Ben Sasse

[Kat Kid]

I think some defensive weapons and small arms are fine enough, while providing something more offensive like cruise missiles capable of striking Russian cities or ICBMS or nukes would be clearly bad. I think Migs are pretty clearly past my own mental line and toward escalation and the Pentagon feels the same way so that makes me feel vindicated in my thinking.

[steve dave]

the Pentagon feels the same way so that makes me feel vindicated in my thinking.

This is the least KK thing I’ve ever read, lmao

[Kat Kid]

the Pentagon feels the same way so that makes me feel vindicated in my thinking.

This is the least KK thing I’ve ever read, lmao

Think of it like one of those  "even the liberal New York Times says..." type of ways.  If the Pentagon thinks it is too risky/dangerous in terms of escalating then it definitely is.

[sys]

I think some defensive weapons and small arms are fine enough, while providing something more offensive like cruise missiles capable of striking Russian cities or ICBMS or nukes would be clearly bad. I think Migs are pretty clearly past my own mental line and toward escalation and the Pentagon feels the same way so that makes me feel vindicated in my thinking.

i don't think the pentagon feels the same way you feel (if we can assume that the pentagon feels the same way that the biden admin and congress feels), my understanding is that we are happy to facilitate the transfer, but the specific mechanics of the way poland suggested transferring the planes to ukraine was "untenable".

i think they are trying to figure out a way for ukrainian pilots to pick the planes up in a non-nato country or something like that.

[Kat Kid]

I think some defensive weapons and small arms are fine enough, while providing something more offensive like cruise missiles capable of striking Russian cities or ICBMS or nukes would be clearly bad. I think Migs are pretty clearly past my own mental line and toward escalation and the Pentagon feels the same way so that makes me feel vindicated in my thinking.

i don't think the pentagon feels the same way you feel (if we can assume that the pentagon feels the same way that the biden admin and congress feels), my understanding is that we are happy to facilitate the transfer, but the specific mechanics of the way poland suggested transferring the planes to ukraine was "untenable".

i think they are trying to figure out a way for ukrainian pilots to pick the planes up in a non-nato country or something like that.

That is not some minor detail and you are glossing over the fact that it would be a major escalation. There really are not very many ways for a transfer to happen even one that does not directly involve the US because Poland is in NATO.

[mocat]

tenable is a great word. seems like a spanish word that we just adopted

[mocat]

I think some defensive weapons and small arms are fine enough, while providing something more offensive like cruise missiles capable of striking Russian cities or ICBMS or nukes would be clearly bad. I think Migs are pretty clearly past my own mental line and toward escalation and the Pentagon feels the same way so that makes me feel vindicated in my thinking.

i don't think the pentagon feels the same way you feel (if we can assume that the pentagon feels the same way that the biden admin and congress feels), my understanding is that we are happy to facilitate the transfer, but the specific mechanics of the way poland suggested transferring the planes to ukraine was "untenable".

i think they are trying to figure out a way for ukrainian pilots to pick the planes up in a non-nato country or something like that.

That is not some minor detail and you are glossing over the fact that it would be a major escalation. There really are not very many ways for a transfer to happen even one that does not directly involve the US because Poland is in NATO.

i think kk is right on this one

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/us/politics/poland-fighter-jets-ukraine-russia.html

In the midst of a remarkably unified alliance, the back and forth was a reminder that the joint effort to punish and ultimately repel Russia has a third rail that no one wants to touch. Ukraine’s allies will provide 17,000 anti-tank weapons in six days; they will train their cyberweapons on Russian targets. But they will not risk a dogfight over the skies of Ukraine, which, in the minds of many, is bound to bring them fully into the war.

That distinction was driven home on Wednesday, when Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who had initially seemed somewhat open to the idea of Poland giving its planes to Ukraine, said the idea of flying MIG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. air base in Germany for transfer to Ukraine lacked a clear “substantive rationale.”

