Eric Swalwell promises to appoint a bipartisan cabinet if elected

[DesertRat]

NO, Eric, NO.

Link to tweet

[Kurt V.]

1. he can't see the trees bc of the forest.

[Dazbog]

2. Big pass

No more Republicans in the Democratic cabinet - EVAH!

Please, learn the lesson of one Arne Duncan. Fuck him with eternity.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Bad idea. Try again, Eric.

[moose65]

4. Sweet Jesus in heaven above....

Why, just WHY???? This is not going to "win" him any votes.

Why do Democrats always get sucked into this kind of thing? Republicans are never expected to be bipartisan.

Swalwell is definitely in Some Dude territory, as far as I'm concerned!

[RussBLib]

5. could be a good idea

obviously, keep pure partisans out of it, like McConnell, Jordan, Gaetz.

[Demsrule86]

7. No it is not.

[Demsrule86]

6. No...

[Zoonart]

8. Dear Eric,

i like you. I really do. BUT if you seriously think that the Republicans that you serve with are capable of honest dialog and serious bipartisanship in running the government... why are they not practicing it now ?????in any way shape or form?????

What is your "secret sauce" for reforming them? If you truly believe this, then you are too naive to be my President.

Keep up the good work as a Congressman.

[brush]

29. "...too naive to be my president." Exactly.

It's almost like he's been asleep for the last few years of repug obstruction, and certainly during trump appointees demonstrated incompetence and lack of integrity.

Stay in the House pls—not ready for prime time.

[rogue emissary]

9. Thank you for this post DesertEat.

Last edited Fri Apr 12, 2019, 01:32 PM - Edit history (1)

I thought it was just me, but I'm really getting tired of our Democratic candidates trying to appease Republicans.

A lot of candidates seem to forget this is the Democratic primary. Not the bipartisan primary, the gun loverrus primary, or the isolationist primary.

If they win. I totally expect our candidate to broaden their message pass Democratic primary voters.

[MrsCoffee]

10. Oops another one drops down towards the bottom of my list.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. Lol. Thank you for your participation.

[awesomerwb1]

12. F that. What the hell is wrong with Dems???

I guess they will never learn.

A good friend spent so much time, money. Sacrificed family time to help successfully flip a seat from Rep to Dem. She called me yesterday and is so disheartened by what she views as our rep's passivity. She says she's getting out of politics for now. (a long now)

I disagreed with her a little because I have faith and hope that Nadler, Pelosi and Schiff know what they're doing and suggested she could maybe take some time off from the news and FB and Twitter, etc to get ready to go to battle again in a few months.

Point is, we can't afford to lose people like her. Republicans will not think twice about throwing a Democrat under the bus. Almost any appointed republican would place his allegiance with the party first. Will we ever learn?

[Ace Rothstein]

13. Nope

[WeekiWater]

14. If he meant he would bring in people like Crist I might be ok with it.

[Paladin]

15. Why? Because of how nice the R's treated Obama and his policies?

Swalwell just went to the bottom of my candidate support list. I am sick to death of Democrats trying to make nice with scumbag Republicans.

[brooklynite]

37. Did you hold Obama to that same standard?

[Paladin]

39. I viewed it as Obama's major failing, and I still do.

His Republican adversaries were unworthy of his trust and solicitous treatment. It cost us dearly, and I hope we all learned from it.

[brooklynite]

40. Not the point. The only question is: were the Republicans he appointed competent and qualified?

[Paladin]

43. No more mollycoddling of Republicans.

I'm pleased to see my viewpoint is the clear majority on this thread.

[brooklynite]

63. God to know that makes you happy...

DU opinions have no bearing on politics in the real world.

[kacekwl]

16. OMG, some people have to get hit by a truck

before they know they are playing in traffic.

[Hortensis]

17. Good. Return to the usual, proven functioning of democracy.

The others may not have said it, but this is normal -- the best people available for the position who share the president's general ideology and goals for the job and will do their best to fulfill them.

