Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:44 pm
Saying “All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions,” President Obama today released a new statement on sanctions against Russia, ordering 2 Russian compounds in Maryland and New York be shut down and 35 diplomats expelled.
“These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior.”
Russia, knowing new sanctions were coming, had already warned the White House not to do anything in response to what Russia had done or they will do some more stuff that requires a response:
“People in the White House need to understand clearly that if Washington really takes new hostile steps, then it will receive a response.”
Vladimir Putin can try to play the victim. He is about as good at it as Donald Trump, which is to say, not at all. Nobody is fooled by this saber rattling.
Lindsey Graham wanted President Obama to not be president for the rest of his term and just let Donald Trump handle it, saying Wednesday,
“Putin has cleaned his clock. Here’s what I’d prefer: Let the new Congress and new president deal with Russia. … If I were President Trump, I’d call President Obama and say ‘Don’t start something that you cannot finish.’ “
Sorry, Mr. Graham. We have a president. And his name is not Trump.
This is advice which suggests Graham doesn’t really want sanctions, because presumably, though by no means guaranteed, he is intelligent enough to know that Donald Trump is not going to bite the hand that controls his puppet strings.
Predictably, Donald Trump, the beneficiary of Russia’s hacking, just wants to forget the whole thing, saying Wednesday,
“I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly — the whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on.”
Trump’s response is the uninspiring babble of a weak leader: So our democratic processes were interfered with by a hostile power. Meh.
Actually, we know all about what’s going on, and a strong leader, President Obama, has just done something about it.
The president reminded the world that he is still POTUS and not Donald Trump, promising that these steps need not be the only ones he takes:
“These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized.”
And that is how the leader of the free world leads. Hope you’re taking notes, Mr. Trump.
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