Arkansas Blog

Why? Because they approve of the job he's doing? There ARE Arkansas soldiers dying in Iraq.

Our senators are useless.

Rumsfield is only one of the reasons soldiers are dying in Iraq. The buck stops at Bush, and I'd be OK with our senators drumming up support for impeachment. I doubt that will happen but we can hope.

I'd like to see our legislature follow Vermont and the other two states in trying to pass a resolution calling for impeachment. That won't happen, but again we can hope.

Of COURSE they won't. *Sigh.*

why would they waste their energy and political chits on something so lofty and political? I am proud that they aren't burning bridges on something so media-inspired.

Another example of what's wrong with the Democratic party.

Media-Inspired? Retired Generals, and a Rear Admiral? I don't believe these generals and troops coming out are being political because they "hate Bush" - I believe that they have seen that the war is not working. America used to be better than this, so was our congress. Our two senators are just as guilty as the republicans - loyal to the party - and not to their country...

The Dems wait for things to get worse for a "better opportunity"....Shame on them both.

I sure do wish the democrats in congress - especially ours - would get some balls.

Thats whats lacking and why the republicans keep winning. Because even when they're wrong they are confidently wrong.

Come on guys! Show some moxie!

Impeachment has been hushed up by the media. You wouldn't know that 3 legislatures are working on impeachment unless you stumbled across the story.

Meanwhile, the mainstream press follows the orchestrated PR Republican campaign. Don't forget who owns the media. Don't forget what happened to the Dixie Chicks. Or Vic Snyder.

If the president has done nothing wrong, he has nothing to worry about. The stonewalling Repubs are doing shows otherwise.

Et tu Brute? No big surprise there. Those two voted for his confirmation, his two wars and took money from Abramoff's law firm.

The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a diferent outcome. The Democrats holding out expecting these two neo cons to vote against Bush fits that description. Now, they've done it again hanging on to Rumsfeld.

The upsetting part - the people that still to this day support them after they've screwed them over but good.

And another thing that is sickening, is them grooming and training their people to bring that neo con filty politics into our state offices. Why isn't Vic Snyder grooming a progressive or an actual Democrat to follow in his footsteps?

You better be paying attention, up until now, we only had a couple two or three neo cons to contend with in the house and senate. If you are not diligent, we'll have them in all our state offices.

Those of you who are heartened by the efforts of state legislatures to impeach President Bush need to read your constitution. ONLY the US House of Representatives can issue articles of impeachment and the US Senate is the only body that can try him. Second lesson---if you should be successful then Vice President Cheney would become President. I don't think that you have thought this through. Impeachment of a President during wartime has pretty substantial consequences.

Every thread that I have read uses the term 'neocon' to describe anyone that doesn't follow liberal orthodoxy. Some us not of the liberal persuasion are 'conservatives'. We bear as much resemblance to neos and you do. However, I don't really think that the people using the term have any idea what it means.

I sure do wish the democrats in congress - especially ours - would get some balls.

That may be a difficult task for Blanche

Why isn't Vic Snyder grooming a progressive or an actual Democrat to follow in his footsteps?

His wife hasn't given him permission yet.

See what we get for the $165,000 per year plus perks Lincoln and Pryor are paid. To paraphrase our Retard, you're either for Rummy or you're against him, so it looks like Mark and Blanche think he's doing a wonderful job.

Do the families of the 2393 dead US solders think he's doing such a good job? That's 2 more dead soldiers since this time yesterday.

We should send a note to the President saying we want to give up our 2 Senate seats. Just agree that Arkansas will rubberstamp and OK anything this and future Presidents desire. That would save the country at least a half a million bucks a year. Maybe other states will follow suit and the 20 big corporations that run this country will be free to do as they please. They do anyway. Thanks for nothing Senators! Be sure and think about our dead soldiers when you lay down at night.

Ok, what do two Senators from Arkansas have to do with a President's decision to keep the SecDef or not? You expect them to spend energy on this?

So you think if Rummy got booted tomorrow the war in Iraq would stop or Bush would appoint Neil Young to be the Secretary of Defense?

If you want to get mad at somebody, get mad at Bush & the people that elected him. Don't get mad at Mark and Blanche concerning who the President picks to serve on his cabinent.

I like the idea of getting rid of the Senate seats but let's think bigger than just Arkansas. Let's do it in all 50 states and replace all of those seats with one 'Super Duper Senator'. I nominate Hillary Baby for that job. Think of it as kind of a consolation prize for President.

