Senator Ted Cruz discovers North Korea
by Marcus Noland | February 21st, 2013 | 06:33 am
We do not have a clue why Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) thought it necessary to stoop to McCarthy-esque innuendo at the Senate Armed Forces Committee hearings on the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense. One would have thought that Hagel’s record would have provided sufficient fodder without needing to imply that he was on the take from Pyongyang (see video below). Though they did splash some cash down in Jo’burg, we have not seen any evidence of the North Koreans sponsoring speaking events at $200K a clip, but any of you readers know of $200K speaking gigs, drop us a line. Privately, of course.
In the meantime, Senator, you can relax. We have a way of handling the issue: sanctions!
First stop, the US Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control, our first line of defense with respect to North Korean sanctions and terrorism finance. If Sen. Hagel is picking up big speaking fees from North Korea, he has to report it here. And yes, we do punish folks for violating these rules; just ask Steve Park.
But that’s just a start. Any entity in North Korea rich enough to be dropping $200K on former senators is likely connected to the country’s WMD programs–and subject to UN sanctions. Next stop the UN sanctions committee! We know that Sen. Cruz is not a big fan of the United Nations, what with them trying to ban golf and take away our sovereignty, but in this case….if anyone in Sen. Cruz’s office wants to drop the dime, just contact Martin Uden–he’s the chair of the experts committee that actually does the sanctions legwork. If the lead pans out, Martin can probably get the UN Security Council to freeze all of former Sen. Hagel’s assets as well impose a travel ban (implemented by US authortities, Senator, not the UN police). Hagel will be facing criminal prosecution in the US with no money and no way to run. Sixty votes for cloture will be the least of his problems, Senator, if your ruminations have any basis in reality.
Thanks for covering this topic with the sharpness it deserves.
The 9 or so minutes of Cruz actually confronting Hagel face-to-face at the confirmation hearing is equally something to behold: The Senator 1) raises the $200,000 speaking fee “mystery,” 2) tells Hagel he doesn’t want him to address it because “time is limited,” and then 3) moves to his would-be coup de grace in the form of an extended excerpt from a demented C-Span caller from 2009 who Hagel was supposed to refute re: Israel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g6MNWiLSeo
To paraphrase the Senator’s first five minutes: “You, Chuck Hagel, have been taking money from murky foreign quarters, but don’t talk about that here, since this insane C-Span caller’s point from 2009 has not been adequately addressed.” Brilliant.
In spite of being the most clever man in the talk radio studio/confirmation chamber, Senator Cruz was unable to get around to a question I’m sure he had for Hagel about why we were stationing B-2 bombers in Guam…
Adam Cathcart February 23, 2013 | 5:33 pm
Reply