In a random act of journalism on Sunday by CNN’s State of the Union co-moderator Dana Bash, three Democrat members of Congress were questioned about their controversial comments and actions that caused them to be kicked off of their respective committees. Representatives Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar were given an opportunity to answer for their lies, ties to Chinese spies, and anti-Semitic comments respectively.
After being booted off of the House Intelligence Committee by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Bash asked Schiff about lying to the public that he didn’t know the whistleblower during the first Trump impeachment: “ahead of the first Trump impeachment, you said the committee had not spoken to a whistle-blower. In fact, that turned out not to be true. The Washington Post said so in their fact check,” Bash said.
Schiff then tried to spin his way out of it by saying that “before the person became a whistleblower, they sought advice from the committee. When I was asked the question, I thought they were referring to whether we had brought the whistleblower in.”
Then Bash moved to Eric Swalwell and asked him about Fang Fang who was the Chinese spy he reportedly had sex with. Although she didn’t mention her by name:
Beginning in 2012, a suspected Chinese spy developed ties to you and to your office, even put an intern there, raised campaign funds for you. You say very clearly, you cut off ties with this person back in 2015, when you found out, you cooperated with the FBI. But the bottom line question is this. Did you put yourself in a vulnerable position in any way, so that this alleged Chinese spy could have benefited or even learn American secrets?
Swalwell then claimed that the FBI “never talk about ongoing investigations.” Yet “three different times, they came out and said two things. All I did was help them, and also, I was never under any suspicion of wrongdoing.”
Finally, Bash turned to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and went through the comprehensive list of anti-Semetic comments she’s made over the years which are responsible for her pending removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“I'm told that Republicans presented a list in their meeting, in their private meeting this past week, included in that list, is that you said that Israel hypnotized the world. You said that Israel is an apartheid regime,” Bash noted.
Continuing to list her disgusting comments, Bash recalled how Omar said “politicians with pro-Israel stances were all about the benjamins, which you very notably apologized for, that you support the BDS movement, which a lot of people think is rooted in anti-semitism, compared the U.S. and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban. I want to give you a chance to respond to all of that, which they say is a clear pattern.”
The only response Omar could apparently come up with is that she “might have used words at the time that I didn't understand were trafficking in anti-semitism. When that was brought to my attention, I apologized. I owned up to it. That's the kind of person that I am, and I continue to work with my colleagues and my community to fight against anti-semitism.”
Good for Bash for bringing these topics up. It’s about time Schiff, Swalwell, and Omar were confronted about their inappropriate behavior and disgraceful comments.
To read the relevant transcript, click “expand”:
CNN’s State of the Union
1/29/2023
9:40:10 a.m. EasternDANA BASH: He says that this is part of a pattern, ahead of the first Trump impeachment, you said the committee had not spoken to a whistle-blower. In fact, that turned out not to be true. The Washington Post said so in their fact check.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF: The Washington Post identified that, yes, before the person became a whistleblower, they sought advice from the committee. When I was asked the question, I thought they were referring to whether we had brought the whistleblower in. And I should have been more clear in my answer.
[...]
BASH: On that, Congressman, you were also removed by Republicans from the Intelligence Committee, what the Speaker said about you is that beginning in 2012, a suspected Chinese spy developed ties to you and to your office, even put an intern there, raised campaign funds for you. You say very clearly, you cut off ties with this person back in 2015, when you found out, you cooperated with the FBI. But the bottom line question is this. Did you put yourself in a vulnerable position in any way, so that this alleged Chinese spy could have benefited or even learn American secrets?
REP. ERIC SWALWELL: Absolutely not. But Dana, don't take my word for it. Take the FBI's word for it. They never talk about ongoing investigations and former chairman Schiff knows this as a member of the gang of eight. Three different times, they came out and said two things. All I did was help them, and also, I was never under any suspicion of wrongdoing.
[...]
BASH: Let me ask you, Congresswoman Omar, about what Republicans are saying about you. That there is a pattern of anti-semitic and other controversial statements that make you unfit to sit on, in your case, the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I'm told that Republicans presented a list in their meeting, in their private meeting this past week, included in that list, is that you said that Israel hypnotized the world. You said that Israel is an apartheid regime. That politicians with pro-Israel stances were all about the benjamins, which you very notably apologized for, that you support the BDS movement, which a lot of people think is rooted in anti-semitism, compared the U.S. and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban. I want to give you a chance to respond to all of that, which they say is a clear pattern.
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah, I might have used words at the time that I didn't understand were trafficking in anti-semitism. When that was brought to my attention, I apologized. I owned up to it. That's the kind of person that I am, and I continue to work with my colleagues and my community to fight against anti-semitism.
