Junior Senator Tommy Tuberville (R) Alabama, has been cynically mocked (quite justifiably) in recent months for his blatant ignorance on even routine points of fact. I wrote about this in much detail on Thursday.
Here is what really bothers me about Tuberville. He, like many Republicans, are highly critical of so-called illegal immigration. They rail about how it costs them elections, they carp about election fraud, they claim migrants drain the system and don’t pay taxes. But they conveniently overlook crucial facts. Tuberville proves himself here to massively misunderstand even the basics. Shortly after his election, in November of last year, he completely misidentified the three basic branches of American government. I believe I learned those in middle school history and civics class. And maybe so did you.
“Our government wasn’t set up for one group to have all three branches of government — wasn’t set up that way,” Tuberville continued, saying incorrectly: “You know, the House, the Senate, and the executive.”
Legal, naturalized citizens of other countries who wish to become American citizens are asked basic questions like these. Indeed, if they cannot answer them correctly, they are not granted rights of citizenship. And yet, a man who has lived in the United States of America for 66 years cannot get his facts straight. White privilege much?
Joe Scarborough, MSNBC host of “Morning Joe”, University of Alabama grad, and former Republican U.S. House Representative from Florida has also, this week, mocked Tuberville on-air for asinine, ill-informed comments like these.
Here’s even more:
In an Alabama Daily News interview after the election, Tuberville erroneously said that the European theater of World War II was fought "to free Europe of socialism." He also said that he was looking forward to raising money from his Senate office, a violation of federal law. Tuberville's comments attracted criticism.
After taking office in January 2021, Tuberville joined a group of Republican senators who announced they would formally object to counting electoral votes won by Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. The objections were part of a continued effort from incumbent Republican president Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his defeat in the election.
When the Electoral College count was held on January 6, pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol, forcing officials to evacuate their chambers before the count was completed. Trump contacted Tuberville during the riot through the cell phone of Utah Senator Mike Lee, whom Trump misdialed. The count resumed that evening once the Capitol was secured.
Tuberville voted in support of an objection to Arizona's electoral votes and an objection to Pennsylvania's electoral votes, both of which were won by Biden. He was one of six Republican senators to support the former objection and one of seven to support the latter; the remainder of the Senate defeated the objections. No further objections to the electoral votes were debated and the count concluded on the morning of January 7, certifying Biden's victory over Trump.
Need more proof than this?
HUNTSVILLE, Ala – A recent New York Times and Associated Press report detailed less than one-third of Tommy Tuberville Foundation funds left the organization and ended up in the hands of veterans. Tuberville’s campaign denies this and claims the IRS reporting documents do not show the full picture.
Tax documents show Tuberville held golf tournaments which paid for themselves. In 2017 and 2018 the foundation reported profits exceeding $40,000 with expenses/distributions to veterans never exceeding $5,000. Tuberville has campaigned frequently on veteran issues. Tuberville says his salary will go to veterans. His father stormed the beaches of Normandy.
Then four days ago, another troubling fact about Tuberville’s competence as a U.S. Senator was revealed.
GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville says he doesn't know anything about Marjorie Taylor Greene because bad weather has prevented him from reading the news.
"I haven't even looked at what all she's done," he told the CNN producer Ted Barrett. "I'd have to hold back a statement on that. Travel in this weather it's been a little rough looking at any news or whatever."
Tuberville, who ousted former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones last year, seemed to be referring to the snow that Washington, DC, has gotten over the last few days.
A quote often misattributed to Shakespeare, Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive seems apt here. It comes from an early nineteenth century Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, best selling writer of novels, plays, and poems. Regardless of the source, it is just as evident now as it was a few hundred years ago.
I sense problems ahead for the Yellowhammer state. Our reasonably rational, Conservative Democrat turned Republican, Richard Shelby, is set to retire when his term ends in 2022. One can hardly fault Shelby for this decision. He is, after all, 86 years old. To provide a greater Alabama context, Shelby served alongside former Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions for many years. Sessions was an ideologue; Shelby more the pragmatist. I worry that our next Senator will be in the same vein as Tuberville.
The forthcoming 2020 census will show only moderate growth in the state of Alabama. This is in great contrast to neighboring states like Georgia. Alabama may even lose a representative in the House. Greater trends still in the future will determine our fate. Will we become more insular like West Virginia? Will spillover from recently purple Georgia gradually make a dent in the current makeup of the state, which at this moment, if 2020 races are factored in, is about 60% GOP and 40% Democrat? Will continued corporate and business migration from the Midwest and Northeast to the Sun Belt transform this state, albeit at a slower pace? As we say here, at least we’re not Mississippi.
But I ask again: who is Tommy Tuberville really working for?