header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 29
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys


The Rational Center | Commentary by John Zaring
| Tuesday, Feb 12, 2013

johnzaring2012At some point this week, the Senate will vote on President Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel from Nebraska.   As defense secretary, Hagel will be in charge of the largest and arguably most important sector of the federal government, which is why the position is supposed to be non-partisan.

But Hagel’s fellow Republicans don’t see it quite that way.

Let’s be honest: Hagel’s performance before the Senate Armed Services Committee was weak.  At times, the attacks from longtime friends such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who as a presidential candidate once had Hagel on his short list for the same position, left Hagel shocked to the point of incoherence.

Hagel’s bigger problem is what he’s not, which is a neocon, and that has the more hawkish members of the Senate and their supporters on the outside, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, up in arms (no pun intended).  Hagel is paying the price for being unafraid, during his time in the Senate, to abandon the GOP’s position on matters of war during the Bush years.

On Monday, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced he would like to put Hagel’s nomination before the committee for a vote today, but Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., quickly jumped into the fray to say, “Not so fast, Carl.”  Graham said he’s going to put a “hold” on the nomination until he gets some more answers from the administration about the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.

You read that correctly. Graham wants to hold up a vote on the defense secretary over an issue that involves – yes – the State Department.

That prompted a scathing rebuke from the White House, with Obama’s press secretary Jay Carney saying, “What is unfortunate here is the continuing attempt to politicize an issue, in this case, through nominees that themselves had nothing to do with Benghazi, and to do so in a way that only does harm to our national security interests.”

It appears Hagel will achieve the 60 vote threshold needed to overcome any attempt at filibuster by his former party-mates, so basically Graham knows he can do little more than stall the vote a day or two.

Once Hagel is approved, the real work will begin.  Hagel will be charged with guiding the Pentagon through an already-underway transformation started by current Pentagon head Leon Panetta, taking America from a post-Cold War strategy based on large-scale ground battles to today’s more specialized operations like we’ve seen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking of the defense budget, let’s address the looming sequester which, if Congress continues to do, well, nothing, will take effect March 1, and in the process wipe out billions from the Pentagon’s budget.

History shows that the sequester was voted into law by the GOP-controlled House and with majority Republican support in the Senate, yet Republicans have been trying hard over the past few weeks to reposition it as, according to Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, “the Obama Sequester.”

Let’s review the facts.

On Aug. 11, 2011, the Budget Control Act, which is the official name for the sequester, passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 269-161.   A quick check of the Roll Call shows that 174 of those 298 “yes” votes came from House Republicans, a group that included every GOP leader, including Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Congressman (and eventual Mitt Romney running mate) Paul Ryan.  Boehner, in fact, told CBS News on that day, “I got 98 percent of what I wanted.  I’m pretty happy.”

So I am forced to ask: Since only 95 Democrats voted for it and Boehner got 98 percent of what he wanted, WHO owns it?

The Republican attempt to position the sequester as Obama’s doing is interesting in a couple of ways.  For years, they’ve been insisting the president isn’t serious about deficit reduction.  Yet now, they want to position Obama as the architect behind draconian cuts, making him the Angela Merkel of American austerity.  Let’s not forget that since the debt ceiling crisis, which is what the sequester stems from, the GOP has been pushing the idea that the budget needs to be cut.  However, now they want the blame Obama for the cuts they’ve been calling for all along.

As an easily confused Scooby Doo often said, “Hu-ruh?”

Republicans have little leverage at this point.  Even conservative standard bearer Bill Crystal wrote in The Weekly Standard that “allowing the sequester to go into effect would be deeply irresponsible.”

Tonight, when Obama goes before a joint session of a stubbornly dysfunctional Congress to discuss the state of our union, he will beg for bipartisan cooperation, knowing full well he won’t be getting it anytime soon, on pretty much anything.   Late in his first term, Obama figured out that for Republicans, it wasn’t about philosophical differences; it was just nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking, being obstructionist as a theory of governance.  Republicans simply want to stop stuff from happening that they don’t like, so they aren’t looking for compromise, only spoilers.

