A lot of people are saying what Senator Tommy Tuberville is doing to our troops is wrong. Not enough are saying it's STUPID.
Take it from someone who actually knows how our military works. pic.twitter.com/REk3xYUTSw
— Lucas Kunce (@LucasKunceMO) September 7, 2023
Be careful what you wish for, goes the proverb, but maybe ‘Coach Tubby’ believes his Alabama voters *like* making the United States military suffer for his ‘religious’ beliefs. His procedural obstructions have now gone well beyond a MAGAt-friendly earned-media stunt, and (Murphy the Trickster God willing) Tuberville may be looking at the pointy end of the FAFO projectile…
The Pentagon estimates that about three-quarters of the generals & admirals in the Defense Department — 650 of 852 — will be affected by @TTuberville @SenTuberville 's hold. This is having a massive affect on military readiness and U.S. national security. https://t.co/yDdJfXm2uX
— Alexander S. Vindman ? (@AVindman) September 5, 2023
Every Congressional reporter not asking Republican senators why they’re tolerating this is a cowardly hack https://t.co/uMvyuHN4gL
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) September 6, 2023
If a Democratic senator did this Republicans would scream treason https://t.co/0zLQQ3vmes
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 5, 2023
Per Politico, “Pentagon goes on the attack amid Tuberville blockade”:
Pentagon leaders have launched a new, more aggressive campaign this week to pressure Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville into finally releasing a nine-month hold on senior military nominations they say is harming national security.
The Defense Department dispatched the civilian leaders of three branches of the U.S. military to slam the senator for the blockade, first in a WashingtonPost op-ed on Monday and then during a CNN interview on Tuesday. On Wednesday, DOD took the rare step of putting out a news story highlighting the hold’s impact on its official media webpage. Also this week, the Pentagon released a slate of new senior nominations, including for the Air Force vice chief of staff.
During the CNN interview, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro — a Cuban-born Navy veteran — went so far as to accuse Tuberville of “aiding and abetting communists.”…
While DOD leaders have continued to talk publicly about the hold through the August recess, the Pentagon is amping up the pressure on lawmakers now that the Senate is back in session. This week has seen a concerted effort to highlight to the American public how harmful the holds are, according to a senior DOD official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the strategy behind the media push.
The media strategy does not mark the first time Pentagon officials have spoken on the matter, but the volume of speeches, interviews and op-eds this week make clear the effort is intensifying.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not spoken with Tuberville directly since a July phone call, but the Pentagon chief has engaged with senators on both sides of the aisle about the holds through the August recess, according to the official. Austin’s and Tuberville’s staff members are also in contact.
The senator, who objects to the Pentagon’s new policy of reimbursing service members who must travel to obtain abortions and other reproductive care, has shown no signs of letting up despite the new pressure campaign. He shot back at Del Toro, saying attacking him “wasn’t very smart to do.”…
Congressional Democrats at the same time ramped up their criticism of Tuberville’s hold and implored his fellow Republicans to step in, an approach that has so far come up empty.
“Basically, what Tuberville and others are saying is they don’t believe in democracy,” House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said at the Defense News Conference.
“If you don’t like the travel policy … get someone elected who will change that policy,” Smith said. “Don’t stop the ability of the Department of Defense to do its job.”
Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) charged that Tuberville is “flirting with disaster” through the vacancies on the Joint Chiefs resulting from the hold….
There are currently five military bases in Alabama.
There's no real reason they have to stay there. https://t.co/QlwOc84GK6
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) September 7, 2023
After Navy secretary accused Tuberville of “aiding and abetting” US adversaries, the senator told me: “It is concerning that you got people that are in secretary positions like that — that would say something like that in our country, instead of getting on the phone and calling” pic.twitter.com/LnsrSQGB52
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 6, 2023
Whether this is Tuberville’s real motive, I don’t know, but I have no doubt that Trump will populate the military with loyalists, and there are at least some disgruntled guys in the officer corps who would be the military equivalent of Jeff Clark. https://t.co/LUHX8cGcDq
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 4, 2023
The national anthem of these United States is the first part of a poem written by a man while aboard a warship. https://t.co/t0gT2RwfXb
— Andy (@trtx84) September 7, 2023
If a Democrat was doing what Tuberville was doing for liberal reasons, it would be the end of the Democratic Party as a major political organization for 20 years. We all know this, right?
