basquebromance
Diamond Member
- Nov 26, 2015
- 109,396
- 27,067
- 2,220
- Banned
- #1
my favorite Senator, and writing a book on foreign policy ahead of a presidential campaign
www.politico.com
excerpts:
Politicians donāt enjoy it, but most change positions at least once in their careers. Then thereās Tom Cotton.
From restricting legal and illegal immigration to hawkish foreign policy to criticizing the nationās āunder-incarcerationā of criminals, the Arkansas senator keeps staking out hardline positions in anticipation that fellow Republicans will come to him. As small-government as they come on every issue other than national security, Cotton is a 1980s throwback ā mentioning former President Ronald Reagan 10 times in a lengthy interview with POLITICO.
āI have strong opinions ā¦ And I stick to those views, not till I feel vindicated, until I am vindicated on the facts, as I have been on almost every point,ā Cotton said when asked if he feels redeemed by his steadfast views. āItās not a matter of āI feel vindicated.ā Itās a matter that I have been vindicated.ā
Cotton doesnāt say ānoā when asked if heās planning to run for president in 2024. And for a party still reeling from the peripatetic ideology of Donald Trump, Cotton could offer a predictable alternative: He builds few bridges to Democrats and isnāt afraid of clobbering Republicans, either.
He talks regularly with Trump but isnāt begging for a third campaign from the former president either: āThatās a decision that he will make, as well as everyone else.ā
Itās an understatement to say Cotton is a polarizing force in American politics. Just ask mild-mannered Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who angrily replied to Cottonās criticisms that the Democratic Party is āconciliatoryā toward Russia: āThat dog wonāt hunt.ā
āAccusing me and other Democrats wholesale of being soft on Putin and Russia is just wrong. And itās not something he or anybody else ought to be doing,ā Shaheen said in an interview. Since their confrontation, she added, āhe hasnāt done it to me.ā
Cotton draws the line at harmonizing with Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who says that the āincoherent, incapacitated and confusedā Biden should resign.
āJoe Bidenās obviously lost a step. But I think his conduct in American foreign policy over the last 18 months or so has been consistent with his kind of wild swingsā on foreign policy, Cotton said.
Cottonās friends say his blunt approach is effective.
āIt plays well any time you can be straightforward and say what you mean and what you believe in when you have the facts. And I would say Tom has facts,ā said Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).
Still, Cotton is more circumspect when it comes to Trump, who infuriated Republicans by moving to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2020. Cotton explained that āI had many, many conversations with the former president about a lot of different foreign policy questions. And we usually ended up in the same place.ā
Cotton worked closely with GOP leader Mitch McConnell to thwart Trumpās plan to overturn the 2020 election in Congress, arguing that āobjecting to certified electoral votes wonāt give him a second term.ā
Cottonās straightforward manner leaves little opacity about his ideology. But heās still capable of surprises, such as his close relationship with the least conservative member of the Senate GOP conference.
āWe disagree, but it doesnāt matter. We have mutual respect for the otherās views on issues ,and I really enjoy him,ā said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). In 2024ās presidential hunt, she added, thereās āNikki Haley, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Larry Hogan. Thereās several outstanding candidates. But Tom is on my list.ā
On the other side of the Republican coin is Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who voted to contest Trumpās loss, opposed the $40 billion aid to Ukraine and has proposed more government intervention into the economy. Despite those contrasts between him and Cotton, Hawley said that the Arkansan was the first senator to encourage him to mount a run for Senate. He said the two ānever discussedā their disagreement over challenging the 2020 election.
Last year, Hawley, Cotton and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) orchestrated a wide-ranging campaign to hold up many of Bidenās lower-level appointments. There, Cotton showed a rare modicum of flexibility, ultimately relaxing his hold on U.S. marshals and U.S. attorneys in April.
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said that though there have been āchallenges ā¦ eventually we worked it out.ā He warned, however, that Cottonās brand of politics imperils any kind of immigration reform. Cotton recently joined the Judiciary panel, which has oversight power over immigration and border security.
āI believe heās opposed to all forms of immigration. And I certainly hope thatās not the Republican Party position,ā Durbin said.
At the moment Cotton has no intention of softening on immigration āat all, especially under current circumstances.ā Thatās not to say he couldnāt change his mind ā if everything goes his way.
