Gates ‘Furious’ That Brownback And Roberts Placed A Hold On McHugh’s Army Secretary Nomination
Gates ‘Furious’ That Brownback And Roberts Placed A Hold On McHugh’s Army Secretary Nomination
President Obama named Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) in June as his nominee to become the next Secretary of the Army. Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved his nomination by voice vote, and a Senate Democratic spokesperson said “Democratic leaders are seeking unanimous consent to have him confirmed by the full Senate by the end of the week.”
However, that vote never took place because Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts (R) and Sam Brownback (R) placed a hold on McHugh over an issue unrelated to his nomination:
Concerned that their state could become the home for some Guantánamo Bay detainees, Kansas’ two Republican senators have placed a hold on the nomination of Rep. John M. McHugh as Army secretary. That means a litte more time as candidates in waiting for the people gearing up to run for McHugh’s seat in an upstate New York district.
Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback are seeking answers from the Obama administration about the possible moves of some detainees to the prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Fox News’s Chris Wallace has reported that Defense Secretary Robert Gates, also a native of Kansas, is “furious” with Roberts and Brownback for placing the hold on McHugh:
WALLACE: Defense Secretary Robert Gates is said to be furious that senators from Alabama and Kansas are holding up the confirmation of the new Army secretary and his deputy. Kansas Senators Brownback and Roberts are trying to keep detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison out of Fort Leavenworth in their state.
Watch it:
Brownback and Roberts are also blocking nine other nominees for senior administration posts at the Pentagon and Justice Department. They said “they are prepared to block the appointments until they get answers from the White House about the proposal. And they said they want Leavenworth taken off the list of potential relocation spots.”
In order to close Gitmo, Leavenworth — which “has incarcerated infamous criminals” — must be considered an option for relocating detainees. As Ken Gude writes, “Americans in uniform are dying because of Guantanamo. The men and women serving at Ft. Leavenworth could be a part of the solution that saves American lives.”
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This is SO TYPICAL of these two brownnosers, pun intended.
I’m surprised we know who it is; Coburn usually hides in the weeds with his holds.
Go get ‘em, Gates. Put them on a C130 & drop them in Afghanistan.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:44 amUsing the attack line from Republicant’s, they are unAmerican butt-wipes because we are in a war and they are holding up military business.
Dems need to call these idiots out more and not just on these progressive blogs but on cable networks more often.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:52 amUsually for the GOP it’s Party before Country. This seems to be Political Posturing before Party before Country. Nice to see these Kansas politicians DO believe in evolution…of sorts.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:56 amRethuglicans have nothing to offer but obstruction. They throw spitballs, disrupt class, and play hookey. What a terrible bunch of inept losers. Never have they had one thing positive to offer the American people.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:56 amLet’s call this out for what it is:
August 10th, 2009 at 10:58 amSens. Brownback and Roberts WANT THIS COUNTRY TO FAIL in its war efforts (for purely political reasons).
If George Bush wanted Bozo the clown for army secretary, and the Dems. opposed him for clownishness and being unqualified and incompetent, You’d hear it from every republican in lockstep to the rightwing talking points.
It’s so obvious that all the GOP wants is failure for Obama, in the misguided belief that if he FAILS, the country will flock to them. What a dangerous bunch of BUFFOONS they are!
Whatever happened to the president’s nominees deserve an up or down vote?
Oh, yeah, IOKIYAR.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:00 amMore baseless obstructionism from the un-American right.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:04 amAnd I agree with Benji at #2, these guys are never called on this and they need to be. Why aren’t they? The Repub’s seem to have dozens out there spreading lies and propaganda but the Dem’s basically have no one attacking those lies.
Why in the world would two senators have the power to decide, all on their own, something related to national security?
Give ‘em the promise, but cross your fingers. Kind of like the GNOP watering down every bill then voting “NO” anyway.
PEACE
August 10th, 2009 at 11:04 amWhy in the world is thinkprogress making the presumption that Chris Wallace’s reporting is accurate? Since when did reports from a single source, Fox News, become reliable indicators of fact? Yes I see that CQ reported that Brownback and Roberts have questions or objections, but the “Gates is furious” part only comes from Fox. What’s the problem guys? Slow news day? I will believe “Gates is furious” when someone who doesn’t have a specific history of running false and inflammatory stories, as Chris Wallace does, reports it.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:04 amSenators Brownback and Roberts are probably concerned about their jobs, like so many Democratic Senators, and the opinions of the people who elected them to the Senate. This is as it should be. All Congress members are supposed to represent the people of their district and to protect the Constitution of The United States as they swore to do in their oath of office. Do any of you who disagree with either me or them want to reveal the state you live in on this Comments section and say that you want prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to be housed anywhere in your state?
On the bright side though, I might agree with most of you that President Bush was an idiot was he nominated Robert Gates to be the Secretary of Defense. I failed to think of that implication when President Obama decided to keep him on in that position.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:14 amRepiggies, repiggies, oink, oink, oink…
That is what passes for repiggie cogitation these days.
