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Senator Schumer holding up military appointments

Senator Schumer holding up military appointments

No, that is not a mistake in the title.  If you follow the media – especially the leftwing media – you have heard a lot about Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville using one of the Senate’s unique rules to hold up the confirmation of high-ranking military personnel.  The alleged danger to the Republic was expressed in an op-ed in the Washington Post (of course) by senior Defense Department officials.

So, why does the headline refer to Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer?  Read on.

Tuberville is holding up the confirmations in an effort to get the military to end its woke policies, including the facilitating of abortions on bases in states with strict pro-life laws.  This commentary is not to debate the abortion issue.  Readers can decide for themselves how they feel about abortion and abortion laws – and Tuberville’s action.  This commentary is about the Democrats’ and the media’s news narrative – their coverage of Tuberville.  It is a sin of omission.

Tuberville’s action has been described as nothing less than a threat to military preparedness and national security.  It is even a threat to the security of the western world.  They say that China, Russia and North Korea are grinning at the damage Tuberville is doing to American defenses.  Perhaps fearmongering would have more validity if America were engaged in any conflicts at the moment.  But we are not.

Even though top generals are filling those positions temporarily, Tuberville’s critics apparently do not believe that they have the competency to handle the jobs – even in the short run.  If that were the case, America’s military “bench” is dangerously thin.

One might wonder why Democrats are so concerned about America’s military preparedness.  That is not their traditional viewpoint.  They have been more interested in cutting the defense budget and not deploying the military when there are real threats to America’s national security.

Democrats are just not naturally defenders of our defense establishment.  One might even suspect that their Draconian narratives depicting Tuberville’s action as an existential threat is just another hyperbolic end-of-the-world narrative being advanced for purely partisan political benefits. And if you did suspect that, you are probably correct.

Let us assume for one moment that the Democrats and their media allies are correct.  Let us believe that Tuberville’s action is an existential threat to American military preparedness and national security.  If that is the case, surely Schumer would do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING possible to get those vacancies filled asap.

Then why doesn’t he take any action?  But what can Schumer do?  Apparently, a lot.

What Tuberville is holding up is an omnibus bill that would fill a bunch of military positions in one fell swoop.  But there is another option – one the Democrat-friendly media does not report.  Schumer can proceed by putting up each nominee to a vote on an individual basis.  That’s right.

Schumer says that would take too much time.  More time than doing nothing for weeks and months?  If Schumer had started confirming individual generals at the onset of Tuberville’s action, virtually all of those top positions would be filled by now.  And if the situation is as Schumer and the Democrats claim, it is a dereliction of his duties and oath of office for Schumer to not take action.

Is Schumer, himself, endangering military preparedness by not taking action?  Or … is he hiding behind a hyperbolic hypocritical narrative for purely political reasons.  The answer is simple.  Neither Tuberville’s hold nor Schumer’s inaction are existential threats to the defense of the Republic.  Be calm … and feel safe.  It is nothing more than a Washington insider Kabuki Theater politics game – just a momentary political tempest-in-a-teapot that the left describes as a Cat 5 hurricane.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

23 Comments

  1. frank stetson

    Horist loves to play in the sandbox. His favorite sandbox taunt is the one he uses here: “I’m rubber, you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.”

    There are only a few ways of doing things.

    1 the right way with the right outcome
    2 the right way with the wrong outcome
    3 the wrong way with the right outcome
    4 the wrong way with the wrong outcome

    Horist is facing Tuberville’s the wrong way with the wrong outcome and suggests Schumer should try the wrong way with the right outcome.

    Sorry, the root cause is Tuberville, he and the Republicans should resolve it, and then let’s do this the right way for the right outcome.

    Put on the big boy pants and own it. It’s all Republican.

    • Larry Horist

      Frank Stetson … I am always amazed at how childish — and blatantly wrong — you are with your attempts at rebuttal. As usual, you miss the point. I the commentary was to show why the Democrats and Schumer are basically playing games when they raise the issue to an existential threat to the nation — and then do not take any action to solve the problem. I do not think even Schumer would be so irresponsible. So, the obvious conclusion is he is engaging in political fearmongering. I would have expected that even you would have gotten the point. So, what is it? Are you the constant contrarian or is it just that old reading comprehension problem?