“The prospect of fighter jets at the disposal of the United States Government departing from a U.S. NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace contested with Russia over Ukraine raises some serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” Mr. Blinken said during a news conference in Washington.

Then he got to his central point: “Our goal is to end the war, not to expand it — including potentially expand it to NATO territory,” Mr. Blinken said.

[sys]

i think kk is right on this one

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/us/politics/poland-fighter-jets-ukraine-russia.html

In the midst of a remarkably unified alliance, the back and forth was a reminder that the joint effort to punish and ultimately repel Russia has a third rail that no one wants to touch. Ukraine’s allies will provide 17,000 anti-tank weapons in six days; they will train their cyberweapons on Russian targets. But they will not risk a dogfight over the skies of Ukraine, which, in the minds of many, is bound to bring them fully into the war.

That distinction was driven home on Wednesday, when Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who had initially seemed somewhat open to the idea of Poland giving its planes to Ukraine, said the idea of flying MIG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. air base in Germany for transfer to Ukraine lacked a clear “substantive rationale.”

“The prospect of fighter jets at the disposal of the United States Government departing from a U.S. NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace contested with Russia over Ukraine raises some serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” Mr. Blinken said during a news conference in Washington.

Then he got to his central point: “Our goal is to end the war, not to expand it — including potentially expand it to NATO territory,” Mr. Blinken said.

that passage actually supports what i wrote, but since i wrote it, i've seen other info stating that the u.s. thinks the transfer itself would be unwise and unnecessary, and it isn't just a matter of effecting the transfer in a particular way.  so i no longer have much confidence that what i stated was correct.

[Cire]

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/20/ben-sasse-ukraine-russia-00018707?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab


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[Sandstone Outcropping]

I need to report a murder:

https://twitter.com/cpattonbkny/status/1506365033026097162?s=21

[kim carnes]

Sounds like we got ourselves a smart ass

[Katpappy]

Most likely there are more parts of her that others would consider smart.

[mocat]

I need to report a murder:

https://twitter.com/cpattonbkny/status/1506365033026097162?s=21

i don't want to critique Clarence Patton's transcribing skills, but i'm pretty sure the last word in her quote was supposed to be capitalized

[Cire]

GOT HER ASS SASSE

[Cire]

Sasse slam

https://twitter.com/axios/status/1506728640800772099?s=21


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[sys]

lmfao.

https://twitter.com/NoLieWithBTC/status/1507492833665728517

[michigancat]

lmfao.

https://twitter.com/NoLieWithBTC/status/1507492833665728517

So brave, Mr. Sasse, sir

[steve dave]

I've got some apparently shocking news here so make sure you are seated...Ben Sasse is a republican 

[catastrophe]

Seems like you could at least score some credibility points given they don’t need any republican votes anyway. Instead he just seems interested being superglued to Ted Cruz’s nuts.

[Spracne]

When is the vote? Is there any reason why Senators should announce how they plan to vote beforehand? Did he give any justification other than "unfortunately, I can't"? If the vote is a fait accompli, I would think some pubs would go ahead and vote to confirm.

[steve dave]

When is the vote? Is there any reason why Senators should announce how they plan to vote beforehand? Did he give any justification other than "unfortunately, I can't"? If the vote is a fait accompli, I would think some pubs would go ahead and vote to confirm.

he's running 

[CHONGS]

When is the vote? Is there any reason why Senators should announce how they plan to vote beforehand? Did he give any justification other than "unfortunately, I can't"? If the vote is a fait accompli, I would think some pubs would go ahead and vote to confirm.

They're sending a clear message to other republicans.

[MakeItRain]

I've got some apparently shocking news here so make sure you are seated...Ben Sasse is a republican 

I have some equally shocking news. SCOTUS confirmations weren't party line votes until like 6 years ago.

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1507497553230716934

[steve dave]

well, I guess it's subjective

[michigancat]

I've got some apparently shocking news here so make sure you are seated...Ben Sasse is a republican 

He's not just a republican, he's a Maverick