The first line of questioning to Secretary of State Antony Blinken from a Senate Republican during today's hearing is Jim Risch bizarrely grilling Blinken about who in the White House has authority to "push the button" & cut off President Biden's mic. Blinken insists nobody does pic.twitter.com/kWTmitvOXE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 14, 2021
Y’all should be grateful I led off with AOC at the Met Gala this morning. Nobody needs to read something like this over breakfast!
NEW: Republicans wanted @SecBlinken’s appearances before the House and Senate foreign relations committees to be fodder for a Benghazi-like scandal. Instead, they ended up shouting about op-eds and asking nonsense questions about White House livestreams. https://t.co/c4ALqMErVI
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) September 14, 2021
… What Risch was referring to was the White House’s practice of ending its broadcast of the president when he has finished making his public remarks, before a subsequent “closed press” event. It is neither a new phenomenon nor one unique to the Biden administration. During the Trump administration, the White House regularly stopped their broadcasts when President Trump had concluded public remarks and was engaging with attendees at White House events that were not intended to be broadcast in their entirety…
Although Risch’s inquiry had nothing to do with the US exit from Afghanistan, it was consistent with a general theme that has been present in right-wing media since Biden assumed office in January. This theme posits that the president is not in charge of the country and is beholden to unnamed “handlers”. Indeed, much of Secretary Blinken’s time at both Tuesday’s hearing and his Monday appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee was taken up by members who chose to expound on themes, memes, and tropes about Biden and the end of the Afghanistan war that are in wide circulation on social media and in right-wing news outlets but otherwise bear no relationship to reality.
“The Republicans have recycled talking-points that they tell each other and are caught in their own inner feedback loop on their own disinformation platforms,” said Joel Rubin, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.
Rubin, whose portfolio included preparing State Department officials to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that Secretary Blinken had shown far more respect for Congress’ role than his predecessor did. Blinken, after all, agreed to stay long enough to be questioned by all 52 members of the House committee. In return, he was treated to angry rants by junior House members in search of social media fame rather than substantive questions…
One GOP consultant who works with House and Senate Republican candidates said many of Risch’s Senate colleagues conducted themselves well during Tuesday’s session but lamented what they called a general lack of seriousness on the part of his party’s members. “They’re trying to rerun the Benghazi playbook and turn Blinken into Susan Rice or Hillary Clinton,” they explained. “The problem with that is no one really knows who Blinken is outside of Washington, and he’s not the president or a candidate for office. Plus he’s a pro and doesn’t lose his cool, so they end up looking like a bunch of clownish screaming hyenas when they don’t get a rise out of him.”…
“I think it is absolutely reprehensible that you’ve got members of Congress trying to use the committee’s time not to get answers to questions, but simply to try and increase their own Twitter following by creating a viral moment or using their time to pompously pontificate on points that have nothing to do with accountability,” he said. “Obviously, many of the Republicans didn’t even feign an effort at engaging with the Secretary — they simply wanted to yell and talk and use the Secretary as backdrop for their own political propagandizing — but that’s not the point of a congressional hearing.”
Proud to be a Democrat:
I want to know where the outrage was when, year after year, I and others in the Senate tried to get more SIVs to protect our Afghan allies, or when the Trump administration was giving away the rights of Afghan women and girls during peace talks with the Taliban. pic.twitter.com/qOSt401WM5
— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) September 14, 2021
Ron Johnson cuts off Blinken as he tries to get a word in, dismisses his comments as "bureaucratic speak" pic.twitter.com/vvBkjux8dd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 14, 2021
Galls me to say this, but at least Mitt Romney asked a serious question which could actually be answered:
Blinken says the relationship between Al-Qaeda and the Taliban "has not been severed," but that ISIS-K and the Taliban are "sworn enemies" pic.twitter.com/eYvq1ScCbq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 14, 2021
Romney, at this rate, will end up as a Democrat, and that might just kill me.
hawley of course being the guy that famously gave the solidarity fist to the insurrectionist folks who raided the capitol https://t.co/F1PwHnEUgL
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) September 14, 2021
WaterGirl
Slight quibble with your title, Anne Laurie…
Should read Republican Dick’s Afghanistan Healing. Or perhaps Pricks.
