Pot Smoking Griner For a Dangerous Arms Dealer

[craig11152]

I have no clue if arms dealers are anything like drug dealers but when a big drug dealer is taken off the streets somebody else just fills the void.

[kager]

Am I the only one who is just a little skeptical about the state department's story that Griner is being housed at a military medical facility in Texas solely for treatment / mental health review purposes?

I cannot help but wonder if U.S. officials are hoping to gather intel regarding Russia's treatment of incarcerated U.S. citizens.

Nope.

While officials _may_ be gathering intel, I'd wager they are more interested in coaching BG on what to say on The Today Show and other shameless promotion machines about the nation, as they attempt to recover some of their expenses (monetary and political) related to bringing BG back.

[MWmetalhead]

Very possible.

[Circle Seven]

I have no clue if arms dealers are anything like drug dealers but when a big drug dealer is taken off the streets somebody else just fills the void.

The more I read, the more I think our president set a bad precedent. Bout is already saying he supports Russia in the Ukraine conflict. And is eager to help Putin with anything he needs.

I see commentaries worrying about Americans getting grabbed off the street because groups perceive our government as now willing to swap a tourist for a terrorist.

Someone here mentioned don't go to Russia. There may be some merit saying don't go anywhere.

[Graham Wellington]

https://nypost.com/2022/12/08/trump-tur ... hn-bolton/

Interesting read. I'm sure some of our radical left members will discard it solely because it came out of John Bolton's mouth.
I can't help but wonder why we couldn't get a 2 for 1 swap if Russia wanted that arms dealer back bad enough.

As usual, the Biden administration was on the defensive and panicked, and took the terrible deal in order to ease the heat they were getting from the Progressives he is constantly trying to appease. They don't care about bring home a middle age white male, so Biden got them off his case for this, and can now work on bringing Whelan home at his leisure.

I'm happy Griner is home, whether I agree with her politics or not I don't want any Americans wrongfully detained in other countries. But any leverage they had to negotiate getting Whelen home as well is gone. And those putting pressure on Biden to bring Griner home couldn't care less about bringing Whelen home.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

That’s not true. I want him home. But we also need to consider how debilitated he may be. Secondly, Russia is unlikely to give up someone who spied on them.

Side note: Putin was hospitalized Friday for extreme pain often related to colon cancer. As I heard he was going in for surgery. Time for a surgeon to step up and do the right thing, if you know what I mean. The world would be better off without Vlad.

[Rate This]

Smart money says the CIA will try to kill Bout later.

[MWmetalhead]

I agree with Graham on this topic.

Nationally, the detention of Whelan has received only a small fraction of the amount of attention the incarceration of Grinder has received. That isn't right, in my opinion. He's been incarcerated significantly longer, too.

The fact the White House didn't at least make a two for one deal is inexcusable.

I also agree with Circle Seven about the dangerous precedent this move creates.

[Turkeytop]

The fact the White House didn't at least make a two for one deal is inexcusable.

You can make that kind of a deal only if the other party is willing to make that deal. The Russians were not prepared to agree to that.

It's like when we go into collective bargaining looking for a $2/ hr increase and we end up accepting eighty-seven cents.

[Matt]

The fact the White House didn't at least make a two for one deal is inexcusable.

You can make that kind of a deal only if the other party is willing to make that deal. The Russians were not prepared to agree to that.

It's like when we go into collective bargaining looking for a $2/ hr increase and we end up accepting eighty-seven cents.

If Whelan for Bout was available to Trump, it was available to Biden. I'm ok with Trump turning that down. Biden got played.

[Rate This]

The fact the White House didn't at least make a two for one deal is inexcusable.

You can make that kind of a deal only if the other party is willing to make that deal. The Russians were not prepared to agree to that.

It's like when we go into collective bargaining looking for a $2/ hr increase and we end up accepting eighty-seven cents.

If Whelan for Bout was available to Trump, it was available to Biden. I'm ok with Trump turning that down. Biden got played.

They had Griner… a more valuable prize than Whelan.. far more valuable for them as a bargaining chip. What they were going for was both Whelan and Griner for Bout… Putin didn’t bite. Putin can save face a bit on imprisoning somebody famous… nobody cares about poor Whelan apparently…

As for your assertion that the previous deal was available again… that’s speculation at best but with a more valuable person being held I doubt he’d have the same offer on the table.

[TC Talks]

[paul8539]

For our side, we get back somebody with good PR value. For their side, they get back someone who has intelligence information on what is going on in the arms trade. He will be active again.

[Matt]

The fact the White House didn't at least make a two for one deal is inexcusable.

You can make that kind of a deal only if the other party is willing to make that deal. The Russians were not prepared to agree to that.

It's like when we go into collective bargaining looking for a $2/ hr increase and we end up accepting eighty-seven cents.

If Whelan for Bout was available to Trump, it was available to Biden. I'm ok with Trump turning that down. Biden got played.

They had Griner… a more valuable prize than Whelan.. far more valuable for them as a bargaining chip. What they were going for was both Whelan and Griner for Bout… Putin didn’t bite. Putin can save face a bit on imprisoning somebody famous… nobody cares about poor Whelan apparently…

As for your assertion that the previous deal was available again… that’s speculation at best but with a more valuable person being held I doubt he’d have the same offer on the table.

You are insane if you think Griner is more valuable than Whelan.

[Bryce]

The best line I've heard on the Griner situation was from Ben Shapiro...

"This is the very first time anyone has ever cared about a WNBA player getting traded."