NYT: Bush Sidesteps Lott's Effort to Delay Base Closings

WASHINGTON, April 1 - In an unusual rebuke of a senior senator from his own party, President Bush announced on Friday that by making recess appointments he had completed creation of a nine-member independent commission to review the Pentagon's list of proposed base closings this year.

Senator Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican who strongly opposes the coming round of base closings, blocked a vote by the full Senate last month on Mr. Bush's choice to lead the panel, Anthony J. Principi, a former secretary of veterans affairs, senior Republican aides said. Mr. Lott was expected to do the same to the panel's eight other members if the Senate Armed Services Committee approved them, as expected, as early as next week, the aides said.

But Mr. Bush dashed any plan Mr. Lott may have had to stymie the process, a precursor to the first major round of base closings in a decade, by appointing members to the panel while the Senate was in its spring recess, thus eliminating the requirement of Senate confirmation. The appointments expire at the end of the Senate's session next year, long after the panel is scheduled to finish its work.

Congressional and Pentagon officials had feared that Mr. Lott would use Senate procedural tactics to bottle up the nominees and throw the base-closing process far behind schedule.

(snip)

But there is no love lost between Mr. Bush and Mr. Lott, particularly after Mr. Bush rebuked Mr. Lott in December 2002 for his statements that appeared to embrace the segregationist appeals of Strom Thurmond's 1948 presidential campaign. Mr. Bush distanced himself from Mr. Lott, the incoming Senate majority leader at the time, by declaring that his statements "do not reflect the spirit of our country."

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/02/politics/02bases.html?

all the news was covering was TS and the Pope:

The White House announced the recess appointments in a statement shortly before 8 p.m. on a day when much of the country was closely following the failing heath of Pope John Paul II.

friday nite news dump...

The message from Bush is obvious here: "I'm turning my back on you."

DeLay won't last two weeks.

the ear of the GOP leadership. I think Lott is about to learn a lesson as to what the Republican Party *really* stands for.

There can only be one dictator in republican America and YOU ARE NOT HIM!

It was the right wing media and base closures that got Clinton that label correct?

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<SNIP>
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld must submit his list of recommended base closings, consolidations and realignments to the commission by May 16. A final roster of cuts and other changes, prepared by the commission, is due on Sept. 8. Four previous base-closing commissions have endorsed 85 percent of the Pentagon's recommendations. President Bush and Congress must then accept or reject the list by Nov. 7.

Pentagon officials say all 425 domestic bases are under scrutiny, as the military looks to squeeze efficiencies and billions of dollars in savings from a cold war network that has nearly 25 percent more capacity than what the armed services say they need.
<SNIP>
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How on earth do they think we are 25% over capacity? We can't staff the two war fronts we have now. Is this part of the Bush plan that involves bringing the troops out of Central Europe that has been mentioned in the past. Having bases only here and in the Middle East will free up 25%.

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<SNIP>

Mr. Lott has fiercely opposed closing bases while American military forces are fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq. In an op-ed article in USA Today last month, he called the base-closing commission "a Congressional cop-out" that depends on "a paranoia-driven process that wastes time and money."

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I must say that I agree with Mr. Lott on this one, this administration and Republican controlled congress "is a cop-out and a paranoia driven process that waste time and money".

the services.

I think the only thing Trent Lott is really concerned about is possibilityt of closing bases in Mississippi.

President Bush has appointed the nine-member commission that will determine military base closings.

The White House announced the appointments Friday night.

Mr. Bush named the panel while the Senate, which must confirm the appointments, was in recess. (snip)


Because Mr. Bush made the appointments during a recess they will expire in 2006, but the commission's work is expected to be done by then.



http://www.kwtx.com/news/headlines/1430987.html

but I support Bush on this and the BRAC process, which was established to minimize the influence of politics on the base closure and realignment recommendations.

Military bases should be evaluated according to their military utility. There are numerous underutilized stateside military bases that require substantial recurring costs to maintain, and whose functions can be consolidated at other locations.

Closing or realigning a base does have significant local impact (e.g. loss of supporting civilian jobs), but the primary function of the military is to defend the nation, not to provide a mechanism to boost local economies.

