Page 16 - The Indian EYE 121120
P. 16

North                      The Indian Eye

                               AmERIcANnewsline






         16                                                                                                                       DECEMBER 04, 2020


         Tweeting Problem: Cloud over neera Tanden’s



          confirmation as republicans plan to hit back




              Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus express concern that there

                     will be insufficient Asian American representation in top-tier spots: WaPo report


        Our Bureau                                                                                                    just more proof that Biden and

        New York                                                                                                      the Democrats will continue to
                                                                                                                      move further and further to the
                 f  Biden’s Cabinet-lev-                                                                              Left,” he said.
                 el picks so far, only one                                                                                However, a few top Demo-
        Ois of Asian American                                                                                         cratic senators also appreciated
        descent: Neera Tanden, whose                                                                                  her nomination. Senate Minority
        parents immigrated from India.                                                                                Leader Chuck Schumer, speak-
        She was chosen to serve as di-                                                                                ing on the Senate floor, alleged
        rector of the White House Of-                                                                                 that the Republicans are twisting
        fice  of  Management  and  Bud-                                                                               themselves into pretzels to ex-
        get. When Tanden’s nomination                                                                                 plain  their  reflexive  opposition
        was announced, CAPAC’s chair,                                     Neera tanden                                to these outstanding selections.
        Rep.  Judy  Chu,  D-Calif., said  ic operatives, some Republicans  ers, Cornyn said that Tanden               “Neera Tanden, who would be
        she was thrilled, praising Tanden  have signaled that the tweets are  “deleted a lot of her previous          the first woman of color to ever
        as a “strong, experienced lead- a vulnerability for Tanden’s con- tweets in the last couple of weeks          run  the  Office  of  Management
        er” and noting that if confirmed,  firmation.                            which seems pretty juvenile, as if   and Budget, is so eminently qual-
        she would be the first woman of         In the days after the election,  people won’t have access to it.”     ified that some on the Republi-
        color to lead the OMB, a critical  Tanden quietly began to delete            “I’m a little surprised that he   can side—grasping at straws—
        agency that helps shape adminis- more than 1,000 tweets from her  would do that and not even con-             have taken issue with comments
        tration priorities.                  personal account, some of which  sult with any Republicans. Some         made on twitter criticizing the
            But Tanden, who heads the  were reviewed by CNN. In one  of this can be avoided with a little             policy positions of Republicans
        Center for American Progress,  deleted tweet from December  bit of a heads up and consulta-                   in Congress,” Schumer, a Dem-
        a liberal think tank, has already  2017, Tanden said, “The Repub- tion,” Cornyn said.                         ocrat, said.
        been criticized as too partisan  lican party is gleefully supporting         Tanden, who has 313,400 fol-         “Honestly, the hypocrisy is
        by several Republican senators,  an alleged child molester. And  lowers on Twitter, where she is              astounding. If Republicans are
        according to a report in Wash- everyone who gives money to the  quite active, had been very crit-             concerned about criticism on
        ington Post. and Chu and others  RNC is doing the same,” refer- ical of the Republican senators               Twitter, their complaints are bet-
        worry privately that she will be  ring to the GOP’s support of Sen- and President Donald Trump in             ter directed at President Trump,
        treated  as  a  “sacrificial  lamb”  ate candidate Roy Moore in the  the past. In one of her tweets,          who has made a hobby out of
        who may not be confirmed. Tan- Alabama special election. Sev- Tanden had referred to Senate                   denigrating Republican Sena-
        den’s nomination will be espe- eral women accused Moore of  Majority Leader Mitch McCon-                      tors on twitter. I fully expect to
        cially  precarious  if  Democrats  molesting and sexually assaulting  nell as “Moscow Mitch.” She is          see some crocodile tears spilled
        do not win both Senate seats in  them when they were teenagers  reported to have deleted many                 on the other side of the aisle
        Georgia’s Jan. 5 special election,  while Moore was in his 30s, ac- of her tweets that were critical of       over the President-elect’s cabi-
        leaving Republicans in control of  cusations he repeatedly denied.  Republican Senators.                      net nominees. But it will be very
        the Senate.                             In a related development, in-        Republican Whip Senator          tough to take those crocodile
            Meanwhile, CNN reported  fluential  Senator  John  Cornyn,  John Thune alleged that Tanden                tears seriously,” Schumer said.
        that Neera Tanden — a former  who is also co-chair of the Senate  has been pretty partisan in some                House     Majority     Leader
        Clinton campaign aide, pres- India Caucus, described Tanden  of her previous positions and in                 Steny H Hoyer said that he has
        ident of the left-leaning think  as the worst nominee of Biden so  many cases with respect to Re-             worked closely with Tanden for
        tank Center for American Prog- far and said: “I think in light of her  publican senators who have to          a number of years. “I know that
        ress and a prolific Twitter user –  combative and insulting comments  vote on her potential nomina-           she will be a tremendous asset
        had repeatedly slammed Repub- about many members of the Sen- tion. Senator Rick Scott from                    to President-elect Biden as he
        lican politicians on her personal  ate, mainly on our side of the aisle,  Florida alleged that Tanden is a    works  with Congress  to  invest
        Twitter account. While many of  that it creates certainly a prob- big-government,             big-spending    in a stronger economy for all
        her tweets expressed sentiments  lematic  path  to  confirmation.”       radical  liberal who’s a terrible    Americans,” the Democratic
        common to partisan Democrat-            In an interaction with report- choice for OMB Director. “It’s         Party leader said.


                                                               www.TheIndianEYE .us
   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21