by Eric Martin
My friends, we call this putting my country first in a patriotic bout of supporting the troops:
Carl Levin, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, begged the Senate to allow him to go ahead and hear testimony from military commanders who had come from as far as South Korea to talk about the defense budget. Even the new, unimproved version of John McCain — the one who vowed there would be “no cooperation for the rest of the year” — was willing to allow an exemption for that one. But another Republican gave a thumbs down, and the officers were dismissed for the day.
“Disappointed,” tweeted Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who had to cancel a hearing on police training contracts in Afghanistan.
Matt Yglesias is right:
But do you know what’s really silly? Having military commanders fly from South Korea to Washington DC to brief legislators on relevant aspects of the military budget only to tell them they’ve wasted their time because some guy doesn’t want to let Carl Levin conduct the hearing. Does that punish Carl Levin? No, it doesn’t. At best, it punishes a handful of hard-working military officers. The Afghanistan thing is worse. Yes, it’s Claire McCaskill’s hearing but it’s Afghanistan’s police force and it’s the US Army and Marine Corps that’s fighting in Afghanistan for lack of sufficient local security forces. Holding that kind of work up out of pique is really and truly outrageous and deserves to be described as such unleavened by strained efforts to hit both sides.
Not only that, but they're wasting taxpayer money in the process.
It's almost as if they're trying to institute a government shut-down. Which worked out so well the last time there was a Demorat in the White House. I guess elections only have consequences if Republicans win.
In general, the GOP is having it’s ear bent by the conservative base. The base loves this sort of thing: obstructionism, bogus claims of unconstitutionality, etc. And the base activity makes adherence to orthodoxy compulsory if one doesn’t want to face a batsh1t teabagger in the primary or even as an independent in the general.
And, as in 1995, Indys don’t like this sort of thing at all. So more power to the teabaggers, drag the GOP over the edge of the cliff.
It is sort of interesting how the ostensibly patriotic, pro-military teabaggers support screwing with the military like this. Of course, the answer is easy- they are neither pro-military nor patriotic.
In general, the GOP is having it’s ear bent by the conservative base. The base loves this sort of thing: obstructionism, bogus claims of unconstitutionality, etc. And the base activity makes adherence to orthodoxy compulsory if one doesn’t want to face a batsh1t teabagger in the primary or even as an independent in the general.
And, as in 1995, Indys don’t like this sort of thing at all. So more power to the teabaggers, drag the GOP over the edge of the cliff.
It is sort of interesting how the ostensibly patriotic, pro-military teabaggers support screwing with the military like this. Of course, the answer is easy- they are neither pro-military nor patriotic.
crybabies ’95.
plus ca change…
crybabies ’95.
plus ca change…
Maybe the Congress could consider joining the 21st century, and letting people testify via remote links, rather than insisting that they appear in person. That would at least save the time that the military commanders spend on airplanes flying to and fro. Not to mention allowing them to get something useful done at their various commands whenever some nonsense like this occurs.
Maybe the Congress could consider joining the 21st century, and letting people testify via remote links, rather than insisting that they appear in person. That would at least save the time that the military commanders spend on airplanes flying to and fro. Not to mention allowing them to get something useful done at their various commands whenever some nonsense like this occurs.
Maybe I missed something, but it seems that the lone Republican’t who shut this hearing down is unidentified.
Maybe I missed something, but it seems that the lone Republican’t who shut this hearing down is unidentified.
Oh, great. Now we can look forward to yet another series of variations on “The Republicans are acting like assholes and it’s all Obama’s fault” from Broder, Brooks & Co.
Oh, great. Now we can look forward to yet another series of variations on “The Republicans are acting like assholes and it’s all Obama’s fault” from Broder, Brooks & Co.
Sen. Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina
Sen. Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina
… who claimed not to want to do it but to be speaking on behalf of unspecified “others on his side of the aisle”. I guess the comedy – sorry, comity – of the Senate is what prevented the presiding Senator from demanding to know whether Burr himself is objecting and if not, who is, since an actual person must object.
Pretty pathetic stuff, and more grist for the rules-reform mill. You can have a set of rules that only work well when everyone abides by the understanding that you don’t use them to obstruct business, but if you’re going to prevent the Senate from actually operating, you’re going to have to have a set of rules that is absolutely ruthless about keeping things running, the way the House is.
… who claimed not to want to do it but to be speaking on behalf of unspecified “others on his side of the aisle”. I guess the comedy – sorry, comity – of the Senate is what prevented the presiding Senator from demanding to know whether Burr himself is objecting and if not, who is, since an actual person must object.
Pretty pathetic stuff, and more grist for the rules-reform mill. You can have a set of rules that only work well when everyone abides by the understanding that you don’t use them to obstruct business, but if you’re going to prevent the Senate from actually operating, you’re going to have to have a set of rules that is absolutely ruthless about keeping things running, the way the House is.
Burr also held up Tammy Duckworth’s appointment to the VA.
Burr also held up Tammy Duckworth’s appointment to the VA.
” Not to mention allowing them to get something useful done at their various commands whenever some nonsense like this occurs.”
One would assume that, if they have enough advance notice, they probably schedule some other face-to-face meetings with military or Pentagon folks while they’re here, and maybe an extra day tacked on as personal time to visit family they don’t get to see often.
So it’s probably not a totally wasted trip, although it’d suck if they had to come back later to do it all over again.
” Not to mention allowing them to get something useful done at their various commands whenever some nonsense like this occurs.”
One would assume that, if they have enough advance notice, they probably schedule some other face-to-face meetings with military or Pentagon folks while they’re here, and maybe an extra day tacked on as personal time to visit family they don’t get to see often.
So it’s probably not a totally wasted trip, although it’d suck if they had to come back later to do it all over again.
I guess elections only have consequences if Republicans win.
And it’s taken you HOW long to figure this “guiding principle” out….???
I guess elections only have consequences if Republicans win.
And it’s taken you HOW long to figure this “guiding principle” out….???
From all of this discussion I would have thought that elections have consequences when the Republicans lose.
I suppose it is how you define consequences.
From all of this discussion I would have thought that elections have consequences when the Republicans lose.
I suppose it is how you define consequences.
Of coures Republicans never actually lose but occasionally ACORN steals the elections 😉
I assume in the future it will the Hidden ACORN that relates to the old one like the vast commie pinko conspiracy to the official party.
Of coures Republicans never actually lose but occasionally ACORN steals the elections 😉
I assume in the future it will the Hidden ACORN that relates to the old one like the vast commie pinko conspiracy to the official party.
Btw, some ruling GOPsters in the South try to form a movement to abolish the election of US senators and to return to selection. The rabble is obviously seen as unable to choose the right people.
Btw, some ruling GOPsters in the South try to form a movement to abolish the election of US senators and to return to selection. The rabble is obviously seen as unable to choose the right people.
Is it just my faulty memory or do I recall hearing Rush (eeek hate to type that) tell the “Dems” to shut up till they win an election???
Well we won quite a few in a row
what is that gas bag still jabbering?
Is it just my faulty memory or do I recall hearing Rush (eeek hate to type that) tell the “Dems” to shut up till they win an election???
Well we won quite a few in a row
what is that gas bag still jabbering?