It CANNOT be overstated how angry Pentagon & State Dept officials are at Rep. Moulton & Rep. Peter Meijer for flying to Afghanistan in the middle of an evacuation. “It’s as moronic as it is selfish. They’re taking seats away from Americans,” official says https://t.co/oY9IBbg1iC
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) August 25, 2021
Seth Moulton is a child of privilege — well-to-do parents, grew up in a very nice and very pricey town, educated at Phillips Andover and Harvard — who actually did serve his country with distinction, doing four tours in Iraq. Unfortunately, that experience seems to have convinced him he is bulletproof, not to mention incapable of making mistakes. From what I know of Peter Meijer, he had a similar upbringing… and a similar conviction of his own immunity. This particular stunt, however, was a MISTAKE:
… “It’s as moronic as it is selfish,” said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide a frank assessment of their trip. “They’re taking seats away from Americans and at-risk Afghans — while putting our diplomats and service members at greater risk — so they can have a moment in front of the cameras.”
In a joint statement from Moulton and Meijer emailed to The Washington Post by Moulton spokesman Tim Biba, the two pushed back on the notion that their trip caused a distraction.
“We have been on the other side of this argument while we were serving and it just isn’t accurate,” Moulton and Meijer said. “Trust us: the professionals on the ground are focused on the mission. Many thanked us for coming.”
From securing the airport to stamping visas to processing biometric data, U.S. officials in Kabul are racing to rush U.S. citizens and allies out of the country in a dire security environment. The threat of a terrorist attack on the airport by the Islamic State is “real” and “acute,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Sunday…
The two lawmakers began their journey to Kabul via a commercial flight to the United Arab Emirates, paying for the tickets using their own funds, Biba said. From there they “figured out a way onto an empty military flight going into Kabul,” Biba said, without providing additional specifics. They landed at Hamid Karzai International Airport around 4 a.m. Washington time, according to a person familiar with their travel.
It was unclear how the pair had initially planned to get out of the country…
The original Leeroy Jenkins! clip turns out to have been staged — which didn’t keep it from becoming a meme. The Errol Flynn Twins here had the know-how, and the luck, to get in and out of the mediagenic chaos unharmed… but the next Very Important Legislator(s) inspired by their stunt may not get such a happy ending.
Can you imagine having to negotiate with the Taliban to ensure the safe return of Louie Gohmert, or whichever goober wants to succeed to Chuck Grassley’s seat? Or, more likely, to collect the bodies of said self-ambitious morons?
Per the AP:
… House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Tuesday evening taking note of the desire of some legislators to visit Afghanistan and saying she was writing to “reiterate that the Departments of Defense and State have requested that Members not travel to Afghanistan and the region during this time of danger. Ensuring the safe and timely evacuation of individuals at risk requires the full focus and attention of the U.S. military and diplomatic teams on the ground in Afghanistan.”…
Pelosi can’t do much about Meijer, but I’m sure she’s got a very special ‘reward’ lined up for Rep. Moulton. (TBH, in a less demented timeline, Moulton would be an old-school ‘centrist’ Republican like Bill Weld or Mitt Romney, so his connection to the Democratic Party is purely instrumental and distinctly half-hearted.)
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
So, I guess the SCOTUS has ordered that Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy is to be reinstated. Is there actually any way to get rid of it? Surely an administration should be able to discontinue previous administration policies and pursue their own
Timurid
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
In this case, the Mexicans will just tell them to get stuffed. But in the long term, this is Dredd Scott level insanity. Roberts just crowned himself King.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
is it geographically accurate to call Moulton the Marblehead from Marblehead? Please?
Meijer’s family is more than well-to-do
JaneE
May I suggest that these two be required to find their own way home.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
rikyrah
These two clowns??
sdhays
Well, I hope someone interviews the first two Afghans who don’t get out on August 31 and asks them what they think of Representatives Moulton and Meijer. Or maybe they can stay behind and get a flight after the Taliban take control of the airport. I’m sure they’d be fine with that, right?
Fucking assholes.
The Dangerman
I was completely certain I would never see anything more ignorant than going for a joyride in the Presidential Limosine while experiencing Covid. That is fucking hard to top.
Its been topped. I say we leave the fuclers in Afghanistan with 12 bottles water, 56 beers, and a Milky Way.
(Edited for proper swearing)
gwangung
Mouton is a Clown that makes it all too easy for less invested voters to think “Both Sides Are The Same.”
mrmoshpotato
Hahaha! NO!
Because I wouldn’t!
dmsilev
I dunno, the real question is there anything the Taliban could give us that would be worth taking him back for.
mrmoshpotato
@The Dangerman: Fucking hell! I’d forgotten about the Soviet shitpile mobster conman wanting to see the racist, sexist morons who support him!
Fair Economist
I sure can. Like Danny DeVito’s character when he was first negotiating for the return of his hated wife in Ruthless People.
“We’ll give you one package of breakfast sausages for their safe return.
Oh, and the sausages are pork.”
StringOnAStick
Somehow I suspect these two thought this stunt would show brave bipartisanship and getting to the heart of the problem. If the media lionizes them for it, well, we already know how crappy they are. This is such tone deaf posturing. Adam must be incandescent with rage about this.
