Putin snarls, but Obama gets the last laugh

[MBS]

The author, Steve Benen, is producer of the Rachel Maddow Show. His comments about the Republicans gave me the first laugh I've had in weeks .
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/putin-snarls-obama-gets-the-last-laugh

For much of the year, conservative praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin was so overwhelming, you’d think he was the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) gushed, “Putin is playing chess and I think we are playing marbles.” Rudy Giuliani said of Putin, “That’s what you call a leader.” Even Mitt Romney hailed the Russian autocrat: “I think Putin has outperformed our president time and time again on the world stage.”
But if Republicans can pull themselves away from drawing hearts around their Putin photographs, they might notice that it’s President Obama getting the last laugh as developments go the opposite of the way Russia had hoped. . .

. . What’s more, let’s not forget that this isn’t just a story about Putin getting it wrong; it’s also a story about Obama getting it right.
. . . In case it’s not obvious, there’s still a great deal of fluidity to the story and no one should think it’s over. Indeed, Putin has proven to be alarmingly erratic in his decision making, so how he’ll respond to the new Ukrainian announcement is a bit of a mystery. But literally for months, Republicans, conservative activists, and much of the Beltway media simply accepted as fact that Vladimir Putin was a towering giant and a strategic mastermind, while President Obama played the role of confused child, struggling to keep up.

Those assumptions now appear ridiculously wrong – it looks like Obama knew what he was doing after all. Whether the right and the punditocracy are willing to admit their error remains to be seen, though no one should hold their breath.

A May article by Max Fisher, cited by Benen, is also worth a look, with the caveat that, given the daily fluctuations in this volatile situation, 6 weeks is almost ancient history. But it's interesting, nonetheless.
http://www.vox.com/2014/5/16/5717674/obamas-plan-to-let-putin-hang-himself-is-working

[Demeter]

1. Thank god

I was afraid Rachel said such ridiculous things....

[JayhawkSD]

2. The story on this issue has not yet been written.

The agreement is just one more chapter in an ongoing adventure. It is a long way from being the last chapter. Premature celebrations have a way of biting the celebrator on the ass.

[Dustlawyer]

3. I guess we have to accept the fact that every single thing the President does or doesn't do,

will be attacked. They have had a scorched earth policy for Obama since the traitorous little bastards met for dinner during the 1st Obama Inaugural Ball! Their RW media has created a condition where, even if Republican politicians wanted to work with the White House and/or Democrats, they can't without risking their seat. We all know that their position comes before country!

[cilla4progress]

4. I'm so happy Pres Obama has the equanimity

and strength of character not to be buffeted by the winds coming from the mouths and a**holes of these BUFFOONS!!

[applegrove]

5. I like this part:

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/putin-snarls-obama-gets-the-last-laugh

"SNIP..................

As Thomas Friedman recently put it, “Let’s add it up: Putin’s seizure of Crimea has weakened the Russian economy, led to China getting a bargain gas deal, revived NATO, spurred Europe to start ending its addiction to Russian gas and begun a debate across Europe about increasing defense spending. Nice work, Vladimir. That’s why I say the country Putin threatens most today is Russia.”

.................SNIP"

[Demeter]

6. Thomas Friedman is no authority on anything, nor is he psychic

If Friedman says it, just reverse the meaning and you'll get something resembling the facts on the ground.

The man is a nincompoop, with a long and varied history of error.

[KoKo]

7. True...n/t