Posted on 02/28/2020 4:01:30 PM PST by jazusamo
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) quickly called on Republicans to oppose GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe's nomination to be the next director of national intelligence after Trump announced the decision on Friday.
“With this nomination, President Trump has shown once again his lack of respect for the rule of law and the intelligence community. Republicans must join Democrats in swiftly rejecting the nomination of Mr. Ratcliffe," Schumer said in a statement.
Trump announced via tweet that he had picked Ratcliffe, viewed as a stalwart loyalist to the president, for the top intelligence community position. Trump had previously nominated the Texas lawmaker last year but pulled the nomination amid opposition from GOP senators and reports that he had padded his resume.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, argued that nothing had changed since Trump last yanked Ratcliffe's nomination to address those concerns.
“The last time this nomination was unsuccessfully put forward, serious bipartisan questions were raised about Rep. Ratcliffe’s background and qualifications. It’s hard for me to see how anything new has happened to change that," he said.
Democrats can't block Ratcliffe's nomination on their own. Trump will only need a simple majority to get him confirmed, and Republicans control 53 seats.
That will put an immediate spotlight on Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a member of the Intelligence Committee, as well as other potential swing votes like Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Democrats would need four Republican votes to block Ratcliffe's nomination on the Senate floor.
Trump has lacked a Senate-confirmed director of national intelligence since last year, when Dan Coats, a former senator, stepped down.
Since then he’s had two acting DNIs—Joseph Maguire and, now, Richard Grenell, who is also serving as the U.S. ambassador to Germany.
Trump’s decision to push forward with Ratcliffe comes as he’s shook up the intelligence community in the wake of Senate Republicans acquitting him of two articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Schumer added that by taping Ratcliffe Trump was “replacing one highly partisan operative with another,” a reference to Grenell, who has garnered steep criticism from Democrats.
“At a time when the Russians are interfering in our elections, we need a nonpartisan leader at the helm of the Intelligence Community who sees the world objectively and speaks truth to power, and unfortunately neither Acting Director Grenell nor Rep. Ratcliffe comes even close to that,” Schumer added.
chuck schemer mistakenly assumes he has an iota of relevancy.
martha maccullum is getting on my nerves... she is not worth watching...
Thank you Chuck Schmucker for verifying President Trump has made a wise choice.
Next trick is getting Rep. Ratliff past the uber corrupt RINOs on the Senate Intelligence Committee. President Trump may have to make a deal with the turdel to make this happen.
Do it. Do it out of spite. Would John Trower have been good at defense?
Ulysses Grant was a good drunk.
Try Leavenworth. Gitmo has been over used because the herd don’t seem to know anything other than”Gitmo! Gitmo! Gitmo!”
Michael Flynn.
If he’s against him, I’ll be for him.
OK, how ‘bout the barge?
I saw photos of a very large barge capable of housing 3,000 prisoners.
It was docked at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
I assume McConnell has votes.
Load it up, sail into shark-infested waters, and feed announce feeding time.
F Off Schumer, you lying basturd.
Schumer’s hypocrisy knows no bounds. He complains about Ratcliff but had zero problems with Brenan, a communist and Muslim lover as the head of the CIA.
Go stick some cheesecake in your mouth Chuckie...$8,000+ worth...and use your own damn money this time.
Schmuck doesn’t disappoint! Right on schedule with his outrage.
What a douche!
Hope Radcliffe makes it, and helps cleans up some of the mess !
Like Elvis?
I haven’t had respect for the “intelligence community” for a long time. Nothing but a bunch of deep state elites and careerists who think they know better than voters and elected politicians.
I wish he’s stop stripping Congress of Republican Senators and Representatives...we need every one of them right where they are. It’s going to be tough enough to add more in November to take the House back and keep the Senate...
STFU Schmucky!
Poor Alison obviously has “daddy” issues. Then again, since she inherited Schmuckie’s (complete lack of good) looks, she is probably justified in those feelings.
How appropriate that the wedding photos were taken over an EPA Superfund HazMat cleanup site, the contents of which are far less toxic than any of the gibberish Shumckie spews.
The louder the democrats squeal indicates the right choices made by President Trump!
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