CNN News Central host Kate Bolduan has a low standard of what constitutes “remarkable” because on Tuesday’s show, she was astonished that President Biden’s secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force wrote a Washington Post op-ed criticizing Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blanket hold on military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy.
During a conversation with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, General Wesley Clark, Bolduan reported that the service secretaries, “all penned an opinion piece in the Washington Post out this morning calling out Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville over his protest hold on confirming senior officer promotions as Congress is now getting back in session today, this is all the more important and what these secretaries write is that this hold is eroding the foundation of America's military.
Bolduan then read from the op-ed:
‘Across the services many generals and admirals are being forced to perform two roles simultaneously. The strain of this double duty places a real and unfair burden on these officers, the organizations they lead and their families. The blanket hold is also exacting a personal toll on those who least deserve it.’ Goes on to say ‘Any claim that holding up the promotions of top officers does not directly damage the military is wrong—plain and simple/’
Democrats could hold individual votes on top posts whenever they want, but they would rather spend their time pursuing partisan priorities. Nevertheless, Bolduan asked, “It's pretty remarkable this has been going on now for five-plus months. I mean, what do you think of this and also remarkable to see the current secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, and Army speaking out in this way. What do you think?”
It is not remarkable that three pro-abortion Democrats do not agree with a pro-life Republican. It is remarkable that the civilian leadership at the Pentagon thought they could enact this policy, in violation of the Hyde Amendment, without consequence.
For his part, Clark proclaimed, “I’m very glad to see the current secretaries speaking out. I think this hold is very damaging. We have seen the holds in the past on individual officer's promotions, but this is something entirely different. This is a wholesale hold on the normal summertime rotation and retirement that happens at the top of the armed forces. It is extremely damaging, and it is damaging not only because of the hold, but also for the reason behind it.”
That reason is abortion, a word that was curiously never mentioned by either Bolduan or Clark. As it was, Clark continued, “Because we’re really bringing in domestic politics in such a strong way into this military arena. You know, the military is nonpolitical, we serve the commander-in-chief, whoever he is, whatever party he-- or she is, whatever party they are, it doesn’t matter.”
Clark wrapped up his thoughts by imploring Republican leaders to put a stop to Tuberville’s hold, “Now, Senator Tuberville: former football coach and darn good one, he knows that you can't have a football team succeed without coaching, so he's really put his thumb on the jugular here of the U.S. armed forces. I think the Republican Party and the leaders in the Senate need to put a stop to this and that’s certainly the message that is being delivered by the service secretaries.”
Alternatively, if Senate Democrats do not want to confirm individual officers, the Pentagon could stop its foray into domestic politics.
This segment was sponsored by Chase.
Here is a transcript for the September 5 show:
CNN News Central
9/5/2023
10:25 AM ET
KATE BOLDUAN: I want to ask you also, General, about something that’s been happening back here in the United States and has been going on now for five months. The current secretaries of the Navy, the Air Force, and the Army all penned an opinion piece in the Washington Post out this morning calling out Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville over his protest hold on confirming senior officer promotions as Congress is now getting back in session today, this is all the more important and what these secretaries write is that this hold is eroding the foundation of America's military.
Let me read a little bit of what they write, “Across the services many generals and admirals are being forced to perform two roles simultaneously. The strain of this double duty places a real and unfair burden on these officers, the organizations they lead and their families. The blanket hold is also exacting a personal toll on those who least deserve it.” Goes on to say “Any claim that holding up the promotions of top officers does not directly damage the military is wrong—plain and simple.”
It's pretty remarkable this has been going on now for five-plus months. I mean, what do you think of this and also remarkable to see the current secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, and Army speaking out in this way. What do you think?
WESLEY CLARK: Well Kate, I’m very glad to see the current secretaries speaking out. I think this hold is very damaging. We have seen the holds in the past on individual officer's promotions, but this is something entirely different. This is a wholesale hold on the normal summertime rotation and retirement that happens at the top of the armed forces. It is extremely damaging, and it is damaging not only because of the hold, but also for the reason behind it.
Because we’re really bringing in domestic politics in such a strong way into this military arena. You know, the military is nonpolitical, we serve the commander-in-chief, whoever he is, whatever party he-- or she is, whatever party they are, it doesn’t matter.
Now, Senator Tuberville: former football coach and darn good one, he knows that you can't have a football team succeed without coaching, so he's really put his thumb on the jugular here of the U.S. armed forces. I think the Republican Party and the leaders in the Senate need to put a stop to this and that’s certainly the message that is being delivered by the service secretaries.
