Just disgusted. James Joyner (proud new papa!) makes a great point about my post last night regarding DiFi’s reaction to the Panetta pick:
I couldn’t disagree more. One of the chief issues that frustrated conservatives such as John and myself had during the first six years of the Bush administration was a Republican Congress that saw itself as a rubber stamp for a president of their party.
All too true. What I dislike about the Feinstein reaction is that she did, in fact, go along with the rubber-stamping of all the Bush appointees, and she wasn’t even in the Republican party. Now, for whatever reason, she appears to be eagerly hamstringing the appointee before a hearing is even scheduled. The result, of course, is to do political damage to the incoming administration and his pick before he has ever had a chance to be questioned.
That makes no sense. If she is not impressed by Panetta after the Senate hearing, don’t vote to confirm. By all means, ask him tough questions- that would be a welcome change to the charade of the past eight years. What this looks like to me, however, is merely someone getting a little pissy because she was not consulted ahead of time. This DiFi outburst isn’t the result of a Senator seeking good governance, but someone lording over their little fiefdom, and I see no reason to cheer that kind of silliness.