I think Chester (Trent) Lott knows there's some local Mississippi bases that are probably going to show up on the BRAC list this time (like Meridian), and he's out to try and stop that to keep the local population from being economically impacted.

In any case, Rumsfeld stated last week that this round of closures probably won't be as extensive has had been previously projected (~20-25%).

economy is run by the military, 34%. Alabama calculates that four billion a year is fed into their economy. For years, the Democrats have been seen as weak on defense (that is, they're going to close our bases and put us in the poor house.)

http://uwf.edu/uwfMain/press/topstoryarch.cfm?emailID=12991

http://www.governorpress.state.al.us/pr/pr-2004-01-05-01-bases.asp

as a resort and retirement destination, if it lost a few of its military installations.

However, some of them do serve a vital function; I can't see Eglin/Hurlburt Field closing, for example.

The navy base in PC could probably be moved somewhere else (Pensacola, perhaps) and Tyndall merged with the activities at Eglin, but there are military reasons for bases to be located on the country's perimeters -- so I would be surprised if those bases are closed/realigned. Bases away from the coast would generally be more logically at risk, in my estimation. Fort Rucker and Anniston might be a couple that might find their way on the list.

I agree with you on the saturation and impact of military bases in that region, though. It's one of the reasons why there are so many military retirees to that area (including my parents).

is why Uncle Bob spent so many years in Washington. When he was under indictment, he still received 72% of the vote.

Lose any portion through either downsizing or closure and their will be ripple effects in the economy that will effect many.

But, the Democrats will not be seen as the bad guys. It will happen on a Republican watch.

support base closings in a "time of war". We're fighting terrorism or did you forget, Zorro?

Ready to join up?

and you'll see I've been around here a long, long time. So I suspect you don't have a clue.

I don't know if you're serious or attempting some lame sarcasm, but you don't have to agree with my opinion. That's OK.

And unless you're a veteran -- as I am -- and have served in a hostile file area -- as I have, I suggest you keep your juvenile insults to yourself.

President Outmaneuvers Senator on Base Closings
Appointments Made During Recess Render Lott's 'Hold' Moot

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2005; Page A06

Just before Congress returned from a two-week recess, President Bush on Friday night used his recess-appointment power to thwart an effort by Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) to stall the work of a military base-closing commission.

When Congress is out of session, a president can use that power to sidestep the need for Senate confirmation by appointing officials who can perform their duties until the end of that Congress. The White House made the announcement at 7:27 p.m. Friday, ahead of the Senate's return at midday Monday.

Senate officials said Lott, who has had bitter relations with the White House since being unseated as majority leader in 2002, was using a procedure known as a "hold" to prevent the Senate from voting on the nomination of Anthony J. Principi, Bush's designee as chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, also known as BRAC.

The process is aimed at taking some of the political heat out of base-closing decisions. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is due to make his recommendations for closings and consolidations by May 16. Then the commission will evaluate them and submit a final package for up-or-down approval by Bush and then Congress.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22106-2005Apr2.html

Lottie isn't going to be a happy camper!

Are they breaking into factions that oppose the weed? :shrug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1363862

Let's hope and pray they begin to eat their own.

NOT

What a battle that could prove to be. Hang on everyone, it is going to get bumpy. Unless you just love Roller Coaster Rides from HELL!

This was as of 2003 and told to me by someone on base. Guess's anyone? You'll never get it.

Tidewater IS government money. Wait until the southern red staters see get this slap in the face.

NYC

Is that what you meant? W slapping the blue staters like he is planning to do by slashing AMTRAK?

shocked enough to quit my "dream job" a few weeks later.

There is your clue, where is anarchy1999?

Sorry there was a thread on DU well over a year ago about how the number of DU member was about to eclipse the population of Minot ND (I think it is North Dakota) and the number of people who had been there or LIVED there on that thread was quite shocking.

Sorry everyone. It gave me pause and lots of heartache, to know and to see.

Military bases ARE the economy in many areas especially the south.

Trent Lott wouldn't be having all these problems.

:evilgrin:
rocknation