Tuesday 22 November 2016 / Hour 1, Block A: Bill Whalen, Hoover, in re: Trump visited New York Times publisher today, had relatively amiable talk. Stock mkt hit 19,000 today; increasing investor confidence in the incoming administration. Small cap stocks up 11%; bond rates rising ½ percentage point; real exchange rate up by 3%. Now is the time for the Fed to raise rates.
GOP is discovering that Pres-elect Trump is a more complex candidate than Candidate Trump. Nikki Haley as US Amb to the UN?
Priebus, Sessions, Bannon, as insiders. Romney for State? Mattis for SecDef? Trump is savvy at appealing to his base and broadening it.
Rudy's like a quarterback high up in the draft [who plummets]. Maybe John Bolton for State? That post is seen as No. 2 to the president, himself. Establish another power center within the administration. Would Romney overturn the Iran deal? No info on that. Seems clumsy to bring in a power center that wasn't part of your [candidature]. Putting Romney on the front porch is part of Trump's magic.
JB: The appointment I want is Giuliani for State. By hard work and loyalty he won the post. The transition is extremely tightlipped; no leaks.