Chambliss Weighs in on Bergdahl
The release and subsequent trade of five Taliban leaders for imprisoned U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl received much press over the weekend, and the details surrounding its execution will likely be pored over for months. U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss weighed in on Sunday, saying in a series of tweets, (and later a press release) that he was, “deeply troubled the Obama administration not only broke this policy, but also did so without the notification or consent of Congress, as required by law. “. The Obama administration argues that the deal had to be done swiftly to ensure Sgt. Bergdahl’s safety. Chambliss went on to say about the Taliban members who were released that, “These men are not soldiers; they are dangerous terrorists and President Obama should be treating them as such”.
Potential evidence that Bergdahl may have actually deserted his unit will further muddle a story that the Obama Administration has tried to spin as a victory – rescuing the only American POW currently in Afghanistan. Republican leaders like Chambliss and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) have already begun to shift the narrative toward the President going around established laws and trading potential terrorist leaders without the notification or consent of Congress. As time goes on, we will see which Republicans might use the situation to their advantage – Republican voters in a primary/runoff love nothing more than seeing their potential representatives challenging President Obama.
Kingston/Perdue to Talk EPA Regulation?
Today the Obama administration announced its plan to attempt to cut carbon pollution from the nation’s power plants. The main target of the regulation would be coal-fired plants, of which there are more than 600 across the country. Should it withstand what should be an impassioned attack from the Republicans in Washington, the rule could close hundreds of plants and change the way energy is produced.
While the proposed regulation will certainly be one of, if not the single biggest point of debate in Washington over the next year, it has some immediate effects on our own race for U.S. Senate here in Georgia.
Both Jack Kingston and David Perdue have promised to oppose any further regulations on carbon dioxide, toeing the GOP line that says regulations equal red tape, and red tape hurts the economy. However, in a race where the two candidates have far more similarities than differences, expect to see some discussion over Perdue’s former role as a board member for the Alliant Energy Corporation. Alliant supported a cap-and-trade system that would help regulate the amount of greenhouse gases that would help limit emissions, a stance which runs counter to the general Republican platform.
The Perdue campaign has already tried to distance itself from the utility company’s stance on cap-and-trade, saying that Perdue, as a member of the board of directors, was not involved in such day to day operations. Instead, (if they’re smart) they will use the story to continue to paint Perdue as an accomplished businessman, one whose experience in the energy sector will help Georgia, (and the nation as a whole) as the energy utility debate continues in D.C. Kingston’s campaign, conversely, will continue to raise questions about some of the practices and stances held by the various companies with which Perdue has been involved. Prepare to hear more on the subject as the race for the Republican nomination moves into the Summer.
