Lott delays vote on base closing nominee

[merh]

Lott delays vote on base closing nominee

Friday, April 1, 2005 Posted: 8:50 AM EST (1350 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A longtime Republican foe of this year's planned closing of military bases is trying to derail the process by blocking Senate confirmation of the head of the commission that helps pick which facilities will be shuttered, congressional aides and lobbyists said Thursday.

Most GOP leaders support closing bases and this latest round likely will go forward. But Sen. Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, a staunch defender of military facilities in his state, has pledged to do whatever it takes to block the closures.

Two weeks ago, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved President Bush's nomination of Anthony Principi, Bush's former secretary of veterans affairs, to be chairman of the commission overseeing the process.

The full Senate was expected to vote on the nomination last month before lawmakers left for a holiday break.

By May 16, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is supposed to give the commission his list of which military facilities to close in an effort to save money in the Pentagon's annual budget of almost $500 billion.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/01/base.closings.ap/index.html

I must say, I didn't think he had it in him to stand up this way!
:shrug:

He is holding to his promise! He believes in strengthening the military at home. :freak:

[Jilly Beans]

1. Not surprising. He's always fought for pork for his state.

And Mississippi needs all the pork it can get. Sadly, though, his defense of Mississippi's military industry will turn into more Republican voters.

This is why Lott, no matter how offensive he is, will never be defeated in Mississippi. Hopefully, when he retires, though, a Dem can win the seat....it's very likely, especially if Mike Moore runs.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. $500B= Over a decade of health care for everybody. Everybody.

It can't be said enough.

[punpirate]

3. He believes in strengthening...

... military procurement in Mississippi. When they put your name on everything, it's hard to let it go away....

Most people think base closings are a good thing, because they save money. They save relatively little, and the money saved is usually spent two- or three-fold on new bases overseas or improvements to existing smaller bases overseas or on new weapons procurement.

While there hasn't been a round of base closings since about 1997 (it's a highly political process, despite the existence of a supposedly unbiased, non-partisan commission), what people miss is that, other than through weapons R&D or procurement, it's the only way for defense dollars to trickle down directly to the states.

It's not Lott's intent, to be sure, but have people ever wondered why we are closing bases at home and building new bases overseas? (Even the supposed return of troops in Germany to the US will be temporary--there are new bases planned for Eastern Europe, Africa and central Asia.) Isn't that just the tiniest bit imperial in appearance?

[merh]

4. The amazing thing here is he is not following the weed - he is

not being a party sheep on this one, he is standing up to them and is holding up/opposing the weed's appointee.

Is he a lone wolf or will other repukes stand up to the weed and oppose the agenda for the sake of their state or for the nation?

Will other repukes stand up to and oppose the weed? Let's hope he is setting a tone and other repukes will start opposing the agenda of the weed.

[punpirate]

5. Again, I think...

... this is not defiance of Bush, nor a posture for a retrenchment of armed forces. It's about defense money coming into his state. I think you'll find that many other reps and senators will be taking similar stances. It's part of the process of getting themselves re-elected. They can brag about being strong on defense, about looking after their states in the defense budget, bringing jobs to their states, etc. Lott is just running out in front of everyone else (probably because he got advance notice that there might be closings in Mississippi--or, equally likely, he's doing his advance work to deter Rumsfeld from putting any on the list).

It happens every time there are proposed base closings. The last time there was such a round, there were states and towns hiring lobbyists to oppose closings a year-and-a-half before the commission began deliberations.

[merh]

7. Of course it is about defense money coming in to the state, that is

a given.

But it is a defiance of the weed. Just as he has publicly slammed Rumsfield, he does not always follow the pack. BTW: As much as I despise this man (he is my senator), it is his opinion that we should not be spending money on building bases overseas, but on strengthening and funding our military at home. He has been strong on that issue and he does not want bases closed. Is it pork, yes, or course, the bases here provide jobs.

I am not afraid to give him credit for opposing the weed, no matter what his motives are, opposition is opposition.

[Jilly Beans]

9. Mississippian here. (Maddy McCall)

You're exactly correct.

[merh]

13. Mississippian here too.

And I still believe that this is a beginning of the rumblings of the members of the repuke parties. If long time, conservative repuke Chester can stand up to the weed and oppose his nominations based strictly on his selfish desire to keep the economy secure in his state and his legacy solid, then maybe others in the party will see that they can stand up to the weed too.

I know the weed did the recess appointment thing and has his commission and I know that it is the Pascacoula Navy Home Port base that is probably on the base closure list. Pascagoula is Chester's home town, his defying the weed may have more impact than you think. The weed is a lame duck - Lott has been there forever. The party is splintering and the powers of the party are playing tug awar.

I despise Chester and hate his reign as my senator, but I see this stance of his as a sign that if impeachment hearings are called for, he may be the leader of the repukes that calls for others to vote for the hearing.

[merh]

16. See this article, this is what I am referring to.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1363862

[Daphne08]

15. "Isn't that just the tiniest bit imperial in appearance?"

Yes, it would certainly seem so.

We don't need to close any more bases here at home (they're good for the local economies among other reasons) while building bases overseas especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[leesa]

6. No. He believes in being re-elected.

[merh]

8. He has no re-election qualms, he hasn't in years.

His position as a senator in MS is guaranteed for as long as he wants, he knows that.

[Jilly Beans]

10. Actually, word going around is that he is going to retire.

[merh]

11. I had heard rumblings along that line, but I just took it as

wishful thinking. But, if he plans on retiring, that may explain why he had the courage to oppose the weed's efforts.

Another thread posted today in LBN states that the weed appointed his base closing commission Friday night after the senate recessed (more recess appointments, against the wishes of members of his own party).

So what does this mean, are members of his party getting tired of his shit? Will they turn on him soon, will they turn on him when he needs them?

:shrug:

[rainbow4321]

12. Bush Sidesteps Senator's Objections, Appoints Base Closings Commission

http://www.kotv.com/main/home/storiesNL.asp?whichpage=1&id=80672


President Bush, brushing aside a stall tactic by Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., appointed the nine-member commission that will determine military bases closings without waiting for Senate confirmation.

Bush made the appointments while the Senate was in recess, the White House announced Friday night. The recess appointments prevent delays as the commission prepares to make the first round of base closings in a decade.

Before it left for its spring recess the full Senate had been expected to vote on the nomination of Anthony J. Principi, former secretary of veterans affairs, as chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. The other commissioners, nominated by Bush on March 15, also required Senate confirmation.

However, Lott _ who opposes base closures and has pledged to protect military facilities in his home state _ placed a ``hold'' on Principi's nomination, according to aides and lobbyists speaking on condition of anonymity. The hold delayed voting on the nomination.

[merh]

14. I know, I read that. Thank you for the adding a link in this thread.

I am hoping that this is a sign that the party is splintering and their are factions at odds with the weed.