Sen. John Kennedy has nothing to apologize for after telling Saule Omarova, President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Comptroller of the Currency, that he didn't know whether to refer to her as "professor or comrade" during her confirmation hearings this past week, former ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell said on Newsmax Saturday.
"This is the process and you don't like the process, don't submit yourself for a nomination," Grenell told Newsmax's "The Count."
"I went through the nomination process and you get tough questions. You get ludicrous questions from the senators. You get politicized questions from some senators who want to try to see how you handle certain issues, so the process, as well as the answers, are important."
Omarova is facing criticism from Senate Republicans and some Democrats because of the policy positions she has taken, including reforms to the banking system.
Kennedy, R-La., drew fire, however, with his comments to Omarova, who was born in Soviet-controlled Kazakhstan, after pressing her to release a letter of resignation from a Soviet youth group she was made to join as a girl, reports The Washington Post.
Omarova replied that her family suffered under Communism and that her grandmother escaped death twice under Stalin
"This is what’s seared in my mind," she said while denying she is a Communist. "That’s who I am. I remember that history. I came to this country. I’m proud to be an American.”
But Grenell said he doesn't know why the left and the media are "crying foul."
"Suck it up," he said. "She needs to submit to the confirmation process. She's going for a big job and we have some concerns...she's walking on this line where she wants the state to take over control of the banks and so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say you grew up under Communism. They educated you. They indoctrinated you. Are you still a member? Because some of your policies seem to be all about the government takeover of the banking system. That's un-American."
Grenell added that the nomination "is a mess."
"The whole process is ridiculous," he said. "Not only was she caught talking in the past about policies that are truly out of step with the American public. But again, she failed at her own confirmation hearing to settle some of these issues. She could have answered these questions very easily. She could have talked about capitalism. She could have talked about free-market policies, but she didn't.
Grenell also said that nobody can convince him that Omarova is the best nominee for the job.
"She had her chance," he said. "I believe that everybody deserves if the president of the United States nominates you, you deserve to have a hearing and an up or down vote. Call the vote. I don't think that she's going to be able to get enough support from the Senate."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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