Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) asked the Senate Veterans Affairs committee to delay voting on the "nomination of Tammy Duckworth, an injured Iraq war helicopter pilot, to be an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs." Contacted by ThinkProgress, Burr's Press Secretary, David Ward said that Burr is waiting for the answers to several questions he's put to the White House and Duckworth, but would not disclose what those questions were.
I can understand that a politician who might feel the need to increase his "Q rating" might decide the time has come to pick a fight. Congressman are engaged in a perpetual campaign, which means that some of the lesser known ones frequently struggle to stand out and attract renown. Hey, it can be hard to attract attention when you're surrounded on a daily basis by 534 other pols all concerned with face time and the care and feeding of their massive yet fragile egos. Still, if you're going to pick a battle with the hope of proving your bona fides to your constituents, you'd think that you could make it look as if you actually put some thought into the political ramifications.
I'm not here to tell you that Tammy Duckworth is a saint, or that's she's untouchable. Nonetheless, as a decorated war hero who lost two of her legs while serving her country, I would think that any political would want to bend over backwards in giving her the benefit of the doubt. Hey; she's lost two legs, right? If that doesn't give you an indication of her commitment to this country, I don't know what will. And even if you're completely devoid of humanity and compassion, and you happen to think it appropriate to soft-pedal her sacrifice, a quick look at what she's done for veterans in Illinois should clue you in.
(Memo to Sen. Burr: You might want to reconsider your pinhead populism and find a fight that you can reasonably win without looking like a complete dickweed.)
For whatever reason, Richard Burr has decided Tammy Duckworth is where he draws his line in the sane. He may have what he feels are legitimate concerns, or he may feel it appropriate to be a dick because she has a "D" for "Democrat" behind her name. Perhaps if Burr could see his way to articulating his concerns with Duckworth, his intransigence might begin to make sense. That he's refusing only indicates to me that his motives are purely political and he doesn't give a tinker's damn about Tammy Duckworth, veterans, or really anything that doesn't directly and materially improve his political standing with his constituents.
Yeah, so Tammy Duckworth lost two legs in combat. Big (&^%$#@ deal. I have to run for re-election, and she's a Democrat. You'd be doing the same thing...if you were a clueless, insenstive, partisan Republican desperately searching for something resembling political traction.
Here's to hoping that Sen. Burr discovers that he has a reserved parking space waiting for him in Hell....
