Repuke Senator Inhoffe Embarrasses Self, Senate, Human Race

[Ian David]

Republican Senator Embarrasses Self, Senate
In a fevered YouTube video, Sen. James Inhofe launches a series of patently false accusations at Gates' military spending plan.
Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 12:41 PM on April 7, 2009.

t's hardly surprising that members of Congress would be reluctant to accept Defense Secretary Robert Gates' efforts to restructure military spending. Gates' proposal is a rather dramatic effort at reform, and for lawmakers who've grown attached to Pentagon-related pork, the administration's proposal shakes up the status quo.

But while some resistance was inevitable, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), a constant embarrassment to himself and the Senate, is once again breaking new grounds of indecency.

In a YouTube video that is getting linked around the conservative blogosphere, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) attacked Defense Secretary Robert Gates' 2010 defense budget recommendations, though he aimed his criticism at President Obama instead of Gates. Speaking from Afghanistan, Inhofe declared that "President Obama is disarming America. Never before has a president so ravaged the military at a time of war."

Specifically, Inhofe charges Obama with cutting funding for "our troops in the field during an ongoing war."

In the video, Inhofe adds, "Here in Afghanistan, while the war is intensifying and the number of U.S. forces increases at the direction of President Obama, he undercuts those he sends into harm's way. It is not just unbelievable ... it is unconscionable."

Of course, Inhofe is either lying or he's a fool. (It's so hard to tell.) Following the recommendations of its Republican defense secretary, the Obama administration is increasing military spending from $513 billion under Bush to $534 billion in 2010. Inhofe, who's never been accused of being the sharpest crayon in the box, is making a series of ridiculous war-related accusations that don't make any sense at all. "Disarming America"? "Ravaging the military at a time of war"? "Undercutting" the troops? Even by Inhofe standards, this is blisteringly stupid.

More:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/135528/republican_senator_embarrasses_self%2C_senate/

[bluestateguy]

1. You cannot bash the commander in chief while on foreign soil

That's a No-No.

Not the way it's gonna be.

[walldude]

9. That's what they said about the Dixie Chicks....

Let him babble....

[rfranklin]

2. The rate of spending is slowing, this is the same as when they

say that letting the Bush tax giveaway to the rich expire is a "tax increase."

[Hubert Flottz]

3. It's those people in Washington that make too much money

that need to give up all those perks and big paychecks. They should work for the same wages that congress critters in Afghanistan and Iraq work for. Then the government wouldn't be broke all the time. Look at all those former congress critters drawing all that retirement money and getting free medical coverage...no wonder the country is going broke and can't afford to fund Halliburton Kellogg Brown and Root and Blackwater anymore. No wonder we don't have planeloads of hundred dollar bills to send to Iraq or we don't have 50 million to give to the Talliban, or that we can't start another war of aggression based on total bullshit. Those Congress critters need to make drastic concessions NOW if not sooner. They need to fly coach and stop running all over the world playing politics on our dime! They need to stay out of airport bathrooms trying to buy love with taxpayer dollars. They need to WATCH WHAT THEY SAY...when the country has soldiers in the field fighting for their lives.

[Winterblues]

4. Bush*'s $513 billion was without Iraq and Afghanistan spending included

Obama's includes all Military spending..It is in reality a cut but not for troops in theatre. It cuts many future weapons programs that the troops have never used or even seen.

[KamaAina]

5. So he finally volunteered? Is that why he's in Afghanistan?

oh, right, I suppose not...

[earthboundmisfit]

6. He embarrasses every thinking person in the state of Oklahoma.

For that matter, so does Coburn.

[librechik]

7. Gee, I wonder how many defense-based industries make their homes in OK?

Just the bigger ones, I guess.

[provis99]

8. Oklahoma has the stupidest Congressional delegation in the country

The only one of them with any brains is Dan Boren. The rest are jaw-droppingly stupid.