Deja vu all over again…the regime tries to shut down debate on Iran policy

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https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/08/republican-hawks-trump-iran-conflict-096233

Mike Lee, a Republican Senator from Utah, is no liberal, but he lambasted the regime’s briefing to the Senate earlier today. And with good cause.

”Lee fumed that the officials warned against even debating legislation to restrict President Donald Trump’s authority to strike Iran — blasting their comments as “un-American” and “unconstitutional,” not to mention way too short.
“They had to leave after 75 minutes while they’re in the process of telling us that we need to be good little boys and girls and run along and not debate this in public,” Lee said of the group that gave the briefing, which included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and CIA Director Gina Haspel. “I find that absolutely insane.”

Just like the Bush administration did after the decision to invade Iraq: question loyalty and patriotism if there was any disagreement about this Iran fiasco.

WAPO gave more detail in its story, but some can’t get access, so here is more.

“The implication being that somehow we would be making America less safe by having a debate or a discussion about the appropriateness of further military involvement against the government of Iran. Now, I find this insulting and demeaning — not personally, but to the office that each of the 100 persons in this building happens to hold.”
“Lee said he found the idea that debate would weaken the cause “very insulting.”
The result of the briefing, according to Lee, was that he decided to support a Democratic-led resolution on war powers. “That briefing is what changed my mind,” he said. “I walked into the briefing undecided; I walked out decided — specifically because of what happened in that briefing.” (Rand) Paul took the same position.”

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13 thoughts on “Deja vu all over again…the regime tries to shut down debate on Iran policy”

    1. I wanted to say, “and good riddance”, but than reflected on the fact that each of trump’s replacement appointments are less and less competent.

      Soooo….maybe not.

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    2. You may be right on Esper, but Pompeo already pulled out of the Kansas Senate race. Once again leaving the GOP with a way-too-far-right even for the GOP candidate as the only option. 1 seat closer for Dems to flip the Senate?

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  3. It is worth noting that it was not just some bureaucrats who angered the very conservative Mike Lee with their failure to substantiate any legal basis for the assassination of Suleimani. Oh no. It was the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense and the head of the CIA. It is very clear what was already suspected – there was no imminent threat that is required under the War Powers Act to make this act of war legal.

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  4. Lee was on NPR this morning and he made a statement about Marco Rubio’s response to the briefing. Something to the effect that Lee wondered which briefing Rubio was in. That tells me Marco has sold his soul to the devil in the Oval Office. Just another member of Congress with no back bone.

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    1. I don’t understand why the Senate is reluctant to take War Powers back to where it belongs. It matters little if the president is Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Socialist, that is too much power in the hands of one person.

      This is, of course, especially true for an “I alone can fix it” personality.

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      1. Kaine has been pushing for this for several years (started during Obama’s years) and Magic Mitch refused to take it up for fear of putting his fellow GOPers on the record on this. Truly sad.

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