Fine. I won't bother to "get involved" when these useless sacks of crap ask us to re-elect them. We'd be no worse off having real Republicans in those two seats.

"We'd be no worse off having real Republicans in those two seats."

Yes, but we will always have Paris!

Does this all mean that I need to notify Hillary that there will be no 'Super Duper Senator' job offer?

Funny how Senator Lincoln's and Pryor's "...not getting involved..." mirrors their constituent's "...not voting..." in the next senate election.

If we wanted loyal Republican Senators, we would have voted for them, but if Senatorial passivity on Bush, Rumsfeld, immigration etc. continues to remove the differences between Republican opponents and Lincoln and Pryor why vote for the loyal Republicans masquerading as Democrats?

Why don't you ask Hillary to run for a senate seat in Arkansas? Actually living in the state doesn't seem to be an obstacle. Maybe you can entice her to return and she will bring Bubba with her. Then you will have two Clintons to run. And it took a 'neocon' to think of it. Aren't you lefties ashamed of yourselves?

"Personally, I'm not calling for his resignation, but that's completely up to the president," said Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

Like Pryor, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said she would defer to Bush who she said made it clear "that Secretary Rumsfeld is his choice for the job.

"In spite of criticism by retired generals who served in Iraq, I believe this issue is resolved for now," Lincoln said in a statement.

*******

Rumsfeld was confirmed by the US Senate. He doesn't serve at the 'will of the pResident'. If he was confirmed, he can be removed from office, forced to resign (Nixon) or impeached (Clinton). Guess Rummy needs to wear a blue dress to get Lincoln to vote to get rid of him...

From 2001:

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/stories/01/20/senate.vote/?????

Senate confirms Powell, Rumsfeld, O'Neill for Bush Cabinet

January 20, 2001
Web posted at: 5:09 p.m. EST (2209 GMT)
In this story:

Powell sets milestone

Rumsfeld returns to Pentagon

O'Neill also a White House veteran

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate on Saturday confirmed the top tier of President George W. Bush's Cabinet -- secretaries of state, defense and treasury.

Following tradition, senators met briefly in the Capitol shortly after Bush was sworn in as the nation's 43rd president. On quick voice votes, the Senate approved retired Gen. Colin Powell to head the State Department, former Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld for a second turn as defense secretary and retired industrialist Paul O'Neill for the Treasury post.

Other confirmations included Ann Veneman as agriculture secretary, Don Evans as commerce secretary, Spencer Abraham as energy secretary, and Rod Paige as education secretary.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, had voiced concern about Abraham advocating dumping nuclear waste in his home state of Nevada, but withdrew his objection and allowed the confirmation to go forward.

This first batch of Bush nominees breezed through their confirmation hearings earlier this week.

Senate Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi said the Senate most likely would confirm most of Bush's other Cabinet picks next week.

Additional contentious debate over Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft's nomination for U.S. attorney general, however, could push the process beyond next week.

After a heated four-day confirmation hearing, Ashcroft still may face a long debate on the Senate floor, led by Democrats upset with the choice. Several senators, led by Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, accuse Ashcroft of being "out of the mainstream of society" describing Ashcroft's stances against abortion and gun control as being too conservative.

Also, Senate committee confirmation hearings for Transportation secretary nominee Norman Mineta, Labor secretary nominee Elaine Chao and U.S. trade representative nominee Robert Zoellick are not scheduled until next week, also likely pushing their full Senate votes into the following week.

Powell sets milestone

Powell, who oversaw U.S. forces during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, will be the first African-American secretary of state and the highest-ranking ever in the U.S. government.

The secretary of state, who oversees international policy, ranks fifth in the hierarchy of U.S. government officials.

Powell served as national security adviser to former President Ronald Reagan and then as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the first Bush administration and at the beginning of the first Clinton administration.

Rumsfeld returns to Pentagon

Rumsfeld, a former congressman from Illinois and White House chief of staff under former President Gerald Ford, was the youngest-ever defense secretary at age 43 serving under Ford from 1975 to 1977.

During his long career, Rumsfeld also held high-level posts in the Nixon administration and headed a bipartisan commission that concluded two years ago that U.S. intelligence officials have been too relaxed.

O'Neill also a White House veteran

O'Neill, retired chairman of Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Inc., was a Washington hand in the 1960s and 1970s, including a stint as deputy budget director under Ford.

He joined International Paper Co., a paper and forest products giant, in 1985, and two years later moved to Alcoa as chairman and chief executive of the world's largest aluminum manufacturer.