This is a fictional blog, set in a better world where the votes for television show characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Trump, and G.I. Joe were thrown out. In the resulting chaos, John McCain was selected as president by the House of Representatives, with his friend and colleague Lindsey Graham as vice president.
Wow, what a crazy week.
John McCain revealed this week that his own personal connections with a former member of the United Kingdom's MI-6 intelligence agency led to the revelations about Russia's hacking of the presidential election. It is widely believed that this hacking, though it did not directly target the polling stations or machines, was an important factor in why a Republican is now the president-elect. McCain is being praised for his actions to investigate the events which led to his own presidency.
In addition, McCain has increased the level of his rhetoric against Russia, saying that the United States needs to stand up to Vladimir Putin. McCain was sharply critical of the Obama administration's treatment of Syria, as Putin has allowed the Assad regime to level major cities like Aleppo.
Because McCain has a reputation as a maverick and a moderate, it was surprising to many who do not know him personally that he appointed a number of very conservative people to his cabinet. Because he only had fourteen days between being selected as president and inauguration day (only fourteen days between January 6 and January 20!), McCain selected a group of well-respected figures to his cabinet. Here are a few.
- Sandy Baruah was picked as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. As the head of the Small Business Association under president George W. Bush, the Republican congress has no reason to question his qualifications.
- Admiral Robert Schumaker, a retired rear admiral from the Navy, was also a prisoner of war in Vietnam at the same time that McCain was, thought they never met. Because he retired in 1988, there are no apparent conflicts of interest in his nomination.
Also, because of the limited time to put replacements in place, and McCain's desire for stability in the world, President-Elect McCain has extended a greater waiver than is typical to diplomats serving overseas. He will replace them as he is able, but there are higher priorities.
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