Herman Cain and Stephen Moore, Donald Trump's favorites to be new Federal Reserve governors, are doing their combined damnedest to make a farce out of the whole concept of presidential nominations. All the while, Mitch McConnell is standing by and letting it happen. Cain is using his sponsored email list as a "haven for scammy emails" and writing crazy political Facebook screeds and Moore is going on Sean Hannity's radio show and speculating with Trump's favorite that the Fed was "helping President Obama politically" and then tanking the economy to hurt Trump.
Normal nominees of normal presidents don't do this. As Tim Duy, a University of Oregon economist, says "There’s never been a reality-show Fed nominee, and that's what we've got now. [...] [normally], once you've been nominated, or you're about to be nominated, you go radio silent—and you go radio silent for a reason. You don't want to say things that jeopardize your chance of moving forward." But with McConnell at the helm, they don't really have to worry about their chances of moving forward. He's not going to stand in anyone's way.
At Tuesday's caucus luncheon, the topic of the nominations reportedly came up, "several" Republicans "questioning the wisdom of floating Mr. Cain and Mr. Moore without consulting the Senate first and before both could be vetted," according to a participant who talked to the Times. That person also reported that McConnell told the senators that if they had a problem with that, they should take it up with Trump.
"We've got to look at whoever the president sends up," McConnell told reporters Tuesday. "It's his choice to decide, and once he makes the nomination we'll take a look at it." Advice and consent? That's so 18th century. It's out the window, along with checks and balances. While the occupier of the Oval Office is a Republican, at any rate.