Why would anyone even want to vote for members of that miserable cult, even for local office?
By the way, Lou Dobbs is a moron.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:18 amOT, sorry.
I notice our resident trolls, rendered impotent by the “vote down” feature, lurk until most have moved on to another thread and then post more of their pre-packaged talking points. They’ve been marginalized into “last word” freaks.
What I do is, when I have a moment, return to old threads, sort by “Top Rated”, scroll to the bottom and vote down any new posts with which I disagree. I also open posts that have already been voted down and again, if I disagree, vote it down again. This prevents the troll army from mobilizing their forces to vote back collapsed posts.
Just sharing what I do, not asking or advising.
PEACE
August 10th, 2009 at 11:25 amTomLei says:
“Do any of you who disagree with either me or them want to reveal the state you live in on this Comments section and say that you want prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to be housed anywhere in your state?”
I live in New York and we are already housing quite a few terrorists, including those that were involved in the first WTC attack, Mr. Lei. As a New Yorker I have absolutely no qualms about housing detainees here. BTW those held in Quantanamo have never actually been convicted as terrorists, some have never even been officially charged with a crime. I don’t know why Republicans are so afraid of these men.
My question to Roberts and Brownback would be why don’t they have any confidence in the capabilities of those in charge of Leavenworth? Are these magical terrorists? Do they have some kind of superpowers that make them impossible to contain anywhere but Cuba? Why so afraid Senators? Or are you just trying to scare the people of your state in order to obstruct the President’s agenda?!?!
August 10th, 2009 at 11:25 amPoltico wrote: In tapping McHugh, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Obama sidelines yet another senior GOP lawmaker.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23225.html#ixzz0NnGV6HQ5
Ah ha! It’s an evil plot by Obama to put a Republican seat up for grabs! How sneaky!
Except the McHugh was re-elected in 2008 with 65% of the votes, so it’s unlikely that a Democrat would have a chance,(though the odds might improve by 2010, but that still seems highly unlikely–so the implication of political underhandedness has no basis in reality).
Not to mention the fact that despite his very safe seat, McHugh has ACCEPTED the Obama nomination so he’s a willing participant in the implied political game, PRECISELY BECAUSE the seat is very safely Republican!
August 10th, 2009 at 11:28 amTom[de]Lei says:
I live in Pennsylvania, which I’ve freely stated numerous times in the past. Those who actually read posts here also know which congressional district I reside in, based on direct references to my Congressman, which narrows it down to my county of residence.
Next talking point, troll?
PEACE
August 10th, 2009 at 11:29 amFurious? At a Senate hold? Furious?
When good men and women, civilians, Iraqi and Afghani, and U.S. soldiers are dying all over the world for the still-in-place failed Bush/Cheney policies?
Oh, yeah. Sounds like Gates has every reason to be ‘furious’…
August 10th, 2009 at 11:31 amAgain I’m reading what is, to me, a perfectly valid and civilly written point of opinion by someone who is not in lockstep with President Obama and his SecDef…and what others here reading as concern trolling.
Give it up, people. You can’t read their minds. TomLei makes the same point I’m making–Gates is no angel, he was Bush’s SecDef, he may be a decent man, but he is, at President Obama’s behest, simply continuing the same failed military and foreign policy blueprints.
GET OUT OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, NOW! And if you think that thought ain’t progressive, you don’t know what progressive really is.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:36 amCheck out the “unrelated to his nomination” link.
Also http//www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/03/pma-groups-and-clients-paid-out-html.
The republicans may be trying to stir up a campaign contribution scandel (another healthcare diversion?).
Of course, their hands are just as full of defense contractor lobby money, so they are treading lightly, for now.
Once again, lobby money clouds transparency in government and impedes progress.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:52 amTomLei says: Do any of you who disagree with either me or them want to reveal the state you live in on this Comments section and say that you want prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to be housed anywhere in your state?
New Jersey. I have no problem with with properly convicted terrorists being incarcerated in NJ.
And I have no problem with Gitmo prisoners being given due legal process in New Jersey.
The UK holds some former Gitmo prisoners in the UKm and it doesn’t seem to bother anyone there. Apparently the British aren’t the paranoid hysterics that Republicans are.
The US prison population is over 2 million. How many jail-breaks have occurred in the last 25 years?
August 10th, 2009 at 11:52 amsponson:
August 10th, 2009 at 11:53 amIn complete keeping with proper journalism, TP posts an item that Chris Wallace of Fox news reports this. They post a clip.
They corroborate the hold.
Notice that the word ‘furious’ is in quotes even in the headline.
TP does not ‘assume that it’s true.’ If they did there would be no quotes around ‘furious.’
Interior mental states are always difficult to determine–which is why they stuck with reporting Wallace’s characterization. Gates may b only irritated, or miffed. But the larger situation has been corroborated.
The item is perfectly legitimate–perfectly in keeping with good journalistic practice.
In this case, you’re the one making assumptions.
The pubs and their obstuctionist antics are really causing trouble for this country. How about having an administration that actually has enough folks to make it run?
