Posted on 12/15/2009 4:07:05 PM PST by American Dream 246
Quite an explosive leak! I wonder how this will affect things? It is certainly a thuggish and dangerous thing for Obama to play with National Security over this craptacular idea of socialized medicine. Quite a desperate move.
According to a Senate aide, the White House is now threatening to put Nebraskas Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC list if Nelson doesnt fall into line. Offutt Air Force Base employs some 10,000 military and federal employees in Southeastern Nebraska. As our source put it, this is a naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelsons vote. They are threatening to close a base vital to national security for what? asked the Senate staffer.
Indeed, Offutt is the headquarters for US Strategic Command, the successor to Strategic Air Command, and not by accident. STRATCOM was located in the middle of the country for strategic reasons. Its closure would be a massive blow to the economy of the state of Nebraska, but it would also be another example of this administration playing politics with our national security.
So much for the idea of Obama trying to save jobs and improve the economy!
Without Nelsons vote, since all Republicans are still in line to oppose this, Reid is still left with 59 votes. So, some arm twisting is taking place. Nelson doesnt want this bill to fund abortions so he is now being threatened, and national security along with him. How shameful this would be if Democrats felt shame.
Ed Morrissey:
The Obama administration has little left to use for leverage. Why not national security? After all, if were going to bring terrorists into Illinois, what does it matter if we put the US Strategic Command on wheels for a few years?
What a nightmare!
I heard Rush speak about their tactics the other day. The endless amendments are introduced in order to expose weakness in dem support. Nelson, Lieberman, and others have shown their own lines in the sand. It stands to reason that others will come forth with other demands to if nothing else get the same amount of attention($$$) that they are commanding.
Even more interesting is that while Ralphie was demanding a Red Rider (very specific) BB gun, he now seems to be content with a generic cap pistol instead. His liberal friends are quite upset with him over this, but he is not responding to them. Why? I have no clue.
There’s not much else to say, that would be appropriate.
It’s the physical location that is important. I highly doubt that we are depending on “obsolete systems” at Offutt. If so, we’re in deeper doo-doo than I thought.
Can you say “abuse of power”?
Yes we can!
Mmm, mmm, mmm!
this is anti American action....call their bluff...Madame President will restore the base
God help us..just when I think Zero can’t get worse..he does.
The last time I remember a Democratic president choosing to punish a moderate Democratic Senator, it didn’t work out so well for the Dems. Specifically, that was Richard Shelby, who immediately said that former President Clinton’s “stimulus” sounded to him like tax and spend. Clinton punished him by taking away some federal jobs from Alabama, Shelby answered back by becoming a Republican, and solidly conservative at that.
Perhaps Senator Nelson should think about where he’ll be (much more) welcome, should he hope to win reelection in 2012.
But assuming a new BRAC round following... My understanding of how this works is that the DoD -- not the President -- makes the initial list. This list is passed on to a board, indeed appointed by the President, but statutorily required to be independent. The board holds hearings, votes, etc (were all on C-SPAN I believe for the '05 round). The board can add to or subtract from the list. The list is then passed to the President, who can only approve or disapprove the entire list, but cannot make any changes to it. Then the list then goes to Congress, which likewise can only approve or disapprove.
So, if this is story is true, and assuming the process hasn't changed, then Obama and/or his administration are necessarily threatening to subvert or violate the law: They will either influence the DoD's decision making process for political ends (wonder if a reporter will ask Gates about that?) and/or do likewise with the independent board.
Mark for later
The system that we rely may not be obsolete but they are duplicated at other military places.
Hugh Hewitt is now covering the story on air, Weekly standard blog is also running this. Caller said Al Capone invented this pressure tactic in Chicago.
This is GOOD news in the big picture. I absolutely feel terrible for the airmen and women and their families..However, we will need them on our side..the side of God and of Good..when the shooting starts after the party of terrorists (dems) begins fire upon their own citizens.
We will need the Airforce when it comes time to shoot back...
I doubt they will be watching American Idol when that time comes, unlike 3/4ths of the rest of the sheeple..including many on here...
Come on Edmund Ruffin...we are waiting on you.
They still have to reconcile with the house bill and that may be impossible.
It's location is no longer important, we are not in a cold war anymore. The only thing there of importance is it's underground bunker, and command center sit up for the president. There is other underground bunkers located at other military bases with the same command centers sit up, for the president.
They can afford to lose 10 votes in the Senate on reconciliation to get a bill that will pass the House.
This cloture vote is the last obstacle. Health care will pass otherwise. It will probably even have some form of the public option. JMO.
I know it’s in Nebraska, but the Navy has a large presence at Offutt also.
Maybe so, but they’re not located smack dab in the middle of the U.S.
Will Nelson stand up against this thuggery? Will ANYONE???
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