Biden's pick to head DOD faces resistance from libs

Thank you my friend MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. for posting the perspective from powerlineblog.com [point 2 below]
Lloyd Austin [USMA class of 1975. John McCain was "clearly frustrated with and disappointed in his leadership at CENTCOM," acknowledging that the U.S. spent some $500 million but trained only a handful of Syrian fighters to fight ISIS with arms most likely smuggled from Syria at cost of Ambassador's John Christopher Stevens's life and his security detail members lives; Austin’s early view on the terrorist group that took over large swaths of Iraq and Syria that led President Barack Obama to regretfully label ISIS the “jayvee team," one report said.'.

1. Background from Wall Street Journal
Lloyd Austin faced particularly tough questions in 2015 about the U.S. military’s role training forces in Syria to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria during the country’s civil war, acknowledging that the U.S. spent some $500 million but trained only a handful of fighters.
The late Sen. John McCain interrogated Austin about the U.S. military’s fight against ISIS in a memorable 2015 hearing that at some points left the general at a loss for words.
“I must say, I've been a member of this committee for nearly 30 years, and I have never heard testimony like this, never,” McCain said.
Austin's appearance before the committee on Syria "was one of the most awkward I ever witnessed," one former Senate Armed Services Committee aide to McCain told POLITICO. While McCain held Austin in high esteem, the senator was "clearly frustrated with and disappointed in his leadership at CENTCOM," the aide said, adding that other lawmakers felt the same.
"It was a sad encapsulation of an incoherent Syria policy marred by a long string of military failures made uncomfortable by General Austin’s apparent inability to confront the reality of the situation and present a compelling way forward," the former aide said.
Another cloud hanging over the command at the time was allegations that Central Command downplayed intelligence reports on the threat posed by the terrorist group and painted a brighter picture of the progress of U.S. military efforts.
But it was Austin’s early view on the terrorist group that took over large swaths of Iraq and Syria that led President Barack Obama to regretfully label ISIS the “jayvee team," one report said.'

2. Joe Biden reportedly has selected retired Army general Lloyd Austin to be Secretary of Defense. Austin checks two important boxes for Biden. He’s Black and Biden knows him.
However, the nomination puts left-liberals in a box. U.S. law makes military officers ineligible to be defense secretary until they’ve been retired for seven years. Austin has been retired for only four years.

As to charges of hypocrisy, Republicans can argue that the waivers for Marshall and Mattis were granted under special circumstances — Marshall during Korean War and Mattis during the war against ISIS (don’t expect Republicans to argue that the Mattis case was special because Trump needed a steadying influence). Or they can argue that two “warrior” DOD secretaries in such a short period of time would be too much. Either argument would provide a fig leaf.
For what it’s worth, my view is that the “seven year rule” is best honored in the breach. I see no reason why a former military officer should be ineligible to run the Defense Department for that long.
There is no such requirement for presidents, even though the president is commander-in-chief of the military. Nor do we require Secretary of States to be out of the foreign service for seven years, even though that culture, and the personal ties it creates, can easily have undue influence on the thinking of a Secretary of State who marinated in it.
Moreover, we should be able to rely on the U.S. president to nominate a Secretary of Defense who will not, by virtue of ties to the military, jeopardize civilian rule. After all, the president is the civilian who rules the most in our system. He is not likely to nominate a Defense Secretary who will be a threat to the system. And if a president does make that mistake, the Senate can refuse to confirm the nominee on those grounds.

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Democrats are doing an About Face.

Interesting turn of events.