Five military veterans advising Sen. Sinema resign, calling her one of the 'principal obstacles to progress'
Category: News & Politics
Via: sister-mary-agnes-ample-bottom • 3 years ago • 172 commentsBy: Veronica Stracqualursi (MSN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Five military veterans on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's advisory board resigned from their roles this week, slamming the Arizona Democrat as one of the "principal obstacles to progress."
© Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP/Getty Images US Senator Kyrsten Sinema speaks during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the nomination of Chris Magnus to be the next US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner.
In a letter to Sinema, the veterans expressed frustration with her refusal to change the Senate filibuster to protect voting rights, failure to support prescription drug negotiations, her opposition to parts of the Democrats' sweeping budget reconciliation package that make up President Joe Biden's agenda and criticized her for not voting on the January 6 commission.
"You have become one of the principal obstacles to progress, answering to big donors rather than your own people," the veterans wrote. "We shouldn't have to buy representation from you, and your failure to stand by your people and see their urgent needs is alarming."
"We do not know who has your ear, but it clearly isn't us or your constituents," they added.
The criticism from the five veterans, whose resignations were effective Wednesday, adds to the growing backlash within the Democratic Party and from Arizona activists against Sinema for not backing elements of Biden's Build Back Better plan.
Their letter will be featured in a new ad from the progressive veterans group Common Defense, which will air on TV in Phoenix and Tucson.
The New York Times was first to report on the veterans' resignations and the ad.
Members of Sinema's veterans advisory council are voluntary positions and not paid members of her staff.
The group of five military veterans wrote they felt "as though we are merely given performative titles and used as window dressing for your own image—not as resources to provide counsel on what's best for veterans."
"We no longer feel you are aligned with our values, and we cannot in good faith continue to serve on your council," they said.
Sinema told CNN in a statement that she would "always remain grateful for these individuals' service to our nation," and had valued their input to her work.
"While it is unfortunate that apparent disagreement on separate policy issues has led to this decision," she said. "I thank them for their service and will continue working every day to deliver for Arizona's veterans who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe and secure."
This story has been updated with additional details.
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"You have become one of the principal obstacles to progress, answering to big donors rather than your own people," the veterans wrote. "We shouldn't have to buy representation from you, and your failure to stand by your people and see their urgent needs is alarming."
When veterans tell you that you know you fucked up
I disagree, just being a veteran doesn't give anybody a special insight. They agreed to be on her advisory counsel as she ran as a Democrat and now there are a lot of Democrats who are upset with her because of her stance. While they have the right to disagree and resign from her advisory counsel, they have no special abilities to indicate how badly someone is wrong over anybody else.
You're not trying to tell me that Sinema appointed these veterans because they are no-nothings, are you?
No, not at all. All I'm saying is just because someone is a vet does not mean they have any special insight. It was a direct reply to your comment in 1.1.
I think their status as veterans was mentioned solely to stir up controversy. If they just stated as 5 volunteers quit, it wouldn't get the attention that they want.
Oh, does being a veteran give people more political insight than non-veterans?
I don't think Sinema would appoint vets who didn't have some insight on economic and social issues unless she's as dumb as a potato
At least potatoes have eyes when she can't see what we do. She is a disgrace and needs to spend her remaining days next to an elevator.
"Members of Sinema's veterans advisory council..." Sounds like these people were advising her on an area they may have some knowledge about, ya know being veterans and all on a veterans advisory council.
But they don't have special insight ya know /s
Thank Yew !!!
How do you know they weren't appointed for insight in other areas? Gun control? Law enforcement? Veterans affairs? Defense? Education? There are dozens of things they're more likely to have insight on.
And exercising a little fiscal responsibility does not make her an "obstacle to progress". I don't care how long somebody served, that's just stupid. The US Govt flushing gargantuan amounts of money down the toilet is not progress. It's a return to 1978.
Bazinga!
Well she is a democrat!
Too funny, I passed on seeding this, this morning thinking it would be a dud.
LMAO.
I was surprised to login and see it in trending.
Too bad that there is not that many calling on Manchin to resign. He is THE biggest detriment to Democrats being able to get their infrastructure plan worked out. He and Sinema seem to be working hand-in-hand to prevent President Biden and their own party from trying to clean up the infrastructure and work in the climate change issues that seriously need to be addressed, NOW>
He said he would become an Independent if he left the Democrat party, but, from his desire to be all things important in Congress now, the Independents would likely not want him. He is more suited for the GOP, and they would LOVE to have him and his anti-Biden and anti whats good for the American people gamesmanship.
