Posted on 01/31/2025 8:55:39 AM PST by Signalman
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has better odds than ever of being confirmed by the U.S. Senate after Wednesday’s committee hearing, a chance for Democrats to grill the Trump nominee that they instead squandered on misguided questions about his past stances, one CNN commentator stated.
A “big mistake” by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee may have cost them the opportunity to block Kennedy’s nomination to head Health and Human Services, a sprawling bureaucracy responsible for approximately a quarter of all federal spending. Rather than highlight their areas of agreement, far-left progressive icons Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) drove Kennedy into the GOP’s arms, Brad Todd said on Friday.
“I think RFK Jr.’s hearing to me was the most entertaining, but it was a big mistake by Democrats. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders made him more confirmable. There’s nobody who Republicans dislike more than Elizabeth Warren, and it’s for all the right reasons,” Todd, a Republican strategist, told a “CNN This Morning” panel. “But she should have gone with RFK and said, ‘You know, look, I agree with you on abortion. I agree with you on affirmative action. I agree with you on guns. In fact, I like you more than any nominee [President] Donald Trump ever has.’”
“If she wanted to sink him, she should have hugged him. But she doesn’t get that. She wants to make sound bites for the left,” he continued, the Daily Caller reported. “And I know that … this is all theater for her. I thought that made that hearing a circus. Entertaining, but it maybe has strengthened RFK.”
One day later, Kennedy made a perfunctory appearance before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which did not need to hold a vote to send his nomination to the Senate floor but nonetheless afforded Republican members a chance to commiserate with the former Democrat after his public spats with Warren and Sanders.
Among them is Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician who is also a voting member of the Finance Committee and is widely believed to be the most skeptical of Kennedy. CNN anchor Kasie Hunt asked Todd if he thought the Louisiana Republican might still vote against Kennedy.
“It’s possible. I think there are probably 10 to 15 Republicans who have real qualms with RFK Jr. Most of them have qualms because of his ideology. He’s been a liberal Democrat for most of his career,” Todd answered. “He’s closer to Elizabeth Warren than he is to Bill Cassidy on ideological questions. I don’t know … he has a following. He was additive in the campaign. He brought voters to Donald Trump. People are trying to be respectful of that, but they do have qualms about him.”
On Thursday, Sen. Cassidy made it known that he was torn about whether to confirm Kennedy, given his past controversial statements about vaccines and the pharmaceutical industry.
“My responsibility is to learn, to try to understand if you can be trusted to support the best public health: A worthy movement called MAHA to improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence and never accepting the evidence that is there,” Cassidy said. “That’s my dilemma, man. So you may be hearing from me over the weekend.”
Agree, 100%
Hope you are right.
He has a mandate from the president to see measurable declines in childhood chronic disease in two years. I haven’t heard much from Trump on going after big Pharma and the HHS Secy doesn’t have the power to impose or revoke vaccine mandates in any case.
All the senators had a script like Biden’s teleprompter. Democrats think with one brain. They are fools and can’t engage in dialogue because they know nothing and are being exposed as the fools they are. The Obama Teleprompter show took a major hit this week.
If nothing else, RFK, Jr. got a platform this week to ask the questions that Americans have been forbidden to ask by the medical establishment — namely, why are so many Americans afflicted with chronic illness?
I think they like RFK Jr better.
I doubt that they feel the same way about Tulsi.
Their unhinged behavior was good for RFK. If the facts aren’t in your favor, bang the table harder.
I think timing on vaccines is important. Why does a child get loaded up almost immediately? And why can’t there be teeters instead of requiring boosters? If the tiger shows your body still has immunity then a booster isn’t needed.
Cassidy voted with the democrats to impeach Trump.
Primary all “moderate” republicans.
Sanders and Warren #1 and #2 biggest recipients of Big Pharma $. Who would have guessed? /s/
I pray Bobby is confirmed. Go MAHA!
Awwwwwww. Poor CNN. Sucks to be you. 😔
Bernie is saving up for mansion #4.
Bernie is an enigma. He proudly proclaims he’s a socialist, yet enjoys great wealth and the finer things in life. What sort of comrade is he?
An Oligarch
Marc Warner... esquire indeed...
When is the vote?
“Bernie Sanders sure was pissed off about “onesies”,”
Sure was I guess they don’t carry his size...
Big Pharma, hates and fears Kennedy.
Big Pharma has FAR TOO MUCH Power over congress and More money to corrupt them all.
The Medical profession and regulators needs a lot of culling.
“… this is all theater for her...”
Democrats are all about “performance art”. It’s what they do.
PS: Cassidy is not just a piece of $hit, he is the entire turd. He WILL certainly be primaried and lose his next election. /spit
Same question to the infantile government-employed music teachers.
If you are so effective, why are 99% of Americans proud that they cannot read music?
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