Commentary

I recently wrote of my disappointment in the Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton retreads who are advising President Biden, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who you may recall “midwifed” the transfer of pallets of cash to Iran as part of the nuclear deal.

As I watched Binken’s unemotional, teleprompter-aided speech on Monday, I was reminded of Scott Johnson’s PowerLine reporting of Blinken’s August 26, 2021 press briefing, in which he described him as representing the “face of defeat,” while trying to proclaim success with the withdrawal mission. “He is demoralized. He is not proud. He is ashamed,” Johnson wrote, “Unfortunately, his shame is insufficient to prompt him to resign.”

“As of today, we have suspended our diplomatic presence in Kabul. American diplomats have left Afghanistan, and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will remain closed,” Blinken announced on Monday.

That’s a far cry from his statement of August 2, 2021: “Our partnership with the people of Afghanistan will endure long after our service members have departed.  We will keep engaging intensely in diplomacy.”

After investing some $800 million in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world, located on compound of about 36 acres, it has been shuttered.

It was from this highly-fortified facility on July 13, 2021 that 23 embassy staffers sent a cable warning of the worsening situation in Kabul. That triggered the effort to destroy documents and preparation to evacuate the embassy.

So today, as Blinken’s diplomacy will now be conducted from Qatar, you can imagine what will happen to that embassy.

While reading criticism leveled at Blinken by Nebraska’s RINO Sen. Ben Sasse, I recalled an e-mail I received from a friend, that took me back to 2014, when then Sen. John McCain warned of confirming Blinken to be deputy secretary of state:

“I rise to discuss my opposition to the pending vote concerning Mr. Antony Blinken, who is not only unqualified but, in fact, in my view, one of the worst selections of a very bad lot that this president has chosen.  This individual has actually been dangerous to America and to the young men and women who are fighting and serving it.”

Moving specifically to Afghanistan, McCain said, “I am so worried about him being in the position that he’s in … I’m telling my colleagues that we will see a replay of Iraq all over again.”

But McCain’s warning fell on deaf ears, as Blinken was confirmed 55-38.

Then, on January 26, 2021, it was Senator Sasse, who joined 24 other Republicans in confirming Blinken 78-22 to be Biden’s secretary of state.

As far as I’m concerned, those Republicans who helped confirm Blinken are in a weak position in criticizing his performance in the Afghan withdrawal.

General Lloyd Austin was confirmed to be Biden’s secretary of defense with a 93-2 vote, with Republican Senators Mike Lee and Josh Hawley voting “nay,” as they did in the Blinken confirmation.

The confirmation process isn’t perfect.  Both parties have had to deal with it.  In the end, however, there are consequences, just as in the presidential election.

Now, more than ever … may God continue to bless the United States of America.