Senator Hole in 2009
What's your secret Babs, lighting, makeup, ??? Perhaps it's when you discovered you were a Senator and not a Ma'am.
| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Call me "Senator," not "Ma'am" - Babs dresses down General |
| 2009-06-18 |
| In case you forgot, Barbara Boxer is a senator. The feisty California lawmaker felt the need to remind an Army brigadier general of that fact Tuesday during a hearing before her Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where the military officer testifying had the apparent gall to call Boxer "ma'am." Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was testifying on the Louisiana coastal restoration process in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He began to answer one of Boxer's questions with "ma'am" when Boxer immediately cut him off. "You know, do me a favor," an irritated Boxer said. "Could say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?'" "Yes, ma'am," Walsh interjected. "It's just a thing, I worked so hard to get that title, so I'd appreciate it, yes, thank you," she said. "Yes, senator," he responded. However, Walsh surely meant no disrespect, as military protocol advises that officers may use "sir" or "ma'am" when addressing anybody higher than them on the chain of command. "We would call them 'sir' or 'ma'am' or 'senator such-and-such'," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said. Banks said any of those terms would be "appropriate" when addressing a senator. According to one guide, the Navy and Coast Guard typically use "mister" or "miss" to address officers below the rank of commander, and "sir" or "ma'am," or a specific title, to address anyone at that rank or higher. "You can never go wrong by using 'Sir' or 'Ma'am,' but it is a nice touch if you can properly address a senior officer," says the guide, Military Protocol: Uniformed Services. Tuesday's hearing was hardly the first time a military officer used those terms during sworn testimony. The same day at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, two Navy officials repeatedly referred to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., with the title, "sir." "Yes, sir," Navy Vice Adm. Bernard McCullough said when answering questions. Wicker raised no objections. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #27 I'm an American, and Your Majesty is a fine title for some tinpot potentate. The Honorable Senator from California is by far a step above any Majesty, anywhere; however, the Senator should not trifle with any American Citizen, even a General. In my humble opinion. |
| Posted by: rammer 2009-06-18 23:36 |
| #26 When Queen Noor of Jordan visited here at Texas Tech back in the 80s, faceless university bureaucrats saw fit to hand out a protocol guide to any of us peasants who might chance to find ourselves in the presence of this august personage. Among other things, it told us to always address the personage as "Your Majesty" rather than as "ma'am." I threw a fit, pointing out that it was entirely proper to address the honest-to-God Queen of England as "ma'am," and if it's good enough for her it should be good enough for Queen Noor, a former airline hostess namedLisa Halaby. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2009-06-18 22:11 |
| #25 At least he didn't call her "Liz" |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-06-18 21:45 |
| #24 Lucky he didn speak the truth and simply answer "Yes, Bitch" |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-06-18 19:46 |
| #23 This is kerfluffle is good for our side. From now on there will be the opportunity to force her to hide her anger in public by calling her 'ma'am'. This helps do to her reputation what Chris Matthews did to his by referring to his tingling legs. |
| Posted by: ryuge 2009-06-18 19:33 |
| #22 Senator Hole in 2001 Senator Hole in 2009 What's your secret Babs, lighting, makeup, ??? Perhaps it's when you discovered you were a Senator and not a Ma'am. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-06-18 19:16 |
| #21 "Else she is the kind of woman who has the Senatorial coat of arms embroidered on all her underthings" Thanks TW I got an image I shall never recover from. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2009-06-18 18:42 |
| #20 um, okay LH. Iblis is spot on. Sir or Ma'am works & the Gen was clearly respectful. I've addressed a Gov, a senator, the undersec & and an underdep w/both and none acted like this lady did. It wasn't that she even asked to be addressed as "senator" - though it came off petty - it was the melodramatic comments she made afterwords and the peacocking for the camera. Dressing down your military subordinates and ignorantly insulting them (aka clinton's saluting) is a fine way to earn lasting enmity from us who serve...though I doubt Boxer cares. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2009-06-18 18:40 |
