John Brennan Had Senator Graham's Vote For CIA Director Because Of Rand Paul Filibuster and A Good White House Dinner

According to the Huffington Post article:  Lindsey Graham: John Brennan Has His Vote For CIA Director Because Of Rand Paul Filibuster.

During the night of  the filibuster, Senator Graham and some selected colleagues were wining and dining with the President.   As is fitting and symptomatic of Washington, a full tummy and some flattering by the President,  Senators Graham and McCaine did an about face and turned on their colleague. 


Both conservative and progressive Americans should applaud Paul Rand’s filibuster of the confirmation of the now confirmed CIA director John Brennan instead of ridiculing him.

War is ugly and no matter how nations wish to clean it up---the results are the same as way too many people are killed.  And as we all know even in our own recent American history of Vietnam and Iran, the leaders who endorse a war often times suffer the least for their decisions.

Drone warfare is a nice way to conduct war in an almost antiseptic way.  Numbers of soldier and civilian casualties are reduced and the infrastructure damage is minimal.  Drone warfare could be the most “humane” and least costly way of doing business.

But the recent drone incursions into Pakistan (our ally or enemy?) gives one pause to realize perhaps how dangerous this new high tech method of conducting war could be.   Drone warfare blurs national boundaries and the person manning the plane becomes judge, jury, and executioner of their target.

Senator Rand Paul’s recent filibuster was the correct thing to do if only for its symbolism.  

Assuming his filibuster was not meant to be partisan, (probably giving him way too much credit) Paul’s filibuster reminds us that unless we as a nation don’t instruct our national leaders to be transparent with this new technology, drone war fare could be abused.  

Politically it is hard to agree with much of Rand Paul’s view of the world, however, in this recent failed filibuster, progressives and conservatives should thank the Senator for having the political balls to challenge what appears to be an emerging blind acceptance of allowing the Executive Branch to operate outside of recognized international laws.   (The Senate composed of both parties including Hilary Clinton, gave a blank check for  Bush's incursion into Iraq because of false information.)

Senator McCaine and Lindsay Graham were entirely off the wall how they treated Chuck Hagel during his nomination process or how they addressed Hilary Clinton regarding the Benghazi affair. 


Their political grandstanding during the confirmation and "investigative" hearings likely emboldened the junior Senator Rand Paul’s actions who decided it was his turn to address the nation with his concerns.  (Why not act---the senior senators were totally off the mark during the hearings.)


Well after having had a good evening dinner with President Obama while the filibuster was occurring, the next day, Senators John McCaine and Lindsay Graham  attacked Senator Paul Rand’s for his filibustering rant.  

This time, by some divine revelation or likely some magic potion in their food, these two politicians  decided Rand Paul overstepped his duties as a Senator---never mind their own antics over the past 4 years have been equally as unappealing and probably inspired the likes of Rand Paul to behave badly. 

But their actions demonstrate  these men really have very little convictions than to obstruct or be the center  of media attention or Presidential adulation. 

If a colleague' s filibuster and some Presidential flattery  is enough to change a person's mind to go in a totally different direction, then the citizens of South Carolina should seriously not consider reelecting  Graham in 2014.