Throughout his first term, the president was too often the lone adult in the room cognizant of the creed of the nation –  E Pluribus Unum, “Out of many, one” – which is why tomorrow he will once again take his dog-and-pony show on the road.   Obama learned the hard way that Republicans in Congress only want to hurt him and hurt Democrats, regardless of the cost to the nation, so he will work from the outside in, reminding the American people that they reelected him to be the defender of the middle class and the poor’s advocate.

I suspect the president will look past the blank stares in the Capitol tonight and speak directly to those of us watching at home, utilizing the bully pulpit to advance his second-term priorities of job creation, immigration reform, tax reform and yes, gun control.  And I also suspect it will take a sequestration of memory for Americans to buy the spin offered up by McConnell, Graham, Boehner and others that Obama has mutated from a crazy socialist, big-government-loving liberal into a European-style king of austerity hell-bent on turning America into Greece.

Yep, Scooby said it best.

John Zaring describes himself as a reformed Republican turned moderate Democrat who believes democracy works best when its government actually functions because its leaders are working together. He serves on the Castaic Area Town Council’s Land Use Committee, Castaic Middle School’s Site Council, the Hart District’s WiSH Education Foundation, and he is the West Ranch High School representative on the Hart District’s Advisory Council. A self-proclaimed “New Democrat” a la Bill Clinton, he lives in Castaic with his wife of 21 years and their daughters, Fiona, 16, and Kylie, 12. His commentary publishes Tuesdays.

 

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


Opinion Section Policy
All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.
Read More From...
RECENT COMMENTARY
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024
Springtime in Santa Clarita brings not only vibrant blooms and opportunities to embrace the outdoors with warmer weather, but also an array of free, family-friendly events and this Saturday is no exception.
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
Did you know that each year, Main Street in Old Town Newhall undergoes countless makeovers for different events, such as Light Up Main Street and the Fourth of July Parade?
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes the Santa Clarita Valley, issued the following statement Thursday in response to an announcement by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of a proposal to change how calls to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline are routed.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Friday, Mar 15, 2024

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys
Los Angeles County Public Works is updating the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.
April 16:  County Bicycle Master Plan Virtual Community Meeting
College of the Canyons mens golf got back on track during its return to conference play on Monday, carding a five-man score of 370 to top the eight-team field at Brookside Golf Course and maintain its unblemished conference mark.
Cougars Win Again, Keep Conference Streak
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, reminds property owners that the second installment of the 2023-24 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes  delinquent if not received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time or United States Postal Service postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
County Treasurer Reminds Property Owners of April 10 Due Date
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system.
April 16: FYI Seeks Volunteers To Pair With Local Foster Youth
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today unveiled the latest L.A. County Health Survey, which gathers vital data on health behaviors, conditions, neighborhood settings, and the needs of L.A .County residents, informing future public health policies and programs.
Public Health Unveils the 2023 L.A. County Health Survey Findings
Due to the projected rain forecast, Eggstravaganza will now be held indoors at the Canyon Country Community Center beginning promptly at 10 a.m. on March 30.
March 30: Eggstravaganza Now Being Held Indoors at Canyon Country Community Center
To support the mental health of California's young people, the California Department of Public Health awarded $25 million to 28 tribal and community-based organizations across the state.
California Announces $25 Million in Awards for Youth Mental Health
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
April 16: COC to Host Michele Jenkins Team Room Dedication Ceremony
PFLAG Santa Clarita has announced the establishment of the Peggy and Jeff Stabile PFLAG SCV Scholarship. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to LGBTQIA+ students pursuing higher education and committed to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and promoting diversity and inclusion.
PFLAG SCV Announces Stabile PFLAG Scholarship
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
SCVNews.com