On Thursday in the middle of a strategic situation Mr. Rush Limbaugh held a virtual on-air pep rally for the aggressor Mr. Putin. – He even had a very strange gender song made with Mr. Putin singing something along the lines of ‘Come back when you grow a pair.’To The Commander in Chief.
Naturally, he was trying to smear The President and counter The NATO allies’ assertion, ‘Mr. Putin has acted it out of weakness.’ Richard Hass, of the CFR said ‘Putin is trying to prevent a 'Moscow Spring'. Even a college sophomore’s grasp of geopolitics could see the signs. Yet Mr. Rush only saw the power of Putin.
But clearly it is getting warm for The Russian leader.
Putin’s guy in the Ukraine was run back to Russia by an historic popular revolt. And with great histrionics Putin blames President Obama and his allies for doing it. And a whole lot more to cast Western dominance over Russia.’ He is saying 'I can’t take it anymore.' ‘If I don’t do something, I’ll be next.’
Yet Mr. Rush calls President Obama weak? Really, how do you ‘rationally’ get there given the facts. From Osama to Khadafy to Assad's current turmoil in Syria Mr. Putin sees a pattern. The Iranians are talking some sense, China abstained from a Russian veto in the UN Security council.
And later in the show he even had a crude and bizarre joke, particularly given the lives at stake in that region, about The First Lady in China saying ‘we know the plane did not go in a black hole.' As was entertained by Don Lemon on CNN. 'Because? And here we are cleaning it up, 'She arrived in China and the missing plane was not sitting on her feminine rear side.' - Truly low ball juvenile and sexist humor. And she was accompanied by her daughters and Mother in Law. 'You have got to be crazy.' Particularly given the reverence Chinese society holds for family and elders. Plus again, the plane is filled with missing Chinese citizens. Where is the humanity, let alone common sense?
Dr. Freud said something about this type of body worship envy and fixation. And really, what is up with him and Ms. Palin, on the home fires. And what if Progressive comics started doing raunchy 'tit for tats' with his better half, as the punch line? Thankfully, liberals moderates progressives have shown far more class, despite these ugly and constant provocations. But the Rcons seem to love it.
The good part? Politically, Mr. Rush has inadvertently helped The Democrats win: In '06, with hurtful attacks on Michael J Fox. In '08, just being himself and razzing with nativist rants on the Obamas. And in '12, with hateful and very low rent attacks on Ms. Sandra Fluke and women's rights...
...a national embarrassment.
National security and unity in a time of international challenge has always been a very big deal, particularly in Red states and districts. There may be another big opening here, for skilled and aggressive Democrats of all stripes, to; call the question on Republican judgement and fidelity - Rally around the flag, inform voters and pound R-cons who are madly and slavishly following Mr. Rush and his pied piper routine right off the edge of known political sanity. Like Putin, too many seem only to lust for a chance to do 'an old world power grab.'
However North Americans mostly do not believe in national suicide, the rapture coming anytime soon or group extremism. This is The New World. Thus, when President Obama beat Mr. Romney in '12. Foreign Policy alone was a huge factor. 'The man is scary retro and inexperienced.' The trips to Poland The UK and Israel, madcap affairs..
Standing proudly with allies, VP Biden who was sent over by President Obama, looked and sounded pretty strong...
Vice President Biden met with Poland's president on Tuesday and assured him that the United States remains more than capable of stepping up militarily if Russia's aggression were to spread to NATO allies.
“You have an ally whose (defense) budget is larger than the next 10 nations in the world combined, so don’t worry about where we are," Biden told President Bronislaw Komorowski during a visit to Poland.
In dealing with Mr. Putin, President Obama has observed, 'He has a school boy slouch' that makes him look more difficult than, their actual working relationship reflects on a range of issues. The President knows it is 'his job' to be the bigger man and give Mr. Putin room to back off, with some saving of face. The President has probably learned how to manage Putin, from dealing with the Rcon mindset, antics and hysterical tactics. -If we don't get our way? We will, shut down the Govt, default on the national debt and blow up the international economic order.
Beyond world peace and international order, justice economic and cultural equity this is big business, mainly for Russia. 'They need the Ukrainian coal and pipelines.' But even here, Is the US Business round-table and Wall Street really down with this hot mess? Where is the upside. People all over the world like and respect The Obamas. Easily relate-able, beyond politics? They are enduring and positive, global cultural icons; good for business and the US image in a land after land - in a modernizing world. If they can do it? 'Yes we can.' 'We can do it, too.' Say, billions of real people. Who relates to Rush? Where are the global customers? 'He hurts business.
A desperate 'land grab' in The Ukraine beyond the Crimea? Looks unsustainable. Militarily, Mr. Putin basically has nukes and regional proximity to what he wants. Similar to Mr. Kim of North Korea, He can push his own people and maybe some neighbors around, a little bit.
He really can't project anywhere in the world including Syria. Save for the mind of Mr. Rush. He knows our armed forces are the best. The Commander in Chief Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden of the United States of America and The NATO allies are well schooled and experienced, exercising the military and economic options in the global theater.
Plus, Mr. Putin has a bad authoritarian streak, that his own people' don't like. So, he needs the 'cute' domestic assist from feckless, reckless Rcons, along with smoke, mirrors and ethno-nationalistic appeals.
And, it would not be the first time some played games with national security to win elections. LBJ called out Nixon on this type of stuff, back in '68 and there are other incidents more recent and dangerous.
Reflecting on the facts. Sec State John Kerry said ‘The Russians do have some legit interest in the region’ But ‘He, Mr. Putin, has gone about the wrong way.’
While President Obama looks as cool calm and collected as ever. Mr. Putin, really looks, is acting and sounds panicked. Like, he could already hear and see the crowds forming in Red Square, this spring, 'I might be next.' Maybe he believes being paranoid as a former KGB guy, might be, ‘I have enemies everywhere.' But at least he can take comfort in feeling, 'I have a friend, and political ally on American national airwaves. A guy I can trust.'
'Thank you Mr. Rush.’ 'From Russia with Love. Vladimir.'
Ps. And on the flip side of R-con bluster there is this...
Sen. Rand Paul may not be a foreign policy hawk but he is a political one. He wrote, in a recent critique of his Republican colleagues: “What we don't need right now is politicians who have never seen war talking tough for the sake of their political careers.” Incoming! Paul was talking about grandstanding responses to the Ukraine crisis. It wasn’t a pinprick attack about a policy disagreement: Sen. Paul is claiming his rivals—ignorant to the sacrifices of war—are too cavalier about committing American troops to foreign conflicts in their rush to make names for themselves.
The shades of night were falling fast, As through an Alpine village passed...