But, if he joined the GOP, how could he be as big a roadblock to the Democrats as he can be staying in the party?
He and Sinema are loving their ability to be the ones calling the shots now and not the President. Even their own constituents are unhappy with their 'not unless I say so' attitude. So reelection for them at this point may not be that cut and dried as it has been in the past.
It begins to look like they both but off more than they can chew and their 'it's all about me' attitude will come back to bite them in their respective rosy red raspberry.
JMOO
What in the hell do you think this 3.5 trillion was about?
Hard to see what her end game is, other than making as much money as she can once she leaves office, which should be relatively soon.
Her and Manchin - both DINOs
It could never be principle, could it? We've already spent enough to have us mired in inflation for years to come.
I think Democrats have a problem believing that any principle other than loyalty to the party exists.
TBH, a lot of Republicans have the same problem.
Hilarious to hear an alleged 'conservative' talk about principles. Absolutely freaking hilarious!
It's an ideology that demands obedience.
By we, you mean the republican lead congress of the previous 4 years, and the 2 trillion dollar tax cuts for the wealthy?
If Senate votes were made on principle we wouldnt always see all the Republicans voting one way and all the Democrats voting the other way. There would be defections.
Almost none of these votes are made on principle.
I think Republicans have a problem believing that any principle other than loyalty to the party exists.
Fixed it.
Nancy Pelosi has been speaker of the House since the 2018 election. She is not a Republican.
Facts are apparently optional for some of your readers.
Like the Republicans stonewalling in the Senate, even against Joe Manchin when he thought his legislation
was a done deal?
All hail King Mitch.
And the huge tax cuts for corporations and wealthy people (that caused the two trillion debt) were passed in 2017.
Projection alert!
Like your seeds?
Still telling that lie?
There were tax cuts for everyone; not just the wealthy. Of course we heard all the bitching from the left as the SALT deduction was capped at $10,000; which affected who again?
Also, Trump's tax cuts generated more tax revenue than Obama's eight year tenure.
Wow, increased tax revenue every year the tax cuts were in place. Including during the 2020 Pandemic year. Remind us again when rampant inflation kicked in? Let us guess it held off just long enough to fuck Biden over.
Or talking about party principles over loyalty to someone. I wonder where we have seen that before, people swearing loyalty to a person rather than a government or country?
I didn't get a f*%^in tax cut, neither did anyone in my extended family. So where is MY tax cut?
Oh, I got one, but it was a whole extra 70 bucks a month which doesn't cover the cost of a carton of smokes
Just pay your fair share!
So what?
Of the 2 trillion dollars worth of the tax cuts (billed as a "middle class" tax cut) 1.8 trillion went to the wealthy and corporations. Everyone else got crumbs if anything at all.
Then why haven't they paid for themselves as was promised?
I fucking did for decades. .
And you stopped....why?
Not really
I love it when you hit them with the facts. Facts are their kryptonite.
Really? Trump's tax cuts were passed in 2017. The impact hit in 2018.
US lost more tax revenue than any other developed country in 2018 due to Trump tax cuts, new report says
U.S. tax revenue as a proportion of GDP dropped the most out of any country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2018, according to a report released Thursday .
That’s largely due to the $1.5 trillion GOP tax cut President Donald Trump signed into law in 2017 .
The tax cuts dramatically altered the U.S. tax landscape for the first time in decades by permanently slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, temporarily cutting individual tax rates and limiting state and local tax deductions, among other changes .
I'm not sure the math on this is going to go the way you want it to.
Both tax revenue and GDP rose from 2017 to 2018. The lower tax/GDP ratio just means that GDP rose faster. There really isn't any reasonable way to interpret that as a bad thing.
Does she have a principal? She's kind of all over the place.
Same here.
Lol ... "facts" are what you say they are eh? Well here is a real fact about one of the main contributors to the trillions of debt al is talking about.
The ARRA stimulus package.
Obama added over 8 trillion to the national debt. A 70% increase. Trump added just under 8 trillion. Less than a 40% increase.
Not that either were particularly good for our kids or grandkids futures.
Well you know what they say about statistics, right?
Lies, damnable lies and statistics, lol.
8 trillion each but somewhere in the percentages one is worse that the other?
One helped us claw our way out of a recession.
The other just gave it all away.
SMH.
Lol ..... it always cracks me up when partisans play the pick and chose rationalization game.