— Starfish Unexpectedly Cancelled For Hating Hitler (@IRHotTakes) September 5, 2023
BeautifulPlumage
Hmmmm. What if the military reversed the policy in question then, after all the held up promotions go through, there is an updated administrative ruling which essentially replaced the current offending policy?
SpaceUnit
Tuberville has the most punchable face on the planet. What a fucking dweeb.
Also it’s late and I’m going to bed. Night all.
Viva BrisVegas
The stupidity is not (just) in Tuberville doing this, it’s in having a Senate in which it’s possible for a Tuberville to do this.
JoyceH
@Viva BrisVegas: let’s not forget the stupidity of voters who elect a guy as senator because they liked him as a football coach.
ColoradoGuy
If Alabama likes stupid so much, and GOP Senators are okey-dokey with this, fine, close the bases. They obviously don’t need Federal money. Let them play with Bitcoin and see how that works out for them.
SpaceUnit
Also this dipshit is wearing a size 40 jacket and my aunt Becky could whip his sorry ass.
No, seriously going to bed now.
Tony Jay
Baud
@Tony Jay:
Yeah, still can’t tell if it’s fake.
Tony Jay
@Baud:
I’m planning on building up a portfolio of unmitigated bullshit in time for your next campaign launch. Really nail down that ‘Sam Seaborn without the looks or charm’ spot before someone with
actual principlesreal talent slides in.Balconesfault
I’m going with the “leave the slots open so Trump can appoint fascism-sympathetic generals” theory, and I think that’s why fellow Republicans are letting him run point without pressure.
It ain’t about abortion. Dems need to be talking about Trump having asked the military to commandeer voting machines and wanting loyalists who won’t say no next time.
Baud
@Balconesfault: Politically speaking, I think Dems would get more mileage talking about abortion and how Republicans will even do great harm to our military to hurt (military) women.
Baud
@Tony Jay:
That’ll be the title of my autobiography.
Tony Jay
@Balconesfault:
Part and parcel of how the News Media run cover for the Right’s political wings. A deliberate strategy of never joining the dots to build a true narrative of what they’re trying to achieve, every action treated as sui generis and through an artificial frame of principled honesty.
After all, if they started putting the pieces together for their readers it might lead to questions about how the huge corporate entities who own the News Media might be influencing coverage to help the Party that offers them low to no taxes and an endless river of clickbait. And we can’t have that!
Tony Jay
@Baud:
Let’s be optimistic about the length of your term(s) in office.
David_C
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is holding up hearings for the new NIH head until HHS comes up with a comprehensive plan to lower drug prices. NIH has little to do with drug pricing policy. Would be be fine with the Trump appointee? The job was hard enough to fill already. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4106674-sanderss-game-of-chicken-over-nih-nominee-alarms-health-advocates/
Anne Laurie
@Tony Jay: Pro tip — If you call him ‘Ross Doubthat‘, even he won’t be sure whether or not you’re trolling.
And, y’know, it’s a reminder how you should always read his works.
NotMax
Although it’s never been tried, I still say Schumer should declare the Senate in recess (August break would have been optimum opportunity) for longer than the few days required to trigger allowing Biden to designate those on hold as recess appointments.
No question the positions are those of federal officers, the very type of vacancies recess appointments are designed to fill.
Ten Bears
Simple solution to threats to national security: eliminate them …
David_C
@NotMax: We have just 22 days before the government shuts down and we need the Senate in session to pass an appropriations bill.
NotMax
@Baud
Don’t abandon Baud of the Rings so breezily.
:)
JPL
Schumer should keep the Senate open 20 hours a day, seven days a week and start the slow process of confirming the nominees. After two week,s the republican senators would turn on little Tommy Tuberville.