I hope all those who dislike this idea realize that hateful and/or corrupt Republicans would not make our list. America has many, many competent conservatives, all of whom refused by definition to serve under Trump. And there'd be a big no to all who were part of Trump's and/or today's Republican congress's enormous corruption.

[DesertRat]

21. Now that the GOP has become the party of Trump

I can't imagine a Democratic cabinet position that would be best filled by a Republican.

[Hortensis]

23. Well, of course almost none of us rub shoulders with

the pool of talent at the top of every field and industry. I'll be voting for a chief executive I believe can do the job well himself and let him choose those who will assist him. First cut is always for what I believe is good character, of course.

Remember, it will ALL be the job of the president, who delegates blocks of his or her responsibilities to the cabinet officers chosen to handle them for him or her.

[Maven]

19. I like the guy, but no, Eric.

Last edited Fri Apr 12, 2019, 02:58 PM - Edit history (1)

It's not that time anymore. Stop saying things to make cable news pundits happy.

He should revise this statement and fast.

[DesertRat]

25. I think he might be trying to woo Independents and on never-Trump Republicans

But I don't think he has a chance in the Democratic primaries with this statement.

[oasis]

20. Passing on extremely qualified Democrats to sign up dumbasses.

Sorry Eric, you're a "scratch"in the primary contest.

[DesertRat]

24. I feel the same way

I really like Swalwell, but he's way off base with this one. I don't think it's possible anymore to put together a "team of rivals". Today's GOP has become the party of Trump. I can't imagine a Democratic cabinet position that would be best filled by a Republican.

[oasis]

64. Republicans are more rotten now than ever before. Obama tried to

make nice with GOP two faced, toads, all it got him but a kick in the rear end.

[brush]

28. Yep, he just cut his own throat. Repugs can't be trusted.

WTH is he thinking? Be a Democrat for God's sake. no need to cater to repugs while trying to get the Dem nomination.

It's not even the general election where that foolishness might pick off a few repug voters.

Not smart at all.

[oasis]

65. Every Republican has a built in character flaw. That's why they join

the ranks of the GOP. They are intellectually stunted because they stubbornly
stay within the boundaries of their narrow minded beliefs.

What the hell do they have to contribute?

[50 Shades Of Blue]

22. Sigh.

Back to being undecided!

[Me.]

26. No More Aiding & Abetting Eric!

[StevieM]

27. That approach is exactly why we have Donald Trump as president.

Obama decided to be bipartisan. So he appointed James Comey to run the FBI. And he appointed Republicans to run the State Department Inspector General's office. And they used that power to make up a phony scandal. That allowed them to win the election, even though we were more trusted on the economy, the issues and governance. And even though we ran a much better campaign, the media's rewritten history notwithstanding.

Obama's bipartisanship cost us an election that we otherwise would have won in a landslide.

[brush]

69. Good point on Comey. A Dem appointee would've never done what he did...

to Hillary in July and then Oct. of 2016.

[Afromania]

30. NO, just fucking NO. No more giving those fuckers legitimacy to hide behind via "bipartisanship"

Republicans gave up their chance to do jack shit with their refusal to do a damn with trump and his racist ass shit; fuck them. This instantly sets Swalwell up as a guy I'd be real annoyed to have to vote for in the general.

[Snotcicles]

31. Well he managed to bring Dems together,

in a resounding HELL NO!

[shanny]

53. can I get an Amen!

[Blue_true]

67. For sure. nt

[Uncle Joe]

71. + everything

[colsohlibgal]

32. Sealed Your Fate There Eric!

Congrats you’re headed toward the bottom of the pack. Not sure what he as thinking.

[katmondoo]

33. I want a Democratic Cabinet

I am sick of every Republican alive today

[MineralMan]

34. Well, that's not going to get any vote from me in the primary.

[Nanjeanne]

35. Oh swell! Eric, The days of Lincoln's Team of Rivals are long over.

[BlueFlorida]

36. NO!!! nt

[SMC22307]

38. NO. FUCKING. WAY.

I cannot believe he's offering this up.

