Among all the grifters, incompetents and racists that have populated the Trump Maladministration, there was - for a spell - an agreement that he would staff certain critical positions with competent people. This was why his first National Security team included people like Mattis and McMaster. The jettisoning of Nielsen from Homeland Security is a troubling expression of the idea that Trump is no going full bore into hack loyalists over any sort of expertise or competence.
This look also to be true for the Federal Reserve. Trump has nominated two complete fools for these powerful positions. Stephen Moore is a hack's hack with no discernible economic insights or abilities. And he's the BETTER of the two candidates being vomited forth from the West Wing. The assumption is that Herman Cain will be voted down and Moore given a seat on the Fed Board, because the GOP can only oppose outright lunacy (Cain) as opposed to mere incompetence (Moore).
Still, it's worth gaming out if there are four GOP Senators who might oppose both Moore and Cain. My first thought was obviously Murkowski, just because she's the only even slightly independent voice in the GOP caucus. One has to assume that Collins will dither and fuss and then vote for Trump's people anyway. Rob Portman might defect as a Senator with at least a modicum of financial expertise.
But the best way to sink these disastrous choices would be in Committee. Neither will get any Democratic votes, so only one GOP member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee would have to flip. Jerry Moran is retiring and sick of the bullshit, Martha McSally has to win re-election in a purpling state, Ben Sasse and Tim Scott occasionally wander off the beaten path, and Pat Toomey and Richard Shelby are also votes to watch.
Looking over the roster, I have to admit, it's very on-brand of the committee on Urban Affairs to have GOP Senators from: Idaho, Alabama, Nebraska, Arkansas, North and South Dakota and Kansas...
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