| #19 Boxer had no idea that the General was being respectful. Her "correction" therefore ranks up there with Dan Qualye's potato comment. It's epic stupid from a self-important harpy. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2009-06-18 17:29 |
| #18 Look on the bright side, at least it wasn't a junior officer who let a "hoooah" instead of a yes slip out in the course of the conversation! That's always embarrassing kind of like someone who accidentily farts in yoga class in a weird posture. |
| Posted by: GirlThursday 2009-06-18 17:01 |
| #17 "LH, I don't see a problem with either "sir" or "ma'am". " And I have no problem with a Bill Clinton style sloppy salute. What you or I have a problem with really isnt at issue. I have not had the honor or pain of testifying before a Senate committee, but its always been my understanding that you say "Senator". Period. If that is not the standard protocol, and I am under the wrong impression, I apologize. Who knows why she is being tetchy, maybe she didnt sleep well. Its odd that the right wing blogosphere is grabbing onto this, when they are quite capable of going on for pages on the importance of military protocol. |
| Posted by: liberal hawk 2009-06-18 16:31 |
| #16 LH, I don't see a problem with either "sir" or "ma'am". Both convey respect and acknowledgement of a position of respect or authority, be that position Senator, General, or Your Royal Majesty. I confess I don't get what Senator Boxer was reacting to. The General was being respectful and addressed her in a proper way. If the Senate prefers that Senators be addressed as "Senator" by witnesses at a hearing, they should say that. Then it would be proper to address her as "Senator Boxer" in a hearing, and not "ma'am". |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-06-18 16:26 |
| #15 Defaming the character of the Mustang Ranch staff should really not be an option. The term 'Senator' should do nicely. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-06-18 16:10 |
| #14 liberal hawk, title and ma'am/sir are interchangeable,as even the Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth is addressed as "ma'am" after the first, full blown "your royal highness" at the beginning of the conversation. It is the senator who is incorrect, although perhaps she'd be better pleased to be addressed by being addressed with the full pomp of "the honourable senator from the state of California." I suspect this is a bit of egregious bullying by the honourable senator. Else she is the kind of woman who has the Senatorial coat of arms embroidered on all her underthings, like the wife of a newly minted baronet. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-06-18 16:01 |
| #13 her state is broke and on its way to territorial staus, territories dont get senators. I think douchbag works well |
| Posted by: 746 2009-06-18 15:54 |
| #12 A$$ Hole came to mind but I fear the wrath of P4 (Periwinkle Posting Police Person). From now on I shall refer to Babs, California's Junior Leftist, as Senator Hole. GolfBravoUSMC, you are a delightful silly! I've never been thought of as a multiple before (P4!!!!) -- I shall treasure the thought always. :-) For the record, that A$$ Hole complies perfectly with my point #1, but Senator Hole certainly describes the senator perfectly. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-06-18 15:51 |
| #11 I recall people expecting US presidents to use MILITARY protocol in how they give salutes to military people. Whats so wrong with a Senator insisting on Senate protocol? |
| Posted by: liberal hawk 2009-06-18 15:34 |
| #10 No need to insult the Mustang Ranch, ed. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-06-18 15:32 |
| #9 I think of them more as madams, in a Mustang Ranch sort of way. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-06-18 15:25 |
| #8 Every time I think that I can't think any lower of my two ma'ams I get proven wrong. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2009-06-18 15:13 |
| #7 Hey, at least the General didn't call her 'Liz.' |
| Posted by: Free Radical 2009-06-18 15:10 |
| #6 A$$ Hole came to mind but I fear the wrath of P4 (Periwinkle Posting Police Person). From now on I shall refer to Babs, California's Junior Leftist, as Senator Hole. CrazyFool, thanks for showing me the path to moderation. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-06-18 14:51 |
| #5 Just to establish protocol in the future, is Senator a step up or down from douchebag? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-06-18 14:44 |
| #4 dumber than a hatfull of hair |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-06-18 14:43 |
| #3 Sounds like we get a clearer idea of her priorities. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-06-18 14:25 |
| #2 Better make that SENATOR Douchbag. (Or course nowdays its hard to tell which word is the most offensive....) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-06-18 13:52 |
| #1 How about douchebag? Or compromise and make it Senator Douchebag. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-06-18 12:47 |