Rex Tillerson is a former CEO of ExxonMobil – and now Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state.  Next to Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis, Tillerson could be Trump's shrewdest appointment.  

Exxon is the largest oil company in the United States and third largest in the world.  Leading its international pursuits is foreign policy experience in its own right.  And doing it successfully for more than a decade is the mark of a proven diplomat with vast knowledge of international affairs. 

Tillerson's experience is also helpful to Democrats trying to saddle Trump with another Russian story.  Already, Putin is the go-to scapegoat for Hillary Clinton's defeat.  (Remember the sanctimonious talk from the same people upon mention of Obama's sketchy past?)

Rex Tillerson's "close ties" to Russia are unsurprising.  Russia has the largest natural gas reserves in the world and the eighth largest oil reserves.  So of course Exxon's chief executive has ties to the energy-rich nation and its leader.  It would be gross incompetence not to.

But Tillerson is an opportunity for Democrats to strike a major blow.  And challenging the patriotism of an oil company executive is an added bonus for climate alarmists.  For Democrats, Tillerson is a fight worth having. 

For Republicans, Tillerson should also be a fight worth having.  The United States is in need of a coherent response to Russia's geopolitical moves in the Middle East.  So far, they've gone unchecked by President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry.  And let's not get started on Hillary's "reset" button. 

In Aleppo, the human cost of Russian influence exceeds 500,000 lives.  Bombs fall endlessly and blacken the streets with the charred bodies of women and children.  People wait in vain for help.  It is a humanitarian crisis to the world, but a recruiting tool to radical Islam.  Consequently, it is a security threat to the United States of America.

Yes, Rex Tillerson is a former oil company executive with close ties to Russia.  So what?  Former secretary of state James Baker had this to say: 

We used to have a saying in Washington when I was up there that where you stand is a function of where you sit[.] … And he [Tillerson] was sitting in the CEO's chair of ExxonMobil. Now he is going to be sitting in the secretary of state's chair on the seventh floor of the State Department, and I guarantee you he is going to have a different outlook. He is going to be looking at formulating and implementing American foreign policy on the basis of the principles and values of this country and in the national interests of this country.

Alone, our secretary of state cannot repair the damage done by a morally bankrupt foreign policy.  But Tillerson's leadership qualities and vast experience can bring change to the State Department that will help.

Will Democrats stop campaigning and finally help lead this nation?