The senate refused to pass the the Webb-Hagel measure today. The measure sought to grant U.S. troops as much time at home as they spent in Iraq before being eligible for redeployment.
The New York Times reported the story under the headline "Democrats Fall Short in Vote on Home Leave for Troops," as though it reflects some sort of failure on senate Democrats. But the real failure here is on the part of senate Republicans (and Joe Lieberman). With the exceptions of Senators Chuck Hagel, Norm Coleman, John Sununu, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins, every Republican senator voted against the measure.
According to the Times, "Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, argued that it would hobble the president. “We have one commander in chief, and one only,” Mr. McCain said. The senator said the message he is getting from the troops in Iraq is simple: “Let us win.”"
Apparently, military families don't have a place in McCain's calculus, or the calculus of the vast majority of his party for that matter.
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McCain's definitely being a scumbag when he claims Webb's amendment is unconstitutional. Josh Marshall explains:
The idea that the United States Congress cannot make laws governing the organization, regulation and laws governing the US military is as plainly ridiculous as it is shocking.
The organization of the branches, the order of ranks and the chain of command, the Uniform Code of Military Justice all come from laws passed by Congress. What McCain must be claiming is that these regulations about lengths of troop deployments amount to de facto limitations on his operational control of the Army. But all sorts of those regs and laws I just mentioned do that in one sense of another. And of course cutting off funds would do the same thing (something the GOP talking points claim would be an appropriate, if ill-advised, assertion of congressional power).
As I said, people spout off about a lot of crap on Capitol Hill. But McCain's claim is part of a increasingly common Republican claim that the president is a virtual dictator on all questions regarding the American military.
Let's be clear, that's what McCain wants. A virtual dictatorship. And this should give everyone some insight into what he'd do as President.
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