SecDef nominee Ash Carter makes the novel argument that he can protect the DoD from the PotUS.

So this is where we are, now: “Ash Carter vows to be a “stickler for the chain of command” if confirmed by the Senate as the next secretary of defense, according to the opening statement prepared for his confirmation hearing Wednesday.” As Glenn Reynolds notes, this is pretty much semantically equivalent to Ash Carter saying that he’ll keep Barack Obama away from the controls at the Department of Defense until the end of the Obama administration. Which is… great news, actually; and God help us all that it is.

7 thoughts on “SecDef nominee Ash Carter makes the novel argument that he can protect the DoD from the PotUS.”

  1. The problem is President Obama is in the chain of command so he can’t be kept out. Now, if you can keep out the White House flunkeys, that’s another story.

  2. Do you honestly believe Ash Carter is being honest here? President Obama is at the top of the chain of command remember.

    1. I agree with that assessment .. smells more like Carter is suggesting he’ll keep the degenerate warmongers of the GOP away from the DoD… which also isn’t a terrible argument *against* him.
      .
      Mew

    2. Obama is.
      Obama’s flunkies, are not. (And it seems to be largely his flunkies that are running things.)
      Obama does not like having to make decisions.
      Obama does not like taking accountability.
      Obama does not like having to go through formal channels, like writing a direct order.
      .
      So, yes. I can see this putting a serious crimp in Obama’s style.
      .
      Especially since Mr Carter presumably wants to be in the good graces of the military (and military appropriators) when his term expires in two years.

    1. To be clear, Mitch McConnell should deliver a list of acceptable choices to the president, with the explanation “We won”.

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