Editorial: Party over country

Feinstein was one of 15 Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo in 2017. He’ll only get a few of those votes this time. In 2009, Hillary Clinton was confirmed 94-2, a victory margin that included 39 Republicans even after a serious and prescient debate about potential conflicts of interest with the Clinton Foundation. In 2013, John Kerry was confirmed 94-3, with 42 Republicans supporting him, despite his long history of partisanship and his false claim that he’d “opposed [George W. Bush’s] decision to go into Iraq.”

Advertisement

Senator Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced that he’s opposing Pompeo. He complained that Pompeo’s nomination-hearing testimony was too vague, offering “a series of goals but no strategy.” This is nonsense—a made-up excuse meant to hide petty partisanship behind a meaningful-sounding objection. Pompeo’s testimony was sharp. He demonstrated a deep understanding of the wide range of challenges he’s likely to face if confirmed. But Pompeo was never going to be specific enough to satisfy Menendez. The New Jersey senator submitted 698 questions for Pompeo to answer in writing—an obnoxious total meant not to elicit real responses but to grind the process to a halt. Combined, the rest of the committee submitted 318.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement