Republicans warn Cuccinelli won't get confirmed by GOP Senate

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Senate Republicans are warning that Ken Cuccinelli, who was tapped Monday to serve as the acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will not be confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate.

Cuccinelli started his job atop the immigration agency Monday, a controversial move that came even after top Senate Republicans publicly warned that the former Senate Conservatives Fund leader would face a rocky reception on Capitol Hill.

The pushback from top Senate Republicans comes after McConnell publicly warned earlier this year that he did not want Cuccinelli ... Cuccinelli tried to unseat McConnell in 2014, including backing his primary opponent, Matt Bevin.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of GOP leadership, added that he doesn't support Cuccinelli as USCIS chief, noting his previous role as an antagonist ... “He’s made a career of attacking other Republicans, so I doubt he’ll have the support to get confirmed,” Cornyn said.





Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/447804-republicans-warn-cuccinelli-wont-get-confirmed-by-gop-senate

[hatrack]

1. "He's made a career of attacking other Republicans"; not "He's a venomous ideologue"

. . . (which he is) - he said bad things 'bout MEEEE!!!

Whatever, Sen. Empty Vacuum Cleaner Bag.

[DrToast]

6. Right?! Other than that, he's great!

[BigmanPigman]

2. Anyone who pisses McConnell off and is known as his personal

nemesis gets a thumbs up from me.

[keithbvadu2]

3. The GOP quit funding him before his race for governor was over. They recognized a loser.

The GOP quit funding him before his race for governor was over.

They recognized a loser.

[redstateblues]

16. Cooch does not deserve any kudos for anything.

[BigmanPigman]

19. I don't know the guy but he must be a really big jackass.

[Marcuse]

4. Proceed, Senators. It shouldn't be difficult to find a more mainstream party hack.

[murielm99]

5. With all the other "acting" heads,

why bother to confirm him? Trump doesn't care. He just appoints someone and keeps him or her on the job, regardless of confirmation. There should be laws or rules about how long a person can be an acting head of a department without being confirmed by the Senate.

[Cryptoad]

7. The Trumpster has figured out,,,,,

that he no longer needs the Senate. He will use his "acting" official as long as he can . fire him and get anutter one to repeat.

[EleanorR]

8. And Mitch just learned there's no honor among thieves

So much for your warning, eh Mitch?

[Gothmog]

9. Mitch hates the cuuch

[SunSeeker]

11. I finally agree with Mitch on something, but obviously for very different reasons! nt

[Gothmog]

14. It is very painful to agree with Mitch

[Tiggeroshii]

10. I clicked this thinking they grew a backbone...

Nope... Not at all.

[rusty quoin]

12. He's the worst of the worst. I figure he'll be confirmed.

[Nitram]

13. Cucinelli is a right wing lunatic. I thought he'd be a shoo-in for the Senate.

[Polybius]

18. He's anti-establishment

He goes around endorsing primary challengers over sitting incumbent Republicans, so the leadership doesn't like him. Sorta like someone in our Party, but worse...

[Nitram]

20. That's right, he's a Tea Party holdout.

[cab67]

15. I'm going to say something good about Cuccinelli

In nearly every way imaginable, Cuccinelli is horrid. His nonstop efforts to go after climate scientists on the bogus theory that there's some sort of Marxist plot behind the whole thing should disqualify him from any sort of public office.

That being said....unlike any of the other right wing ideologues out there, Cuccinelli actually did a very decent thing.

In 2011, DNA evidence showed that Thomas Haynesworth was not guilty of the rape for which he'd been convicted 17 years earlier. Cuccinelli (VA Attorney General at the time) acted very quickly to have Haynesworth released, and he even gave Hayesworth a job in his own office. At the time, many prosecutors across the country remained reluctant to overturn convictions, even in the face of strong DNA evidence - so Cuccinelli's actions in this case were remarkable.

I would never, under any circumstances, vote for Cuccinelli. His political views are repugnant. But I also follow the wrongful conviction news very closely. In fact, the first time I'd ever encountered Cuccinelli in the news was in the context of the Haynesworth case; I thought, "what a decent fellow!" until I read more about him.

I don't know why I feel compelled to point this out, and I don't mean to imply that Cuccinelli should be confirmed to any particular position. His actions with Haynesworth do not make up for the rest of his career. Still, it was a good thing.

(Lara Bazelon's book, Rectify, discusses this case in detail and describes the approaches taken by both Haynesworth and the woman he was convicted of raping to bring healing to each other.)

[MFGsunny]

17. Good to know. Thanks for posting ...... we agree on how one good deed does NOT fix horrors.