On my first show for MSNBC last June, I sat down with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, now President Trump's nominee for secretary of state. A quick read of the transcript will reassure any fair-minded person that a much-needed infusion of talent and presidential trust is on the way.
First in his class at West Point and an editor of the Harvard Law Review, Pompeo got key experience in the ways of the Washington swamp at the law firm Williams & Connolly before going as far as possible from it to Wichita to launch a successful career in business and then Congress.
Most importantly, Pompeo agrees with Trump's priorities and understands that his job is to serve Trump's agenda, not create one of his own. Like George Shultz with President Reagan and Henry Kissinger with President Nixon, the boss needs a trusted right arm, not a distant figure of uncertain commitment to core presidential goals.
Good news Pompeo at State!