Rep. Schiff Rebukes Biden's Planned Visit to Saudi Arabia: 'Going Hat in Hand to Someone Who Has...

[JoeOtterbein]

...Murdered an American Resident Would Not Be on My List’

Mediaite

By Katherine Huggins Jun 5th, 2022, 8:01 pm

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Sunday condemned President Joe Biden‘s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, telling CBS’ Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan that “until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in terms of human rights, I wouldn’t want anything to do with” the Crown Prince.

NBC News reported on Friday that Biden has postponed planned visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia until July.

“We know the president is preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia this summer. And he’ll meet with the royal family, including potentially Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, who U.S. Intelligence said issued that order to kill or capture a U.S.-based writer named Jamal Khashoggi,” Brennan said before playing a clip of Schiff saying last February that the president should not meet with the Crown Prince.

“Should the President still go to Saudi Arabia and meet with the Crown Prince?” Brennan asked.

snip

more at link

[Autumn]

1. No. Biden should not go there. That ruler is evil.

[JoeOtterbein]

7. I'm with you and...

...Adam. Evil is evil and should never be accepted.

[TheBlackAdder]

25. Funny, after seeing the towers collapse in-person, I still remember 9/11

[Autumn]

43. I remember SA funding the people who brought down that tower and those planes.

I also know that oil companies here are not producing oil because they don't want a glut in the market to where the price comes down. I'm sure they will sit on it till a fucking republican gets elected.

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Interesting story...I assume the OP has posted NUMEROUS pro Joe articles?

About job numbers or Covid progress or any number of things?

For clarification, my problem isnt with Schiff.

[brooklynite]

3. Is that necessary?

Do you have an objection to Schiff's comments, or just that they were posted here?

[JoeOtterbein]

8. I'm thinking we are always expected to...

..."tow the line."

I don't support towing lines when it comes to dealing with evil despots.

[brooklynite]

11. If by "tow the line" you mean "be aware of news, even the unpleasant kind..."

I would expect that as well.

[sheshe2]

27. It is "toe the line"

[Bettie]

29. Thank you

[JoeOtterbein]

33. Ok, ok lets just say I dipped my...

...toe in it a bit too much!

(little laughing emoji too!!!)

[sheshe2]

36. ...

[sheshe2]

35. U R Welcome.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

21. People like Maduro and Hugo Chavez before him?

And Daniel Ortega?

Those evil despots included?

[sheshe2]

26. It is "toe the line" not "tow"

It is a common error.

[JoeOtterbein]

28. Ok, but I would rather pull a line than...

....

What does toe the line means?
Meet a standard, abide by the rules, as in The new director will make us toe the line, I'm sure, or At daycare Brian has to toe the mark, but at home his mother's quite lenient. This idiom refers to runners in a race placing their toes on the starting line and not moving until the starting signal.

(smiley wavy emoji back at ya! (in my ole fashioned way!)

[enough]

5. Is there some rule now that everyone has to prove sufficient loyalty to a democratic President

before we’re allowed to have an opinion about his actions and policies?

[Autumn]

9. As a matter of fact Joe has posted many pro Biden articles. But this one is about Biden

going to meet an evil ruler who ordered a cold blooded murder of a good man. Fuck that shit.

[JoeOtterbein]

10. Plus, you would think being a Biden voter, contributor and volunteer like me and many others,...

...could catch a break once in awhile!

[Autumn]

13. I like being aware of what my president is doing. And if I don't like what he's doing I will give my

opinion. I have that right. If someone doesn't like it they can go in their room.

[JoeOtterbein]

18. LOL! And...

...I never, ever, ever etc. etc. want to be like republicants, who never, ever, ever, etc. disagree with their POTUS even if they are as INSANE and EVIL as *rump!

[krawhitham]

4. Unless gas prices fall trump will win in 2024

Do you think America survives about 4 years or trump, I don't

[CentralMass]

24. I just saw some polling on what is concerning Americans the most

I think it was on one of the news brief channels abd it had the price of gas near or at the bottom with 8% being concerned. Abortion, guns, food etc were above it. However the conclusion that the talking head was drawing is thst it is not favorable polling fir Biden and the Dems. T

The poll alo showed an enthusiasm gap with something like 57% of republicans interest in the next election and (from memory) 40% of Democrats who were motivate.

I guess time will tell but keto hope people vote in November

[lees1975]

32. If Jan 6, Abortion Rights and Putin's invasion of Russia screwing with the world economy

does not get Democrats interested in voting, then let it go and prepare for living in an autocratic oligarchy.

I am really having trouble with this polling data. Whose asking the questions and how are they asking them. The assumptions are making asses out of the pollsters.

[krawhitham]

51. Here are some real polls with data

Inflation/Gas is the #1 issue, gas prices get lumped into Inflation (on most polls, if not it's listed separately)


https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/05/12/by-a-wide-margin-americans-view-inflation-as-the-top-problem-facing-the-country-today/

Here is another
https://money.com/inflation-top-concern-america-poll/

Here is another
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/we-asked-2000-americans-about-their-biggest-concern-the-resounding-answer-inflation/


Here is another
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/04/politics/cnn-poll-economy-biden-approval/index.html

Here is another
https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2022-06/Topline%20ABC_Ipsos%20Poll%20Final%20Topline%20June%204%202022.pdf

Here is another
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-news-poll-inflation-outweighs-jobs-on-economic-views-prices-force-cutbacks/

[JohnSJ]

49. Hell, we will get slaughtered in the midterms if the price of gas doesn't come done

[Just A Box Of Rain]

6. I trust Joe Biden to conduct American foreign policy

including managing our relationship with Saudi Arabia as he sees fit. We are in good hands.

