The $400 million flight to Iran of foreign cash in an unmarked cargo plane has led to some rather strange statements and interviews. Obama tried to gaslight the public once again. Hillary Clinton went with random armwaving. Her VP pick Tim Kaine decided to try an even more confusing approach. Denying and then admitting it.
"If you were vice president, would you allow a plane full of money to land in Iran on the same day that four U.S. hostages are freed?" O'Donnell asked.
"Here's the thing. And Congress was briefed on this months ago. Again, I'm on these committees and we're aware of it. Iran had a sizeable legal claim against the United States that has been pending in international law for a very long time. There was a settlement of that claim. A settlement where the U.S. agreed to pay a fraction of the claim. And yes, the U.S. then paid that claim," Kaine said.
"I understand that, but let's talk about the perception of on the very same day a plane with $400 million in foreign currency landing and being delivered. ... Is that ransom?" O'Donnell asked.
"Perception is one thing. Reality matters more. We got hostages home and we took a legal claim that was a legit claim and bargained it down to a fraction and we paid that claim out," Kaine said. "That's the reality."
"So as vice president, you would do that same deal? If you were vice president you would let it happen?" O'Donnell asked.
"I would negotiate any legal claim that we had and I'd try to get the best deal we could. And I'd also try to get American hostages home," Kaine said.
Kaine starts out pushing the settlement talking points. But legal settlements aren't paid in foreign bills flown in secretly on unmarked cargo planes that Congress isn't told about. So toward the end , Kaine is reduced to arguing that the job got done so what difference did it make.