January 20, 2021

"Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to become secretary of state, deftly sidestepped Democratic invitations to sharply criticize the Trump administration..."

"... and Republican efforts to lure him into controversy, in a confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.... Firing off his trademark 'yes or no' confirmation questions, [Lindsey] Graham asked whether Blinken considered Iran the world’s 'largest state sponsor of terrorism.' 'I do,' Blinken replied. Did he consider Israel a racist nation? 'No.' Should any U.S. agreement with the Taliban in Afghanistan be conditions-based? 'Absolutely.' What would he tell people in a caravan heading toward the American border? 'I would say, "Do not come."'  Did he agree that China’s repression of the Uighur minority constituted genocide, as the Trump administration declared Tuesday? 'That would be my judgment as well,' Blinken replied. 'We’re on a really good start here,' Graham said. 'I really just very much appreciate this.'"

47 comments:

iowan2 said...

What are they going to do to him when its all lies?

That trove of documents unclassified and released show the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence staffer James Wolfe, lied repeatedly to the Senate about leaking the first Carter Page FISA warrant. He was found out, allowed to resign. Lying to congress is only a problem for enemies of the establishment.

MayBee said...

Good.

Let's see what happens when people are paying attention. Right now he has the cover of everyone paying attention to Trump and the 70 million domestic terrorists who voted for him.

iowan2 said...

DC is just a poorly scripted soap opera. None of this is real. It's all a farce. Graham has been worse than any Democrat. Covering up corruption.

Heartless Aztec said...

Why would Biden nominate an apparent Republican for the job of Sec of State? I'm confused.

wendybar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DavidUW said...

all lies. but ok.
keep on believing he's some sort of "moderate."

Big Mike said...

Blinken is lying, of course. But gullible people will fall for it.

Quaestor said...

China undoubtedly has reams of sordid details of Hunter Biden's activities which gives Xi Jinping an effective veto over any sanctions Blinken may suggest.

Wince said...

Blinken's job was to hide the incoming crazy.

Wince said...

Did anyone else notice how creepy the optics were having Biden's national security team testify in masks?

Was it necessary? The nominees couldn't be safely distanced while they gave testimony?

Did a useless ploy meant to symbolize the new administration's commitment to "science" in actuality fail to familiarize the public with these key people?

How does that perception play out as it becomes increasingly clear that these appointees are the ones behind the scenes pulling the "Harris-Biden" administration's strings?

tim maguire said...

He's saying all the right things. So, so long as Republican Senators remember to ask all the right questions...

I'm especially pleased that Trump named the genocide. Democrats never would have done that on their own, but now that it's done, they won't be able to undo it.

Too late, unfortunately, to recognize Taiwan and pardon Snowden and Assange. You can't have everything.

Clyde said...

“Say anything.”

mockturtle said...

When I hear of Blinken, I can't help but wonder: Where are Winken and Nod?

The Crack Emcee said...

Smart man,...maybe.

walter said...

Where's Hunter? (In the administration)

Todd said...

I guess the million dollar question is, did he mean those answers or was he just saying what he thought would be the right answers? Is he truthful or is he pulling a "Biden"?

CWJ said...

Lying? It's the swamp good chance he is, but I'll take it.

"Blinken's job was to hide the incoming crazy."

You've got to admit that's quite an accomplishment these days.

jeremyabrams said...

Do you admit the Trump administration's broad-based success in foreign policy has moved the Overton window comprehensively away from leftist policy options? Yes.

rehajm said...

I concur. Lies. All lies. What's the incentive to not lie?

Bob Boyd said...

Theater. We learned nothing.

Questions not asked:

If he believes Iran is the greatest sponsor of Terrorism, what is going to do about it?

Will he continue the Trump administration policies that have led to breakthroughs in relationships between Israel and Muslim countries in the region?

What will he do when the caravan comes anyway? Will he turn them away?

Thanks Sen. Graham. We really just very much appreciate this.

What will he do to help the Uighers and put pressure on China re: human rights?



Amadeus 48 said...

But doesn't WaPoop disagree with everything Blinken just said?

With Blinken sailing in (via a wooden shoe?), can Wynkin and Nod be far behind?

It is going to be a great four years:

So shut your eyes while Mother sings
of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
as you rock in the misty sea.

It's a preview of Sleepy Joe Biden's inaugural address.

Amadeus 48 said...

Mockturtle, I see we are on the same wavelength.

Freder Frederson said...

I'm especially pleased that Trump named the genocide. Democrats never would have done that on their own, but now that it's done, they won't be able to undo it.

On one of the last days of his administration! Trump signaled in many ways that he doesn't give a shit about human rights, including pardoning war criminals guilty of murder.

Doug said...

Lindsey has his snout in the trough, and he wants to make sure none of his new masters elbow him out.

Jersey Fled said...

Foreign policy is one of the first things I expect Biden to f*ck up.

alfromchgo said...

