Sen. Tommy Tuberville should stand down
I’m a Vietnam Vet.
As a result of the time I spent in Vietnam, I’ve been deemed 100% disabled.
I don’t have much time for people who disrespect the military.
I have no patience for those people who would use the military for their political chicanery.
Tommy Tuberville is one of those people.
The freshman U.S. senator from Alabama, who never served a minute in the military, has commandeered it in ways that have become quite costly for our men and women in uniforms – and for no worthwhile reason.
Sen. Tuberville will lose. But he will abuse the goodwill of a lot of soldiers and sailors and their families along the way.
Tuberville is a Republican.
He’s one of those Republicans who went to the Senate in 2020 fueled by his allegiance to Donald Trump.
He has since found himself at the center of several controversies.
Once, during a speech in Nevada, he claimed that Democrats are “pro-crime” – and that they “want to take over what you’ve got” and “they want reparation(s) because they think the people that do the crime are owed that.”
Tuberville’s lack of tact is only equaled by his lack of facts.
The NAACP immediately pounced on Tuberville’s insidious proclamations, calling them “flat-out racist, ignorant and utterly sickening.”
But running afoul of the NAACP was limited compared to the fracas he’s currently causing.
In February, he made the bold announcement that he would personally block military promotions that require Senate confirmations.
Under the Senate’s parliamentary rules, one or more senators can prevent a measure from reaching the floor of the Senate for a vote.
Tuberville hasn’t relented.
As of late August, there have been over 300 generals, admirals, and policy officials who have been blocked from being confirmed – thanks to Tuberville’s blanket holds on their confirmations.
This isn’t a protest based on principle. It’s a crusade, based on one man’s overactive ego.
Tuberville wants to stop the Pentagon’s policy of paying for time off and the reimbursement of travel costs for service members who travel to have abortions.
Chances are his protest probably won’t cause the military to end the policy.
Last week, the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force timed the release of a joint op-ed, to coincide with the return of the Senate from its summer recess.
The secretaries wrote that some of the military families are under “genuine financial stress” because of Tuberville’s holds.
They claim that some families are even having to live in two separate residences because they’re being forced to deal with the uncertainty of their next moves.
Those secretaries went even further than an op-ed. They appeared together on news programs.
Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army, said, “I frankly hope that Senator Tuberville and a lot of his peers in the Senate heard from their voters when they were out of recess … Americans have said ‘enough is enough.'”
Perhaps Tuberville had heard from his constituents. According to a recent VoteVets poll, 58% of Alabama’s voters believe that he’s “made his point” and that he should “now allow senior military promotions to move forward.”
Tuberville has vowed to continue with his protest.
A protest that has angered Carlos Del Toro, the Secretary of the Navy.
“This is having a real negative impact and will continue to have a real negative impact on our combat readiness,” says Del Toro.
Yet, Tuberville’s fellow Republicans have mostly steered clear of his protest.
So much for a political party that has always boasted of its support for all things military.
Before deciding to run for the Senate, Tuberville had been an award-winning head football coach at four major colleges.
But he didn’t seem to be familiar with the ins and outs of politics. Or, for that matter, the U.S. military.
There are careers at stake.
And, more importantly, there are lives at stake.
Military deployments are filled with complexities that are way above the pay grade of arrogant rookie U.S. senators.
Senator Tuberville should stand down!
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 50-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.