All eyes were on foreign powers this week as the “Will he? Won’t he?” question of whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will invade Ukraine continued to roil NATO. On Friday, the Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony reminded the world that despite the fanfare and national pride, a shadow of cruelty, genocide, and other human rights abuses hangs like a cloud over the event.
While the United States moved 3,000 troops into NATO countries neighboring Ukraine, it moved a far smaller contingent of special operations forces into a compound in Syria in a raid to kill the leader of ISIS. Like his predecessor, Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurayshi didn’t die at the hands of U.S. soldiers but instead killed himself and his family with a suicide vest. Al Qurayshi had been the leader of the terrorist organization since October 2019.
As the military moved abroad, politicians at home refused to acknowledge it’s 2022 or that Build Back Better is dead. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were both on record that they thought there was still a chance the president’s signature spending bill could get passed. Sen. Joe Manchin, on the other hand, made it clear there is no hope the $2.4 trillion bill is coming back from the dead.
Here are the quotes of the week:
“Russia is simply a gas station that is masquerading, thinly disguised, masquerading as a country. This is going to have a devastating effect on the economy around the world when it comes to the price of gasoline.”
– GOP Sen. Jim Risch on CNN talking about why the U.S. should be concerned about Russia invading Ukraine.
“Biden chose Harris as his VP because of the color of her skin and sex — not qualification. She’s been a disaster. Now he promises to choose Supreme Court nominee on the same criteria. Identity politics is destroying our country.”
– Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on President Joe Biden’s promise to nominate a black woman to replace Justice Stephen Breyer.
“We don’t want the problems at the southern border to be imported into the state of Florida.”
– Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on rumors that transportation companies and hotels in Florida are harboring illegal immigrants.
“The Holocaust isn’t about race. No, it’s not about race. It’s not about race … It’s about man’s inhumanity to man, that’s what it’s about.”
– Whoopi Goldberg said the Holocaust was about attacks on groups of white people.
“Now is the time to decide, for Iran to decide, whether it is prepared to make those decisions necessary for a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA … or whether we are going to have to face a different reality of mounting tensions and crisis.”
– A senior state department official on reinstituting the nuclear deal struck with Iran under the Obama administration that has seen little movement since Biden took office.
“Democrat mayors who defunded the police have seen soaring crime rates, and dangerous criminals have walked scot-free because of far-left Democrat district attorneys. Biden’s visit to New York is too little, too late.”
– Republican National Committee spokesman Will O’Grady on Biden trying to improve his administration’s reputation on crime.
“We could have our country back. Reassure Canadians. Remove these mandates.”
– Author Jordan Peterson tells Canada’s conservative politicians to act while they have momentum behind them as truckers protest in Ottawa.
“There’s a long history here. President Reagan promised the country he would nominate the country’s first woman to serve on the court, and he did so. Former President Trump also promised to choose a woman just over a year ago, and there was no such complaint from the voices on the Right who are speaking out now.”
– Press secretary Jen Psaki defends Biden’s decision to stick with his plan to look at only black female candidates to replace retiring Breyer.
“If he wants to unite the country, Biden should nominate Janice Rogers Brown. Committed constitutionalist who is also an African-American woman. Sadly, Biden personally filibustered her historic nomination to DC Circuit twice when he was in Senate. Now is the time to make amends.”
– Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley on Biden previously filibustering the appointment of a black woman to the D.C. Circuit court.
“You’re trying to go somewhere I’m not going. There’s nothing to talk about.”
– Manchin to reporters asking him what pieces of Build Back Better he would support if they came across as individual bills.
“Their main task is to contain the development of Russia. Ukraine is simply a tool to achieve this goal. They could draw us into some kind of armed conflict and force their allies in Europe to impose the very tough sanctions that are being talked about in the United States today,”
– Putin suggests the U.S. is stoking conflict with Russia so it can sanction the country.
“It’s not going to change Putin’s decision to go to war if that’s the decision he wants to make.”
– Michael Kimmage, a professor of history at the Catholic University of America and former State Department policy official on the effectiveness of sanctions deterring Russia from invading Ukraine.
“I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.”
– Former CNN President Jeff Zucker announces his resignation.
“It is really hard to walk out of class or a meeting in tears, and you should always have a place on campus where you can go … reach out to me anytime — anytime — and we will find you space.”
– Georgetown Law Dean of Students Mitch Bailin encourages students at a sit-in.
“I don’t believe that Build Back Better is dead.”
– House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries.
“I wore my mask the entire game. When people ask for a photograph, I hold my breath. I put it here, and people can see that. There’s a 0% chance of infection from that.”
– Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti explains his policy for posing for pictures.
“I know Whoopi. She’s not antisemitic. She chose Goldberg for her last name for a stage name.”
– Former Sen. Al Franken defends Goldberg against accusations of antisemitism after she was suspended from The View.
“The intensification of hygienic policies with the advent of COVID-19 was understandable. But long-term masking, deep cleaning, distancing, and isolation can be harmful to health, especially for children, precisely because it reduces exposure to microbes. Hygiene practices have health risks as well as benefits.”
– Dr. Eran Bendavid, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University, argues COVID-19 mandates are causing long-term health problems.
“I hate to be so personal, but Hawley is one of the worst human beings, and a self egrandizing con artist.”
– Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger tweets about Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s calls for Biden to renounce the effort to have Ukraine join NATO.
“Moderate Democrats in purple and red states don’t want to be associated with President Biden because his failed presidency will drag down their electoral chances. The avoidance of the president by members of his own party is perhaps the biggest proof that his presidency has been a disaster.”
– Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of Job Creators Network, on Democrats running for office shunning appearances with the president.
“It’s an action you say they have taken, but you have shown no evidence to confirm that. And I’m going to get to the next question here, which is what is the evidence? I mean, crisis actors, really? This is like Alex Jones territory … you’re getting into now.”
– Associated Press reporter Matt Lee presses the state department for evidence Russia will release a false-flag video to spur an invasion of Ukraine.
“No guarantees of data privacy or security should be made regardless of the security technology utilized. Assume that every device and every communication, transaction, and online activity will be monitored.”
– The U.S. Olympic Committee warns athletes about cybersecurity while at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
“I don’t understand, when there’s so many bigger fish to fry, this is rising to the top. It just doesn’t seem productive.”
– Michigan Republican Rep. Peter Meijer on the RNC censuring Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.