Tax cuts for big business .... BAD! Bailing out big business ..... GOOD!
70% increase in ND done by democrat ....... GOOD! 40% increase in ND done by conservative ...... BAD!
Bias against my cause ..... BAD! Bias toward my cause ..... GOOD!
I'm not shaking my head, i'm laughing my ass off at the hypocrisy at play here.
It's so egregious it's funny.
Self recognition and laughing at your self is a sign of good mental health!
I agree so keep it up
Not to worry, she will hopefully be replaced in 2022 by a Republican along with Mark Kelly!
She IS a republican.
Kelly is up for re-election in 2022, but not Sinema.
That is ludicrous.
The first sentence of the seed says she is a Dem.
She is, in name only. DINO.
Ahhh, okay.
Yeah, I forgot she is a Senator instead of a Representative. Either way, I look for her to be voted out in 2024.
Uh no, she is in in fact a Democrat.
Another worthless republican.
Sinema the foolish clothes horse thinks she is overqualified to be POTUS.
That's her end game.
CMTSU
Better qualified than the current VP
I found McCain sexy but she one of the better neocon goblins to look at. It's not entirely bad though, it could be worse, she is keeping the total lunatic squad from dry humping Biden while he's past out.
A former social worker and a Green Party tree hugger?
She's been a professional politician since 2004 and she votes more conservatively than several
Republicans Senatards
Be careful not to vote with your eyes GJ.
Thank you for your comment.
Latest release on "what to say" from the DNC or Progressive Liberal Caucus?
"I found McCain sexy but she one of the better neocon goblins to look at. It's not entirely bad though, it could be worse, she is keeping the total lunatic squad from dry humping Biden while he's past out."
So you like fat mouthy bitches BF?
She's no longer on the View.
I like em a little thick in the kick. The anorexic ones look like they should be discovered in rocks by an archeologist with a little brush and digging tool.
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removed for context
removed for context
Good one!
I notice my comment was removed but not JJ's which was a direct insult. Why am I not surprised?
I never implied you were but I did say let's not be implying as a larger group of people like the entire country. Times have changed.
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Moose foots never forget, I have a photographic foot.
I see, Libtard will get you a ticket but Senatard is okay? Hilarious and coupon away!
That said, I don’t disagree with the sentiment. Some of the biggest senatards in the senate are Democrats.
Wow talk about child abuse and animal abuse all at once! Poor baby chick
So some folks are disgruntled with her.
No big deal, she seems capable enough to withstand the pressure from her own party.
Anything to get the progressive liberals to see how much money they are frivolously wanting to spend.
I welcome her reasonable approach.
Thank you for your comment.
No, thank you for the thank you for his comment.
I am ashamed I voted for her because she's bisexual and has nice boobs. Now I feel like a primitive creature.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for being nice, i get a bit silly when i take my 8 year old's Adderall.
Those are two of the best comments I've seen on this site in over 4 years. LMAO
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yeah...he's really funny until he turns on ya
Her motivation is money, nothing more.
Maybe she needs to buy bigger um nevermind.
Thank you for your comment.
Tell us what politician, Republican or Democrat, in Washington isn't to one extent or another.
Does mentioning that the 5 that quit being veterans supposed to add to the outrage? 5 quit. There are more than likely THOUSANDS of veterans who are backing her. I know of about 20 right here at my job.
I think that's how one knows it's more a partisan piece than true outrage. Adding in that they are veterans to some people will add more "weight" to the matter when in reality being a veteran doesn't give anybody any special insight into something like this. I'm a veteran, I didn't vote for her in 18 but she has been more centrist than I would have thought she would have been so I do support her now. Will I support her in 24 when she runs for re-election? That will all depend on who else runs against her...
I don't think there were advising her on any military business, really making them nothing more than volunteers. For all we know they could have been doing volunteer work to get the Army Volunteer Service Medal.
As a veteran, I do get tired of both sides trying to play up peoples veteran status for partisan garbage. We saw it with Robert Meuller (was pushed that because he has 2 BSM's that makes him qualified - I know a Captain with 2 BSMs that couldn't tie his own boots) or LTC Vindeman (who altered official documents to make the POTUS look bad).
Yes our (yours, mine and every other veteran) does mean something but it shouldn't be used for political reasons like this article is trying to do.
I feel the same way and shame on all Vets who fall for crap like this.
They didn't quit being veterans you ding-dong. They quit being advisors on her advisory council.
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Thank you for your comment.
