Sunday chatter: Make Putin take notice
(CNN) - Russia’s escalation in Ukraine dominated the political talk shows Sunday morning. American politicians and Obama administration officials are calling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deployment of troops to the Russian-friendly Crimean peninsula the latest provocation in a troubling series of events.
It’s also the latest foreign policy challenge facing President Barack Obama, whose tenure has been plagued by international crises ranging from two wars, an unruly North Korea and uprisings in the Middle East.
If you missed any of the Sunday chatter, we've got you covered:
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker'] [twitter-follow screen_name='LACaldwellDC']
Obama’s critics: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a military hawk who has often criticized the President on issues of foreign policy, said Obama should stop publicly threatening Putin.
“It’s not your strong suit,” Graham said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. “Everybody’s eyes roll.”
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, was also frank about the President’s foreign policy performance.
“I think Putin is playing chess, and I think we're playing marbles,” Rogers, of Michigan, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Noteworthy signs of support: While the Obama administration has been criticized for its handling of Putin, it received support from unlikely places.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said he was “encouraged” by what Kerry has said about Putin, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday that Congress will “stand strong” with the President.
Now what?: Graham said the President should “do something” about Putin’s latest act of aggression. He suggested suspending Russian membership in the G8 and G20 economic groups “for at least a year.” Such a move would be symbolically significant because it would publicly marginalize Russia. It could also have direct economic consequences because Russia would be shut out from the economic cooperation the groups provide and possible growth.
“We’ve got to make it clear to Putin that he doesn’t have license to invade,” Graham said.
Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, one of Obama’s closest friends in the Senate, mostly agreed with Graham – except for his criticism of Obama.
Durbin said the Senate should pass a resolution condemning Putin and suggested limiting Putin’s international travel. He had harsh words about the Russian leader.
Putin has a “grandiose vision of empire” and is taking advantage of his neighbors who rely on Russia for oil and other natural resources while wanting to “play like he’s part of civilized society,” Durbin said. “We’ve got to make him feel that there’s a price to pay for this conduct.”
‘Protecting’ Russian speakers?: Durbin said Putin’s explanation that he sent troops to the predominantly Russian-speaking region Crimea to protect Russian speakers is a dangerous precedent.
“We've got to make it clear to Putin that if there are Russian-speaking people on the soil of another nation, that doesn't give him license to invade,” Durbin said.
Ukrainian ambassador to the U.N., Yuriy Sergeyev, made a similar point on “State of the Union.”
“(I) couldn't imagine that Russians could protect any Russian-speaking (people) around the world, including here … in United States. In Brooklyn,” he said.
Kerry: Time for diplomacy: Secretary of State John Kerry made the rounds on the three broadcast networks, where he maintained a defensive posture that President Obama gave when he addressed the situation on Friday in a televised address.
Kerry said on ABC’s “This Week” that the United States and its allies are pressuring Putin to “roll back” the invasion in the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula.
While he said “all options are on the table,” and that U.S. efforts are aimed at ensuring that Russia understands the seriousness of the situation, Kerry said “this is a time for diplomacy.”
Kerry made this point in his three talk-show appearances. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he had the same message: “The last thing anybody wants is a military option in this kind of situation.”
He added, however, that if diplomacy doesn’t work, “there will be serious repercussions” that would isolate Russia.
“Russia will isolate itself - there will be a cost to the economy of Russia, cost to Russian businesses, cost to Russia individuals, and ultimately, I think Russia will isolate itself on a global stage that it just spent $60 billion through the Olympics to try to present a different face on,” Kerry said.
Potential repercussions include visa travel bans for Russian leaders, economic sanctions and trade and investment limitations.
But the big question is whether the United States will boycott the upcoming G8 meeting in Sochi this June. Kerry would not go that far but said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that the United States is “absolutely prepared” to boycott if other efforts fail.
Obama’s phone call: Kerry also went into additional detail about the 90-minute phone conversation between Obama and Putin Saturday in which Obama laid out a series of alternatives to invading Crimea.
But Rogers warned that Putin has demonstrated a pattern of aggressive maneuvers.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Rogers said, referring to moving Russia’s border deeper into Georgia in 2008, the agreement with Syria regarding its chemical weapons and its involvement in Iran.
“There is not a lot of options (sic) on the table,” Rogers said. “And candidly - and I'm a fairly hawkish guy - sending more naval forces to operate in the Black Sea is not a good idea. … Unless you're intending to use them, I wouldn't send them.”
A smaller defense: As the United States debates the next steps with Russia regarding Ukraine, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel defended his call to reduce the Army to the smallest level since World War II.
“We have to reset, reposition,” Hagel said on “Face the Nation.”
“I’ve got to be able to keep a modern military,” he said, noting that while combat troops will be reduced, increases in cybersecurity and other areas are more relevant for the first budget in 12 years that doesn’t include costs for war.
But Graham said Hagel’s proposal does little to deter war, saying his budget “guts our defense.”
“If you’re going to modernize … this budget is not going to do it,” Graham said.
Durbin, a liberal Democrat, disagreed.
“If we are going to reduce our debt … we are going to have to reduce spending on the defense and non-defense sides,” he said.
