I’m guessing that’ll be a movie title fifteen years from now. But the opportunity is not for him.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville reportedly told Republican Senators on Tuesday he will find a way out of the stalemate caused by his holds on military promotions and nominations.
Tuberville said he will do so before Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) brings a resolution to the floor in coming weeks that would “swiftly confirm the hundreds of highly qualified and dedicated military leaders being held up by Senator Tuberville before the end of the year.”
That is according to posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, from reporter Andrew Desiderio of Punchbowl News.
“Listen, everyone. I got y’all into this mess. I’m gonna get you out,” Tuberville reportedly said during a closed door lunch. [AL.com]
I’ll not try to insert a tiny picture of the Senator into this tableau. Use your imagination.
The opportunity is for the Republican Senators. They’ve already partially grasped the nettle by forcing through a few of these promotion approvals at the highest of levels for which they are responsible, perhaps motivated by the heart attack of the commandant of the Marines, who was reportedly doing two high-stress jobs due to Tuberville’s antics.
But it’s dumb. Tuberville’s blocking of promotions in protest of Secretary of Defense Austin’s policy that military members in need of abortion care will receive free transport is wrong on a number of levels: abuse of his Senatorial privileges, attempted circumvention of proper democratic debate and voting, imposition of religious views in violation of the Establishment Clause, and, of course, all of his lying and mischaracterizations of the situation are deeply dishonorable.
Nevermind the repeated unanswerable rebuttals to the anti-abortion arguments.
So what’s the opportunity? With just a little support from the Democratic side of the aisle, the Republican Senators could easily arrange for the expulsion of Senator Tuberville.
Seems unlikely? Sure. But it carries a few positives for the Republicans.
- For a lot of Democrats and independents, the allegiance of Republicans to the United States has become an open question. Tuberville, representing a crippling force to the American military, is the iconic example. By kicking him out, the Republicans will go a ways to repair that reputation.
- Those Republican Senators who vote against expulsion self-identify for being extremists themselves, and become targets for being primaried – by moderates.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is a Republican, and I think she gets to appoint the replacement, so there’s no threat of the Republicans losing the seat immediately, and if the Alabama GOP can avoid nominating Judge Roy Moore again, they’ll retain it in the special election. And since the Republicans are currently in the minority in the Senate, it’s not of consequence if they go down a vote for the couple of days a replacement takes.
Right now, Tuberville is making the Republicans look terrible. If they were to recognize this opportunity for what it is, it’s a remarkably cost-free way to rebuild their tattered reputation, and to shore up a military that is apparently in some distress.
And be rid of an ignorant, incompetent ass.
