In perhaps the first good thing I can say about the impending Trump Presidency, the President-Elect may help us get a new School of Mines president. Team Trump interviewed Mines president and former New Mexico Congresswoman Heather Wilson today for the position for Director of National Intelligence. That position is currently held by James R. Clapper, who announced his resignation last month.
In an e-mail to Mines staff this afternoon, Wilson says she’s “not looking for another job” but is just doing her patriotic duty:
From: Wilson, Heather A.
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 3:42:14 PM (UTC-07:00) Mountain Time (US & Canada)
To: SDSMT-Campus Community
Subject: [Campus Community] Media ReportsColleagues, As some of you have seen through press reports already today, late Friday afternoon I was contacted by the President-elect’s transition team. They asked me to travel to New York to talk to them this morning about possibly becoming the Director of National Intelligence. I want you to know that I am very happy at Mines. I’m not looking for another job and I did not contact the transition team; they contacted me.
That said, the security of our country is important to all of us, and when a President or President-elect asks you to consider whether your gifts could be used in the service of the nation, you have to be willing to consider it. It is certainly an honor to have been asked and I hope you will agree with me that this development reflects well on Mines, the state of South Dakota, and the quality of our entire university system. While I let the university leadership team know this morning before my meeting in New York, I wanted to communicate directly with all of you, directly, at this time.
Regards, Heather [Heather Wilson, e-mail, 2016.12.12]
Wilson is in competition for this job she’s not looking for with Carly Fiorina, one of the many women Trump personally insulted during his campaign. We’ll see whose face he likes better… although, given that Trump is skipping most of his intelligence briefings, maybe he’ll never have to look at whomever he appoints to this job.
WOW. TWO GOOD THINGS FROM REGENTS LATELY, heather leaves; and they actually have a goal of 65% college graduates in the state by 20something. surprise, surprise. Doc should be the new mines president!! He at least talks to us.
You suppose Drumpf charges peons like Wilson admission to Drumpf’s Ivory hangout?
Oh No!!!
Just read on the Powers Dump Site that Kristi Noem is being vetted by the Trump transition team for Secretary of Agriculture.
http://img.wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/fiorina-trump-meeting.jpg
Let’s see if Wilson can honey-fuggle as well as former Drumpf rival Snarly Fiorina for the same position.
Mr. C! As you know I am often viewed as being old, slow, afoot, and grumpy although people who know me or eat breakfast with me realize I am just old and grumpy, but I was reading your comment and just realized something.
After all these times reading the degrading comments about the “Powers Dump Site” that I never really gave much thought to, I think I got it.
Powers Dump Site.
Like what the young folks call a “power dump?”
Heh. I got it!
Roger: not happening. Noem won’t stay in DC and miss running for Governor.
It is a good idea that Drumpf picks her up. South Dakota will be lucky. They can get a chance to bring in a good administrator.
@cah: Noem could serve 2 years and still run for governor. Since Nixon, 7 of the 14 Agriculture Secretaries have served 2 years or less.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Agriculture
hahahahahheh he h h oh no. it is actually happening. and I thought we were witnessing the full decompression of the republican party. well maybe this is what it is, and what it looks like just before USA collapses in revolution. maybe we don’t have to worry about the grand children. there won’t be any
the last mental light weight left the world with an Iraq war (second one) and a great recession. will sarah p. get to be in trump’s admin. too??
You’re right Cory, I just saw her news release saying that she plans to stay in congress.
What qualifies Wilson for this position?
Maybe she can hire the staff from Cliff’sNotes to help brief the President-elect? On second thought, maybe a photographer would be more appropriate. Maybe pictures of swimsuit models interspersed with executive summaries of intelligence briefings? Oh I know, swimsuit models reading intelligence briefings to the President-elect.
Thanks for your support leslie, but somehow I don’t think they are looking my way to fill those kinds of positions :^).
I agree with Cory that Noem wouldn’t have declared for governor if she didn’t intend to run.
That’s an interesting fact Don and to think that Earl Butz lasted for five years as AG Secretary….Hahahaha
Noem doesn’t realize that the Pence transition crowd is merely trying to save Noem’s political career by making her AG secretary. If she runs for governor then she will lose to Huether, but if she hid in DC for a while as a Cabinet Secretary then she could return to South Dakota in the next decade as a possible senate candidate….. But, oh well…..
Neither Wilson or Snarly rate a 10 unless it is on the Richter Scale. Drumpf better look at Junior High Schools and see if there might be a 13 year old girl that sexually attracts him as much as Ivanka did at that age. A 13 year old might be over-intellectual for Drumpf’s cabinet.
ThinkProgress reports:
The company’s plans were confirmed by Greg Hayes, CEO of United Technologies, Carrier’s corporate parent, during a CNBC interview earlier this week.
“We’re going to… automate to drive the cost down so that we can continue to be competitive,” Hayes said. “Is it as cheap as moving to Mexico with lower cost labor? No. But we will make that plant competitive just because we’ll make the capital investments there. But what that ultimately means is there will be fewer jobs.”
Read more at http://wonkette.com/609274/carrier-cant-wait-to-replace-all-those-jobs-trump-saved-with-good-old-american-robots#COpXqx1R0wJpeygz.99
Blame the Union.
@JFC: Seriously? Heuther? I know that South Dakota Democrats are seriously lacking in any kind of political bench, but Heuther as their Great Hope is laughable. Not only is Mayor Mike totally unlikable and a puke of the first order, but he hails from Sioux Falls, the undoing of many a politician running for statewide office. Even Janklow and Mickelson didn’t claim to living in Sioux Falls. Janklow always called Flandreau his home and Mickelson claimed Brookings his although both lived in or near Sioux Falls and practiced law here.
The rabid attack dog, Coyote, saying Mayor Mike is “totally unlikable and a puke of the first order” is the laughable part here. I got a hug the first time I met Mayor Mike and I find him very likable. He is well-spoken, charismatic, and smart. He completed projects in Sioux Falls that languished for decades. He constantly asks what can government do to be more efficient and effective for its citizens. He cares about people and could restore some accountability and oversight to state government that has been seriously lacking.
Don, admit it. Huether scares the SD GOP, especially if Bell, I mean Noem, is the nominee. Why else did the Republicans try to beat Huether in 2014 with Jamison and show case Jamison at Lincoln Day dinners?
They even tried a “Hail Mary” attempt at the end of that mayoral race by sending a partisan post card out to high frequency voters who were registered as Repubilcans and known to vote in city elections to no avail.
As far as your Sioux Falls theory goes, well, he also has strong Yankton and Brookings ties, too, and he is quite the retail politician. A Huether/Noem race will come down to accomplishments and competence versus just holding a congressional seat for the GOP. The a majority of the voters will develop a greater confidence in Huether than Noem. He’ll have a list of accomplishments, while she will have eight years of what?