CIA Director Mike Pompeo is on track to become the next Secretary of State after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve him, 11-9. All Republicans voted in favor, and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) voted “present.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the real deciding vote, having switched sides after opposing Pompeo. Democratic Sen. Coons has also initially voted no, but changed to present as a courtesy because Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) was not present, and voted by proxy. Isakson’s vote would’ve made it 11-10, but only 10-10 among present voters, which would’ve forced Iskason to drive back from a funeral for a second vote.
Paul’s change was a surpise to almost everyone. However, Sen. Paul cited multiple conversations with President Trump. During the meetings, Trump assured him that he believes the Iraq War was a mistake and the US must leave Afghanistan, and that Pompeo agrees with him.
President Trump has publicly expressed those positions in the past. Despite that, he’s done nothing to end either of those wars. In fact, President Trump announced in August that he’d “changed his mind” on Afghanistan since becoming president. He said this in the process of announcing a substantial escalation of the war.
Paul’s reversal prevented Pompeo from becoming the first nominee since 1925 not to get the Senate panel’s approval. Without today’s vote, it was also very likely that his nomination would’ve failed outright, while now it appears certain.
I think they “made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
I don’t think so. I think it is what it seemed. Trump and Pompeo could claim they are on his side. Pompeo just got back from North Korea to set up a peace treaty meeting with Trump. It is possible Trump has outsmarted everybody in DC once again. All caught up in the craziness in the ME is it possible he lined up a peace treaty with North Korea? If so that is huge. The MSM and Pentagon don’t know what to make of it. They were caught completely off guard.
I didn’t now Rand Paul was that gullible. Pompeo became a non-interventionist overnite. No problem.
I do agree. The only way it is worth a yes vote is if Pompeo is if the North Korea peace is real. Pompeo did go to North Korea on an apparent peace mission. I have a hard time believing it though.
U.S is trying to safe face because peace is breaking out between north and south no thanks to China and they want in on the action.
Paul never said Pompeo told him he is a “non-interventionist” over night.
Let’s put down the puritan bible and ask what promises did Paul get in exchange. He may be short, but he can reach a mile high.
Paul went from ripping Pompeo a new a**hole to backing him. If it wasn’t literally overnite, it was damn close. I suppose the same will happen with Haspel.
There are no promises that are worth it. And they’ll end up being lies if they pertain to anything relative to foreign policy.
What is it about Ran? This flip-flop is not going to disarm his critics but will alienate his friends. Sad Ran wasn’t perceptive enough to recognize how folks would view his u-turn.
He has to do lot more worse than this to alienate his base or his friends.
Rand Paul had, I hope, the best reasons to support Pimpeo. Maybe some other trade off too contraversial to out… Only time wl tell.. No one is perfect, but Rand’s steady stewardship of issues has been an ourstanding America First record.. Mostly he puts his. Vote where America’s best interests & Americans best hopes meet. I’d vote for him if I could.
I don’t mind Senator Paul’s flipping since Pompeo was going to be confirmed on the Senate floor anyways. The way I see it, Paul’s concession was not unexpected and I’m sure down the line the President owes him a favor for this.
They must really have him by the balls
Either that or he has no ‘balls’ at all…
And Rand Paul believes Trump and Pompeo (pompous ass) because?…
Let’s revisit ‘malevolent’ Mike’s positions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pompeo
He is truly the ‘right’ man for the job. Pro-war, tea party conservative with an evangelical bent (which binds him to Israel). What’s not to like?
The War Cabinet is complete. Thanks Rand. (Hope selling what’s left of your soul was, personally, worth it for you.)
Phil Ochs: I ain’t marching anymore, words to heed:
Can anybody remember Ron Paul flipping?
No. best-dv
On foreign policy related stuff? No, not that I recall.
He did play both sides of the fence on spending. He’d brag to his libertarian donors about how he voted against the big spending bills (that he knew would pass without his vote), then go home and brag to his constituents about all the pork he had packed into those bills for them.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-revenge-u-oil-floods-europe-hurting-opec-082847496–finance.html
Ha Ha Putin
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/us-air-force-plans-build-least-400-new-high-tech-icbms-20031 HaHa Putin
“Without today’s vote, it was also very likely that his nomination would’ve failed outright, while now it appears certain.”
No, Jason, that’s not so. McConnell was going to bring the nomination to the Senate floor one way or another; and once on the Senate floor, Pompeo was going to be confirmed thanks to Heitkamp and Manchin (and any other Dems who broke with their caucus).
Rand picks his fights and tries to pick ones that he can win, or at least where he can make a stand on principle. Unlike his father or Goldwater, he isn’t a kamikaze. Rejection of Pompeo isn’t a matter of principle, it’s a matter of personalities, and on personalities Trump really is entitled to have his own cabinet secretaries (assuming they’re not managerial incompetent like Jackson might be in the Veterans Administration).
Now, in the case of Haspel for CIA, that’s a different issue considering her personal involvement in torture.
Rand picks his fights. And then throws them.
The apple fell far from the tree.
“Trump assured him that he believes the Iraq War was a mistake and the
US must leave Afghanistan, and that Pompeo agrees with him.”
Well, that’s all right then.
…and just like that! Rand was back on my shitlist.