Biden has been rightfully critical of the role of MBS in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

No matter what, the United States is not in the position to chose who rules Saudi Arabia. And it is not unusual for a president to be forced to deal with less-than-savory leaders when the national interest demands they do so.

[agingdem]

17. Right...

Last edited Sun Jun 5, 2022, 10:08 PM - Edit history (1)

and after 4 years of Trump, we have to re-establish our bonafides, a force to be reckoned with..

[gulliver]

34. Yep, Biden has been masterful

[bigtree]

12. everything Schiff complained about was on the president's agenda

...and it's not just some spur of the moment visit.

They have been in discussions with the Saudis since last year, hashing out every concern that Schiff listed, and more.

The president sent aides just last month to make arrangements for the visit which includes negotiations on more than just oil.

Axios reported earlier this week that the Biden administration has been quietly mediating among Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt on negotiations that, if successful, could be a first step on the road to the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

It involves finalizing the transfer of two strategic islands — Tiran and Sanafir — in the Red Sea from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty with Israeli consent and separate potential modest normalization steps by Saudi Arabia towards Israel.

If an arrangement is reached, it would be a significant foreign policy achievement for the Biden administration in the Middle East.

Moreover, plans have not been finalized for the meeting, which some are reporting has been postponed until July.

June 3: Biden says no final plans on Saudi Arabia visit
https://news.yahoo.com/biden-says-no-final-plans-160304706.html

And there is already an agreement in place for increasing production in July, one of Schiff's first preconditions.



The 'hat in hand' shit is uncalled for. Schiff knows well that the U.S. isn't going to change their energy posture in a quick minute, and that the president's agenda calls for those changes he says should take precedent. It's nonsense to put all of that before this agreement.

If Pres. Biden does visit the country, he will have the exact same concerns at the forefront of his agenda there. Schiff should call the WH if he's so concerned, and not make this self-righteous slap at the president like he's the only one with a clue.

And let's not forget that Trump negotiated the Saudi oil production cutback. Pres. Biden should have the opportunity to reverse all of that.

[sheshe2]

15. Thank you, bigtree.

I love Schiff but don't agree with him here. I trust Biden.

[JoeOtterbein]

19. Good points! I rarely ever post foul words. Even incomplete words. In this case I'll only add...F...

...*ck the evil Saudi Arabian despots!

[agingdem]

14. MBS is evil to be sure..

but Biden is no Trump...Biden's not going to Saudi Arabia to kiss ass..for now let's assume Biden and his foreign policy team know what they're doing..as for Schiff, my spidey-sense tells me Schiff is positioning himself for a run at the presidency...

[mcar]

16. I like Schiff but disagree with him here

I also think it's bad business for Democrats to be criticizing each other so publicly in an election season that could determine whether this republic survives.

[agingdem]

22. I disagree, too

Schiff is pissed at Garland, Schiff is pissed at Biden...I like Schiff but he has to know half the world countries are "run" by evil men..and who are we to pass judgment?..we had a depraved amoral narcissistic sociopath in the Oval Office for what seemed like an eternity...Biden and team recognize we can not always visit friendly countries, not if we want to lead as we did before Trump...

[Demsrule86]

42. It shows a lack of judgment IMHO.

[panader0]

20. The Schiff quote is from February.

[JoeOtterbein]

23. This is from today: (on the video)

“In my view, no. I wouldn’t go. I wouldn’t shake his hand,” Schiff replied. “This is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up into pieces in the most terrible and premeditated way. And until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in terms of its human rights, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him.”

“Now, I understand the degree to which Saudi Arabia controls oil prices. I think that’s a compelling argument for us to wean ourselves off of reliance on foreign oil and on oil more globally, so we don’t have despots and murderers calling the shots,” he continued. “But no, I wouldn’t go and if I had to go to the country for some other reason, I wouldn’t meet with the Crown Prince, I think he should be shunned.”

[orleans]

30. maybe he said it then but he said it this morning on one of those sunday morning shows

--i keep changing channels so i don't remember which show i saw him on

[Rhiannon12866]

37. He said it again this morning on Face the Nation

He said he "wouldn't go, I wouldn't shake his hand. This is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up in pieces in the most terrible and premeditated way. Until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in terms of its human rights, I wouldn't want anything to do with them."

(5:34)

[Demsrule86]

40. Well Adam , I guess you should remain in the House since attacking a president in your own

party before a midterm is unwise.

[JohnSJ]

48. Biden is doing this to try and have them produce more oil, and effect the high price of gas

[orleans]

31. i wish he wouldn't go there but i think

he really believes he has to do this

and the way joe is, i'm certain he would rather not go and meet with that monster

so because of that, i'm trusting his judgement on the whole thing

[Demsrule86]

41. And I don't care what he believes. I value party loyalty,

[JohnSJ]

47. He is going there to see if they will increase oil production, and hopefully effect gas prices.

[orleans]

50. i know, i know.... nt

[rownesheck]

38. Maybe Biden is going there to say

"Increase production or you can say bye bye to our military support you fucking bastard ass!"

That's what I'd say anyway.

[JohnSJ]

46. That is exactly why he is going there. It isn't rocket science. The high price of gas WILL hurt

in the midterms

[Demsrule86]

39. Really... well another addition to my list of those I will never

vote for in a presidential primary. And this sort of thing is why we can't have nice things. We have a midterm coming up and gas is close to $ 5.00 per gallon.

[JohnSJ]

45. Exactly, and that some seem not make the connection that unless oil prices can come down, we will

most likely get slaughtered in the midterms

He is going there to try and get them to increase production, and thus effect the high price of oil

[JohnSJ]

44. What exactly would you do OP? Whether people like or not, the high gas prices have a good

probability to hurt us badly in the midterms.