NotMax
@David_C
As budget appropriations bills must originate in the House, the ball is in McCarthy’s court.
No reason a recess couldn’t be declared in October. IIRC, minimum declared recess period for appointments to occur is on the order of three days. Make it a week’s recess then gavel back into session.
Balconesfault
@NotMax: Recess appointments could mean all promotions might be subject to demotion on Jan 1 2025?
Tony Jay
@Anne Laurie:
It was on the list on names for consideration. I may just stick with the real names from now on and trust in the ability of fellow Jackals to tell mockery from punditry.
Also, too, shouldn’t that be a reminder how you should never read his works?
JPL
@Balconesfault: Not sure that even a republican president would do that.
p.a.
DoD should just announce a commission studying all base locations WRT readiness and future needs. This could get Tubby’s passive supporters’ notice as well.
NotMax
@Balconesfault
More than enough time for the positions to be confirmed the old-fashioned way in the interim.
Ike designated Earl Warren as Chief justice via recess appointment, said position confirmed by the Senate half a year later. Plenty of other precedent for confirmation after recess appointment.
Frankensteinbeck
@Balconesfault:
These are not political appointments. The president is not involved. They will be the exact same people no matter who is president. It’s not a ‘take over the military’ scheme. The only remaining options are grandstanding, an actual attempt to force the military to restrict abortion coverage, spite, or my guess, all three.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Frankensteinbeck: Or four, Tuberville doesn’t understand that the promotions he’s holding up don’t work like judicial appointments. Normally I’d give a senator more credit for intelligence than that, but in this case…
Anne Laurie
@Tony Jay: There’s a category tag on this blog: I Read These Morons So You Don’t Have To.
I should use it more, when covering the Doubthats and their ilk!
lowtechcyclist
@Frankensteinbeck:
I’m sure them’s the rules, but if a Rethug Administration decided to break those rules in 2025, good luck in doing anything about it.
Gvg
My understanding is that officer appointments have to be approved by Congress due to the constitution so we can’t change it, however I think this was an error by the founders. Only the Chief officers, I would say the political leaders such as the secretaries of the services should really be appointed and maybe the very large task forces like Europe, or Korean War…not routine professional promotions. That interferes with a professional service and always leaves politics potentially involved. We improved our governing quality immensely when we got rid of the spoils system.
I know the founders were much more worried about armies and armed forces than we are and reading history I can see why. Armies back them were not much better than swarms of bandits often times.
I also think we need to quit awarding Ambassadorship’s to donors and make our foreign service all professional except appoint Secretary of State.
Tony Jay
@Anne Laurie:
Ha! Forgot about that. You brave little soldier, you.
eversor
@Frankensteinbeck:
The military has always been a political football.
When DADT fell a lot of conservatives said they had lost the military and explained why this is bad. The military is a major cultural institution and helps set cultural trends. This is one of the major reasons the Air Force Officer Corps (and other Officer Corps but not to the same extent) is riddled with Evangelicals. It’s also why the military is constantly getting in trouble for various commanders outright forcing Christianity on their enlisted troops. I was in the Navy where this stuff is rarer than other services but even then when I had to get sent to counciling due to a family member death I got ordered to go to the Chaplain despite my protests. If you didn’t go to church you got shafted with weekend duty and thus stuck on base/ship. This starts in bootcamp where if you go to church you get Sunday morning off. If you do not you are forced to clean the birthing/barracks. Officers prayed openly and asked people where they went to church. Sticking to your guns about not wanting to do the whole Christian thing meant more shit labor, more lost weekends, and hostility at work. When I was a civilian working out of the Pentagon it was the same thing among the civilians. Where do you go to church, we should all go to church, and when I asked them to knock it off and mentioned my rights one of the more senior people pulled me asside in a panic later and told me directly that I needed to stop that or I would be fired and it’s happened before so do like him and just shut up and smile and go to a church once and then claim you go there.
