Robert O'Brien sings Kash Patel's praises

When Robert O'Brien was Donald Trump's National Security Advisor during President-Elect Trump's first term in office, the world was a world of stability. What isn't that well-known is that O'Brien was excellent at hostage negotiations. He understood the principles of leverage and peace through strength. What's even more important, he wasn't afraid to hint that the stick was about to be deployed.

As the head of the National Security Council, he worked with Kash Patel. As someone who worked with him and who gave him assignments, O'Brien knows Patel's capabilities. That's why I take it seriously when O'Brien wrote "President-elect Trump has assembled one of the most diverse and capable cabinets in American history, and he has done so at a record pace. His nomination of Kash Patel to be director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is an excellent choice that adds further luster to the new administration."

Next, he wrote "Mr. Patel served as the National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism when I was White House national security adviser. I was able to count on him to get any job done, no matter how complex or difficult. Mr. Patel handled some of the nation’s most sensitive issues with care and discretion."

Check this out:

I saw him demonstrate personal bravery in his professional life. American journalist Austin Tice has been held hostage for more than 12 years, presumably by the Syrian government. In 2020, the Syrians finally agreed to talk to U.S. officials about Mr. Tice—but only in Damascus. I asked Mr. Patel and Ambassador Roger Carstens if they would go. They agreed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo opposed sending them because the mission was so dangerous.

Messrs. Patel and Carstens traveled overland from Beirut to Damascus through territory where the al Nusra Front, al Qaeda, ISIS and Hezbollah were all potentially present. They drove all the way to Damascus to meet with the head of Bashar al-Assad’s intelligence service. The Syrians themselves could easily have taken them hostage. Unfortunately, the negotiations didn’t succeed, and Mr. Tice is still missing. I remember being very relieved when Messrs. Patel and Carstens made it back to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

While they didn't achieve the desired outcome, Patel's team showed the courage required to take on a dangerous mission. It isn't difficult picturing Patel having the fortitude to change the FBI's culture, then give the suits assignments that will require them to move out of DC.

Anyone that gets Mike Lee's approval is good enough for me. Check this out:

There's no straighter shooters than Robert O'Brien and Sen. Mike Lee. They've both given Patel glowing approvals. Since we haven't heard a serious objection to Kash Patel, it's important for the Senate to confirm him. Any Democrats voting against his confirmation should be targeted the next time they're up for re-election. At that point, those Democrats will have proevn themselves to be utter partisans.

This nation needs statesmanship, not brinksmanship. We need healing, too. Kash Patel can rid the FBI of the infection that J. EDgar Hoover initally spread inside the FBI. It's time to build something worthwhile. This is what we need:

Mr. Patel has an impressively broad background in federal criminal law and U.S. national-security matters. If his critics would take off their partisan lenses and look at his résumé objectively, they would see he is one of the most experienced people ever to be nominated for FBI director. There was a time when Democrats would have applauded a president for appointing a director with criminal-defense experience and who fought against the FBI illegally surveilling American citizens.

What disqualifies him for FBI Director?