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.
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And a liar:
He brought increased scrutiny on himself, resulting in multiple damaging revelations. Despite promising in 2020 to donate “every dime” he makes in Washington to veterans’ causes, Tuberville has yet to actually do so. He appears to have completely fabricated his father’s military record, and he has lived in Florida, not Alabama, for nearly two decades.
Military leaders called him out by name, accusing him of “aiding and abetting Communist and other autocratic regimes”—a devastating insult for any Republican but especially a far-right one.
I mean, they’re all liars, so I don’t feel that one makes him stand out much.
If anything, being a liar is almost a requirement to be a Republican these days.
Almost?
Tuberville accomplished … nothing.
Au contraire. He accomplished a great deal, when you look at it in terms of what he kept OTHERS from accomplishing.
He demolished faith in Congress’ ability to protect and serve the military that protects and serves them, he sent a clear and unmistakable signal to authoritarian wet-dreamers everywhere that he’s there for them when they want to stage another coup/insurrection/overthrow, he interfered with the normal operations of the Senate, he blocked good-faith legislation, he presents as a moral hero to haters everywhere, he helped to overthrow the right of American women to obtain science-based healthcare in pregnancy and obstetrics, and the entire country is lesser for his actions.
And don’t forget this very important point: Tuberville only stopped because he was about to BE stopped, stepping down just in time to prevent the Senate from installing rules that would prevent similar military blockading again, thus ensuring it will. He cut his losses and stopped voluntarily to make certain that next year some other mouth-frothing right winger can stand up and simply do the same fucking thing again.
And all this is done “For the children,” who unsurprisingly happen to be the ONE group of people that can never and will never be able to call Tuberville out as the plotter and shameless liar he is.
To call Tuberville stupid is disingenuous. And even if he were stupid, his handlers aren’t. They all know what they’re doing, and what they’re doing is preparing to overthrow democracy in the US permanently.
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.
