(CNN)President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to be his nominee for energy secretary, multiple transition sources told CNN Tuesday, which would make him head of an agency he once sought to eliminate.
Perry, twice an aspirant for the White House and for decades a swaggering figure in the Texas Republican Party, returns to the national limelight after his career in politics withered amid scandal and embarrassment.If confirmed by the Senate, Perry will inherit a department that has focused on promoting clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, but has also seen domestic production of oil explode. And his selection is a nod to the traditional GOP emphasis on energy sources like coal and oil.
I’ve always liked Perry and wished he would have run a better presidential campaign. He’s smart, tough, and conservative. It also helps that he’s an Aggie.
Smart? I met the man in Austin at the LBJ library. He may be Aggie smart, but I wouldn’t brag about him…