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod in a wooden shoe taking orders from China and sic techno billionaires.

your new government

Dude1394 said...

So the democrats filibustered damn near every nominee trump put up. But the “oh so valiant” republicans will be hosting cocktail parties for them.

Sebastian said...

"Iran the world’s 'largest state sponsor of terrorism.' 'I do,'"

So, no more secret pallets with cash then?

Or should the follow-up question have been whether Dems oppose Iranian terrorism and nuclear ambitions?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Will Blinken set up a Private Server to hide his international dealings and money-making schemes?


Somehow I feel like that is something only a Clinton would do.

Michael K said...

Freder, any day now, is going to explain who the "war criminals guilty of murder" are. Any day.

n.n said...

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod in a wooden shoe taking orders from China and sic techno billionaires.

your new government


Transnational fascism is a progressive liberal order that denies human and civil rights.

Lazarus said...

Wynken and Nod have the goods on Blynken. Wait until they weigh in. They have a kinky story about what you can do with a wooden shoe and a herring fish that will literally make your hair stand on end.

Problem: Joe the guy who likes wars and Joe the guy who was afraid to take out Bin Laden -- which will prevail? Or, maybe, which staffers will prevail? Is it really certain which way Biden's administration will go?

Ken B said...

So
1 yes and no are “trademark” answers
2 only one of the answers quoted was “no”, none were “yes”

Whiskeybum said...

Notice that it wasn’t just that he answered the questions with ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but Graham only asked yes-or-no questions. That way he didn’t have to explain anything in any detail at all. Now he can easily dodge future questions on his actions. Iran a sponsor of state terrorism? He said ‘yes’ during the confirmation hearings, so that’s why he’s going to send them pallets of cash (in order to buy them off and keep them from attacking the US, theoretically). See how that works?

lgv said...

What's the penalty and recourse for lying in confirmation? Asking for a friend.

Joe Smith said...

Except for the fact that Graham is just a horrible person, what have we learned? That nominees lie under oath (clutches pearls).

Lindsey had power for four years in the senate and did nothing with it.

Despicable, and exhibit A for 'swamp creature.'

PB said...

Just words.

iowan2 said...

2. only one of the answers quoted was “no”, none were “yes”

Answering in the affirmative is 'not' a yes?

How insecure do you have to be, that you think your pedantic statement somehow makes you look good to others?

PM said...

The missed kick out the door: Iran has imposed sanctions on Trump.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

"deftly sidestepped Democratic invitations to sharply criticize the Trump administration and Republican efforts to lure him into controversy"

So, was he lying?

Or did he shoot holes in all sorts of Democrat "talking points"?

Note how the Democrat propaganda organ doesn't claim either, although at least one must be true

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Unknown said...
So the democrats filibustered damn near every nominee trump put up.

Nope. The Democrats nuked the filibuster for everything but the Supreme Court in 2013. They fought and delayed to the best of their ability, but were entirely unsuccessful.

They did mount one filibuster: of Gorsuch. Which got the filibuster nuked for SC nominees, too.

IMO, one of the reasons why McConnell sabotaged the GOP in GA (pushing the pork laden (for everyone but Americans) Covid bill was almost certainly the final nail in the coffin for both GOP candidates) was because he didn't want to deal with the heartburn of getting screwed by Mitt, Murkowski, and / or Sasse when the base expected the "GOP Senate" to stop an egregious Biden nominee (like the HHS idiot who killed other people parents, while getting "her" own our of danger).

No, they're not going to stop the bad ones. The deal is simple: everyone gets on the gravy train, no one panders to "the masses" by stopping "Biden's" nominees.

Kabuki

n.n said...

The missed kick out the door: Iran has imposed sanctions on Trump.

Followed by a parade, full of gay aplomb, through the Middle East, to reclaim the Obama/Biden legacy.

n.n said...

The deal is simple: everyone gets on the gravy train

Overlapping and converging special and peculiar interests. People who deny the consensus are forced to kneel.

Butkus51 said...

wow, and as we all know, dems never lie

Drago said...

Michael K: "Freder, any day now, is going to explain who the "war criminals guilty of murder" are. Any day."

He can't do it...because every single one of them is his political teammate.

Every single one.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone else tired of the binary choice we get as citizens? Demmican or Republicrat. Is that it? We have 'teams', that the Prog Media allows. Mascots? Elephant/Donkey. Colors? Red/Blue. Yay, Team. Is that it? That's governance?

Is that it?

Rusty said...

jeremyabrams said...
Do you admit the Trump administration's broad-based success in foreign policy has moved the Overton window comprehensively away from leftist policy options? Yes.
No. Because never underestimate the lefts and Joe Bidens' ability to fuck things up. My prediction is that before his term is up we will be at war with a least one other country and have a dozen more seriously pissed off at us. It's just what the left does.
Trump was smart. He knows how to read people and situations. Biden and his people are in love with the smell of their own farts.