The military is very much a weapon in the culture wars that has long been used to force Christianity on people and endorse it’s demanded patriarchy, heirarchy, and gender roles (even Jesus demands those!). That’s changing, and so they don’t like the military anymore and want to hurt it until it starts Jesusing shit up again. Tommy knows this and knows people are thumping their bibles in extacy over what he is doing.
Christianity ruins everything once again.
Princess
I think Tuberville is doing this to leave open spaces for Trump to appoint generals. If z trump wins and gets that kind of control of the military, that’s the ballgame.
matt
Democrats should be going out and talking about ‘Tommy Traitorville’ nonstop.
eversor
@Princess:
The president does not appoint them.
Also the poems over loudspeaker (it’s actually the 1MC and anyone who was in the Navy or Marines or familiar with either would know this) is not actually about poems. They want Christian prayer back over the 1MC because again, it’s all about Christianity!
But people here are going to keep insisting it’s not right up until they are kneeling in front of a mass grave.
Professor Bigfoot
There’s something about Senator Potatoburg that really bothers me.
He give me serious “Wade Hampton” and “Nathan Bedford Forrest” vibes.
You know, those Confederates who absolutely should have hanged in 1865?
eversor
@Professor Bigfoot:
Except those guys actually had the nuts to serve. Tommy Potatoes did not. The confederal generals were evil and terrifying individuals. Tommy is just a jack ass pimping issues for the Christian GOP base.
Tony Jay
Looks like it’s
turtlesChristians all the way down!Come plumb the abyssal depths of Lethean swill with the one and only Pope of Predictability, the Raconteur of Repetition, the Sultan of Said It All Before. Spewing bunk ahistorical like a tween-lit taught oracle, using contrarian reasoning that needs far more seasoning, he’s a supermassive black hole of ennui d’arsehole, you can correct him all day but that might make him stay, it’s the one, the only, the great trollalollyphony, it’s… you know what, never mind.
Shalimar
@ColoradoGuy: The reason Alabama has 5 bases is because from the end of WWII until Sessions resigned to become Trump’s AG, 5 people had held the 2 Alabama Senate seats for 123 of those 142 possible years. That was a lot of built-up political power. It is gone now. Tuberville and Britt have been in office a combined 40 months. Tear it all down. If he wants to fuck with the military, the administration should fuck with Alabama.
Shalimar
@Professor Bigfoot: For all their flaws as evil human beings, Wade Hampton and Nathan Bedford Forrest were both exceptional cavalry commanders.
The highlight of Tuberville’s football career was a few good years at Auburn while Mike Shula was recruiting Alabama into a ditch. He didn’t have a lot of competition in the SEC West during that period, is what I’m saying.
Betty
Senator Warren apparently gave Senator Schumer some encouragement to be more aggressive about this at the weekly luncheon. We need more Dems making more noise.
sdhays
@Shalimar: Tommy Tubers cares about Alabama so much that he doesn’t even live there. This isn’t the leverage you all think it is.
Frankensteinbeck
@lowtechcyclist:
The military will ignore him and there is jack shit Trump can do about it. Nothing. Zip. Zero. He does not appoint these positions. This is not a takeover of the military.
@Princess:
Again: Trump does not have that power. These are internal promotions that don’t go through until congress signs off. That’s it. This is not a takeover of the military scheme, period.
JWR
@Frankensteinbeck:
THANK YOU!
Ben Cisco
@Frankensteinbeck:
Any way to pin this to the top of any post regarding my idiot senator so we can be spared the caterwauling about a non-existent Trumpian plot? Please?
Paul in KY
@eversor: I was in USAF in mid-80s and none of the leadership in my squadron gave a shit where you went to church or if you went to church. Thank God I had a good bunch, in that regard.
Juju
@David_C: He’s probably doing that because things worked out so well when he held up votes on the Board of Governors for the USPS.
DFH
If Tuberville dies, does his block die too?
DFH
@DFH:
Just asking, of course.
Shalimar
@sdhays: I think he only cares insomuch as he has zero chance of ever getting elected in Florida so re-election in Alabama 3 years from now is his only chance of continuing his stupid career.