During a recent interview on Fox News, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) bizarrely complained about supposed poem readings aboard military aircraft carriers, characterizing these happenings as supposed symptoms of “woke” ideology — which has quickly become so many Republicans’ evidently favorite boogeyman. To be clear, Tuberville’s background before the Senate is in… sports. He is not a military strategist. And yet, he’s demanding prioritization for his own ideology for how the military should function.
He’s doing so while objecting to and blocking in the Senate the confirmations of hundreds of selections for top posts across military leadership, claiming outrage at the Defense Department’s decision to provide travel support to personnel seeking an abortion. Hundreds of posts have been affected by Tuberville’s months of objections — a list even including the highest ranking uniformed officer roles in three branches of the military. While many responsibilities associated with the affected roles can be completed on what’s known as an acting basis by somebody else, the transference isn’t absolute, and it then leaves these other perhaps less prepared individuals juggling even more responsibilities while the military faces cascades of logistical problems.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), herself a veteran, responded to Tuberville’s bizarre poems rant on X, the platform formerly called Twitter. “Roses are red, violets are blue. Poems aren’t hurting our military. No Coach, that’s you,” the Senator told her followers.
Tuberville’s lack of military background also means he’s not exactly in a position of authority to credibly assert his actions aren’t actually impacting in any significant manner the military’s readiness. Yet, he’s alleged exactly that.
Roses are red, violets are blue.
Poems aren’t hurting our military.
No Coach, that’s you. pic.twitter.com/AB7459aUC7
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) September 8, 2023