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I know what the fuck they were talking about. They were merely VOLUNTEERS who happen to be veterans. That status is now being used for political garbage.
Well when you parse the statement, it is lacking punctuation and your favorite word "is" that could have made
what he wrote much more clearly signal what he meant,
instead of "us" having to rely on his regularly
accepted ideology of conservative snarling.
Cn uyo rd tihs?
Some intelligent people's minds automatically decipher the jumble as they read.
I was hoping you could have done the same for the post in question, it wasn't really very hard.
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If it was one of your favorite liberal members that you just love to parse words with for days at a time,
you would have argued over what they typed as opposed to what we assume they meant.
Right?
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Not allowed to answer, sorry!
On her Veteran's Advisory Board.
Now does it seem pertinent? Or would you prefer a good mix of the trades to be on the Veteran's Board
and put veterans on the COVID Advisory Board?
Might work out better than Faucci.
Are you saying you wouldn't give Dr. Facui a handjob if you were showering together?
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
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That comes from not knowing comma placement.
This too funny, when a Vet supports a 'conservative' their word is gold. @!@
Isn't it, tho. The hypocrisy with some of these people is so thick you have to cut it with chainsaw
This is a far better statement with a bit more insight to what they were/are and did...........
"Five veterans on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) advisory board for Arizona service members quit..................'
I guess they have never heard of or seen a liberal veteran. Do they think everyone you served with is a conservative? Hell, even in the Corps (the most conservative branch) there were liberals mixed into every unit. Just for shits and giggles answer these 2 questions truthfully: Do they think every minority soldier is a Republican? How about all Caucasian soldiers?
I believe there are tons of liberal veterans. My friend's son just joined and they asked him for a preferred pronoun. If there aren't tons there will be soon.
Thank you for your comment.
I was told by somebody right here that I obviously didn't have my priorities straight because I'm a liberal veteran
We have become tribal primates as a species treating one another horribly, in reality two people who served together probably have more in common than not except for political opinions.
What he said to you was wrong.
Then you should tell him that. I know it was wrong, but with this particular person he's never wrong or so he says
As a Liberal veteran I know that Republicans are the most likely to send troops into combat. I also know that they will not deal with the aftermath of their actions. They are willing to use us for their own purposes, willing to kill us and when we return home they hang us out to dry. It's the Democrats who take care of the veterans when they return. It has been like this since Vietnam.
I dare that asshole to challenge me.
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He doesn't have teh guts. He only likes to bully women
My best and oldest friend that I grew up with joined the Navy together. We both served 20 years and retired on the same day on opposite sides of the country. I am a fight leaning registered Independent while he is a liberal leaning Independent. He and I have many great conversations over the years. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we do not. Sometimes things get tense and we, by mutual understanding back off, agree to disagree and go on to other subjects. He and I can do this because of a great mutual respect for each other's views whether we agree or not. I find some of the same here in NT. I wish there were more people like that. Liberal veterans? You bet there are. I owe my life to some that were Marines.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Nixon started the ''end the war'' campaign because the American people were fed up with it. 1969 to 1973 when he announced the Paris Peace Talks the US withdrew from active combat in Nam. In 1975 Saigon fell. In between the invasion of Cambodia and Laos, the bombing campaigns and over 20,000 US servicemen died.
The only ''good guys'' were the ones on the ground, in-country, Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force. The rest were useless politicians.
Trump was once invited to peace talks thinking they were piece talks so he could brag about grabbing pussy. (rim shot)
Thank you for your cervix.
I too am a liberal veteran.
Welcome home.
I was on amphibious assault ship off Dang in 1975. Flew as medical aircrew on USMC UH-1 SAR and medevac birds.
So they are upset she isn't backing the Democrat's attempt to violate the Constitution?
We all know that Democrats are eager to turn every state into California. They already figured out how to game their own law there. They could care less about voting rights; all they care about is staying in power. Same as the Republicans. They think enacting this bill will take this country to a one party system.
The filibuster is NOT part of the Constitution. It is NOT a law.
The filibuster is merely a Senate rule. Moscow Mitch changed it so he could put Trump's anti-abortion judges on the Supreme Court.
That would be Harry Reid.
Someone needs to study the constitution and it is not you.
For four decades, a 60-vote supermajority had been required to advance all federal judicial nominees and executive-office appointments, per The Washington Post.