Major Major Major Major
Ew, wtf, Seth
M31
“Christ, what an asshole.”
x2
Steeplejack
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Pretty good explainer thread here:
Doug R
@dmsilev: I believe O’Henry had a story about that.
Steeplejack
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
?
mvr
@Steeplejack:
I’m getting close to the view that we should just ignore the Scotus. They’re illegitimate creatures from two centuries back brought to us by illegitimate procedures newly cooked up by a turtle who thinks he deserves to govern.
Steeplejack
@mrmoshpotato:
Well, the negotiation would be how much we have to give them to keep Gohmert.
burnspbesq
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Of course they can. But the Administrative Procedure Act, the relevant parts of which have been in effect since 1947 and are the subject of a huge body of case law, prescribes a process. The District Court ruled (probably incorrectly) that the Biden Administration amendments to the existing rule were arbitrary and capricious. That leaves the door wide open for Biden to do it over and do it right next time.
Captain C
@Timurid: The Dred Scott Roberts court.
Captain C
@mrmoshpotato: Iit would be like the negotiation scene in Bad Santa:
Taliban: We’ll give you 20% of all mineral rights if you’ll please just take him back.
Biden’s negotiator: Half.
T: A quarter.
BN: Half.
T: 30%. Please! He’s driving us nuts!
BN: Half.
And so forth…
JoyceH
Wait, Leroy Jenkins was staged? Why do I find that so disillusioning?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Well it’s bothsides stupid at lest on this one. Damn.
Viva BrisVegas
@Captain C: Wouldn’t that be Dred Pirate Roberts?
HumboldtBlue
@Viva BrisVegas:
Or Dred Scot Pirate Roberts
bluehill
When even the repubs that went on the border trips, say no thanks, it’s a good sign you’re about to step in it.
Mary G
The poor knucklehead who let them onto the plane in the UAE is going to be in a world of hurt. Great security you got there, boys
ETA: And the fact they are brazenly refusing to apologize to the mighty NANCY SMASH will come back to haunt them.
Ten Bears
They had their fifteen seconds of fame …
It actually reminds me of my favorite biblical quote:
Matthew 6:5-6:
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have their reward.
What was it Jesus said about puffed-up pontificating pontificaters puffed-up-edly pontificating on street corners? Oh, right, put it in the closet.
sab
Gohmert wasn’t going anywhere. He has zippo interest in Afghan refugees. Hopefully those reps who do care will stay home now.. There isn’t time to fix anything. Just don’t interfere.
opiejeanne
@The Dangerman: Are they still there? I thought they had already come back.
Ruckus
@opiejeanne:
If they haven’t they should be the very last 2 on the on the very last plane and they should have stand on the runway in front of the plane to claim their seats and then climb a rope dropped down from the open door and do so in 10 seconds or less or be left. If they make it into the plane they should get tied up together with the rope and everyone else on the plane gets one swift kick, if they desire.
That should be almost enough.
Matt McIrvin
Moulton annoys me because I agree with him about one thing (his pet cause of building a North Station/South Station rail link through Boston), but he’s so embarrassing otherwise.
Anne Laurie
Agreed! Why can’t he be MA’s best Repub, instead of its worst Democrat?!?
Geminid
@Matt McIrvin: Seth Moulton has voted consistently with the Democratic Congressional majority, so you may agree with him on more issues than that rail link.
Moulton is notorious for the challenge he, Tim Ryan and others made to Nancy Pelosi after the 2018 midterms. In the event, Moulton and his crew voted for Pelosi to be Speaker. Some of the Democrats in Moulton’s district may have held the challenge against him, though, because he won last year’s Democratic primary with only 78% of the vote.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Timurid:
In this case, the Mexicans will just tell them to get stuffed. But in the long term, this is Dredd Scott level insanity. Roberts just crowned himself King
@burnspbesq:
Thanks!
@Steeplejack:
That thread enraged me. Made me realize that the “rule of law” is a joke in the wrong hands
Geminid
@Anne Laurie: Why can’t some liberals accept that the Democratic Party is a coalition of moderates and liberals? Speaker Pelosi can.
Morzer
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The Marblehead Meathead would seem more accurate.
Procopius
Yeah, well, of course “high State Department and Pentagon officials” would not want to let anyone go. Somebody there might talk to them.
JeanneT
Well, I guess Meijer is still trying to shore up his reputation with west Michigan Republicans. They wanted his head when he voted for impeachment, and ever since he’s been working on being a very very knee jerk conservative.
And here I had had hopes that he was going to be a forerunner of a more sensible Republican party (naive of me, I know).
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Marco’s got real competition now!
Geminid
@JeanneT: I’ll be following Meijer’s primary next year. His primary and those of fellow midwestern impeachers Adam Kinzinger (IL) and Anthony Gonzales (OH) will provide some insight into the direction of Republican voters are taking in that region.
Peter Meijer succeeded Justin Amash, in a district formerly represented by Gerald Ford. The district has been in Republican hands for all but three of the last 95 years, but last year Meijer beat Democrat Hillary Scholten by less than 5%.
MontyTheClipArtMongoose
@Timurid: george w. bush tried to warn us about dred scott in 2004…
Matt McIrvin
@Geminid: Well, I live in the next district over, so I suppose it’s not up to me.