      There are ways of looking at things. You can know what you know. Know what you do not know. or .. Not know what you do not know. I put you in the latter category.

      • frank stetson

        Today’s word: irony. Can Mr. Horist say irony?

        I saying his argument is the child’s sandbox taunt: “I’m rubber, you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” Kid Horist responds to with: “I am always amazed at how childish…” Ironic, ain’t it?

        Thanks for article redux, not better the second time, no pay for xerox job, and dare I quote the poet who knoweth when I say: “As usual, you miss the point. the commentary was to show” how Horist’s solution is to get Schumer to fix the thing because Tuberville the Republican is the root cause of the problem, a Republican problem that Republicans can’t fix.

        Horist therefore wants the Democrats to fix it for him to prove that we are patriotic just like him. The Republicans that are hiding under their desks begging Schumer to fix it. The Insurrectionist Party just can’t fix Tommy Tupperware, it’s a lid too tight to unseal.

        The real answer is fix your own problem, you made it, fix it the right way at the root cause and quit asking Schumer to clean up your mess.

  2. frank stetson

    Like many Republicans, Horist is blaming Democrats for Tuberville, a Republican. They seem to be an ineffective, irresponsible, bunch that can not get things done

    NBC News says: “Senate Republicans try to blame Chuck Schumer for Tommy Tuberville’s military blockade.” Republicans are good at the blame game. Like Horist, they especially like the “and sticks to you” childish gambit. Like don’t look at Don’s crimes, Hunter got a gun. He’s not a criminal, you’re interfering with an election.

    Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, likewise said that “this is entirely within Sen. Schumer’s control” leaving out that it’s totally out of the Republican’s party control to control its own members. They want Schumer to bring appointments up one by one, instead of batched as normally done. There’s over 300 stacked up by Tupperware’s 6-month siege.

    Republicans are historically good at workarounds — remember the 1.6.2021 Presidential election workaround also known as the Republican Insurrection at the Nation’s Capital Capitol building. Matter of fact, since emancipation what Republican messes have they ever fixed themselves? Democrats had to clean up Republican Hoover’s Great Depression, Democrats had to clean up Reaganomic’s missing trickledown. Democrats had to clean up Bush’s Great Recession. And now we are cleaning up Trump’s massive Debt Inflation, GDP Deflation.

    Do you think I care what category you put me in so you can make fun of me with your friends? Even after I spend some time to respond to your complete bullshit with a little bullshit of my own. That’s right — it’s a joke. Unbunch those flag-festooned panties, unknot the knickers, I honestly believe we are all involved in all of this just like we are all involved with what Tommy Tupperware is doing.

    The real answer is that you fix your own problem, you made it. It’s a Republican, it’s all about pro-life, it’s all on you. And if you fail, like it looks you are, at some point we will reach in and save you. Like about 11/5/2024. It would be better if you stood up on your own two feet and fixed it yourselves.

    • larry Horist

      Frank Stetson … Schumer could get all those appointments confirmed if he wanted to. If it is such an existential crisis, he would do it, I assume. So, you point is as much bs as is Schumer. And you again show your inability to focus and a constant reliance on whataboutism. That is usually a sign that you do not know what you are talking about … or cannot counter the relevant point of any commentary. You rant over old crap in virtually every repones.. In terms of dialogue, there is an intelligent and civil adult world of which your are abysmally unfamiliar.