IRS scandal – it’s not over: In news closer to home, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California announced a development in his investigation of the Internal Revenue Service’s alleged targeting of conservative and liberal political groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Lois Lerner, the former director of tax exempt organizations for the IRS who invoked the Fifth Amendment during her previous testimony on Capitol Hill, will appear before Issa’s House Oversight Committee this week, he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
2016: And you can’t have a political show without the mention of the presidential race. On “Meet the Press,” Rubio, of Florida and a speculative candidate, said he will consider a presidential run “later this year.”
End note: As his country moves closer to military conflict, Sergeyev offered some poignant words for Putin: “We are on the eve of the great 40 days – orthodox lent starts tomorrow. If he is a Christian, if he demonstrates his Christianity, instead of preparing to kill us, he should pray for us.”
CNN's Dana Davidson and Greg Clary contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- Jon Huntsman Fast Facts
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Six Oath Keepers convicted in connection with January 6 US Capitol riot
- Student athlete urges Supreme Court to keep West Virginia's anti-trans sports ban on hold
- American citizen held hostage for 6 years in West Africa has been freed
- Biden to award 2021 National Humanities medals and National Medal of the Arts at White House ceremony
Get Mr. Putin's attention? Perhaps the bobbsie twins (McCain and Graham) could sneak off to Russia and leave a bag of dog doo on the front stoop of Mr. Putin's dacha, set it ablaze and ring his doorbell.
Really? The GOP needs to do better- like explain why this is our problem to handle alone when 50% of the population of the Ukraine support the Russians being there.
This is no time for petty politics you losers.
Crowley! you must be kidding. What is she going to do ask Mr Putin what his favorite color is? ROFLMAO
Should I be offended? A brain dead piece of right wing excrement called me an idiot for suggesting we give the world a chance to work together for a Russian solution.
Puttin is just like Kim Jong two so North Korea. Let EU deal this mess.
Any country in the worls can't "support the Russians being there", because every population want peace and be in their home along. Russia imported their citizants to Ukrainian territory.. using the fact our guard and military is destroed by FCB during Yanukovich politic, because Putin indtructed Yanukovich all 4 year along how to break everything to help to relize Putin's plan.
Has the GOP ignored the fact that the President of the Ukraine ASKED for Russia's help to stabilize his nation?
Well, congressmen. You seem to ignorant THAT there were no WMD, 911, no Harboring Bin Laden and you gave no FAIR TRIAL or EVIDENCE.
13 YEAR is a long time when you should have known better 13 years AGO?
UNPROVOKED WAR is not who STRIKES FIRST, BUT THAT THEY DID AND WITHOUT PROVOCATION.
USA 2 and RUSSIA 1 (not counting Korea, Vietnam, 2 ABOMBS
3 responses to a potted plant nestled in-between a shady democrat playing conservative on the left,
and a shady republican playing himself on the right!
lol
~peace
thomas 🙂
Thanks, RS. You said my mind.
Putin is no worse than the U.S. who chooses to ignore all of its own interferences in other people's affairs.
Too bad we only have a community organizer in the White House. America looks like such a joke to the rest of the world with Obama sitting as president.
Anyone clamoring for war today is a sociopath. Of course we must have a competent and effective military force.But the trajectory of constant expansion since WW2 has been unalled for,throwing our weight around just because we can. The idea that we're making thhe world safe for democracy is a sick joke. Follow the money and you will find the truth about why we now live in a world of perpetual warfare,with the threat of escalation always being hung over our heads.
I think we should stay out of the Ukraine problem. This would include Obama making threats when EVERYONE on the planet knows he never does anything about anything. What a joke this guy is
Thoes Carolina Jim Crow Politicians are downsizing the military, dictating sanctions to other countries attached to Veteran Benifits increasing military staples for military families and modernizing the military for what ?
I wonder what the Russians were thinking when the US invaded Iraq for those non existent WMDs?
please beat the war drums slowly, if this is going to be the end of all mankind, let us at least savor the moment.
Putin doesn't care about our limp wristed president. I am not calling for war, just being honest, Putin did this because he knew Obama doesn't have the trust of congress or the American people.
So we're supposed make believe the Ukrainian mob didn't burn and kill their own policemen and citizens and dwell on invasions ??
all unployed... should serve!! we need jobs
So the chairman of the house intelligence committee Mike Rogers goes public like Snowdon instead of going thru channels , that's real good there Mr. Know it all. A half truth is still a lie. And what good is a liar for an advisor ?
Foreign policy is not Obama's strong suit. Please don't ask him for advice. Putin is going to do what Putin wants to do.
I do wish for peace in the world. We can achieve so much more when there is peace.
According to everything heard and read on the subject, the Ukrainians want the Russian presence in their region. Why is everyone here getting their knickers in a twist if the Russians, exercise their option in their own land? I'm not sure were getting the proper information here from the republicans.
I know will give Putin one of Obama ever moving red line. He couldn't defend a mouse from a mouse trap. The greatest plan of war is to make your emeny believe you you will kick there butt . The only thing worse that death is the fear of death
Obama say this was his year for action.let's see what he does to Putin
We cannot fight Russia , no one will gain. Kerry thinks he's going to run for pres. After he saves these people . Back out now and stop this nonsense . We have dealt with much worse people , made deals with monsters in the name of world peace. Funny how we condemned Russia after Afghanistan , then invaded it ourselves. What is wrong with this administration do they realy think making our enemy more distant is politicly sound . Shut up and spin peace for us and let them deal with this , eventually they will have a peace, maby not total freedom but peace.