Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Thursday scoffed at the notion that his nine-month hold on military promotions is harming the ability of those in the armed forces to do their work. Tuberville, whose antics finally drew public condemnation of his GOP colleagues Wednesday, was asked about the effect of his blockade by CNN reporter Manu Raju. The Marine Corps’ top officer “was doing two jobs,” Raju said, referring to Gen. Eric Smith, who ended up being hospitalized with a suspected heart attack last Sunday. But Tuberville, a former football coach, didn’t seem concerned about his workload. “He’s got 2,000 people who work for him, okay? And somebody said he’s working 18 hours a day. Jack Reed blamed me for his heart attack,” he said, referring to the Rhode Island senator. “Come on, give me a break. This guy’s going to work 18, 20 hours a day no matter what. That’s what we do. You know, I did that for years because you’ve got to get the job done.”
