While most media elites are bending over backwards to promote the left-wing agenda Bob Woodard one of the nations most respected journalists is ruffling feathers for daring to speak critically of this White House. This morning on MSNBCs Morning Joe Woodward ratcheted up his own rhetoric.
Big Media has loyally parroted the White Houses spin on the sequester but Woodward has been the lone voice crying out that the sequester was Barack Obamas idea. <http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/02/17/bob_woodward_sequester_was_obamas_idea.html>
Referring to the Administrations claim that the sequester cuts would prevent it from deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf Woodward said:
Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying Oh by the way I cant do this because of some budget document? … Under the Constitution the president is commander-in-chief and employs the force. And so we now have the president going out because of this piece of paper and this agreement saying I cant do what I need to do to protect the country. Thats a kind of madness that I havent seen in a long time.
Who would have imagined that the medias hero -- the man who brought down Richard Nixon by exposing the Watergate scandal -- would be accusing this administration of madness?
Liberal retaliation will be swift and harsh. But Woodward is no right winger and his honest critique of the administrations conduct is raising eyebrows all over Washington.
Hagel Confirmed
The Senate voted yesterday 58-to-41 to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. I never thought I would see the day when a nominee for Secretary of Defense endorsed by Louis Farrakhan <http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/341523/farrakhan-cheers-hagel-s-jewish-lobby-comment-betsy-woodruff> would be confirmed! But that day has arrived.
Every Senate Democrat voted for Hagel. They were joined by four Republicans -- Thad Cochran (MS) Mike Johanns (NE) Rand Paul (KY) and Richard Shelby (AL). Given that Senator Paul had twice voted to filibuster Hagels nomination observers on the left and the right were surprised by Pauls his vote. I want to comment on Senator Pauls vote.
When Rand Paul ran for the Senate three years ago there were concerns about his views on Israel and the Middle East. He has tried to dispel the doubts.
In January Paul traveled to Israel and said I came here to show that I am supportive of the relationship between Israel and America. He later said I think we should … announce to the world … that any attack on Israel will be treated as an attack on the United States. That is why his vote for Hagel yesterday was so disappointing.
And it is disappointing for another reason too. Paul explained his vote for Hagel by saying The president gets to choose political appointees. Thats true to a point but Paul is under no obligation to vote for them.
Rand Pauls claim to conservative support is that he is a champion of constitutional government. The Founding Fathers could have easily said that the president gets to appoint his cabinet and left it at that. But after a protracted debate they decided that the presidents nominees must receive the consent of the Senate.
Pauls explanation implies he is ignoring the clear words of the Constitution in exchange for a formulation that suggests presidential appointments are essentially guaranteed. That doesnt pass the straight face test.
I dont see how anyone who claims to support a strong national defense who wants to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and who believes that Israel is our best ally could vote to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.
While most media elites are bending over backwards to promote the left-wing agenda Bob Woodard one of the nations most respected journalists is ruffling feathers for daring to speak critically of this White House. This morning on MSNBCs Morning Joe Woodward ratcheted up his own rhetoric.
Big Media has loyally parroted the White Houses spin on the sequester but Woodward has been the lone voice crying out that the sequester was Barack Obamas idea. <http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/02/17/bob_woodward_sequester_was_obamas_idea.html>
Referring to the Administrations claim that the sequester cuts would prevent it from deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf Woodward said:
Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying Oh by the way I cant do this because of some budget document? … Under the Constitution the president is commander-in-chief and employs the force. And so we now have the president going out because of this piece of paper and this agreement saying I cant do what I need to do to protect the country. Thats a kind of madness that I havent seen in a long time.
Who would have imagined that the medias hero -- the man who brought down Richard Nixon by exposing the Watergate scandal -- would be accusing this administration of madness?
Liberal retaliation will be swift and harsh. But Woodward is no right winger and his honest critique of the administrations conduct is raising eyebrows all over Washington.
Hagel Confirmed
The Senate voted yesterday 58-to-41 to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. I never thought I would see the day when a nominee for Secretary of Defense endorsed by Louis Farrakhan <http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/341523/farrakhan-cheers-hagel-s-jewish-lobby-comment-betsy-woodruff> would be confirmed! But that day has arrived.
Every Senate Democrat voted for Hagel. They were joined by four Republicans -- Thad Cochran (MS) Mike Johanns (NE) Rand Paul (KY) and Richard Shelby (AL). Given that Senator Paul had twice voted to filibuster Hagels nomination observers on the left and the right were surprised by Pauls his vote. I want to comment on Senator Pauls vote.
When Rand Paul ran for the Senate three years ago there were concerns about his views on Israel and the Middle East. He has tried to dispel the doubts.
In January Paul traveled to Israel and said I came here to show that I am supportive of the relationship between Israel and America. He later said I think we should … announce to the world … that any attack on Israel will be treated as an attack on the United States. That is why his vote for Hagel yesterday was so disappointing.
And it is disappointing for another reason too. Paul explained his vote for Hagel by saying The president gets to choose political appointees. Thats true to a point but Paul is under no obligation to vote for them.
Rand Pauls claim to conservative support is that he is a champion of constitutional government. The Founding Fathers could have easily said that the president gets to appoint his cabinet and left it at that. But after a protracted debate they decided that the presidents nominees must receive the consent of the Senate.
Pauls explanation implies he is ignoring the clear words of the Constitution in exchange for a formulation that suggests presidential appointments are essentially guaranteed. That doesnt pass the straight face test.
I dont see how anyone who claims to support a strong national defense who wants to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and who believes that Israel is our best ally could vote to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.