      • Mike f

        Larry, you seem to have difficulty facing reality/that reality is that most of your elected officials like to play games with governing the country. Mitch McConnell plays games, tuberville is playing a game, gym Jordan is playing games, the entire maga crowd is playing a game with the debt ceiling. It is the simple fact that republicans can’t govern, and feel that they need to play games to get their way, which is the cause of the world losing faith in the US as an institution. If republicans had the votes to get their way, they wouldn’t have to play these games, but they don’t. You are in the minority in every issue that you speak up for, the only reason you have control of the house is because state republicans have played the game of gerrymandering with congressional districts. You need to smell the coffee in the morning and realize that the causes you believe in are not what the majority in the country want, and instead of blaming democrats for republican failure, put the blame where it really belongs…

        • larry Horist

          Mike f … May I infer from you comments that you agree that Schumer is playing games –and see it only as the nature of politicians? Then we are in agreement since I also believe politicians play games. So, my point is well taken in your view. Schumer is playing a game over the confirmations. We do agree on occasion.

        • Dan tyree

          The blame is stupid people sucking up to communists

      • frank stetson

        Yes, Horist, Schumer could get all 300 appointments, one appointment at a time and do Republicans work for them.

        Or they can just fix their own problem.

        Old men like you just can’t think straight anymore and want everything handed to them, fixed by others, while they bitch and moan about something else.

        Pelosi is running again, Navarro is convicted, Cheesecake will forever be legally linked to batshit crazy Powell, and it looks like we will get a gaggle of Trumpets in court in October. It was a good week for justice. And good news for Ghouliani, Trump tossed a 100,000 a plate NJ fundraiser for him; unfortunately I was busy :>) Bad news was Trump charged Rudy 99,999 per plate for the food.

        • larry Horist

          Frank Stetson … You said “Yes, Horist, Schumer could get all 300 appointments, one appointment at a time and do Republicans work for them.”” You concede I was correct in the first place. Thank you. It is not the GOP’s job to schedule and confirm appointments. You have that ass backwards. You want the GOP to do Schumer’s job. As usual, the bulk of your response is irrelevant … off the subject … repetitious … in your inimitable sophomoric style.

          • Mike f

            Larry, you just can’t face the facts-your elected officials are idiots who won’t govern. You don’t have the intelligence to determine the root cause of this problem-not Schumer but tuberville. Republicans need to get themselves in order and start governing, which is not theatrics for the media. No, I don’t think dealing with this problem on a one by one basis is a good solution, it sets a bad precedent for the idiots in the Republican Party. Shame on you for mot assigning blame where it belongs!

          • frank stetson

            Larry, I concede that it’s possible, but so is ending world hunger. Your party is too lazy, stupid, or unprofessional to do the job right, you once again want the Democrats to bail you out and clean up your mess. As Schumer said: “We’re not going to shift the burden to Democrats when this is a Republican-caused problem” or IOW — GFY.

            And in your childish sandbox fashion, you turn it about and try to make us at fault for your problem. A typical Republican trick like blaming us for everything including the 1.6.2021 Republican Violent Insurrection at the Nation’s Capitol or Trump’s Yuge Elections loss or even his digital rape.

            You’re the ones with the loose cannon; you don’t see AOC, Bernie, or the rest of our far left pulling this crap in our house — do you?

            Because at this point putting 300 through one at a time seems a waste of time. Especially with another 300 coming on top.

            Do the job right, get your self-imposed roadblock out of the way yourselves, Democrats are busy woking for the people (like that one?).

            Is Schumer being political. Sure like everyone in the Senate including Tuberville, McConnell, and even Romney. It still does not make doing this one at a time, 300 votes, more efficient or effective than one vote for essentially a rubber stamp approval anyways.

            Personally, I just suggest they making them all “acting” like Trump did the entire government management team at times.

  3. Dan tyree

    Mike F as in fag you should tell us the difference in government and dictatorship. You commiecrats sure as hell don’t know

    • frank stetson

      FBI is now catching your anti-gay rhetoric where you are outing strangers as you have been groomed to do, no doubt.

      • Dan tyree

        I know. I love it. The FBI ain’t smart enough to catch real criminals.

    • Mike f

      Dan-Go to florida. You will then understand what is a ‘dictatorship’. It is when the government determines what people can’t do or say, and is normally not what the majority desires. I know you are ignorant, but the advocates for government control of US citizens are republicans, not the democrats, a fact you seem unable to get through your pea sized brain.

