House did not rule out Kobach as a possibility, but asked on Tuesday about the suggestion, Sanders indicated it wasn't in the works.

"I'm not aware of any movements for him," Sanders said, adding the White House would share personnel announcements as they come up.

Tom Cotton

The Arkansas senator is a national security hawk, a war veteran and has authored a bill favored by immigration restriction groups to cut back on non-skills-based immigration to the US. The White House has been working with Cotton and his co-author on the bill for possible re-introduction.

Cotton does not have a long history of working on DHS-related issues outside of that, however.

Asked by CNN on Tuesday at the Capitol if he was being considered, Cotton ignored the question and did not offer any denial.

Thomas Homan

The acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has established himself as a favorite of Trump's, accompanying him on Air Force One last week to speak at an event on Long Island before law enforcement on the administration's anti-gang policy.

Trump praised Homan at that event, saying he has "done an incredible job."

"He's a tough guy. He's a tough cookie," Trump said. "Somebody said the other day, they saw him on television, and somebody -- they were interviewed after that -- they said, he looks very nasty, he looks very mean. I said, 'That's what I'm looking for.'"

Homan is a long-time law enforcement officer, having worked as a police officer, on the border and on the ground in immigration enforcement. A former DHS official who worked with Homan suggested that Trump likes their New York connection and that he has served on the front lines.

But there is also concern about whether Homan would be able to be confirmed in the Senate. Homan has served as the face of Trump's harshest immigration policies, saying undocumented immigrants "should be afraid" of law enforcement under this administration, which may be difficult for purple-state Republicans to get behind. Homan would also face tough questioning about the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program from Republicans like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who support the program.

Homan has not been formally nominated for his position atop ICE and thus has not faced the Senate confirmation process.

One person close to Kelly said: "Trump loves the guy -- (but he) has some limitations as a manager."

James Loy

One of the people close to Kelly also suggested that Loy could be in the mix. Like Kelly, Loy is a veteran of the military, having served as commandant of the US Coast Guard.

Loy also was deputy secretary of DHS from 2003 to 2005 and was the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration before that.

He retired from government in 2005 and went into the private sector.

Loy did not respond to a request for comment as to whether he'd consider going back into government.

Rick Perry

The person close to Kelly also said Trump's energy secretary could be in the mix.

Perry was governor of Texas, a position that put him on the front lines of border security. In 2014, he deployed the Texas National Guard to the border to help with a surge of undocumented immigrants.

Asked about the possibility of a job switch for Perry, Shaylyn Hynes, a Department of Energy spokesperson, said, "While Secretary Perry is honored to be mentioned, he is happy where he is and very focused on carrying out the mission the President gave him when he was chosen lead the Department of Energy."

Rudy Giuliani

The former mayor of New York has been a perennial shortlist candidate for running the department going back to the Bush administration, but has never been formally nominated for the job. He gained nationwide prominence during the aftermath of the 9/11 attack and has built a career in the private sector around his expertise.

CNN's Ryan Nobles, Jim Acosta and Rene Marsh contributed to this report.

Originally posted here:
9 people who might be the next DHS secretary - CNN

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly's move to take over as White House chief of staff leaves a Cabinet vacancy that must be filled "as quickly as possible," according to a key Senate Democrat.

"With the threats facing this nation, I urge the president to nominate a qualified secretary to replace General Kelly as quickly as possible," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, said Friday evening.

Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, was one of the few members of Trump's Cabinet to receive a speedy confirmation. Others dragged on for months, in part because Democrats used procedural powers to slow-walk the nominations. Thus the decision to replace former chief of staff Reince Priebus with Kelly could lead to difficulties for Senate Republicans, who are already pressed for time to pass key planks of their legislative agenda before the end of the year.

Deputy DHS Secretary Elaine Duke will serve as acting secretary while a replacement is found.

McCaskill isn't the only senator with an eye on the nomination. Kelly's successor will move through confirmation hearings overseen by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson who, like Priebus, hails from Wisconsin.

"Reince Priebus is a good friend," Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security panel, said Friday. "I thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck going forward. Secretary Kelly is an outstanding leader who has served his country honorably and I know he will do an excellent job at the White House. I look forward to working with the administration as they choose a new leader for the Department of Homeland Security."

Trump considered an array of contenders before tapping Kelly to lead DHS. The list of possibilities reportedly ranged from traditional Republicans such as Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, who leads the House Homeland Security Committee, to less conventional options such as Milwaukee County (Wis.) Sheriff David Clarke. Rudy Giuliani and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were also regarded as contenders for multiple Cabinet posts, though they didn't end up receiving jobs in the administration.

Kelly, as head of DHS, was responsible for broad aspects of Trump's immigration and border security policy. Nevertheless, his reputation and experience working with lawmakers during his time as a top commander in the military allowed him to enjoy a "love fest" of a confirmation hearing.

That goodwill didn't stop Democrats from challenging some of his policy decisions once he took office, however. As Trump searches for a successor, he may have to balance between finding a nominee who can be confirmed quickly, but also be trusted to implement his agenda and appeal to Trump's core base of voters.

