Ah, the plot, or rather the cesspool that is the lair of Alabama Senator Tommy “Coach” Tuberville thickens. Senator Tub-O-Lard has been holding up military promotions on a vast scale. Upwards of 200 important, senior officers the last time I checked. Even top spots, like JCS folks are awaiting confirmation because of Coach Tommy’s Senatorial ability to place a “hold” on any damned Senate action he wants. It’s a power vested in all Senators since over fifty years ago the old filibuster rules were dispensed with. It would become increasingly abused, and as time has gone on far more often by Republicans that Democrats.
In this case, it’s impacting National Security. Not to mention stacking up the system of thousands of more junior officers being shifted to new roles, and the impact on their families because moves (change of station) that were planned for this summer are on hold. Spouses that had jobs lined up at new duty stations might lose them because they can’t move. Kids that would have started the school year next month will wind up having to spit the upcoming year in school between the one at the old duty station and the new one.
All because of Tuberville’s pet cause. Preventing women (in particular military women) from being able to travel to obtain an abortion. NOT, as is implied or sometimes even (falsely stated) the military paying for an abortion, but just allowing it’s women to travel from a duty post in a state where they can’t get one to a place where they can!
Here’s the thing though. Tommy, who never served a day in uniform himself claims no one is more supportive of our military than him. Even though he’s on record trashing the very armed forces he claims to be oh so supportive of. Imagine the worst of a person from Alabama or other red states, a “good ole boy”, a “Meal Team Six” dude (you know, the guys who’s waist measurement is bigger than their IQs) with their “we don’t need no wimmen and homos in the army” types and you’ve got Tuberville as their champion.
But he LOVES the military. (He just hates the part of it that’s not white and male)
Senator Tub-O-Lard has dispensed with questions about his own lack of service by touting his father’s service during WWII. And he’s been LYING about it! Not just a small exaggeration here and there, but full blown multiple piles of bull excrement as this linked article digs in to. His dad was not as “Coach” has claimed lie about being underage to enlist. Yes, dad had just turned 16 when the war broke out (for us) but he was 18 (according to his draft registration) by the time he did enter service. His dad did NOT command a tank, much less as Tuberville would have you believe lead the way in epic tank battles across the continent, only failing to take out Hitler in his bunker because ole Adolph killed himself first. And his dad was NOT awarded FIVE Bronze Stars. For those who don’t know, the Bronze Star is a combat decoration awarded “for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.” particularly notable action in actual combat. It’s a mistake to conflate a service star with a Bronze Star, although some are happy to let people think those little Service Stars are actual Bronze Stars. Tuberville is clearly one such person. Just so you know, those little bronze or silver starts you see on certain ribbons and medals to “denote an additional award or service period. The service star may also be referred to as a campaign star or battle star depending on which award the star is authorized for and the manner in which the device is used for the award.” However they should not be mistaken for Bronze or Silver Stars. (If an individual receives five service stars that can go on a given ribbon/medal they can instead replace the bronze one with a silver one)
The point is that for all Tuberville’s painting his father as a lesser known Audie Murphy, his ole dad didn’t lie about his age to get into uniform two years early, wasn’t a tank commander who’s heroics began on D-Day and didn’t get five Bronze Star awards for valor in combat. It’s a full blown case of a thing known as Stolen Valor – which people understand as some a-hole claiming to be a military hero (including sometimes dressing up and wearing a bunch of medal they bought or stole but did NOT earn!) when if they served at all was nowhere near enemy fire. But at least they are touting themselves.
Tuberville his given politics a new version of Stolen Valor – instead of inflating his own military credentials just admit he never served, but make a huge f**king deal out of how awesome his daddy’s heroics during WWII were!
He’s managed to out-Trump Donald Trump! At least on this. That my friends is saying something. Not anything good mind you. Far from it. But something, and something memorable. Sadly, he has no shame. And his GOPer colleagues in the Senate have no guts and won’t get together with Democrats to run roughshod over Tuberville’s “holds” on all those promotions and confirmations.
My dad and all the other WWII vets I knew growing up are all dead now. I never saw my dad’s medals. Once when I asked he cryptically mentioned a bombing mission on which a lot more civilians suffered and died that German troops. That the target needed to be hit but the cost to civilians was a truly terrible thing. He softly said, and for that they gave us a medal… And that was the end of one of the very few “conversations” we ever had about what he did. I’ve written before of the lengths he went to to keep the scars that covered his torso hidden. And I think of others who fought like him in the air, on the ground and at sea, and how little they spoke of it. My experience with my own dad was similar with my friend’s who’s fathers fought in that war.
But Tuberville, like so many people of our age never served. And he decided to “get around” the issue by making up a big lie about his father’s service and in effect saying “Look at what my dad did. It’s enough service to cover the both of us!” Except Tuberville’s father wasn’t the super-soldier his P.O.S. son has made him out to be.
THIS is today’s GOP my friends. That they didn’t slap this a$$hat and his pet cause down long ago is a disgrace, and worse a threat to our national security.
I saw an article about this that stated that Gene Autry, the most decorated war hero, only received two Bronze Stars. What bothers me the most about this whole thing is his dad, who I assume is long past, never lied about his service. What gives Tubie the right? His dad served honorably and was discharged as a Tech5, which is an equivalent pay grade to sergeant, but without leadership responsibilities. Apparently most of the “medals” he received were the ones everyone gets just for being there.