They really outdid themselves. No shame at all.
trollhattan
Can I assume (hope?) now that he has free time Larry Elder will come to testify for the Republicans as part of this inquiry? He is an expert, as acknowledged by everybody named Larry Elder.
trollhattan
Mike Pompeo would have done more better than Blinken with those questions, believe you me. Blank maps might have been a part of his presentation.
dr. bloor
The Honorable Senator from Idaho is merely representing his constituency’s mass psychosis and ignorance. This was the worst part about the hearings, and Schumer better be all over his ass like white on rice.
geg6
Saw a few clips of this garbage. Blinken’s calm demeanor was admirable and something I could never accomplish in similar circumstances. That idiot screaming about “the button” would have had me out of my chair and beating him with it.
trollhattan
Wow-wow-wow, if they can stick the landing on a leap of this difficulty the Republicans will truly become geniuses.
If I’m following, Republicans lost the recall because Republican claims of vote frauding stopped Republicans for voting because “if there’s frauding, why even vote?”
Therefore, fraud-fraud! We want a do-over.
HumboldtBlue
The White House press corps keeps teeing them up and Jen Psaki keeps hitting Psaki bombs.
trollhattan
@geg6: Perhaps he watched a few hours of Hillary before the BENGHAZI! hearings. The many, many hearings.
Geminid
That’s a nice turn of phrase. From a jackal’s point of view, hyenas do seem low class.
NotMax
FYI.
Anne Laurie
@WaterGirl: I say we start using ‘Repub’ as a replacement for dick / prick.
‘He had to visit Urgent Care after getting his repub caught in his zipper… again.’
Maybe add minaj to the vernacular, as well: ‘They shaved his minaj before stitching up the wound, so he’s been itching himself all evening… ‘
dr. bloor
@NotMax: Rationing health care is a little bit more real when the nearest major US city is three hours away under ideal flying conditions.
dr. bloor
@Anne Laurie: You should expect a stern letter from my dick’s attorney in tomorrow’s mail.
eddie blake
so hawley is saying defense and state didn’t function too well during the afghanistan withdrawal, so hawley is determined that they remain understaffed so they don’t function too well?
patriotisms!
WaterGirl
@Anne Laurie:
“Republican dick, but I repeat myself”…
WaterGirl
@dr. bloor: Offended, was it?
dmsilev
It’s not just a look.
different-church-lady
I remember reading many years ago that the major purpose of advertising was not to get people to switch from other brands, but to keep your own customers buying your brand. Pretty sure that’s what’s going on with this kind of GOP grandstanding.
NotMax
@Anne Laurie
MASSIVE difference between possessing one and behaving like one.
;)
dmsilev
@trollhattan: You’re not being cynical enough. This is a ‘sane’ Republican trying to tell his colleagues not to be quite so overt and clumsy with their false claims. ‘Hire me, and I’ll come up with plausible fraud claims’.
Geminid
@trollhattan: Asinine attorney Lin Wood advised Georgia Republicans to protest election fraud by boycotting the January 5th Senate runoffs. The influence of Wood’s argument has not been quantified, but Republican David Perdue’s vote dropped from the November election by 200,000, while opponent Jon Ossoff’s vote dropped by only 100,000, which made the difference. Historically, Georgia Republicans had outperformed Democrats in runoffs.
Then Wood packed his carpetbag to move to South Carolina, and ran for state Republican Party Chairman. Wood lost, but he did get substantial support from the nuttiest nuts.
Mike in NC
@trollhattan: Of course we now know that one of Stephen Miller’s biggest mentors was Elderly Larry.
MagdaInBlack
@HumboldtBlue: I do love my daily updates of ” Fuck Around and Find Out with Jen”
Suzanne
So I missed it because I fell asleep, but Steeplejack had asked for a link to confirm that Tucker Carlson admitted to being a lying sack of shit. Here’s a link!
NotMax
@different-church-lady
And inaccurate to boot. The kill switch isn’t in the White House, it’s in the sub-basement of a D.C. pizza parlor.
Between you and me and the lamppost, word is it’s candy apple red.
//
NotMax
@Suzanne
Would have opted for swollen sack of sh*t, but what the hey.
:)
HumboldtBlue
@MagdaInBlack:
We need the bright bursts of the Psaki bombs to stave off the darkness of the dipshits.
debbie
@HumboldtBlue:
I don’t know who the reporter was, but she got Psakied!
Another Scott
ICYMI, Jay Willis in the first issue of BallsAndStrikes.org:
(via Froomkin via LOLGOP)
Cheers,
Scott.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Suzanne: Speaking of Tucker… He has a hard-hitting segment tonight on freedom and vaccination featuring the comedian who has the ear of all the kids, Jim Breuer.
