A FINE CHOICE – AT 1:38 P.M. ET:  Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is said to be Trump's first choice for secretary of energy.  From Bloomberg:   

Donald Trump has narrowed his search for energy secretary to four people, with former Texas Governor Rick Perry the leading candidate.

People familiar with the president-elect’s selection process said two Democratic senators from energy-producing states -- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- are also in the mix, along with Ray Washburne, a Dallas investor and former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

If Trump picks any of the four he will break with recent tradition of putting scientists at the top of the Energy Department. Among other things, the agency is responsible for policies on the safe handling of nuclear material.

Trump met with Perry and Washburne while attending the Army-Navy football game in Baltimore on Saturday. It was at least the second time he’d spoken to the two men for potential roles in the new administration. Trump met with Heitkamp at Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 2, and is scheduled to meet with Manchin in New York.

Jay Martin Cohen, a retired Rear Admiral of the U.S. Navy, is said to be Trump’s choice for Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, the people said.

COMMENT:  Perry would be a good choice.  He tried to run for president, but could not overcome the mistakes he made in his presidential campaign four years ago.  However, he had an excellent record as governor of Texas, and knows the energy industry.  He's always been underestimated, and his record minimized by a mainstream media that is always suspicious of Texas accents.

December 11,  2016