Watching the shifting priorities of Democratic politicians can be downright dizzying. Here at RedState, we try to sort out the worst of that nest of snakes and lay them all out straight for our readers, but boy, howdy, some days it's a challenge. What's really funny is when some far-left pol in the House or Senate suddenly demands to know how much something will cost.
Since when has that been a Democrat Party platform plank?
Case in point: We've been covering Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's summoning of all general and flag officers in command billets, as well as their senior enlisted advisors, to what is shaping up to be a "call to the colors" meeting. We don't yet know for sure what that meeting will be all about or what will happen there, although President Trump has announced he'll be in attendance.
What's funny about the whole thing is that at least one Democrat is, all of a sudden, concerned with how much something will cost.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., wrote to the Pentagon seeking details on the cost of flying in officers on such short notice and whether virtual alternatives were considered. About 800 general and flag officers are stationed worldwide, and together with their enlisted advisors and aides, the number descending on Quantico could exceed 1,000, according to Duckworth. She also asked what accounts would cover the costs, whether return travel might be disrupted by a potential government shutdown, and if a cost-benefit analysis preceded the decision to meet in person.
Wait, what? So now Senator Duckworth is concerned about how much something is costing the taxpayers? Democrat Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who has consistently run an "F" from the National Taxpayers Union since her initial election to the Senate, with her most recent ranking being #93 of 100, with a score of 12 percent? That Tammy Duckworth?
Honestly. You just can't make this stuff up.
My colleagues Bob Hoge and streiff have already covered the details of what's expected of the meeting itself; if you haven't read their reports already, you should:
Read More: New: Hegseth's Big Meeting With Generals Will Have a Special VIP in Attendance
The meeting itself will go on, whether or not Senator Duckworth approves. Her concerns, given her record, should not be taken seriously.
And why? Because this sudden concern about spending, now, that's laughable. Senator Duckworth has never seen an expenditure of the taxpayers' money that she wasn't enthusiastically in favor of, unless, of course, it's something sensible, or even explainable from a national security standpoint. She's one of the most profligate members of a profligate party when it comes to spending our money, and in response to her demands, her sudden concern over government spending, we could forgive Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and President Trump for simply replying, "Are you freaking kidding me right now?"
Oh, and Senator Duckworth? What was the cost of all that military hardware that the "Autopen Joe" Biden administration abandoned in Afghanistan, again? How many billions? Answer that first, then we'll talk.
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