Hell must have frozen over because Mitch McConnell just stated my position on Pete Hegseth better than I could say it myself. I had a hunch McConnell would vote “no” on Hegseth. I was right about that part. Disappointingly, nay, tragically, I was wrong about the rest of it. I thought McConnell’s “no” vote would empower other Republicans to follow suit and vote “no” as well and end this nightmare. Nobody did. So now we are stuck with a man who is “the most unfit person in American history to ever be nominated to lead a US Armed Force,” in the words of Steve Schmidt. Here’s McConnell’s kiss of death:
McConnell said that he did not have confidence in Hegseth’s ability to lead the Pentagon at a time of escalating national security threats posed by Russia, China, Iran and their proxies.
“Effective management of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel, an annual budget of nearly $1 trillion, and alliances and partnerships around the world is a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests,” he said in a statement.
“Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been,” he said.
McConnell said that Hegseth during his confirmation hearing “provided no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack, or even whether he believes the United States.”
He said that Hegseth also “failed” to articulate in any detail a strategic vision for countering rising Chinese aggression in the Far East.
“Absent, too, was any substantive discussion of countering our adversaries’ alignment with deep alliance relationships and more extensive defense industrial cooperation of our own,” he said.
This is an historic night, and this has been an historic week. Look for a geopolitical realignment. I don’t profess to know what that will look like but NATO will look to function without the United States and that may be an actual reality. Trump may withdraw us but we have already been withdrawn from the stature we used to hold in the world.
And look for struggles within the military power structure. The military are no fools. They know that they’ve got an icon at the head of the Department of Defense, not a leader. He’s a poster child for MAGA, not a qualified person. The only reason he squeaked by with Vance breaking the tie vote is because other senators were terrified to run awry of Trump and MAGA.
And I suppose it makes sense. You can’t influence the game unless you can stay in the game and staying in the game is the premiere obsession of every politician. That’s the simple reality.
But what this says about America is chilling. Trump is corrupt as hell but so is the Senate. We’ve been down this path before. The Senate had two opportunies to remove Trump from office, to excise the cancer in the body politic. They would not. That’s because they’re a politburo, not a Senate.
There is no society on Earth that takes its national defense seriously — or understands the moral covenant with the men and women asked to defend their nations — that would ever consider a person possessing the character, moral and qualification defects that Pete Hegseth brings to the table to be the leader of anything near their military. Ever.
It is a grotesque farce. He is the most unfit person in American history to ever be nominated to lead a US Armed Force.
It is a despicable nomination that is a referendum on whether the United States has a functioning upper house within a co-equal Article I branch of government at all?
A politburo by another name is still a politburo.
There is no justification for giving advise and consent to the Hegseth nomination.
It is an abomination.
The idea that Mitch McConnell will sanction the travesty shows how corrupt the government was that Trump was able to topple. [This was written before McConnell voted no. But would McConnell have voted no if he had long years ahead of him in the Senate? Very likely not. UF]
This is an important moment for the country.
Without a Senate there is no republic. Only in a country without a Senate could there ever be a Secretary Hegseth.
This is not a good thing. No other Department of Defense head has been as opposed or squeaked by, by the skin of his teeth, like Hegseth.
If there is a cabinet appointee that flames out in a colossal scandal, look for it to be Hegseth. Meanwhile, unless I miss my guess, there are people at the Pentagon and all over the military world that are trying to figure out how to make the best of a horrific bargain. My spidey sense tells me this is a disaster waiting to happen. I just hope we don’t all end up glowing blue in the dark because of this misguided confirmation of a resoundingly unqualified individual.
It would have been a great night for democracy if only one more Republican senator had the balls to do what was right. But we didn’t have that one man or woman. So down down down the dark ladder we go.
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McConnell is a lame duck too. That old regime has toppled.
I wonder when fragging will become popular again in the ranks?
Would that it had become popular in the White House 2016-2020, Scott.
As someone who really doesn’t know a lot about politics I sometimes have to look up the meanings of some of the words I read. Politburo was one I had never heard of before so I looked it up and here it is:
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Politburo
I usually learn at least one new word a day 🙂
Hey China…looks like a good time to take over Taiwan, Hong Kong, and any little kingdom in the Pacific. The two guys in charge are missing. The fat man is playing golf, and doesnt want to be bothered. He’s busy stealing money from crypto. Petey is passed out in the back room, with a bra around his head. Anyone seen Boobert? She was partying with him. Oh…OK. Just heard she’s passed out braless in the men’s restroom. Call Marjorie…she’s head of the toilet police.
Ursula, you wrote:
“And I suppose it makes sense. You can’t influence the game unless you can stay in the game and staying in the game is the premiere obsession of every politician. That’s the simple reality.”
AI Overview
“Premier” is an adjective that means “first in rank” or “the best”, while “premiere” is a noun that means “the first public performance”.
Thank you for your insightful article.
🤬 But, really, the most disqualifying behavior, on Hegseth’s massive list of shitty behaviors, is that he did not have the class to withdraw his own name from consideration. He shouldn’t have wanted to be part of a Federal government that would have him as a member!! (Apologies to Groucho for stealing his line! 😘)
Yes, Yertle voted No but it was way too little and way too late. His statement explaining his vote he issued just before heading to the floor to cast his vote spoke the truth. Had he issued it even a few hours earlier I think it might have made a difference and peeled off one or two more Republicans.
From where I sit it was a gutless move by McConnell. He waited until AFTER Senator Tillis from NC (where I live) who’d hemmed and hawed and looked like a possible No vote in the end caved and issued his own statement saying he’d vote yes. Then he did. THAT I think was what McConnell was waiting for. Tillis and I’ll bet the two of them had quite the chat yesterday, Perhaps even during the final hour of debate before the voting started. Tillis clearly fears a primary. I THINK given what happened in the Governor’s race Mark Robison would lose to Tillis in a primary but suck away enough votes for Tills to get a crack at another term.
Of course if in the last election our own nominee had been able to keep his dick in his pants he was on track to whup Tillis. No small amount of irony in the last minute exposure of a sexaul indiscretion led to Tillis being able to help vote in far more notorious womanizer as our SecDef. However the bottom line is that McConnell didn’t want to be the proverbial “deciding vote” and had Tillis said yesterday he’d vote No that’s what McConnell would be remembered for. ONLY after Moscow Mitch knew Vance could come in and break the tie did he “do the right thing” and I put that in quotes to convey sarcasm and my contempt.
IF Yertle comes out next week against Gabbard, Patel and RFK Jr. then perhaps I’ll ease up some on him. But waiting like he did until almost the last minute was no act of courage or principle on his part. It was at best a token potshot at Trumpty. Nothing more.
How long before a drunken Nevertheless gets caught groping someone’s wife at a party? Or offers a female officer a promotion if she puts out.