āCan I imagine a world where the border is totally secure, labor force participation is high, wages are accelerating, certain industries need more workers? Yes, I can,ā Cotton said. āIt just isnāt present now. And it hasnāt been present for a very long time.ā
Tom Cotton's rigid conservatism
He doesn't say ānoā when asked about 2024. But the Arkansan does rule out giving ground on much ā from immigration to criminal justice to foreign policy.
www.politico.com
excerpts:
Politicians donāt enjoy it, but most change positions at least once in their careers. Then thereās Tom Cotton.
From restricting legal and illegal immigration to hawkish foreign policy to criticizing the nationās āunder-incarcerationā of criminals, the Arkansas senator keeps staking out hardline positions in anticipation that fellow Republicans will come to him. As small-government as they come on every issue other than national security, Cotton is a 1980s throwback ā mentioning former President Ronald Reagan 10 times in a lengthy interview with POLITICO.
āI have strong opinions ā¦ And I stick to those views, not till I feel vindicated, until I am vindicated on the facts, as I have been on almost every point,ā Cotton said when asked if he feels redeemed by his steadfast views. āItās not a matter of āI feel vindicated.ā Itās a matter that I have been vindicated.ā
Cotton doesnāt say ānoā when asked if heās planning to run for president in 2024. And for a party still reeling from the peripatetic ideology of Donald Trump, Cotton could offer a predictable alternative: He builds few bridges to Democrats and isnāt afraid of clobbering Republicans, either.
He talks regularly with Trump but isnāt begging for a third campaign from the former president either: āThatās a decision that he will make, as well as everyone else.ā
Itās an understatement to say Cotton is a polarizing force in American politics. Just ask mild-mannered Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who angrily replied to Cottonās criticisms that the Democratic Party is āconciliatoryā toward Russia: āThat dog wonāt hunt.ā
āAccusing me and other Democrats wholesale of being soft on Putin and Russia is just wrong. And itās not something he or anybody else ought to be doing,ā Shaheen said in an interview. Since their confrontation, she added, āhe hasnāt done it to me.ā
Cotton draws the line at harmonizing with Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who says that the āincoherent, incapacitated and confusedā Biden should resign.
āJoe Bidenās obviously lost a step. But I think his conduct in American foreign policy over the last 18 months or so has been consistent with his kind of wild swingsā on foreign policy, Cotton said.
Cottonās friends say his blunt approach is effective.
āIt plays well any time you can be straightforward and say what you mean and what you believe in when you have the facts. And I would say Tom has facts,ā said Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).
Still, Cotton is more circumspect when it comes to Trump, who infuriated Republicans by moving to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2020. Cotton explained that āI had many, many conversations with the former president about a lot of different foreign policy questions. And we usually ended up in the same place.ā
Cotton worked closely with GOP leader Mitch McConnell to thwart Trumpās plan to overturn the 2020 election in Congress, arguing that āobjecting to certified electoral votes wonāt give him a second term.ā
Cottonās straightforward manner leaves little opacity about his ideology. But heās still capable of surprises, such as his close relationship with the least conservative member of the Senate GOP conference.
āWe disagree, but it doesnāt matter. We have mutual respect for the otherās views on issues ,and I really enjoy him,ā said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). In 2024ās presidential hunt, she added, thereās āNikki Haley, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Larry Hogan. Thereās several outstanding candidates. But Tom is on my list.ā
On the other side of the Republican coin is Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who voted to contest Trumpās loss, opposed the $40 billion aid to Ukraine and has proposed more government intervention into the economy. Despite those contrasts between him and Cotton, Hawley said that the Arkansan was the first senator to encourage him to mount a run for Senate. He said the two ānever discussedā their disagreement over challenging the 2020 election.
Last year, Hawley, Cotton and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) orchestrated a wide-ranging campaign to hold up many of Bidenās lower-level appointments. There, Cotton showed a rare modicum of flexibility, ultimately relaxing his hold on U.S. marshals and U.S. attorneys in April.
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said that though there have been āchallenges ā¦ eventually we worked it out.ā He warned, however, that Cottonās brand of politics imperils any kind of immigration reform. Cotton recently joined the Judiciary panel, which has oversight power over immigration and border security.
āI believe heās opposed to all forms of immigration. And I certainly hope thatās not the Republican Party position,ā Durbin said.
At the moment Cotton has no intention of softening on immigration āat all, especially under current circumstances.ā Thatās not to say he couldnāt change his mind ā if everything goes his way.
āCan I imagine a world where the border is totally secure, labor force participation is high, wages are accelerating, certain industries need more workers? Yes, I can,ā Cotton said. āIt just isnāt present now. And it hasnāt been present for a very long time.ā
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