A Quick Rating of President Elect Trump's Cabinet Selections

Donald Trump's cabinet selections (for a complete list click here) can be broken down into a few categories. 

Category 1: Ex-Generals - A-
Defense: General James N Mattis
Homeland security: General John F Kelly
National security adviser (No confirmation required): Lieutenant Gen Michael Flynn

These three positions are the most sensitive and critical to the nation's existence. Career military service members (with hopefully with no personal skeletons in the closet) that are patriotic and honorable individuals are less likely to be beholden to special interests that could be detrimental to the welfare of the populace. Questions on managerial experience remain.

Category 2: Businessmen and women - B
Labor: Andrew F Puzder
Commerce: Wilbur Ross
Small business administration: Linda McMahon
Non bureaucrats to run departments to help create jobs.

Category 3: Current members of Congress - B
CIA director: Mike Pompeo
Attorney general: Jeff Sessions
Health and human services: Tom Price
Interior: Ryan Zinke

Members of Congress with an understanding of how things work in Washington 

Category 4: Poke in eye to establishment - B
Energy: Rick Perry
Environmental protection agency: Scott Pruitt

Scott Pruitt is currently suing the EPA and Rick Perry ran for President on a campaign to eliminate the Energy department!

Category 5: Serious question marks - C

Education: Betsy DeVos (brother of Erik Prince, CEO of Blackwater)

Erik Prince is certainly a controversial figure as CEO of Blackwater running an effective shadow military group. Some kind of deal may have been cut here.

Treasury: Steven Mnuchin (former employee of Goldman Sachs)

Steven Mnuchin is the ultimate banking insider so sounds like a horrible pick. On the other hand, Donald Trump is an expert financier. He understands debt (and corporate bankruptcy) in addition to interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, currency trading, and all other financial instruments that exist. If the big, fat bubble the FED created (according to Mr. Trump) does pop, Mnuchin is the guy who could help unravel all of it. Or Mr. Trump could have cut a deal with wall street. Hard to tell at this time. 

Category 6: Absolutely horrible - F

Transportation: Elaine Chao
For explanation, read the following: Mitch McConnell’s Freighted Ties to a Shadowy Shipping Company - The Nation, October 30, 2014

Since Senator McConnell is the Senate Majority Leader and holds a lot of influence in getting these individuals confirmed. There was certainly some kind of deal as this is not a swamp draining move.

Category 7: Unknown

State: Rex Tillerson - Unknown
Housing and urban development: Ben Carson
US ambassador to the UN: Nikki Haley