I have a chestful of medals for my nine years of service. Most are just for being there – good conduct (didn’t f*ck up), AIT (finished MOS school), overseas service (stationed in Stuttgart), Army of Occupation (served in Berlin before the wall came down) etc.
He should be proud his dad served. He should not “pad” his father’s resume to justify his own stupid and ill-conceived stances.
I am sure his dad would be humiliated. A kid in a class I was subbing for asked me what wars I fought in and I said none. He then said no, you fought in the cold war. I had to say ‘well, yes, but no one shot at us that I know of.
I think rather than Gene Autrey you maybe meant Audie Murphy?
Was i Gene Autry or Audie Murphy you meant? Murphy received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Remember how the bloviating orange turd chortled about ‘always wanting one of these’, (purple heart), when someone gave him theirs? Really? Guess he wanted the medal handed out for wounds received in combat without serving. His daddy gave an MD an apt for excusing donny from service due to ‘bone spurs’. Funny how those didn’t prevent baby huey from playing sports in college. He also shat on the veterans time and again. Any surprise Mr potato head from slavebama lied about his daddy’s military service? NOPE. NAZIS LIE. It’s something you can count on with these cowards.
funny how other draftees couldn’t get out of the draft with a case of bone spurs. My uncle had them and he sure as sh*t had to go to Viet Nam. Came back an addict too largely because of, wait for it, foot pain. Must’ve been pretty bad tho’. I’ve got heel spurs and I just do certain exercises to keep the pain to a minimum.
Fair warning: this might be a highly stupid thing to ask. If any senator can hold up any business before the senate, doesn’t tuberville’s hold on military noms become senate business? Is there something saying another senator cannot place a hold on tuberville’s hold?
No, I don’t see how Tuberville’s hold would be Senate business. However, you are correct in supposing that any senator can hold up any Senate business, according to the Wikipedia article I have just read, “Senate hold.” It quotes Senate rules as saying, “no motion to proceed to the consideration of any bill…shall be entertained…unless by unanimous consent.”
The article also says, “Holds, like filibusters, can be defeated through a successful cloture motion. However, the time required to bring around a cloture vote often allows fewer than 40 senators to block unimportant legislation when the majority is not willing to force the vote.”
Defeating Tuberville’s hold would require about 10 Senate Republicans to vote with the Democrats, yielding 60 votes, to end the hold. So, yes, the Senate could end Tuberville’s hold if a few Republicans were willing to join the Democrats to do so.
Democrats could not have held or filibustered Trump’s nominees for the Supreme Court because the Senate had exempted court nominees from the filibuster process, so it took only a majority vote to consider a nominee.
You can’t place a “hold” on someone else’s “hold.” What another Senator CAN do if there’s some other bill a Senator really, really wants to get passed and even needs to get passed (whatever their reason for needing it) it put a hold on THAT. And then do some old-fashioned political horse trading. A hold is what the filibuster has turned in to. It can be broken with a cloture vote but that means getting Senators from the other side to go along to meet the 60 vote threshold to invoke cloture. McConnell hasn’t been willing to, even on something like this tell his caucus to put and end to this nonsense. That kind of surprises me because the Senate map next year is pretty favorable to the GOP and he dreamed of being able to retire as Majority Leader. Events today notwithstanding he’s been a wily old bastard and he knows damn well his Party is repeatedly shooting itself in the foot over ABORTION of all things. Hell, he had a head start even with WV sure to be a pickup. But because of abortion Democrats have a fair chance of not just holding the Senate but maybe picking up a seat or two.
And Tuberville is handing every Democrat in all those states where it will be a close fight something that can make a difference come November 2024 even if Tuberville were to relent tomorrow. The ONE thing McConnell could have done to take the issue off the table, or at least keep GOP voters in the fold was have his caucus help the Democrats shut Tuberville down. As I said, I’m mystified as to why Yertle didn’t do this a while ago. Now I think it’s too late. Maybe he’s realized it and it helped stress him out enough to contribute to whatever the hell happened today. It wasn’t a full blown stroke it seems (I looked hard at the video) but I’d be surprised if he didn’t wind up at the hospital for a brain scan which would reveal a minor stroke.
Given Tuberville’s theft of his own father’s military service to serve his own political interest, it now comes as little surprise that the GOP is now behind a move that would prohibit anyone from investigating ANY claims of military service or actions (whether to back up a person’s claim of service or to investigate potential war crimes) WITHOUT the approval of the potential target of the investigation.
Joseph it reminds me of a line in Casablanca when the French Captain was asked about getting papers for Laslo to leave Casablanca…it would take a miracle for you to leave Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles. Nazi move. At least they’re consistent with their lies and hypocrisy.
Well my dad did lie to get into the military. He did go overseas and he did get a real Bronze star and a real Purple Heart 💜. They had to dig a bullet out of his arm and the pain killer was two large marines holding his ass down while the doctor dug for lead. The only other thing he talked about was that after the bombs hit Japan he was assigned to a demolition expert to go around and drop Japanese communications towers as his driver. The only reason my dad got his medals was because he applied to work at the post office and they seen he never got them when he got out. Sad to say but that’s a true American hero.