Then, Senate Republicans attempted to filibuster multiple Obama nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, his pick for Defense secretary, and his choices to lead the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In response, Reid orchestrated a move to lower the Senate vote threshold to 51 to confirm most presidential appointments — but not nominees to the Supreme Court.
Those nominees, and legislation, could still be filibustered.
The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 52-48 in favor of the change, which was dubbed the "nuclear option."
At the time, McConnell condemned the move.
“It’s a sad day in the history of the Senate,” he told reporters, calling it a “power grab" by Democrats.
In 2017, McConnell and Republicans lowered the threshold for nominees to the Supreme Court, too
By 2017, roles had reversed — Republicans held the majority in the Senate, and President Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office.
After Senate Democrats, now in the minority, filibustered the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch — Trump's first nominee to the Supreme Court — McConnell engineered his own "nuclear option.
" The Republican-controlled Senate voted 52-48 to reduce the vote threshold for confirming nominees to the Supreme Court from 60 to 51....
“This is the latest escalation in the left’s never-ending judicial war, the most audacious yet,” McConnell said, of Democratic efforts to filibuster the Gorsuch high court nomination.
Our rating: False
We rate this claim FALSE, based on research. Then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was not responsible for lowering the vote threshold to confirm Supreme Court nominees to 51 . Rather, he orchestrated that change for judicial nominees and presidential appointments, excluding the Supreme Court. When control of the Senate changed parties, it was Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who extended the rule change to apply to nominees to the Supreme Court in 2017.
Harry arranged for a cut out, an exception to the rule.
McConnell wasn't complaining while pushing all the Trump judge nominations through..
The rule itself has been weaponized by both sides to stymie progress for partisan reasons.
Now since the 70's only 41 Senatards have to contact their leader by phone and vote for fillibuster
the days of actual filibusters are all but over.
Tyranny of the minority.
I read somewhere that there have only been 21 times when the Senatards voted unanimously.
most recently to make Juneteeth a holiday
and in 2018 to block any defund the police bills.
The filibuster was created by mistake when Aaron Burr was the leader in 1805.
The House & Senate rule books of 1789 were nearly identical.
Burr ordered the Senate to drop the majority rule, rule,
because he thought it was redundant and they had too
many rules, the Senate went along with it.
What would be constitutional would be to reinstate the 1789 rule books as the FF wrote them.
Yes. He removed the filibuster for judicial nominees.
McConnell used Reid's rules.
This is all pretty well documented.
Wrong.
Reid provided a cut out for Federal Judges butt NOT nominees for the Supreme Court.
Then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was not responsible for lowering the vote threshold to confirm Supreme Court nominees to 51 . Rather, he orchestrated that change for judicial nominees and presidential appointments, excluding the Supreme Court. When control of the Senate changed parties, it was Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who extended the rule change to apply to nominees to the Supreme Court in 2017. usatoday
When the Democrats threatened to filibuster a Trump nominee ( Gorsuch) Moscow Mitch Changed the filibuster rule and made a carve out for SCOTUS nominees.
Mitch McConnell is the last person (so far) who changed the filibuster rules. It's time to add a new set of carve outs to protect voting rights and get rid of the fiscal cliff (continue to fund the government). Maybe it's time to permit majority rule and get rid of the filibuster.
Why don't we follow Pres. Washington's advice, and get rid of all political parties. Read his farewell address, he admonishes both Adams and Jefferson for dividing the country into Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
It would be nice to know the background (s) of the vets to better understand their fustration.
She is actively against allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with big pharma. Some of her largest donors are big pharma...Figures.
She is from AZ with 18% of the population over 65...
I knew there was a good reason why I don't like her.
Not just the goofy fashion show?
This is a little off topic here but - look at the monster that has been created by one of the world's greatest bamboozlers/charlatans - whatshiname - trumpturd.
To all all those taken by one of the world's greatest bamboozlers/charlatans - whatshiname - trumpturd - to today's gqp and their supporters/enablers.
Too true, Sister Mary Agnes!
I remember donating to Sinema when she ran for a House Seat in 2012. Both my husband and I were unemployed then, but we were still SHELLACKED by the 2010 midterms, so, we donated the little that we could, to overturn the 2010 "shellacking".
Look at her now. She was supposed to be our safe harbor, you know? WTF happened to her?
All those dollars we contributed to her from our savings account in 2012, competing with our survival - this is what we got now?
UNFUKNGBELIEVABLE
To a majority of the hard core liberal left, the idea of a moderate Democrat is total anathema.
I voted for McSally anyway.
I would have as well if i lived in Az.