Senate 3, Military -297
Over the last two days, the Senate has made some progress on the military promotions logjam. Finally, America’s military has a few newly confirmed leaders. The Senate got confirmation on three of over 300 pending promotions – a new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, an Army Chief of Staff and a Marine Corps Commandant. With this blazing speed, the military should celebrate a full complement of leadership by Veterans Day – Veterans Day 2024.
Despite this small win, Alabama’s Senator Tuberville wins again. In his siege of the U.S. military, the military continues to lose. Thus America continues to lose. It’s as simple as that.
I am still perplexed by the Senator’s actions. His fight is with the civilian administration on abortion. Yet he punishes the military. To this old war horse, it makes no sense.
First, the military is just a pawn in this political process. Second, the military primarily votes Republican. Third, the battle pits a single Senator against the military. Finally, with the impending government shutdown, this battle is a time wasting, self-inflicted wound.
However, none of this should be perplexing. Why wouldn’t a Senator choose the military as a source of revenge? Senator Tuberville doesn’t have the votes or the power to affect the religious changes he wishes to make within the military. But the military can’t defend itself against a Senator. When a Senator is your enemy, you have no way to win. You just have to say, “Thank you, sir. May I have another,” as he beats you over the head. The military could offer a fight. They could say of Senator Tuberville that they are defending America against “all enemies, foreign and domestic.” And maybe that analogy might be correct. But how would the military “fight” that enemy? But why should that be necessary? It would be as absurd as the Senator’s attack on the military.
Ironically, it is our military that secures everyone’s rights. It is the military that even protects this dysfunctional senator’s rights. It is not the military’s fault that he has used that right to be a one-policy dictator.
I wish I had an answer to this problem. Frankly, I wish I could even understand this problem. But, as always, the military will continue their missions no matter what. They will do so even as the Senator hamstrings them. The military will continue to fight for the American people–rain, shine or hail of bullets. So, while today Tuberville wins and America loses, my bet is on America’s military members. Eventually Senator Tuberville will lose or fade into the background or simply retire. It may take an insane year of fights to get the leadership gap filled. But again, I will place all my bets on the military and not a lone ranger Senator. America is better than that.
But again, as this insanity continues in DC, the U. S. military will serve the American people. I just pray this insanity doesn’t cost American lives, but I would not bet against that either. In every conflict, even political, there are almost always casualties.