The Republican senator from Alabama spent 2023 turning himself into one of the most hated men in Washington—even by members of his own party.

The Republican senator from Alabama spent 2023 turning himself into one of the most hated men in Washington—even by members of his own party.

Senator Tommy Tuberville’s nearly yearlong protest against the Department of Defense’s abortion policy brings to mind an old Chinese proverb that translates to, “He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount.” It means that when you take on something risky—or in this case, downright stupid—it’s easier to keep going than to face the consequences of trying to stop.

For nine months, Tuberville single-handedly blocked more than 450 military promotions, throwing the entire U.S. military into disarray. According to the Alabama Republican, this was the best way to protest the department’s policy of reimbursing service members who have to travel out of their state of deployment for an abortion.

Tuberville partially relented on December 5, when he agreed to allow most of those promotions to go forward with the exception of four-star generals. He then dropped those remaining holds this week, and the Senate promptly confirmed 11 nominees to that position.

After all those months of protesting, Tuberville accomplished … nothing. The Defense Department’s abortion policy is still in place. The only difference is that now, all of the department leadership and pretty much every other senator is angry with him.

  • chakan2@lemmy.worldEnglish
    382·
    11 months ago

    As Brynn Tannehill wrote for The New Republic in September, “This is a naked power play, whose end goal, I suspect, is to fill every senior military position simultaneously with Trump loyalists and sycophants if [Donald] Trump wins reelection in 2024.”

    Jesus…that’s a brilliant take and one I never considered. It worked for the Judicial branch, now they’re going to try it on the Military.

    • prole@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      341·
      11 months ago

      It’s all part of Project 2025. People should be terrified of the Republican party.

          • Telorand@reddthat.com
            4·
            11 months ago

            They should, but they have bodyguards, private islands, and floating yacht-cities. I don’t think they have to worry about ever even seeing a poor person.

    • ersatz@infosec.pub
      31·
      11 months ago

      I didn’t consider it either. Is this guy actually deeply religious? That would probably help determine if it was a power play or if he felt compelled by God to force everyone to follow his morals. Or maybe he’s just an idiot who was pandering to the evangelical base.