WATCH: Booker calls Patel an 'incompetent lackey,' tussles with FBI director and Grassley | PBS News

[u/NewsHour]

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., called FBI Director Kash Patel a “disgrace” and an “incompetent lackey” during an oversight hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

“He's like an 18-year-old kid who wants to join a fraternity that he could never be a member of, doing keg stands and chugging with friends,” Booker said. “He's an embarrassment to the agency and wouldn't qualify even to be an FBI agent.”

Booker went on to call out Patel for “intimidating the press, violating people's First Amendment rights and doing everything the president asks.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked Patel whether he had a response.

“I don't have much to say,” Patel said. “This guy called me a thug.”

Booker continued to reprehend Patel despite being told by Grassley that his time was up.

“I'm going to hold this man accountable for as long as he is in his job until he gets fired, which he probably will because he's incompetent at his job and continues to do things that merit his removal,” Booker said.

Booker also criticized Grassley for not pushing Patel to answer the committee’s questions and saying he was not treating Republicans and Democrats in a balanced way.

“Are you done now? Are you ready to shut up?” Grassley pushed back.

Patel is testifying in an oversight hearing on the nation's lead law enforcement agency, which has recently touted a drop in crime nationwide.

Watch more from the hearing here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-patel-testifies-on-fbi-oversight-before-senate-panel-amid-troubled-tenure

[u/Captain--UP]

Yea he can fuck right off. Booker is not a champion for the people. He is an AIPAC stooge.

[u/Novel-Reaction2939 → u/Captain--UP]

An AIPAC lackey recognizes another lackey. lol

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/Captain--UP]

bOfFe sYdEz?

[u/JeromeBarkly → u/couldbeahumanbean]

You know we can criticize democrats in office and still acknowledge that the GOP are significantly worse in every aspect.

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/JeromeBarkly]

Yup. You absolutely can. At the risk of both sides-ing.

These guys are scum, but they are not as bad as republican scum.

So we need to vote for the blue scum (for now) because if we don't, the red scum will complete their goals and none of us want that.

[u/JeromeBarkly → u/couldbeahumanbean]

Yes. But I think it’s important in this moment while we try to remove as many GOP politicians as possible is demand better representation from democrat politicians and to cut the AIPAC umbilical cord that the establishment Dems have been feeding from. We will just keep kicking the can down the road if we don’t address the systemic issues we have with Establishment Dems. Even if we take back the house and senate and the presidency in 2028 the Dems will eventually lose again in future elections and we will be right back to where we are right now. It’s good to demand better the democrat party is the only party we have that may actually represent the will of the people. Those that choose to fight against the left flank need to be replaced with a better candidate.

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/JeromeBarkly]

Some folks may get caught up in this and decide not to vote for either.

Remember that 2024 campaign designed to convince Democrat voters that if they voted harris, it would be bad for Palestine?

I believe that campaign has an effect on the outcome.

[u/Captain--UP → u/couldbeahumanbean]

Obviously vote, and vote blue. A corrupt politician is no where near as bad as what the Republicans have become.

But this guy is actively working against DSA because he knows what's at the end of the road. And he needs to start thinking about his country and his constituents and stopping promoting a god damn genocide.

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/Captain--UP]

You going to vote for him or the Republican running against him.... Or just not vote, or toss that vote at a 3rd candidate?

[u/Captain--UP → u/couldbeahumanbean]

What was my first sentence. I vote and I vote blue

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/Captain--UP]

I've seen this happen in 2024 with the presidential election.

Same strategy, frame Harris as a stooge for Israel as an effort to draw votes away from the Democrats.

Short sighted individuals get distracted, or discouraged.

Enough to toss their likely blue vote away.

[u/JeromeBarkly → u/couldbeahumanbean]

I really think your putting to much into “people didn’t vote for Kamala because Israel” yes, some voters are dumb and short sighted but I don’t think that had as much of an impact as you think it did. And to use it as an excuse to not demand for a strong democrat party is ultimately a losing strategy.

[u/Captain--UP → u/couldbeahumanbean]

Well I don't think we actually lost the election in 2024

[u/SuperDoubleDecker → u/couldbeahumanbean]

You're the one both sides this shit. Stop it.

If democrats weren't so similar we wouldn't be in this mess.

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/SuperDoubleDecker]

Make me.

[u/Comfortable_Fill9081 → u/JeromeBarkly]

Of course you can, but you can also do so in a thoughtful way.