Donnelly announces support for Trump's CIA pick Gina Haspel

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill

BY JOHN BOWDEN - 05/12/18 10:54 AM EDT

Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) on Saturday became the second Democratic senator to announce his support for Gina Haspel, President Trump's pick to lead the CIA.

In a statement released on Twitter Saturday morning, the senator pointed to Haspel's support from former CIA directors John Brennan, Michael Hayden, and Leon Panetta.

Link to tweet

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Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/387405-donnelly-announces-support-for-trumps-cia-pick-gina-haspel

[old guy]

1. Anyone, ANYONE, who supports her nomination is condoning torture.

It is really as simple as that.

[theaocp]

2. Everybody put your hands together for principles.

He has a D after his name, so shut up. Clap louder.

[zentrum]

8. Well said.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. Seriously... so much for the rule of law.

[Hortensis]

35. Donnelly has a 55.1% with-Trump voting record.

If Donnelly is replaced with a Republican, the record will become 97-100%.

Indiana went for Trump by a 19+% margin.

Incumbent Donnelly was/is the ONLY Democratic candidate who can defeat the Republican candidate. No more liberal Democrat bothered to run. If he couldn't keep this senate seat, no one could.

IF Donnelly is replaced with a Republican, which is horribly possible, it may COST US THE SENATE.

Forget clapping, count senators:

* 100 total.
* 51 majority will secure Democratic Party leadership and dump McConnell.
* 52 will secure a simple, but extremely weak, veto-proof majority.
* 60 are required for control, and good luck with that, but every additional vote over 51 adds greatly to our power to get legislation passed, amended, and repealed.

The huge question is, will we get 51 or will Republicans keep control? 52? Any more?

This is a test of commitment to achieving goals. Losers can always spout high-sounding words, and do, but only winners can achieve real goals.

[INdemo]

3. Joe Donnelly is a "Republican Lite" in every sense of the phrase

He is running scared from an inexperienced Republican Challenger (Mike Braun) and he thinks running as a Republican even though he has a "D" in front of his name is going to insure a another term...Why have
Republicans when there are so called Democrats like Donnelly

[marble falls]

4. Weeping Jebus .... the purity testing begins. Once again we're going to take the Blue Wave....

and shave it down to a trickle just in time for an election. If he'll waffle for the GOP, he'll come back into the fold if we can win in Nov. Next cycle primary him. For now lets just win the fucking Congress first and the scalp hunters can go nuts on Nov7.

[INdemo]

5. The Democratic votes that he needs to win will not vote for him if he is running as a

Right Wing Republican..

[mobeau69]

7. He, like any elected Democratic in Indiana

is hanging on by a thread. It's a sad sight to watch them fear pukes so much. Still better than a puke though. If it's a really important vote, like Medicare of all, they tend to fall in line when you need them. Otherwise, they're pretty much as worthless as tits on a bull.

[Lucky Luciano]

12. True. Condoning torture is totally not important. nt

[Sneederbunk]

28. Purity test of Lugar got Donnelly the job in the first place.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. You're right, but the shouting is drowning out sensible voices like yours.

[appal_jack]

25. I'd hate to see what you think of as "impurity."

Sorry, asking Democrats to be as decent as Rand Paul and John McCain regarding torture is not a "purity test." It is common human decency and a basic belief in Constitutional governance.

In this case, there are at least two Republicans who are better than Democrat Joe Donnelly. That's pretty sad.

-app

[choie]

29. oh so holding a representative to task for

voting for a pro-torture CIA head is a purity test? Jeesus Christ what have we become if we can't stand up for some moral principles!!!

[marble falls]

38. Even if it means a Republican will take his place. What are we, lemings? Get control of Congress ...

first and then primary him next cycle. Taking the high road got us Trump.

[George II]

18. "Republican Lite"? "so-called Democrats"? What's YOUR idea of a Democrat?

[OliverQ]

21. Somebody who has morals for starters.

Condoning torture is immoral.