      • larry Horist

        Mike f … You have a habit of opining about things you obviously know nothing about. Florida is a great state in which to live. It is one of the least regulated states. Great weather — if you are willing to face a hurricane on occasion. No state income tax. lower than national average cost-of-living. The folks here mostly love it … and it just may be the reason so many of your neighbors are packing their bags and heading to the sunshine state. And your string of childish insults does not change the facts. And as far as out Republican leadership, you seem to have forgotten that DeSantis and the GOP had a huge vote of confidence in the recent election. In fact, Republican registrations now outnumber Democrat for the first time. I do not know where you reside, but it is obviously not Florida or you would not say such ignorant crap.

        • frank stetson

          MF: I agree 100% that it’s DeSantistan ruled by the authoritarian DeSanctimonious. And while some folks like living under an authoritarian, may not mind, may not notice even, so did most Germans in 1942. As long as they got their perks like a special lampshade in every home! They wouldn’t vote for the guy in the primary, but as a national candidate, sure. Reminds of the old song: “it ain’t hard to get along with somebody else’s problems, they don’t keep you awake at night at all… And after the guy was proven a bad, bad man, suddenly no one had ever supported him. Somebody else’s problem…. No, Floridians are not Nazi’s. My point is authoritarianism creeps up on you. When you hit the tipping point, it may already be too late.

          I had written elsewhere how DeSanctimonious snubbed Biden, a historic low for a governor, frankly unpatriotic— even Newsom met with Trump. It’s petty unpatriotic political postering of a governor thinking himself above our President. Newsom met with Trump. Instead DeSatan held a presser where he stood outside, an American twenty flag backdrop, extolling the efforts, with no resource spared, the DeSantis 24×7, response. Then I noticed he was also backed by a dozen guys in military fatigues. Like a partial platoon. It just struck me as odd. Why the guys? Why the military clothing? Shouldn’t they be in Buffetware spreading happiness to the homeless rather than spreading dread to the helpless?

          I had questions:

          Question 1: why is this “platoon” basically resting on their shovels well away from the fray? Didn’t the governor say every resource was fully deployed? Are they undeployable?
          Question 2: fatigues? Where are the guns? And are they undeployable because of the need to be at the gun ready?
          Question 3: Does DeSantis always travel with a platoon? Can’t he just fly away from danger using those ears?

          Then I remembered how DeSatan put tens of millions into a new Florida State Guard. Dormant, he revived it for 10M in 22 then added over 100m this year. In itself, not unusual in that about half the States have a State Guard normally used for extra support in relief efforts. But after that, it gets weird. A group of the 150 DeSantis recruits quit, like up to 20%, many claiming they did not like the militaristic training. One guy signed on as supervisor, recruited many, but voiced concerns over military trappings in a relief team. He expected disaster relief training, he got weapons and personal combat training. He was demoted from supervisor for speaking out and said: “There’s nothing wrong with the military, but it’s not the gold standard for an emergency response organization, we did not, above all else, want to be characterized as a militia.”

          • frank stetson

            but wait, there’s more,

            When DeSanctimonious was asked training for relief workers he said: “If you turned on NBC, it was ‘DeSantis is raising an army, and he’s going to raze the planet. But, you know, the response from people was ‘Oh, hell, he’s raising an army? I want to join! Let’s do it.” Like I said, the people often just don’t notice at first.

            The State Guard organization toting guns for relief reports directly to DeSantis. Folks think twice about this organization, its goals, reporting structure, and most important – citizen oversight.

            Many of the trainees are ex-military who were now being trained for things like marksmanship, how to conceal carry weapons, and hand-to-hand combat by non-military. You can imagine how that went. At training’s end, instructors, who were more like wannabee drill sergeants (according to some ex-military), briefly touched on things like setting up water distribution and other relief processes. Many trainees expected relief training and were surprised. Of the initial nine recruiters, only three remain, some quit or were fired for protesting military training.

