PREVIEW FOR TONIGHT. KISSEL, RUBIO, BATCHELOR The conversation between John Batchelor and colleague Mary Kissel, executive vice president of Stephens Incorporated and former senior advisor at the State Department, focuses on the quiet success of Marco Rub

The John Batchelor Show

KISSEL, RUBIO, BATCHELOR The conversation between John Batchelor and colleague Mary Kissel, executive vice president of Stephens Incorporated and former senior advisor at the State Department, focuses on the quiet success of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
Rubio is highly regarded and is very well liked across the aisle for several reasons. During his distinguished career in the Senate, he was viewed as a reasonable person who was very grounded and possessed clear principles, but who was still able to cooperate with Democrats to find common ground. In the current administration, he is seen as relatively more of a realist and a foreign policy hawk than others in powerful roles.
Kissel highlights that Rubio has comported himself successfully at the State Department, establishing a stable and extremely careful administration. Notably, the administration has not seen the typical leaks of memos or complaints that the State Department bureaucracy often uses to undermine the executive floor (the seventh floor at Foggy Bottom).
A specific success highlighted is the recovery of one of the hostages held by the Kabul government, the Taliban. The success of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), who reports up to Rubio and the President, is emphasized, as protecting U.S. citizenry is considered the greatest role for the government.
Finally, the President has shown significant confidence in Rubio by naming him National Security Advisorconcurrently with his role as Secretary of State.