Jim Beam column:Kennedy asks, ‘Where is Putin?’

Published 6:19 am Wednesday, July 2, 2025

When Louisiana’s Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy joined Congress in 2017, the Huffington Post in 2018 called him “the folksiest man in the U.S. Senate.”

The Advocate reported Sunday that Kennedy gave a speech on the Senate floor last week mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s absence when Iran needed help from its ally. He used what the Post called “Southern wisdom and a Pelican State drawl, distilling events of the day into blunt terms regular people can understand.”

“Where’s Russia? Where’s President Putin? You couldn’t find either one of them with a search party,” Kennedy said. “Dog the Bounty Hunter, all of a sudden, couldn’t find President Putin. All of a sudden even Google can’t find Russia.”

Kennedy is using his folksy humor there, and the fact he is willing to criticize Putin comes at a time when the Russian president deserves to hear from some serious critics.

Those who don’t know Kennedy well may not be aware that much of his

life has been dedicated to serious public service and that he is an extremely intelligent man. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia School of Law before attending Oxford University in 1988 where he graduated with honors.

Kennedy, a Democrat at the time, in 1988 became special counsel to the late-Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer and secretary of the governor’s cabinet. He was secretary of the state Department of Revenue under the late-Gov. Mike Foster. He served as state treasurer from 2000 to 2017 and became a Republican in 2007.

After two unsuccessful races for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and 2008, Kennedy was elected in 2016 and took office in 2017.

The Huffington Post said he loved talking with reporters, and reporters loved talking to him because he’s “notoriously quotable.” It said he called former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “tougher than a $3 steak” and the late-Sen. John McCain “tough as a boiled owl.”

Senators told the newspaper in 2018 that Kennedy was proving to be one of their most effective messengers — “a surprising turn of events, given how little time he has spent in Washington.”

OK, let’s get back to what Kennedy said about Putin because that is what caught my attention. Putin’s decision to go to war against Ukraine has been distressing me since the war started. The people of Ukraine don’t deserve the death and destruction Putin has heaped on them for over three years.

Kennedy, who has supported U.S. assistance to Ukraine, said during his Senate speech last week, “I remember when Putin invaded Ukraine, one of the first allies he turned to was Iran, and Iran sent Russia ammunition. And Iran sent Russia artillery shells. And Iran sent Russia drones. And Iran has sent Russia drones, ammunition, and artillery shells every single day of the war.

“So, where’s Russia? It hasn’t been a good week for Iran. Where’s Russia?” the senator asked.

When Iran’s top diplomat met with Putin and asked for help, Kennedy said, “Do you know what President Putin said he would provide? Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Some kind of friend.”

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, before he was ousted, asked Putin who had propped Assad up for help.

Kennedy said, “Mr. Putin said no. You’re on your own. You can come to my country where they can’t get to you, but that’s it. Too bad. I don’t need you anymore.”

The senator said with what’s going on in the Middle East right now, Putin is missing in action.

“Where’s Russia? Where’s Putin? All of a sudden you can’t find him, Now I’m delighted with that. I’m just delighted. But this was very, very predictable.

“With friends like Russia — I say this to every country in the world that might be thinking about partnering with Russia. With friends like Russia, who needs enemies?”

In an April speech, Kennedy argued that Putin hasn’t been taking peace negotiations with Ukraine seriously and warned him not to disrespect President Donald Trump.

Kennedy in a Fox News report said, “I don’t think it’s gonna get any better until we make it clear to Mr. Putin that we are willing to turn him and his country into fish food”

Putin has been stringing everyone — including Trump — along for quite some time, making them think he wants peace when what he really wants is all of Ukraine.

Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jim.beam.press@gmail.com.