I was chuckling thinking of Tucker’s audience wondering who Jim Breuer is, then I remember that Tucker’s audience is older people, and I am an older people, so maybe they do. (For anyone whose knees don’t hurt for no reason, he was on SNL back in the 90s, I think the early 90s).
“Now, Jim, American remembers you as Goat Boy! You had us rolling around on the floor with your Goat Boy sketches for three years, two of them under George Bush The Elder. Now America wants to know: What do you think of precautions needed to minimize transmission of a novel coronavirus?” I’m half-tempted to listen, to see if he gives us a little Goat Boy
ETA: Googled, and he’s calling vaccine requirements “segregation”. He’s been segregated from any work, per IMDB, since 2017.
Gin & Tonic
Interesting question of health policy and legal jurisdiction. NYC says delegates to the UN General Assembly have to show proof of vaccination to enter. Neither NYC nor the WHO recognize the Russian Sputnik vaccine. So Russia is, naturally, raising a stink. Now the UN buildings have some kind of special legal status, I think. But before you enter, you are in NYC. Can they stop you from entering?
I fearlessly predict that DoS will find a way to overrule this and Russia’s delegates will take their places in the hall along with everyone else, but for now this is fun.
Suzanne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The fact that conservatives are so thirsty for celebrities is just an endless sources of joy for me. Up there with Ivanka never again being invited to the Met Gala.
Mary G
@Suzanne: And Caitlyn Jenner, who got fewer votes than my crazy handyman who ran in 1996.
dmsilev
@Mary G: I can’t decide which face-plant is more amusing, Jenner or ‘I spent HOW much at rent-a-bear’ Cox?
Ken B
@Gin & Tonic: I don’t think it’ll be a problem for long.
I strongly suspect that most of the Russian delegation will take full advantage of the easy availability of the mRNA vaccines in the US, and most that don’t will have already gotten vaccinated with a non-Russian vaccine.
Suzanne
@Mary G: I hate Ivanka (and JARED) more than I hate Caitlyn Jenner… but not by as large a margin as I would have thought.
dmsilev
@Ken B: Sure, but will they be willing to go on the record saying as much? Seems unlikely.
Kay
If it was an “emergency” for the Republicans on the Supreme Court to allow the Texas law banning abortion to go into effect then it’s an emergency that the other side – in this case “The United States”- get at least a hearing.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Somebody tell Jane Bernie’s having some memory issues….
Richard
I am not interested in what they are saying. They have known for 20 years and more exactly what they are doing.
As far as i can see, it allows them to get paid for wearing those ridiculous clothes and not doing any work. They get to send their kids to expensive schools and wine and dine on donations.
When they are confronted with a different society, even one as alien and fucked up as Afghanistan, the best thing they can think to do is bomb it and sacrifice a bunch of child soldiers.
When they are confronted with an actual movement of dangerous uneducated American peasants, their first thought is
“Wow maybe we can manipulate their religion and get them to vote for us!”
That’s just what they do. That is who they are.
Shalimar
@trollhattan: I’m impressed that they had an advisor for the 8.6% campaign on to explain to the 46.9% campaign what they should have done.
Kay
We’ve heard more from the Republicans on the Supreme Court and Justice Barrett than we have heard from the ordinary women who have been profoundly affected by their order. They haven’t gotten a hearing.
If the Federalist Society lawyers who wrote that law got an emergency order from the Republicans on that Court and the GOP Justices are now leisurely scheduling and attending political events with Mitch McConnell then this girl’s representatives also deserve to be heard:
Ken
@trollhattan: It occurs to me that it might be more profitable to lose an election than to win it. For example, campaign funds might be directed to companies owned by friends or family; and afterward one could fund-raise claiming the funds were needed for legal challenges.
If someone went into a race (primary or general) with that attitude, they wouldn’t have to worry about appealing to voters. In fact, for their plans it might be better to say utterly outrageous things to ensure the loss.
This could be very bad for the Republican party.
Leto
Fine. Put them in under “acting” status and leave them there for the next 7 1/2 years. The precedent was set. Goose/gander, all that bullshit. Fuck’em.
Poe Larity
@Kay:
Like Garland got in 2016?
opiejeanne
@dr. bloor: 3.5 hours to Seattle from Anchorage, which is in the southern part of Alaska. Fairbanks is another 10 minutes.
