Hill Republicans say they're growing frustrated with Mattis

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico



The Marine general was welcomed as a moderating force in the Trump administration, but his moves to name Obama veterans to Pentagon posts are irritating allies in key committees.

By ELI STOKOLS and ELIANA JOHNSON 03/22/17 05:07 AM EDT

Defense Secretary James Mattis’ unconventional choices for top Pentagon posts and his reluctance to aggressively push for dramatic increases in the defense budget have rankled Republicans on Capitol Hill who say he’s burning through political capital he needs as he begins reshaping the Pentagon.

Mattis was widely embraced on both sides of the aisle when President Donald Trump nominated him. Republicans and Democrats alike expressed hope that the four-star general would be a moderating force on the volatile commander in chief. But Republican lawmakers and senior congressional aides said in recent interviews they’re running out of patience with the former four-star general’s staffing decisions, which have disappointed Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee hoping to see their ideological allies elevated to senior levels in the Defense Department. Others are grumbling about Mattis’s refusal to advocate a bigger increase in the defense budget, which defense hawks believe was gutted disastrously under President Barack Obama.

“He certainly has got a tough job, but it sometimes feels like he forgets that we won the election,” said one aide to a GOP senator on the Armed Services Committee, who declined to speak on the record for fear of publicly alienating the defense secretary.

“We’ve waited eight years for this, to be able to fill these posts with Republicans,” said another top GOP Hill staffer. “We know Trump isn’t part of the establishment and that it’s going to be a bit different, but it should go without saying that a Republican administration is expected to staff federal agencies with Republicans.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/mattis-defense-hill-republicans-obama-236329

[IronLionZion]

1. Stand strong General Mattis

the only sensible person in this nuthouse of an administration.

[nycbos]

6. McMaster is sensible as well.

But those two are it.

[Phoenix61]

2. He's military

I think he cares more about having qualified people who will work well together than what party they are. If he isn't advocating for a bigger budget, maybe he doesn't think it is needed. No wonder they are upset with him.

[bettyellen]

11. He knows the budget is bloated with construction contracts but nothing for soldiers....

Also the chatter about more "boots on the ground" for what? DT's ego? It's not good planning.

[Grins]

3. "...it sometimes feels like he forgets that we won the election,

"...it sometimes feels like he forgets that we won the election,” 'this is "our due', he didn't add.

[DFW]

4. Oh, dear. A Defense Secretary is looking for competence rather than party hacks?

Did he think he was supposed take his job seriously or something? Didn't anyone tell him to call Donald Rumsfeld for guidance? Aren't there any WMD in Honduras or Nauru or or some other out-of-the-way place that needs invasion? No wonder the Republicans are up in arms. It might be that Trump screwed up mightily this time, and actually picked a cabinet Secretary who could end up being good at his job. That kind of error will not be quickly forgiven or forgotten.

[tanyev]

5. Heh.

[SansACause]

7. Country over party

Republicans don't think like that.

[Jonny Appleseed]

8. Reminder that a man named "Mad Dog" Mattis is the voice of reason in this administration

[weissmam]

14. That being said

he is well respected by everyone in the military on both side sof the isles, he was just as likely to be nominated by a demo as a gop

[Jonny Appleseed]

16. It's just the irony behind the name, not the person himself

Cracks me up every time

[Cosmocat]

9. Christ are these people simple minded

Republican good.
Democrat bad.

That is the axis point for everything, and the means toward the end of their sainted attack on liberalism is fully justified and rationalized.

[keithbvadu2]

10. "...forgets that we won the election, said one aide to a GOP senator

"...forgets that we won the election,” said one aide to a GOP senator

Trump supporter reminding all that they won.

Super sized billboard... BIGLY

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141733005

[kimbutgar]

19. Yuck I can't unsee this now!

That is really an ugly American.

[Mr. Sparkle]

12. Isn't this the party against affirmative action? Whatever happened to appointing the best person for

the job. No wonder they are such a shambles, they are more bent that a $4 dollar bill.

[PearliePoo2]

13. How long until Mattis gives BLOTUS a one-finger salute as he walks out the door?

As a career military man, it must be eye-brow raising for him since everywhere he looks in this administration there's a fucking Russian/Putin connection. It must sicken him. Oh and that pesky FBI investigation too.
Take a walk Mattis, the entire admin. is one big FUBAR.

[coco22]

15. But,RepubliCONS don't know how to..

do the work,they always make more problems.

[Tanuki]

17. So, I guess he won't be their presidential nominee next time. Too bad...he would have had

a great bumper sticker:
Mad Dog 2020

[denbot]

22. Win!

Ugh, dreadful swill.

[kimbutgar]

18. So appointing people who are competent and knowledgeable about the miltary are bad?

These GOP are idiots and evil.

[cstanleytech]

20. Translation: He isnt staging the coup we wanted so that down the road we can create our own SS.

[The Polack MSgt]

21. I posted back in January that 45 messed up by

Appointing Sec. Mattis.

I firmly believe that he read the "Be polite, be professional and have a plan to kill everyone you meet" quote and thought that's my guy. He never checked the context regarding when he said it or to whom it was said - because he can't read for comprehension.

BTW, he said that quote to Marine Officers in Afghanistan when asked about how to handle meeting village leaders not knowing if they were Taliban or not - It got a big laugh