August 10th, 2009 at 11:54 amTomLei says: Do any of you who disagree with either me or them want to reveal the state you live in on this Comments section and say that you want prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to be housed anywhere in your state?
I defended you only to get THIS crap?
I give up. I really give up.
My last word on concern trolls is this:
1. Arguing with them or voting them down or banning them is useless; reminding people of the ridiculous nature of their arguments is the BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH any troll.
2. Even concern trolls have a point ONCE IN A WHILE. They fool me every single day. Obama, progressives, liberals, Democrats and so on do NOT have every answer, and are NOT always right. There are good reasons for REAL debate, in here and in D.C.
On the other hand, a lying liar is a lying liar.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am5thEstate, anyone who’s afraid to close Guantanamo deserves neither freedom nor safety, to paraphrase Franklin about as badly as I can…
It’s a baloney issue. Absolutely the reddest herring there is. And the fear around this issue is what kept Bush and Cheney from following our own laws and treaty obligations, kept our country from any sort of higher moral standing than the worst terrorists we could incarcerate.
And what about the HUNDREDS of perfectly innocent Gitmo detainees? The ones who’ve been let go, AND the innocent still there? The teenager who grew up behind those bars?
Bush and Cheney deserve prison for life, if not a firing squad, for THE THEFT OF THAT ONE MAN’S LIFE, alone. War crimes, unpunished, will be committed again by the next neocon nutjob President who comes along. But it looks like President Obama is just going to ‘look forward’ instead of preventing that from happening again, and sooner than we all will expect.
August 10th, 2009 at 12:03 pmSam Brownback and Pat Roberts are cowards. It’s craven political acts like this which make the terrorists’ terrible actions pay. If they know that by committing violence against the United States, our own Senators will shut down our armed forces. Talk about force multiplication.
August 10th, 2009 at 12:20 pmwant to reveal the state you live in on this Comments section and say that you want prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to be housed anywhere in your state?
Bring them all to Texas.
We’ve already got the biggest traitor, idiot-fcuk, law-breaking, anti-American former Idiot in Chief stinking up the place, what’s a few illegally held “enemy combatants” gonna hurt?
August 10th, 2009 at 12:45 pmMost doctors say it takes the third generation to show your roots. America’s history is complexed and has many many secrets. Look at Strom Thurmond who loved and cared for his black daughter all his life while others looked at him as the leader of racism. Now take a look at Sam Brownback in 1982 as he was sporting an Afro then even blacks wish they had even me. I had to use all this stuff to even try to get an Afro like Brownback. Senator McCain knows the slave farm he and his black relatives get together for Family Events.
Brownback is doing as he’s told by his Republican Party and Gates will have to step up and remine Brownback who he really is and let the process continue for the confirmation. Republican Leader Rush Limbaugh has given orders to his KKK team that Obama and the USA must fail. This is just one of the many things the Party of NO are working on.
August 10th, 2009 at 1:06 pmFor all of their tough talk, these GOPers are the whiniest chicken littles I’ve ever had the displeasure of trying to ignore. They tell us that the U.S. is the greatest, most powerful country in the world, yet they slam us as incompetent boobs on an hourly basis as not being able to protect ourselves? Do any of them use even one brain cell?
August 10th, 2009 at 1:25 pmUnder ordinary circumstances, the DNC should take out an ad decrying how these senators are taking risks with the security of the U.S. But due to Obama’s proclivity not to make waves, the Dems will probably let these fools get away with it. I have defended the president for a long time, but I’m getting tired of his passivity.
August 10th, 2009 at 2:03 pmWhy in the hell hold these people in Guantanamo for eternity when we allow Washington’s terrorists, (Brownback, Roberts, Kyl, Nelson and the “Blue Dawgs”, Baucus, Grassley, The republican party, et al. etc. etc.) to run loose. In my estimation, these politicians are doing far more harm to the United States than any terrorist (Besides BushCo) has done or will do.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pmClose down Leavenworth, move it to Michigan.
August 10th, 2009 at 6:03 pmOnly by ascribing mystical powers to “terrorists” and alleged terrorists can the GOP explain the failure to protect the U.S. on 9/11. It’s noteworthy that an organization capable of hijacking four commercial airliners without a NORAD intercept has not so much as blown up a 7/11 since 9/11, isn’t it? Guess they blew all their lunch money on the big one.
August 10th, 2009 at 7:00 pmThe only way that Republicans see they can even survive is through hate, fear, and obstruction of the progressive agenda. If Obama pulls off his agenda, and the economy improves, in 20 years Republicans will be something kids find out about in History class along with the Whigs. They have no agenda other than to line their pockets, maintain and get back into power, and dupe the products of a poor education they into voting against their self interests.
August 10th, 2009 at 7:23 pmBoth of these senators are pathetic, as are most of thier fellow senators. THe question i have is this. Have either of these two chicken hawk cowards ever served in the armed forces? I bet not. Roberts may have served in WWI since he must be 80. Brownback is just a sad pathetic worthless coward.
August 11th, 2009 at 9:27 pm