A split among readers on the question of whether the confirmation hearings for Bob Gates should be held in December by a GOP Senate or after the first of the year by a Democratic Senate.
From TPM Reader JW:
I don’t see the logic of waiting two months to confirm Gates just to use the hearings as a platform to talk about Iraq. The Democrats can do that using budget hearings, intelligence hearings, hell, whatever committee meetings they wish to. They can call Gates over to the Congress later if they want.
The fact is, they don’t have anything on Gates that would prevent him from becoming Defense Secretary. It’s pretty clear they’re going to have to work with Gates; why make him the whipping boy from the outset? He hasn’t done anything wrong yet and isn’t likely to know very much more about Iraq right now than the senators do. I think it’s better to take the high road with this nomination, since we all agree we want Rumsfeld out, let Gates get his feet, and ask him in January what he’s come up with.
I think the “use nomination hearings as a bully pulpit” logic shows that the Democrats are still thinking like a minority party. They got the subpoena power, they got the committees, they can open any can of worms any they want to and don’t have to snipe at the Administration from the bushes. Let the rabbits through now and hunt elephants in January.
If they really feel the need to fight a rearguard in the lame-duck Congress, try to keep Bolton out of the UN. That nomination is genuinely dangerous and distressing.
Then again, TPM Reader EC:
I have to agree with David, and I wanted to add something.
It really is important to maintain that the problems with Iraq don’t simply go away with Rumsfeld’s departure. The administration OWNS this one, and whether Rumsfeld leaves immediately or lingers until a successor is confirmed should not matter. Beyond that, I think delaying the hearings can be a win for Democrats in another sense. Stress that Democrats simply want a full airing of Gates’ qualifications and his plans for Iraq. After all, Iraq is one of the big reasons Democrats are now the Majority party. If there’s a mandate in any of this, it’s that the American people don’t trust a Republican Congress to run things…and that should certainly include the relatively important decision of who replaces Rumsfeld. Democrats should support an extensive, reasonable examination of any nominee for any position; that can’t and won’t happen if they appear too timid to challenge the administration on the timing.
The Democrats won…and they’ll be endlessly scrutinized by the not-so-liberal media. It’s time to worry less about appearances and more about doing the right thing. It’s by “doing the right thing” that Democrats will ultimately preserve and grow their majority. Not by kow-towing to a media that isn’t and won’t be on their side, ultimately lending weight to Republican claims of weakness.