Senate aides declined to speculate about how the confirmation process might unfold. "We don't have a nominee," a Senate Republican aide told the Washington Examiner.

Here is the original post:
Claire McCaskill wants DHS replacement 'as quickly as possible' - Washington Examiner

Marcus Hutchins, the British researcher who stopped the May WannaCry hack, has been arrested by the FBI in Las Vegas for allegedly playing a role in creating the "Kronos" malware that targeted bank accounts, per The Guardian. The WannaCry attack crippled healthcare operations in the UK and hit dozens of countries.

About Kronos: It spread between 2014 and 2015 through emails with malicious attachments, such as compromised Word documents, with the aim of getting banking credentials. New infections occurred through 2016.

Hutchins' charges: The Department of Justice released the allegations about Hutchins' role in the Kronos hack, claiming he helped create, spread, and maintain the hack. Hutchins faces six counts of hacking-related charges. There is another, unnamed co-defendant, who allegedly tried selling the malware on AlphaBay, a darknet marketplace, which was shut down July 20 when the FBI and European authorities seized its servers.

Note: Ryan Kalember of Proofpoint said "This could very easily be the FBI mistaking legitimate research activity with being in control of Kronos infrastructure. Lots of researchers like to log in to crimeware tools and interfaces and play around."

Original post:
Trump's missing vote - Axios

Homeland Security Secretary John Kellys move to White House chief of staff is ushering in a cloud of uncertainty at the department that has led some of President Donald Trumps most controversial undertakings from its roundup of undocumented immigrants to his travel ban and proposed border wall.

It may also set the stage for a brutal confirmation fight if President Donald Trump tries to replace the retired Marine general with an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration instead of a seasoned bureaucrat or lawmaker.

Story Continued Below

A person close to Kelly said it's unclear who will replace him.

But several White House and former DHS officials proffered a slate of names of possible replacements for Kelly, with Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, emerging as a leading candidate.

Other potential picks include Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who accompanied Trump on Air Force One on Friday, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration who is helping to lead the president's controversial commission on alleged voter fraud.

Separately, department staffers have been talking about the possibility that the role might go to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to two sources with contacts at DHS, but a person close to the Trump administration said he's unlikely to get the job.

Which direction Trump takes could have a dramatic effect on soothing or stoking the uncertainty gripping his White House.

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"So much of Trump's agenda is tied to DHS," said one Republican lobbyist close to the White House. The consultant added: "Kelly was one of the best decisions he has made thus far. Considering how central DHS is to his agenda, he's got to make another great decision."

Homan got praise from one former DHS official, who called him a career tough guy who plays right to Trump's sweet spot. ICE is the agency leading Trumps street-level enforcement push, and Homan traveled with Trump on Friday to Long Island, N.Y., where the president spoke about the link between street gangs and illegal immigration.

Kobach, on the other hand, would ignite a firestorm among Democrats, who accuse him of carrying out an agenda of denying voting rights to minorities. Seth Stodder, who held assistant secretary roles at the Homeland Security Department from 2015 to this year, said a Kobach pick would be radioactive.

It would be one hell of a confirmation hearing, Stodder said, adding that he would probably oppose the nomination himself. I just cant imagine that happening.

Picking Sessions, meanwhile, would empower Trump to select a new attorney general who could exert more control over the Russia probe, perhaps an ally like Rudy Giuliani. But that option would likely set up a major clash with senators of both parties.

One source familiar with the process cautioned that it's "very early," and things could change in the coming hours and days.

For now, the department announced Friday, Kelly will remain in his DHS role through Monday. After that, Deputy Secretary Elaine Duke a Kelly confidante and well-respected leader will become acting secretary.

Duke, who previously worked as DHS undersecretary for management from 2008 to 2010, would be a capable choice in the eyes of some former DHS officials. Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary for Homeland Security in the Obama administration, called her smart but not overly political, a good mix for the department. Still, shes skeptical Duke would get the nod.

[You] couldn't meet a nicer person who has nurtured and managed that department for three different presidents, Kayyem said. Trump doesn't want nice.

Blain Rethmeier, the sherpa who guided Kelly through his confirmation hearing, said that nobody is better or smarter on the policy than Duke, but that she isn't a known brand to the public.

Trump's choice for the next secretary will be crucial, and not only because of the agencys sprawling portfolio, which includes border security and visa processing along with airport security and disaster relief.

Kelly successfully piloted the presidents immigration crackdown under his watch: ICE has arrested roughly 75,000 undocumented residents to date. At the same time, reports of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally have fallen dramatically. Now Kelly's departure for the West Wing will leave a void as the department deals with the details of enforcing Trumps travel ban, his proposed border wall and terrorist threats against aviation.

Kelly is seen inside and outside the White House as a capable manager. Even some Democrats see him as the most palatable member of the Cabinet. But that is likely to change once he enters the White House, where he'll become a political target for the left.

McCaul, meanwhile, may have the easiest path toward being confirmed as Kellys replacement.

The Texas Republican competed for the secretary role in November. He introduced an immigration bill on Friday that would provide $10 billion for Trumps border wall, a pot of funds that would pay for a mix of wall, fence, technology and aerial surveillance over four years, while boosting Border Patrol by 5,000 agents the level Trump called for in a January executive order.

McCaul even published an op-ed on Fox News in December that pledge his support for Trumps signature project.

We are going to build the wall. Period, he wrote. In the process, I pledge to stand side-by-side with the Trump administration to throw out Obamas reckless immigration policies and start enforcing our nations laws.

He followed up Friday with another Fox op-ed that praised Trump's approach to foreign policy as "strong and decisive."

"The Trump White House relishes American exceptionalism and enjoys promoting Western values," McCaul wrote, citing examples such as his handling of ISIS. "It clearly understands that there is no such thing as leading from behind when it comes to tackling the most pressing international security issues."

Still, the congressman faced backlash from border hawks when his name was floated for the DHS role after the election. Activists in favor of lower immigration levels tweeted under the hashtag "#NeverMcCaul" and derided him as soft on the issue.

Daniel Lippman contributed to this report.

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Read the original:
Who will replace Kelly at Homeland Security? - Politico

The Sharif family, however, is unlikely to lose its grip on power for long.

The Supreme Court ruled last week that Nawaz Sharif had been dishonest to Parliament and to the judicial system and was no longer fit for office. He stepped down, quickly selecting his brother to replace him.

Speaking after the vote, Abbasi denied he was only a temporary prime minister. "They say, 'Oh he's only here for 45 days.' I say I may be here for 45 days or 45 hours, but I'm not here to keep the seat warm," he told reporters.

"I intend to work and get some important things done if the cabinet supports me in this."

The younger Sharif, who is currently serving as the chief minister of Punjab, can't take office immediately as he isn't yet a member of Parliament.

He's expected to run in -- and win, handily -- a September by-election for the former prime minister's seat in Punjab, in a district loyal to his brother's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. The vote is similar to a special election in the United States.

Opposition leader Imran Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, has criticized the nominations of Sharif and Abbasi, calling them both corrupt and called for cases of corruption against them to be reopened.

Shoo-in

So, while Shahbaz Sharif waits to be elected to Parliament, in steps Abbasi.

He needed a simple majority, and as the PML-N, which nominated him, holds 188 of the Parliament's 342 seats, he was expected to win easily.

Following his confirmation, Abbasi will now nominate a cabinet, to replace the one that was dissolved on Friday by the courts.

Analysts say Abbassi, a party loyalist, is unlikely to object to a short-lived stint in the top job, with this kind of horse-trading common in Pakistani politics.

"He'll step up to the plate. He's a politician's politician," said Ahsan Butt, an assistant professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government, GeorgeMason University in Virginia.

"(He's a) reliable character as far as the PML-N is concerned," added Butt.

Clean sweep

Just as Abbasi's elevation to the job was considered a foregone conclusion, so is the Punjab by-election.

It's a fairly safe PML-N seat so, barring any surprises, the younger Sharif is expected to coast to victory there.

"The PML-N is very strong in that region, they've controlled it even when they're not in control nationally," says Butt.

"It's a traditional party stronghold. One or two opposition parties will field candidates, but they'd be lambs to the slaughter."

Following the election, Parliament can confirm him as the new leader, with the US-educated Abbasi stepping aside.

As a sweetener, the short-term replacement could be offered another cabinet position, or his existing role -- until last week he was the minister of petroleum and natural resources.

He could even keep the portfolio during his brief tenure as Prime Minister, says Butt.

General elections, to be held next year, could then see the younger Sharif returned to power.

If he is re-elected and sees out a full term, he would be the first civilian prime minister in Pakistan ever to do so.

Dynasty diverted

Six months ago, the obvious successor to Nawaz Sharif, who had ruled the country since 2013, was his daughter, Maryam Sharif.

But her elevation to power looks to have been scuppered by the corruption scandal that brought down her father.

The leak sparked mass protests in Pakistan and calls from opposition political groups for a panel to investigate Sharif and his children over their alleged offshore accounts, eventually bringing him down.

And the ongoing investigation into Maryam, her husband Safdar Awan, and her brothers Hassan and Hussain, is likely to extend past the deadline for nominations for next April's general election. They have denied any wrongdoing.

Analysts say her uncle, who will likely already be Prime Minister by then, will stand and, given the ongoing popularity of the PML-N, win the vote.

The Sharif name has already proven to be remarkably resilient.

The recently-deposed Sharif has served as prime minister twice before. He saw his first term end prematurely amid allegations of corruption, and his second end in a military coup which saw him jailed, then exiled, before returning to perform yet another political comeback.

Now it seems likely that his brother will keep the name relevant in Pakistan's power circles, and political analyst Butt says it would be foolish to rule out a comeback for Maryam at some point.

"I won't say (her political career is) dead in the water. In Pakistan politics, forever is a long time."

Originally posted here:
Pakistan chooses new leader, but Sharif family waits in wings - CNN