I’m all about bringing home wrongfully detained Americans in foreign lands, particularly those countries that are clear enemies to the United States and our way of life. As readers may recall, just days before Russia decided to invade Ukraine, WNBA player Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for allegedly bringing drugs into the country.
No doubt Ms. Griner’s demographics played a part in her being a target; as a black gay female American athletic star, she checks all the boxes regarding minority demographics elevated in America and generally treated terribly in Russia. Since her arrest and sentencing, the Biden administration has faced pressure to get this high-profile athlete home.
Finally, about ten months later, Ms. Griner is heading home to her wife and family thanks to a prisoner swap.
An excellent day for Brittney and her family, and arguably a fantastic day for Russia and the prisoner we traded her for. However, not such a great day for another American still languishing in the Russian prison system.
Biden just traded the guy that inspired “Lord of War” for Brittney Griner, who didn’t even make the cut for “Space Jam 2” pic.twitter.com/eR9gQN7jRB
— Harrison (@HarrisonKrank) December 8, 2022
A Job… Done
You can count on former presidential candidate and, deep down inside, still presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton to weigh in on any significant political move, especially if it makes her party look good.
So she was quick to tweet:
“Brittney Griner is coming home. Just incredibly good news. Thank you to President Biden and everyone in the administration who made this happen, as well as the advocates who pushed for it.”
Brittney Griner is coming home.
Just incredibly good news.
Thank you to President Biden and everyone in the administration who made this happen, as well as the advocates who pushed for it. https://t.co/xwAIyArOoK
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 8, 2022
In her rush to pat her fellow geriatric on the back, she forgot to mention American Marine Paul Whelan, who is still in Russia. She also failed to mention how we paid for Ms. Griner’s freedom with the release of famed arms dealer Viktor Bout.
I would’ve reminded her, but she doesn’t have the ability to comment on her tweets enabled so I guess I’ll have to hope she reads my article today.
I’m sure she’ll get to it eventually in between her virtue signaling about strong, gutsy women (provided they are Democrats, of course) and promoting the Clinton Center’s new Christmas ornament equally filled with faux feminist imagery.
God Bless The U.S.A.
The best lesson from today’s prisoner swap is just how fantastic it is to be an American, well, at least for some.
Like many American athletes in recent years, Ms. Griner was outspoken about her thoughts on how terrible her country is.
She said as cities were burning to the ground during the George Floyd riots:
“I honestly feel we should not play the National Anthem during our season.”
She said that if the WNBA decides to play the National Anthem, she would not “be out there” for it, which is her right, whether you like it or not.
I wonder if Brittney Griner will sing and stand for the National Anthem now that the United States has compromised national security to free her?… #BrittneyGriner
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) December 8, 2022
And how wonderful it is that you can disrespect the flag and the anthem of your home country and your nation – a nation that is so ingrained with systematic racism that it bends over backwards, or forwards depending on your view, to swap you out for one of the most dangerous men ever to walk the Earth.
Today would be a good day for her to be proud to be an American because at least she knows she’s free.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the white heterosexual male American veteran serving time in Russia.
Reading Between The Lines
We know who Ms. Griner is, but in case you need a refresher, the man who gained his freedom in exchange for hers was none other than the muse for the fantastic movie starring Nicholas Cage, Lord of War.
Viktor Bout was serving a 25-year sentence for the following:
conspiring to kill Americans
acquiring and exporting anti-aircraft missiles
providing material support for terrorist organizations
He’s a pretty bad mama jama and, at one point, was the #2 most wanted man in the world, second to Osama bin Laden.
The other individual missing from Hillary’s heartfelt tweet is Paul Whelan.
Mr. Whelan was a U.S. Marine and former Michigan police officer arrested for espionage in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison. Mr. Whelan claims he was and is not a spook, which our own country argues is accurate.
Many say he couldn’t possibly be an American spy in Russia because he was given a bad-conduct military discharge after a court martial for larceny. Perhaps I read too many spy novels, but that sounds like an excellent cover for an undercover American spook.
One has to wonder if we will ever get Mr. Whelan home if Russia wouldn’t accept a trade for the Merchant of Death for his release. Who could we have hidden away in a cell somewhere that would be more enticing for Russian in exchange for an alleged regular old vet?
I’ll let you take a moment to chew on that for a spell.
On the bright side, at least now we might get a sequel to Lord of War
— Harrison (@HarrisonKrank) December 8, 2022
Back In Business
I shouldn’t rain on Uncle Joe’s parade today. What a win and an excellent Christmas gift for Ms. Griner and her family.
Shopping for a gutsy woman this holiday season?
Allow me to recommend the @clintoncenter’s #womensvoices ornament celebrating incredible women from Susan B. Anthony and Ruby Bridges to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. https://t.co/8cSAzuui1y pic.twitter.com/BYWCEMEvXK
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 7, 2022
Plus, this allows Hillary to attempt to maintain her relevance on Twitter, so we should all be taking a victory lap.
However, John Sipher, the former deputy head of the “Russia House” at the CIA, brings up a good point:
“…we should admit that we played Vladimir Putin’s game. He got what he wanted in his typical bullying manner. He knows he can push the West around and will do it until he is stopped.”
He’s not wrong; am I the only one who saw the fantastic movie starring Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman, Air Force One? If you have not seen it, watch it when you finish reading my article.
RELATED: Democrat Claims Any Desire to Track Money Sent to Ukraine is Evil Russian Propaganda
In the indictment on Mr. Bout, it states that he:
“Assembled a fleet of cargo airplanes capable of transporting weapons and military equipment to various parts of the world, including Africa, South America, and the Middle East.”
What will happen to the other 90% of weapons that the Biden administration didn’t inspect that were headed to Ukraine?
I don’t think we have fully paid for Brittney Griner’s release; I think that payment will happen over the years as the Merchant of Death reopens his business in Eastern Europe.
I wonder what Putin’s cut will be, or the Biden family’s, for that matter. Welcome home, Brittney.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”
The post Hillary Comes Out of Her Hole to Praise Brittney Griner Release, Silent on Whalen & Bout appeared first on The Political Insider.