            The Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times have both reported on the issues.

            DeSantis thinks it’s important to flag wave and have his own private army to show people what he is about. He acts militaristic. That bothers and scares me. He seems the little general that believes intimidation is a proper response. Ex-military guys entering politics usually don’t act that way. And twelve bodyguards covering your ass, dressed in fatigues, looks pretty intimidating. I mean I know Miami Times reporters are tough, but…. What he is visual telegraphing is “honor the man but respect the might.” And he likes to flex muscle in show and tell.

            Horist says: “Florida is a great state in which to live. It is one of the least regulated states. Great weather — if you are willing to face a hurricane on occasion. No state income tax. lower than national average cost-of-living. The folks here mostly love it … and it just may be the reason so many of your neighbors are packing their bags and heading to the sunshine state.”

            The Florida State Guard is the only state guard that I can find that is packing and fully trained in military operations.

            The Florida State Guard is the only state guard that I can find that reports directly to the Governor.

            The Florida Governor likes to use his army as political props making him look good, protecting him, or both.

            I wonder what part of the training covers being Vanna White to the Governor at press briefings? My, they sure were pretty ….

            Sure, Larry, Florida is a great place, business is booming, but there are weather warnings and storm clouds on the horizon. Housing prices are ridiculous, there is little mass transit, economy is service-based and lacks manufacturing and other sectors, wages are low, and state service are light. But having a governor with his own private army, instead of an organization focused on relief, is a step over the line IMO. And DeSantis trotting them out for his own PR propaganda purposes is even worse, a bad sign portending his further private use in the future.

      • Dan tyree

        Mike F as in fag you have everything bass ackwards.

  4. mike f

    Larry, I suggest you read the attached document-it might cause you to rethink your idiotic position (but I am not very hopeful…) It appears that many of your fellow Republicans (at least the ones in Congress) do not think that voting on appointees on a one by one basis is a good idea (amazing-they agree with Frank and I, not with your convoluted idea….)
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/house-committee-chairman-says-sen-tuberville-is-paralyzing-the-pentagon-by-blocking-promotions/ar-AA1gw13U?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=21a8c012992c4427a477844e5921274a&ei=7

    • larry Horist

      Mike f…. You Frank are so determined to be the contrarians that you have lost your reading comprehension ability — if you every had any. The point of my commentary was not to judge or defend the actions of Tuberville — which I did not — but to point out that Schumer is playing games by not admitting that he could advance the confirmation hearings. That makes his fearmongering nothing more than bullcrap. THAT was the the point of the commentary. I personally do not agree with Tuberville’s approach to the issue. But that is a completely different issue. You and Frank are just too eager to disagree. So .. you do not get the point … and consequently you responses are irrelevant … off the point … and ergo ignorant.

  5. frank stetson

    Except where you left out Schumer’s “The onus is on Republican senators to prevail on Senator Tuberville and get him to back off his reckless pursuit,” Schumer said this week.” Tuberville, the Republican, has gone where no Senator has gone before. No one has ever blocked ALL military promotions. Never. McConnell has pushed back, but no budge yet.

    There are over 300 pending right now and over 600 by year’s end.

    Republicans blame Schumer who they say can do all of these appointments, always done in blocks when possible, one by one by one. They say Schumer is politicizing the Tuberville affair.

    Gee, what ever happened to root cause and fixing the problem there instead of a make-shift inefficient, waste-of-taxpayer’s money, solution that Horist recommends because Republicans are inept, ineffective, and unresponsive as to fixing the probelm at it’s source: TUBERVILLE. No, Horist instead wants to tell Tuberville he’s right and set the stage for any Senator to hold up the country’s business because they have a pet peeve and the system rules allow them to screw around like this.

    Horist the Republican often needs Democrats to clean up Republican messes. NTW — we be coming to Florida soon to retake that autocratic, militaristic, stronghold of conservative slavery government.

  1. As the election nears, the author seems ever nervous and seems even willing to sacrifice his principles to the cause.…