Once again Chuck Todd displayed the spine, we expect of journalists, that was rarely exhibited pre-Trump election. Just maybe if this continues, Donald Trump’s snow job on a large part of America will melt forcing a realistic approach to governing the country.
Chuck Todd did not let Priebus get away with a deflection.
Chuck Todd did not allow Reince Priebus to transfer blame to Democrats for the Trump administration’s ineptitude to find nominees.
“Let me just give you one standard that really is I would think potentially troubling,” Chuck Todd said. “So far, for Senate confirmation, just filling the jobs, just filling the empty positions in government, he’s only nominated, forty-five people. Only twenty-two of them have been confirmed. Two have failed. At this point in time, George W. Bush had eighty-five nominations, H.W. Bush ninety-five, Obama one hundred and ninety, Clinton one hundred and seventy-six. What is taking so long for you guys to just fill the political appointments? You are way behind here.”
That was a direct question qualified with irrefutable facts. It allows for no spin. But Priebus did just that.
Priebus replied that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats had done something unprecedented, obstruct. He said that Democrats held up nomination after nomination. Chuck Todd called out the spin immediately.
“But Reince, no, no, no,” Todd replied, “These are not nominated. You haven’t nominated them. You can slow down. If you had a hundred and ninety nominated then …”
Priebus interrupted as he modified the spin. He attempted to make nominations a sequential process dependent on previous nominees getting confirmed and then selecting other nominees based on said confirmations. He also claimed that adding the clearance and background check process exacerbated the problem.
When Todd asked if he acknowledges that their nomination process is behind, Priebus’ answer was laughable bordering on the insane.
“We are behind but because of historical, unbelievable obstruction from U.S. Senators that are acting inappropriately,” Priebus said.
Priebus must have forgotten that the most unprecedented act of the Senate was what they did last year. They stole a Supreme Court seat from President Barack Obama and they obstructed the Obama administration throughout his presidency.
Chuck would have none of it.
“I don’t understand how the Democrats have anything to do with who you nominate,” Todd replied.
Priebus continued spinning. Todd called it for what it was.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Todd said. “That you folks aren’t prepared to, that you don’t have, these folks aren’t preparing for their own staff to who they are going to decide to bring into office.”
Well done Chuck Todd. Keep doing journalism and America will be better for it.