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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums‘Playing marbles’
By Steve Benen
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) appeared on Fox News Sunday yesterday, raising a compelling suggestion...Were 48 hours from an international crisis, I would hope Americans would focus on condemning the actions of Putin rather than in a knee-jerk way, again, criticizing the president of the United States, the congressman said.
What a nice, wholly unrealistic attitude.
Americans have seen our share of international crises involving Russia. Whats unusual about this one, at least from a domestic political perspective, is that we now see prominent Republican officials publicly expressing admiration for Russian leadership.
The Ukraine crisis is just the latest example of President Barack Obama being outmaneuvered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Sunday.
Putin is playing chess and I think we are playing marbles, and I dont think its even close the Michigan Republican said on Fox News Sunday. Theyve been running circles around us. < >
And, by the way, the big one that started this was the absolute retreat on our missile defense system in Poland and Czechoslovakia.
First, Czechoslovakia hasnt actually been a country for the last couple of decades. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee should probably know that.
Second, remember all the prominent Democrats praising Putins strategic acumen over the Bush/Cheney administration when Russia went to war with Georgia in 2008? All the Dems who hit the Sunday shows to say Putin is running circles around us? No? Thats probably because it never happened. Indeed, if it had, the praise likely would have become a controversy...And third, Rogers is impressed with Putin for reasons that dont make any sense.
Kevin Drum characterized the Michigan Republicans comments as nuts.
*Has Rogers even been following events in Ukraine lately? The reason Putin has sent troops into Crimea is because everything hes done over the past year has blown up in his face. This was a last-ditch effort to avoid a fools mate, not some deeply-calculated bit of geopolitical strategery. < >
(H)aving failed utterly thanks to ham-handed tactics on his part, hes finally decided on one last desperation move. Not because the West is helpless to retaliate, but because hes simply decided hes willing to bear the cost. Its a sign of weakness, not a show of strength. Its the price hes paying for his inability to control events.
- more -
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/playing-marbles
Republicans are playing like high school bullies, believing that taunting is the way to force the President to get their war on.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)move ships into the Black Sea to confront Russia. Now, he knows that no sane President would have done that, so he can safely use it for his "Obama weakness" theme knowing full well it would always remain theoretical. Dishonest assclown, like all R's in Congress.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"Rogers was lamenting that it was too late to move ships into the Black Sea to confront Russia. Now, he knows that no sane President would have done that, so he can safely use it for his "Obama weakness" theme knowing full well it would always remain theoretical. Dishonest assclown, like all R's in Congress."
....they do: Make outlandish suggestions and equate them to strength.
BeyondGeography
(39,393 posts)And this maroon is head of House Intelligence. Wtfu, people.
Never mind...
ProSense
(116,464 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)That's spot on. A true leader would never have allowed the situation to reach this point on Russia's very doorstep.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]