Why nominating retired Gen. Lloyd Austin puts Senate Democrats in a weird place
[View in browser]( [Image]( December 9, 2020 [A photo illustration shows a black and white photo of retired Gen. Lloyd Austin in dress uniform against a dark blue background.]( It took a while, but President-elect Joe Biden has named the person he wants to nominate to be his defense secretary. In an op-ed in The Atlantic on Tuesday, Biden confirmed reports that retired Gen. Lloyd Austin is his pick to lead the Pentagon. If confirmed, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Department of Defense. Here's where things get tricky: Austin was a four-star general in the U.S. Army until just four years ago. This puts Democrats in an awkward position, Hayes Brown writes in his latest essay. Now they have to decide: Will they block a historic appointment in the name of preserving the norm that recent military leaders shouldn't be appointed to head the DOD? Or will they follow a pattern set by President Donald Trump, who violated that norm? Find the full analysis at the top of Wednesday's MSNBC Daily section at [MSNBC.com](. UNDERSTANDING THE NEWS [Alternate text] Top perspectives and analysis from our MSNBC columnists [Alternate text] [A photo shows a hand holding a sign reading 'Trump Digs Coal' in front of a red, white and blue banner]( Emily Atkin [Trump's EPA screws over Americans, even on its way out]( Denial and suppression of scientific evidence is central to Trumpâs response to climate change, and itâs central to his response to coronavirus. [Alternate text] [A photo shows a laboratory worker extracting liquid from a sample ]( Steve Benen [Arizona GOP pushes highly provocative line following election losses]( Following election defeats, the Arizona Republican Party seems a little too eager to stoke a dangerous flame. [Alternate text] [A photo illustration shows a line of people standing on a line graph, with a green-tinted image of a hand holding a needle and syringe in the background]( Hayes Brown [A Covid vaccine is the last thing most of us need to think about right now]( Why it's for the best that you try to forget that a vaccine has been discovered at all. WATCH NOW [Alternate text] The Last Word [Lawrence: The Supreme Court basically told Trump, 'You are out of your mind.']( [A photo of President Donald Trump standing in the Oval Office]( All In [âTicking time bombâ for democracy: Chris Hayes on why the Electoral College needs to go]( [A screengrab shows Chris Hayes sitting in studio, with a graphic behind him reading 'Fix the System']( Rachel Maddow [Legally troubled Texas AG concocts absurd election lawsuit for Trump]( [A photo shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton]( The ReidOut [Georgia reducing voting locations ahead of runoffs]( [A photo of voters waiting in line at a polling location in Decatur, Ga. on Oct. 12, 2020.]( LISTEN NOW [Alternate text] [Do No Harm](
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