[JustAnotherGen]

41. Not a good idea

Ultimately - I read that and my heart stopped.

Because they ALL (GOPers) always go 'home'. No. The ship has to be set right and they have to be punished by relegating them to being irrelevant. Even if they keep the Senate? They have to be put in their place.

No. Just no.

You supported evil - go away.

[Honeycombe8]

42. In ordinary times, this might be fine. Obama did it. Lincoln did it.

But now? When most of them are corrupt and unethical? I don't know what to think about that.

I guess he's moderate and is appealing to left leaning independents? There are worse strategies, I suppose. But a strange thing to come out with, right out of the gate.

[DesertRat]

44. I guess he's trying to distinguish himself in a crowded field of hopefuls. nt

[Honeycombe8]

50. I think so. Makes sense. nt

[KayF]

45. what harm did GOP cabinet heads under Obama do?

a question for people old enough to remember the Obama administration:

of all the less-than-perfect outcomes under Obama, how many of them were due to GOP cabinet members?

We don't have to discuss this in the abstract, we have a very recent example to examine.

[shanny]

52. What harm?

Well, for starters Obama appointees and holdovers played into the idea that only pukes can be trusted on national security.

[brush]

68. We know better now. Appointing repugs didsn't stop the...

wholesale obstructionism by the repugs against Obama.

They can't be trusted.

[dalton99a]

46. Hopefully Eric won't sign any bill that is not supported by the GOP leadership

Astounding naïveté

[BeckyDem]

47. wow

[SharonClark]

48. NO!

I'd like him to name one repug that betters deserves to be part of a Democratic administration than a real Dem does.

[NurseJackie]

49. That's a shame.

And a mistake.

[shanny]

51. OK. Hard pass.

[AlexSFCA]

54. HELL NO!

Didn’t know he was dumb.

[LakeArenal]

55. Sadly, for I like Eric, I say, Bah-bye.

[Golden Raisin]

56. Swalwell (up until now) has been one of the

voices keeping me semi-sane during the Trump/Complicit Republican nightmare of the last 2 years. This is a deal-breaker for me. No "high road" or accommodation with Republicans.

[elfin]

57. He said semi-jokingly that he might have to go on a deep search to find them

Or something to that effect.

I really like this fellow. His long interview on Rachel explained this statement very nicely and he is a very smart, experienced, and potentially a winning nominee.

Please not bash him-due to "party purity" - we need all the best brains possible to get us out of our current mess. If he is to reach out to Repugs (ex. on infrastructure), and that reaching out helps mend the nation - so be it.

If he wins, I expect he will have to reach down to those Repugs who either lost or left office during the Trump disaster to fill a few posts.

[sprinkleeninow]

59. Reading this was upsetting.

However, I did not listen to the intervew.

We shall see, shall we not.

This stuff is stranger than fiction.

[montanacowboy]

58. Eric comes from a

Trump loving family

[elfin]

60. No - he has 'Republicans" as family

Not necessarily "Trumpers", but he did not elaborate other than to say he has family including brothers in law enforcement.

Rachel introduced him saying that he represents her parents' district and that they are crazy for him.

I like him. A lot. Inslee and Mayor Pete still very strong with me, but I am very impressed with Swalwell and think he may have the winning combo of smarts, experience, practical bipartisan openness to solving problems, generational sensitivity to present issues such as gun violence, income inequality, and others.

Wait and see. He just might be "the one." Still waiting here. Especially to see how Joe does once his anticipated entry affects the race.

[Thekaspervote]

61. NO NO NO

[customerserviceguy]

62. G'bye Eric

we hardly knew ye. Well, we really had never heard of you. And maybe we now know why.

[Blue_true]

66. Big mistake.

I would only consider appointing a former republican who has publicly disavowed that party and publicly campaigned against it.

[Efilroft Sul]

70. Fuck the Republicans.

It's like inviting Russian spies into the Oval Office.

Seriously, fuck them with the barbed wire fencing on the border.