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New “red line”: Obama vows there’ll be consequences if people “step over the line” in Ukraine
Hotair ^ | 02/19/2014 | AllahPundit

Posted on 02/19/2014 3:45:38 PM PST by SeekAndFind

This is so meaningless, both on its own merits and in light of his Syria fiasco last fall, that I’d be inclined not to blog it if I had any better content to give you. In no meaningful sense is it “news” when O issues some pro forma “stern warning,” especially when Putin’s on the other side of it.

But a slow day content-wise has its price.

President Barack Obama condemned the violence in Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that the U.S. holds the government “primarily responsible for ensuring they are handling protesters peacefully” and that “there will be consequences if people step over the line.”

“We expect the Ukrainian government to show restraint, to not resort to violence,” Obama said in Mexico. “We expect peaceful protesters to remain peaceful.”

Your guess is as good as mine what “consequences” means. Presumably he’s referring to sanctions — McCain, naturally, is busily drafting a bill right now — but it’s vague enough that Obama will have an easy out if he backs away later and is challenged on it by the press. Ditto for “stepping over the line.” Does that mean violence, which has already occurred, or a certain hazily defined amount of violence that the White House would deem intolerable? If Syria is any indication, the bar for bloodshed that’s so unacceptable that the U.S. would feel obliged to get involved is really, really high. So reluctant is O to get sucked into this, in fact, that it fell to Joe Biden, not Obama himself, to call Putin’s buddy Yanukovych last night to express the White House’s displeasure.

And yes, this is all familiar. Here’s a quickie refresher on the evolution of O’s “red line” for Syria, which began with him warning that he wouldn’t tolerate Assad using or transporting chemical weapons. Once Assad started using chemical weapons, the White House dutifully looked the other way to avoid enforcing the red line for as long as it could, until an attack in August forced O to do something. At that point he (a) falsely claimed that it was the world that set the red line, not him; (b) announced that he intended to strike Syria, before adding that he’d do it only if Congress approved; (c) halfheartedly tried to round up congressional support for an attack before failing at that too; and then (d) accepted Putin’s lame “compromise” to have Assad voluntarily disarm in the interest of saving face. That’s worked out exactly as well in practice as everyone expected it to. That’s the sort of steely resolve and sharp-eyed strategic prowess the Euromaidan protesters in Kiev can count on now.

Here’s the vid via NRO. Putin went easy on him last fall, but after that hockey disappointment today, watch out.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: obama; protest; putinsbuttboys; redline; russia; ukraine
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1 posted on 02/19/2014 3:45:38 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Get serious. ...the only line Obammy has ever done, was cocaine!


2 posted on 02/19/2014 3:46:43 PM PST by MagUSNRET
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m sure the Ukes are quaking in their boots. Or laughing.


3 posted on 02/19/2014 3:47:14 PM PST by wny
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To: SeekAndFind

Putin needs to tell Obama to STFU and sat out of their business. very publicly. And not step over THAT line.


4 posted on 02/19/2014 3:47:27 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: SeekAndFind

Sternly-worded letter to follow!


5 posted on 02/19/2014 3:47:37 PM PST by servo1969
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To: SeekAndFind
It's easy to talk tough when you know there is not one darn thing you can actually do about it.

6 posted on 02/19/2014 3:47:40 PM PST by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: MagUSNRET

This is different THIS time. He has Soros backing him up...


7 posted on 02/19/2014 3:48:51 PM PST by jsanders2001
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To: SeekAndFind
"You kids quit making all that noise up there. Do you want mommy to send daddy up stairs? "

Sound...CRASH...BAM...YELL.

"Do you want me to send daddy up there?"

Sound...CRASH..BAM..YELL....etc.

8 posted on 02/19/2014 3:49:04 PM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: SeekAndFind

That red line is so washed out, we ought to call it the pinko line.


9 posted on 02/19/2014 3:50:33 PM PST by MIchaelTArchangel (Have a wonderful day!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh yeah ... what’s he going to do?


10 posted on 02/19/2014 3:50:38 PM PST by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: jsanders2001

In that battle, my money is on Putin


11 posted on 02/19/2014 3:51:21 PM PST by MagUSNRET
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To: SeekAndFind

Everyone in the entire world immediately laughts at Obama’s words. That’s how pathetic he has become.


12 posted on 02/19/2014 3:51:38 PM PST by WashingtonSource
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To: SeekAndFind

President Choom Gang speaks…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejvcd-JeVCQ


13 posted on 02/19/2014 3:52:37 PM PST by PGalt
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To: SeekAndFind

No statement on Venezuela?


14 posted on 02/19/2014 3:52:52 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (15 years of FReeping! Congratulations EEE!!)
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To: Don Corleone

Perhpas they need to use the MOM version of diplomacy....when my sons went at it, I would say “OK, go in your room and whichever one of you comes out with the least blood, wins”....they looked at me like I was nutz....they started laughing....PROBLEM SOLVED! :-)


15 posted on 02/19/2014 3:53:08 PM PST by MagUSNRET
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To: SeekAndFind

King Hussein could send a delegation there to get slaughtered. Watch out pawns.


16 posted on 02/19/2014 3:54:09 PM PST by PGalt
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To: SeekAndFind

Bammy should go over there and bow to them.


17 posted on 02/19/2014 3:55:21 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: MagUSNRET

I am sooo skeered now...our prez threatening....shaking I tell ya...


18 posted on 02/19/2014 3:56:04 PM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: SeekAndFind

His Majesty Mr. Limp D*%K


19 posted on 02/19/2014 3:58:51 PM PST by TsonicTsunami08
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To: servo1969
Sternly-worded letter to follow!

Which one?

20 posted on 02/19/2014 3:59:35 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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