* Congressman Kinzinger has done a remarkably good job of getting himself on cable TV news programs over the years. So, I’m not quite sure what to make of this yet…
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger all but threw his hat in the ring for Air Force secretary on Saturday, saying he would “strongly consider” it if President Donald Trump made the offer.
“If the president would determine I would be the candidate, the person that he wanted to lead the Air Force, I would certainly strongly consider it,” Kinzinger, R-Ill., said in a Fox News interview on Saturday. Kinzinger was asked about a rumor that he was a candidate.
That story is from Defense News, which also threw a bit of cold water on the idea…
Yet the five-term congressman’s prospects are unclear, at least in part because Trump has yet to nominate a defense secretary to lead the department and because Air Force Undersecretary Matthew Donovan is also seen as a contender for the job, at least in an acting capacity. […]
Aerospace analyst Rebecca Grant, of IRIS Independent Research, said it’s probable that the White House boosts Donovan, the service’s No. 2 civilian, to the acting Air Force Secretary role. […]
“To me, Matt Donovan looks like an easy choice given the number of acting officials that are there [at the Pentagon], and I get the sense that we have a holdup on nominations from the Senate side, and the White House is even less efficient than usual in getting people through. So I’d say, 60-40, they’ll keep Donovan,” Grant said. “He’s a shrewd leader and would be a very sound choice.”
Kinzinger is serving Illinois’ 16th District, which he won by 14 percentage points in last year’s election. Before selecting Kinzinger, the White House would have to weigh the political cost, with Republicans already in the minority in the House, of leaving his seat unfilled or of a special election to fill it.
- Annonin' - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 10:29 am:
Apparently Adam has heard the footsteps of Darrin and Rodney and plans for a three way empty suit bash in ‘22.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 10:29 am:
Not a whole lot of fun being in the minority of House.
Perhaps this explains Kinzinger recently making nice-nice with Trump after being a Never Trumper before the election and a relatively vocal critic afterwards.
Was anyone set to primary him? He won the general last year 59%-41%.
- illini - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 10:33 am:
And while we are at it, I hope that appropriate positions can be found for some of our other fine Congress critters - Shimkus, Bost and Davis. Surely there are Presidential appointments for them as well.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 10:37 am:
–Apparently Adam has heard the footsteps of Darrin and Rodney and plans for a three way empty suit bash in ‘22.–
Interesting scenario, coming from you.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 10:46 am:
Yea, this definitely explains his recent shift to MAGA-Messaging. Memories are long in the mind of Trump, so I’d be surprised if this really happened.
- Responsa - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 10:57 am:
Not sure I’m seeing much in the way of recent “MAGA messaging” from Adam except some comments about the border emergency and that’s been garnering increasing bi-partisan attention. That said, I don’t think he’s going to be named Air Force Secretary.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 11:24 am:
Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer;
Gave us wings, ever to soar.
With scouts before and bombers galore. Hey.
Nothing’ll stop the U.S. Air Force.
I would add that nothing will stop the ambitions of an ego-driven Congressman, but nothing rhymes with Kinzinger.
- Norseman - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 11:30 am:
With no path for political advancement in IL, Kinzinger appears to be going for the money. More power to him, I was getting bored with his schtick on the cables.
- Just another Anon - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 12:06 pm:
@47th Ward:
Nothing rhymes with Kinzinger? Henry Kissinger would be disappointed…
- Central Illinois Center Right - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 12:44 pm:
Not sure that responding to a rumor in an interview is the same as ‘touting’.
Isn’t ‘I would strongly consider’ as humble as you can expect from any elected official?
- Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 1:30 pm:
Central Illinois:
I doubt anybody would ever mistake Kinzinger as being “humble,” even as an elected official. If he doesn’t have a PR firm booking him on all those cable shows, he must spend lots of time on the phone himself. He even appeared on Colbert, the watering hole of the Democratic Left.
Adam doesn’t seem to have the fundraising clout of Aaron Schock, but he does seem to have one eye on the Oval Office. Adding Air Force secretary to his resume couldn’t hurt.
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 1:37 pm:
Wasn’t there talk of court martial for Ambitious Adam in the not to distant past? For ripping his commander in chief, the Wisconsin governor? That’s only a couple months ago…so why not?
- Amalia - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 2:08 pm:
As a Democrat, I was kinda nervous about him until I actually saw him on cable tv….goofy. Go ahead on and leave electoral politics for Trump land kid, cause you aren’t getting promoted here.
- Tonti's Iron Hand - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 2:16 pm:
Us folks in D16 are pretty sick of seeing Adam flapping his gums on Twitter and Cable. He never seems to mention what he’s actually doing for the people he represents.
- DeseDemDose - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 2:30 pm:
Adam can’t climb out of bed with Trump after this pipe dream.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 8:45 pm:
==Kinzinger was asked about a rumor that he was a candidate.==
I wonder who could have started that rumor. LOL
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 29, 19 @ 9:17 pm:
–Not sure I’m seeing much in the way of recent “MAGA messaging” from Adam except some comments about the border emergency and that’s been garnering increasing bi-partisan attention. –
Baghdad Bob quality.