An open letter to Senator Carl Levin from Ray McGovern, regarding the Democratic response to Bush’s plan to push through the nomination of Robert Gates as Defense Secretary during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress (via Susie):
I am having a hard time believing that you would give Gates a pass, since I have so much admired your courage in the past. But I fear that the many recent years in minority exile may have dulled your edge and that you have gotten too used to unsavory compromises. I have in mind the deal you worked out with South Carolina Republican senator Lindsay Graham curtailing some of the rights of “detainees.” Not to mention your sudden cave-in, in the aftermath of 9/11, on funding for the National Missile Defense program, which you earlier recognized as obscenely expensive, of unproven reliability, and of dubious utility given the changing nature of the threats to our security.
It’s not the most politic letter I’ve ever seen, but it will be interesting to see the extent to which Democrats will be able to overcome the last six years of shell-shock in order to bend the President’s will to their own in the coming years.
3 Comments on "“You don’t have to do that any more”"
Eli:
Unfortunately, the Democrats need *at least* five more seats in the Senate before they have an actual, functional voting majority. The Republicans can pretty much count on Lieberman, Pryor, and the Nelsons to vote with them when the chips are down, and they’re usually able to find at least one more feckless sucker somewhere (maybe Barack “Can’t we all just get along?” Obama, or Harry Reid himself?), especially when it comes to nominees, as a lot of senators still seem to think this is some kind of presidential privilege where nominees can only be opposed if they’re convicted serial killers.
After the abject failure of the Alito filibuster, I just don’t have a whole lot of faith in the Democrats’ will to oppose. Hopefully the election will stiffen their spines somewhat, but I’m not betting on it. I’m more optimistic about the havoc that Chairmen Conyers, Waxman, Dingell, and Rangel intend to wreak.
Matt:
Good points, as always, Eli. I can’t understand how the Democrats could not have the “will to oppose,” given the mandate they just received. But old habits are hard to break . . .
Like you, I eagerly anticipate the results of the congressional investigations that are sure to take shape. I heard Waxman interviewed on NPR a day after the election; he seemed to know just where he wanted to start: I believe he’ s going to follow the money, and to try to find out where it all went.
Fred:
I wonder how long before the anti-obstructionists on the Right filibuster? As for Gates, anytime we get to revisit Iran Contra…all the better. Let the hearings begin!
Comments