[George II]

22. Who "condoned" torture?

[choie]

31. any representative who votes

for that nominee.

[certainot]

9. another dem pushed around by what he thinks are constituents but he's

just feeling the general buzz from a few dozen talk radio stations dominating his state because dems ignore them

[LittleGirl]

10. Of course he did

because he's one of the worst Dem senators ever. WTF?

Don't blast me. He's done this multiple times. I grew up in Indiana so I follow this jerk.

[jalan48]

13. Voting to confirm a torturer? As Democrats, do we have a line we won't cross?

[a la izquierda]

37. Hahah good luck getting an answer here.

If we support torture, we have no moral compass.

[bottomofthehill]

14. Yes, the one where we sit on our hands and elect a republican

That keeps Turtle Boy as the republican leader and setting the senate agenda. That’s the line I won’t cross

[Exotica]

15. Ffs. So disappointed.

As if this shit is going to do FUCKALL to get him (or any other Dem who supports this monster) re-elected. Haspel not only is one of the principal architects and overlords of the torture programme, but she over saw the destruction of its evidence of existence.

This is beyond the pale, as a UNITED DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS could have STOPPED her nomination from being approved.

Fuck.

[Jake Stern]

20. What are principles when you have an election to win?

So sayeth the Church of DU.

[IronLionZion]

16. Every red state Dem we punish will be replaced by a Trumpster deplorable

Punish blue state Repubs instead

[groundloop]

17. But I don't believe he'll lose any support by voting against this nominee

I'm not buying that this vote is saving a D in Congress. Of course I'd vote for him against a repub no matter what, but I certainly can't support his vote for the CIA nominee.

45* voters will go with the R candidate no matter what, so he's not gaining any support there. Independents would, I suspect, respect his vote against torture if he made a strong case for it, and Democrats would enthusiastically support his vote against this nominee.

[Bob Loblaw]

23. He won't gain support either

He could vote with the republicans on every issue and it wouldn't stop them from running their ads portraying him as a "Nancy Pelosi liberal"

[Adrahil]

24. I dunno. I don;t think you're right.

I live in Indiana. Quite a few few here like Joe's economic positions, but might be reluctant to support him on "national security" issues. He's done a lot locally for veterans to try to shore that up, but it's a tough road to hoe in this state. I think taking the issue off the table is likely to at least remove that arrow from the GOP quiver.

[Bob Loblaw]

34. I live here too

I've just seen so many of these guys over the years, thinking that if they tack to the right, republicans will like them. When the reality as I see it is that it only makes them less appealing to Democrats. I hate to lose the seat but I think the republicans I know will rally to the guy without the D beside his name, maybe in part because they're feeling embattled and can never admit their guy is the wrong one to vote for.

[Me.]

26. I'm With You

How about Dems try a different tac..stand up what they truly believe in...unless, in this case, he supports torture. Maybe if we stop co-opting their memes and message, like witch hunting Nancy Pelosi, we might be surprised. It has always been the supposed wisdom that voters will vote for a Con rather than Con-lite every time.

[Jake Stern]

19. Then he needs to keep his yap shut when it comes to torture

If he's willing to give his enthusiastic support a torturer then whatever he might have to say on the topic is, from this point on, total bullshit.

[underthematrix]

30. What I find interesting is that Haspel has been with the

CIA for 33 years most of which was spent in counterintelligence, the section of the CIA most likely providing information and support to the Mueller counterintelligence investigation.

Fascinating.

[MFM008]

32. No patriots in D.C.

No one to stand up to the bloated POS on either side?

[blueinredohio]

33. Of course he did as will Joe Manchin

[Chipper Chat]

36. the Democratic party is all but dead in indiana.

It's a blessing just having Donnelly in office. And he has to listen to his constituents - the trump wingers too.

[Devil Child]

39. Support for a torturer overseer

Scum like Haspel should not find support from Democratic senators let alone anyone in Washington.