The real question is, how does Washington state accommodate these people when Idaho is already sending us their surplus patients, and we have so many of our own residents who are too stupid to get vaccinated and wear the damned mask.
Kay
@Poe Larity:
I think it is outrageous that the only people who have been heard on this are fancy Right wing lawyers.
I mean, Jesus Christ. Barrett has time to go out and stump for McConnell and the GOP and plead her case and millions of women can’t even get a hearing? It enrages me. These women have been effectively silenced. The harm is immediate. The juvenile can’t wait for an abortion. Timely. If her rights aren’t protected now they’re no good to her a year from now. Can we at least pretend that this is somewhat fair? That someone recognizes these women should at least be heard?
Mike in NC
Republicans are crappying themsleeves over their plans to invade and occupy Iran. It will be a cake walk.
LadySuzy
@Leto: The Senate must reform the rules that allow single senators to block nominations. This is ridiculous. No other modern government in the world gives that kind of power to the minority.
Mary G
Meanwhile, here in California we’re rushing to get shit done instead of talking about it:
Take that, whichever Koch Bro. is still alive. The biggest field still active borders and pollutes several mostly black neighborhoods, so I’m happy. I’m sure lawyers will drag it out as long as they can, but it’s still a great goal.
mrmoshpotato
Why the fuck can’t we have two parties who argue about how best to govern?
HumboldtBlue
@mrmoshpotato:
And here comes you being non-crazy.
mrmoshpotato
@HumboldtBlue: I know. Sorry.
Mary G
@Mary G: Plus LA County:
Poe Larity
@Mary G: Marathon, Chevron, Phillips 66 and Valero refineries can’t wait for next years CA profits at the pump.
I get all the environmentalist stuff, but the cognitive dissonance of a state with more cars than TX and FL combined…
Chetan Murthy
@Poe Larity: 1. crude oil != gasoline. It’s gotta be refined. And I’d bet at least a little, that the bottleneck is refining capacity.
2. high gasoline prices are good, not bad. They will cause people to switch to electric and public transit. The idea that people will do it, absent price pressure, is …. a non-starter.
Flanders Other Neighbor
Al Johnson – Swedish pancake god of Door County
Ron Johnson – dipshit of Wisconsin Senator
Another Scott
@LadySuzy: +1
The existing rules about acting officers are good ones. We can’t let the monsters in the Senate break all the norms without consequences. But they also need to do other reforms of the process. The Senate doesn’t have time to confirm all the undersecretaries and what not – remove them from the list that needs Senate confirmation. And make the remaining nominations go through automatically if they’re not voted upperdown within some reasonable time frame (30-60-90 days). As you say, a single senator does not run the Executive branch and should not be in a position to keep it from running and doing the job that the Legislature has told it to do (faithfully execute the laws, etc.).
When I’m Benevolent Despot, there are going to be some changes!!1
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
frosty
@Ken: I believe that scenario was the plot of The Producers. Also Trump’s 2016 run, and like Bialystock and Bloom*, it went badly because it succeeded.
* guessing the names from memory
The Lodger
@Ken: It’s been done. I can’t remember if the candidate was named Bialystock or Bloom
ETA: And of course, frosty got there before I did.
Another Scott
ICYMI, STATNews:
It’s not over, but it illustrates the difficulty in some of these major changes that are being proposed. Dean Baker at CEPR reminds us that huge amounts of money are at stake, and that the US pays far more than the rest of the world and it doesn’t have to be that way.
The 3 Democrats who voted against the provisions in committee, naturally, get substantial campaign contributions from PhRMA. Public financing of campaigns would help rebalance the incentives in bills like these…
It will be interesting to see what finally comes out.
Cheers,
Scott.
NotMax
@frosty – @The Lodger
Obligatory.
:)
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Kay:
Just imagine her saying this in her little girl voice
Bill Arnold
@LadySuzy:
Maybe change the rules to require 3 Senators.
Chetan Murthy
@Bill Arnold: We need to give up on all that “comity” bullshit. End the practice of seeking unanimous consent.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Chetan Murthy: Comity’s gone, as is bipartisanship. What we’ve got is Moscow Mitch empowering the GQP with one set of rules while kneecapping Democrats with a different set of rules, with the connivance of the likes of Manchin and Sinema. The sooner people realize that the GQP’s goal is to replace the America we know with a fascist-theocratic police state, and that they’re already more than halfway there, the sooner we can treat the GQP the way Greece treated the Golden Dawn party.