[Peace-discuss] Who Is MA “DINO” Seth Moulton? Why Does He Hate Biden’s SecDef Austin?

[Robert Naiman]

Who Is MA “DINO” Seth Moulton? Why Does He Hate Biden’s SecDef Austin?


MA-6 DINO [“Democrat In Name Only”] Seth Moulton [“D”-Salem, Cook PVI D+6]
has threatened to vote against the waiver for Lloyd Austin to serve as
America’s Historic First Black Secretary of Defense, a waiver which is
necessary under current law because Lloyd Austin has only been retired from
the U.S. military for a mere four years rather than the statutory seven
years. Since the waiver is necessary, Moulton’s threatened vote against the
waiver would be a vote against Biden’s SecDef Lloyd Austin. Since the House
is almost evenly divided after the election, Moulton’s vote against Speaker
Pelosi and the Congressional Black Caucus would not be a freebie. Denying
Speaker Pelosi a House Democratic majority for Lloyd Austin would be an
invitation for mischief from the House Republican minority to undermine the
leadership of President-elect Biden [eighty million votes!] and the
Congressional Black Caucus.


Elizabeth Warren, as a Senator from Massachusetts, by threatening to vote
against the waiver, is giving cover to Seth Moulton. The math in the Senate
is different. Senate Republicans, following Senate Armed Services Chair
Inhofe, are expected to support the waiver. So if only the Senate exists,
Elizabeth “I proved I’m Native American with a DNA test” Warren can do
performative opposition to Biden on the waiver, then turn around and
support the confirmation, thereby obeying the First Rule of Washington,
which is to never pass up an opportunity to vote for something before you
vote against it. But because the House is in play, Warren’s opposition to
the waiver is not a freebie. By giving Massachusetts cover to Seth Moulton,
Elizabeth Warren is threatening our plans to end the Saudi war in Yemen
with Lloyd Austin as Biden’s Secretary of Defense.


*Politico* reported last week:


“Rep. Seth Moulton, an influential member of the House Armed Services
Committee, on Wednesday became the most prominent House Democrat to say he
will not vote to grant retired Gen. Lloyd Austin a waiver to the law
barring recently retired military officers from serving as defense
secretary.”


OK, who is this Mr. Seth Moulton, who is giving us lectures now on
“civilian control of the military”?


1. He supported Flournoy for SecDef. Seth Moulton supported Warmonger
Flournoy, the Queen of the Blob, who never met a war or an arms deal that
she didn’t like. Now Mr. Seth Moulton is giving us lectures on “civilian
control of the military.” Excellent.


2. Seth Moulton is a “Massachusetts Democrat.” So he must be pretty good on
peace issues, right? I mean, it’s Massachusetts. It’s the only state in the
Union that voted for George McGovern in 1972. So Seth Moulton must be
pretty good on Peace. Right?


Let’s check the scorecard from Peace Action on the Massachusetts
delegation:


Dist. Name Party   Peace Action Lifetime Score
1st Neal, Richard E. D 84%

2nd McGovern, James D 95%

3rd Trahan, Lori D 92%

4th Kennedy, Joseph D 90%

5th Clark, Katherine D 96%

*6th Moulton, Seth D 57%*

7th Pressley, Ayanna D 97%

8th Lynch, Stephen F. D 71%

9th Keating, William D 78%


Sure does seem like Seth Moulton is an outlier in the Massachusetts
delegation on war and peace, doesn’t it? Sure does seem like he “hears a
different drummer,” doesn’t it?


3. How did Seth Moulton get to Congress? By primarying John Tierney.
According to Time magazine political columnist Joe Klein, Moulton "refused
to distinguish himself from Tierney on most issues. He's running on
freshness and dynamism.” The Boston Globe editorial board wrote: "Moulton
and Tierney share nearly identical political views, but Moulton's
background, and his approach to discussing the issues, suggests an openness
to new perspectives.”


Now Tierney is head of the Council for a Livable World, which is backing
Biden’s SecDef Lloyd Austin.


Did Seth Moulton lie to Massachusetts Democratic primary voters when he
said there were no policy differences between him and John Tierney? Was
Moulton “hearing a different drummer”?


4. Well, whaddya know. Man, I sure do love that “civilian control of the
military,” don’t you?
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