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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Body found in creek north of Central Point Emergency services, Feb. 8 Emergency Services, Feb. 9 Man stabbed by wife during argument in Medford Saturday Strong winds, possibly more rain expected through Monday Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Body found in creek north of Central Point Emergency services, Feb. 8 Emergency Services, Feb. 9 Man stabbed by wife during argument in Medford Saturday The Sovereign Among Us Politics and Elections Kent Bush: Fraud kept alive by the left and right Walden sets town halls on Friday Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Education Sharing black culture SOU board names officers, committees SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign Parent files discrimination complaint against Ashland schools Some gains, some losses Environment Solar pavilion going up at Coyote Trails GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Jackson County won't set up wolf kill compensation program Commercial users can get rid of pesticide waste for free Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills State News Letter says Kitzhaber official fired after Hayes criticism Attorney general says Kitzhaber's ethics allegations 'troubling' Willamette football player pleads not guilty to manslaughter 'In God We Trust' leads to Klamath County debate Bill calls for relocation of Washington state wolves Nation - World Obituaries Helmut "Harry" Podlech Alson "Al" Velma "Ruth" Thornton Trudy Butler Jean Yvonne Baumer Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Young, Oregon dominate Washington State Plum, Washington overwhelms Oregon Blazers take charge late in Houston Spartans come up short on road Perfect Fit Varsity 541 College Sports Young, Oregon dominate Washington State Plum, Washington overwhelms Oregon Perfect Fit No. 7 OSU downs WSU Beavers defeat Cal Poly, 26-10 Pro Sports Blazers take charge late in Houston Spartans come up short on road Great day for Day Mavericks rally, down Blazers in OT With Davis hurt, Bulls rout Pels Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Erickson layoffs land hard in Jackson County People in Business Blog: Stay Calm Erickson announces 150 layoffs, mostly in Oregon 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Agriculture 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest George Will: Education is the business of the states Dana Milbank: Ashton Carter likely to break hawks' hearts Our View: Call for resignation is premature Letters to the Editor, Feb. 8 Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Editorials Our View: Call for resignation is premature Other Views: Overhaul the national firefighting budget Our View: Waiting is best approach to wolf damage Our View: Our growing disagreement with science Our View: A gesture, but one worth making Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 8 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 5 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 3 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Guest Opinion: Health professionals don't always act that way Help wanted: The Medford School District needs you Guest Opinion: Market forces work against LNG project's success Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Simple Solutions A long-harbored dream may be realized Plenty of life in Death Valley Setting the stage for garden dramatics Just an ordinary roadside miracle Food Restaurant Inspections Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Warm up your winter with Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup Community blog: Cupcakes can be good for sweetheart's heart Cupcake love affair Fish stew is a winter delight Home and Garden Landscape lighting for beauty, safety and value Dear Monty: First time home buyer seeks differences in housing lifestyles Home Help: 3 upgrades sure to turn kitchen time into quality time Dear Monty: Is a home ‘trade-in’ a good idea? Buying a home? Consider its walkability Health Community blog: Simple Solutions Health Watch: Simple swaps for a healthy lifestyle Community blog: Five "Must Haves" Health Watch: Don’t let your fitness resolutions fizzle out Community blog: Toxic Love: How to Identify an Abusive Relationship Hiking Biking Faith RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Religion briefs Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Live Music in Local Clubs Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Steep Ravine, T Sisters play the Unitarian Fellowship Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Theater Camelot presents Playwright Richard Manley's 'A Question of Words' Classics, premiers highlight '15 season for OSF Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Music Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present 'The Passing of Time' Live Music in Local Clubs Charles Guy & Linda Powers play Belle Fiore Steep Ravine, T Sisters play the Unitarian Fellowship Here it is! Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label Dining Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Sandwiches and burgers are hits at The Rogue Chef The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Call for resignation is premature ... Auditor: Jackson County finances strong ... Get Up & Go: Sunday, Feb. 8 ... Our View: Call for resignation is premature ... Auditor: Jackson County finances strong ... Get Up & Go: Sunday, Feb. 8 ... ANOTHER VIEW Dana Milbank: Ashton Carter likely to break hawks' hearts Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Feb. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News WASHINGTON — The hawks were swooning. Ashton Carter, President Obama's nominee to be the next defense secretary, gave the Senate Armed Services Committee every indication Wednesday that he would be a hard-liner at the Pentagon and a strong counterweight to administration doves — and conservatives on the panel were besotted. "We all look forward to having you as our partner," purred Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz. "I look forward to supporting your confirmation," cooed Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., dispensed with flirtation, calling the nominee "Secretary Carter" before revising that to "soon-to-be Secretary Carter." Even retired senator Joe Lieberman, a neoconservative Democrat, joined the celebration with a speech telling the panel how he "bonded personally" with Carter at a military meeting with Russians when they were "the only two members of the American delegation to keep up with the vodka toasts." The normally irascible McCain was in such high spirits that he twice spoke of his "beloved friend" Lieberman, "a member of this committee since the Coolidge administration." Lieberman replied, "It was a great comfort to me when I arrived during the Coolidge administration to find that you had already been here several years." McCain beamed at this joke. Everybody knows he didn't arrive in the Senate until the Hoover administration. With such joyful sounds of young love in the air, it seems churlish to point out the obvious: This relationship will almost surely end in tears, like those before it. Bob Gates. Leon Panetta. Chuck Hagel. Each time, lawmakers hoped that the defense secretary would be a forceful voice for the military's interests within the administration. And each man wound up getting rolled by whippersnappers at the White House who took a more docile view of American power but were closer to Obama. Is there reason to believe that Carter, a technocrat and longtime Pentagon official, will be different? He's more of a hard-liner than Hagel, but he has less independent political clout than his three predecessors. Carter has staked out tough positions on arming Ukraine and fighting the Islamic State — but Obama's decision-making is dominated by White House staff chief Denis McDonough and national security adviser Susan Rice, who seem loath to take a more aggressive approach in Ukraine or Syria for fear it could jeopardize a nuclear deal with Iran. Carter is also passionate about boosting Pentagon spending — but his masters in the White House, though requesting more funds for defense, have a decidedly more domestic emphasis. McCain, at least, seemed aware that his budding relationship with Carter could go south. "Two of your predecessors, Secretary Gates and Secretary Panetta, have severely criticized White House micromanagement of the Defense Department and overcentralization of foreign and defense policy," McCain said. "According to numerous news reports, Secretary Hagel experienced similar frustrations. ... I sincerely hope the president who nominated you will empower you to lead." Yes, they can always hope that this time it will all be different. And that's exactly what lawmakers and the nominee did Wednesday. Carter called for an end to budget cuts that painted a "diminished picture of our power," and he said that "finishing the job" in Afghanistan "is very important." He said he's inclined to provide defensive arms to Ukraine and would "absolutely" resist pressure from colleagues to speed the closure of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, a new senator, asked Carter whether he agreed with Obama's "almost delusional" view that "the shadow of crisis has passed" and that "we're stopping" the Islamic State's advance, opposing Russian aggression and halting Iran's nukes. Carter replied that we're "confronting some of the most challenging problems that we've had in our national security in a very long time." He later confessed that "the number and severity of the risks is not something I've seen before in my life." Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked a series of rapid-fire questions. "Do you think the Iranians have to believe that a military option's on the table during these nuclear negotiations?" "Absolutely ..." "Do you think the Russians are being provocative at a time when the world is already in chaos?" "Yes ..." "Do you think China is intimidating their neighbors?" "Certainly trying to." "Can you tell me, in light of all of this, why in the hell would the Congress be devastating the military budget?" "No, I can't." Carter's sweet nothings were just what the hawks wanted to hear. But will he break their hearts like all the ones before him? MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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