Former Obama U.N. ambassador trashes Pompeo for being "overtly religious"

With all the problems in the country right now, whether it is the coronavirus pandemic or the economic collapse or the violent Marxist mobs destroying cities across America, you’d think that a former Obama administration official would have something else to worry about other than Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s religious faith. But no, there is a presidential election coming in November so no criticism is too petty or off the table.

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Obama’s former U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice, was interviewed on Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC. Rice was brought on to criticize Pompeo’s decision to deliver a speech from Jerusalem in support of President Trump’s re-election during the convention coverage Tuesday night. But, Rice was also allowed to work in her personal opinion of Pompeo’s performance in his role, as it pertains to his religious faith. He talks about it sometimes, you know. It’s “problematic” that he is “overtly religious”. She had to channel a New York Times piece from 2019 to go there, yet she did.

“Mike Pompeo has been an overtly religious secretary of state, which in itself is problematic because again he’s supposed to represent all of America, all of our religions,” Rice told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.

Pompeo has often spoken publicly about his Christian faith, saying in May that he reads both his Bible and intelligence reports in the morning.

Rice’s criticism echoes a New York Times “news analysis” piece from 2019 where correspondent Edward Wong wrote that Pompeo talking about Christianity and foreign policy has “increasingly raised questions about the extent to which evangelical beliefs are influencing American diplomacy.”

There’s no evidence that Pompeo proselytizes in his position as Secretary of State. He is a man of faith but so what? It’s his right. So what if he told an audience or a reporter that he reads his Bible in the morning? Millions of people of all faiths do that – they read the religious text of their personal religion. This is the same malarkey that the left served up during George W. Bush’s time in office. He was heavily criticized by the left for openly praying and giving testimony of his faith. Republicans are expected to hide their religious beliefs while Democrats are allowed to fly whatever freak flag they want to and everyone is expected to take a knee to it. Please. This country was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. I think we’ll be ok with Mike Pompeo occasionally making a Biblical reference in a speech or conversation.

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It’s odd, too, because I usually listen to political speeches or read the transcripts from people in positions like Pompeo. I haven’t noticed any such problem with Pompeo. Let’s face it, it was a lame connection she was trying to make since he was speaking from Jerusalem Tuesday night. And, it was a way to trash the bad Orange Man. She actually says the Trump administration has politicized all the agencies – like DOJ – which should bring an extreme eye-roll from any conservative, given that is exactly what the Obama-Biden team did. They politicized all the government agencies and even used its DOJ to attempt to stop Trump from becoming president. Remember when Attorney General Eric Holder proudly called himself Obama’s wingman? I do.

The Biden campaign is busy cozying up to the anti-Semites in the Democrat Party, including the likes of Linda Sansour, now that the general election campaign is underway. You’ll notice that Rice says the U.S. should keep Israel at arm’s length, or something. Of course, Rice has her own baggage as it pertains to the Middle East. She’s the one who went on five Sunday morning political shows after the Obama administration allowed an American ambassador to be murdered by Islamic extremists in Libya. She (and Hillary) blamed some poor slub in a basement somewhere making videos. For that alone, she should be shunned but Democrats embrace her.

“Secretaries of State are supposed to honor the principle that politics end at the water’s edge,” she said. Funny, that wasn’t the principle that either Obama or Biden have used. Obama immediately went on a world apology tour upon his election in 2009. Biden, as recently as February 2019, trashed Trump’s immigration policy to an audience in Germany, as well as his policies on climate, trade, domestic, and foreign policy.

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“I promise you,” he assured his European listeners, “as my mother would say, this too shall pass. We will be back. We will be back. Don’t have any doubt about that.”

“We”? The Democrats were the implication. Biden was still pondering a run for president. His were very political opinions delivered to an audience past the water’s edge. Susan Rice supports Joe Biden. She’s probably hoping she’ll be Secretary of State if he wins the November election.

Democrats were we-weed up over Pompeo’s decision to deliver a speech from Jerusalem, where he is in his professional capacity. Nancy Pelosi called the decision appalling. The video was pre-taped and Pompeo didn’t mention any criticism of Biden or Democrats in general.

Pompeo spoke about a campaign promise Trump kept – he relocated the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And Pompeo touted the recent historic accomplishment – the Trump administration brokered a peace deal that normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. In contrast, Obama’s people once had Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu enter the White House from a side door, not the usual entrance for visiting dignataries. Members of Team Obama worked to defeat Netanyahu in an election cycle, too.

John Negroponte, who served as deputy secretary of state during the George W. Bush administration, spoke up in support for Pompeo. That is notable, given that Negroponte usually joins with Never Trump Republicans to criticize Trump and his administration.

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“The secretary of state is the senior most member of the president’s cabinet, and the president is free to ask him to speak on any manner of subject,” he said. “It may be rare, but that may be more of a matter of custom than anything else.”

Yes, it was an unusual move. We live in unusual times. The State Department said Pompeo did the speech on his own time and not at the expense of the American taxpayers. He is there, though, on official business and traveled there on a government plane. He threaded a needle, technically speaking.

A State Department official said that none of the agency’s resources or staff has been used to facilitate his appearance. The State Department didn’t respond to requests for comment on whether Mr. Pompeo’s address complied with its own legal guidelines or whether State Department lawyers had reviewed his decision.

In theory, the Secretary of State represents all Americans, to be sure. However, doesn’t the fact that Obama appointed Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady in a Democrat administration and presidential candidate, as his Secretary of State speak to potential partisanship in the position? Cabinet positions are political appointments. Rice didn’t say a peep about that. Nor did San Fran Gran. It’s just more hypocrisy from nervous Democrats hoping to pull Joey B. across the finish line in November.

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Ed Morrissey 12:40 PM | November 21, 2024
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