Posted on 03/03/2014 10:58:51 AM PST by servo1969
On Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, moderator David Gregory appeared to caution President Obama against aggressively confronting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Teeing up left-wing Daily Beast editor Tina Brown, Gregory declared: "Look, part of the Bush era that a lot of people recoiled against was the idea of talking tough and projecting American power as if some how feeling better about that makes the world better." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Brown replied: "Absolutely. I mean, there's no need to just go off and be bellicose. And then it's like, 'Now what?' Marco Rubio actually said, 'Now, you know, Secretary Hagel and Secretary Kerry should go immediately to Kiev.' And you think, 'Well, what then?' You know, you have to have this follow-up."
At the top of the panel discussion, Gregory saw high stakes for the President in the crisis: "This is a conversation about Obama's leadership, pure and simple. This is a major test for whether the rest of the world, particularly bad actors, take him seriously when he says to not do something."
NBC political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd responded by describing the pressure on Obama to act: "Putin acts, Obama warns. Putin acts, Obama warns. I mean, this is a pattern that he [obama] can't afford to stay in here and just continue to warn....I think that they know that he's got to act, no more just issuing very harshly-worded statements." It was then that Gregory pushed back against "projecting American power."
Brown observed: "What I do think does seem to keep outfoxing Obama is a real reading of who Putin really is. It's almost as if Putin is brilliant, really. I mean, he's sort of outfoxing Obama all the time. He's very clear. And the reason that he wins in a way is that he's the only one who knows what he thinks. He's utterly clear. He's clear, he wants to increase Russian power."
Moments later, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker noted: "I agree completely with Tina. I think Putin looked into President Obama's eyes and he saw his soul. And President Obama doesn't like conflict at all....Obama has drawn the red line, he's moved back from that. Putin knows that and everybody else sees that. So he's really weakening our position, I think, when he says there are going to be costs. It's sort of like putting arms akimbo and threatening a timeout."
Here is a transcript of the March 2 exchange:
10:56 AM ET
(...)
DAVID GREGORY: This is a conversation about Obama's leadership, pure and simple. This is a major test for whether the rest of the world, particularly bad actors, take him seriously when he says to not do something, Chuck Todd.
In The Washington Post editorial that I've been looking at this morning, their lead editorial says this, "It took Vladimir Putin less than a day to trample on President Obama's warning against a Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The U.S. now faces a naked act of armed aggression in the center of Europe by a Russian regime that is signaling its intent to steamroller this U.S. president and his allies. Mr. Obama must demonstrate that can't be done." And he said "Don't do it" for ten days, but it was done.
CHUCK TODD: And this is not the first time with Putin. Putin acts, Obama warns. Putin acts, Obama warns. I mean, this is a pattern that he [obama] can't afford to stay in here and just continue to warn. You heard John Kerry, more warnings. I've talked to some folks, there are some -- there are some moves they could make and could make right now. They're not active war moves.
They are immediate economic sanctions. Russia's largest banks are state-owned banks. You could choke them economically in a hurry. You've got the largest energy company in Russia, it is a close pal of Putin. There are things they could do. The idea of kicking out of the G8, just do it. Just suspend it, move, start the meeting.
That was the sense that you're wondering why isn't the President out there saying, "Okay, we have made these moves. He's done this." You know, before it was trying to play some diplomacy. But they've got this 24-hour, and you hear John Kerry with more warnings. I think that they know that he's got to act, no more just issuing very harshly-worded statements.
DAVID GREGORY: But Tina Brown look, part of the Bush era that a lot of people recoiled against was the idea of talking tough and projecting American power as if some how feeling better about that makes the world better.
TINA BROWN: Absolutely. I mean, there's no need to just go off and be bellicose. And then it's like, "Now what?" I mean, Marco Rubio actually said, "Now, you know, Secretary Hagel and Secretary Kerry should go immediately to Kiev." And you think, "Well, what then?" You know, you have to have this follow-up.
What I do think does seem to keep outfoxing Obama is a real reading of who Putin really is. It's almost as if Putin is brilliant, really. I mean, he's sort of outfoxing Obama all the time. He's very clear. And the reason that he wins in a way is that he's the only one who knows what he thinks. He's utterly clear. He's clear, he wants to increase Russian power.
TODD: He doesn't care what other people think.
BROWN: He doesn't care.
TODD: That's the-
BROWN: And he doesn't care what other people think. I mean, we say, "Well, we can't do that. I mean, that's not the way, you know, people in the real, sophisticated, foreign-policy world behave." Well guess what? He's not that guy.
GREGORY: Unfortunately, it's not Match.com, you know? He's really secure with who he is.
[LAUGHTER]
BROWN: Yeah, he's a brutal, crude, you know, cunning, power-enhancing, ruthless guy.
GREGORY: And these, Kathleen, have -- these are issues that tend to overwhelm a presidency when he's fighting somebody like this on numerous fronts.
KATHLEEN PARKER: Yeah, I agree completely with Tina. I think Putin looked into President Obama's eyes and he saw his soul. And President Obama doesn't like conflict at all. And you know, Putin is, as I think John Kerry said, he's clearly -- well no, I'm sorry, I disagree with John Kerry on this. He said that you can't separate this, you can't make this a U.S./Russian chess game.
But I don't think you can unequivocally say that at all. I think our allies are clearly watching us. Other non-friendly people are looking at how we handle these things. And Obama has drawn the red line, he's moved back from that. Putin knows that and everybody else sees that. So he's really weakening our position, I think, when he says there are going to be costs. It's sort of like putting arms akimbo and threatening a timeout. So this really is a test for him. And as Chuck said, there are things he can do immediately rather than just these little sort of mild threats.
(...)
ummm, Øbama is bi-racial and can do anything he wants ,,,
and then we can blame the weather on all this mess ...
“Speak Softly and Carry a Limp Stick”
The NBC Foreign Policy Doctrine
WTH isn’t freaking genius David Gregory our UN ambassador? Putin would be impressed, so would China, North Korea and Iran
America did not, the liberal media did.
“And President Obama doesn’t like conflict at all....”
He seems to like it fine when he can bully without fear.
When I was growing up, I clearly recall my Dad scolding me for backing down from a fight with this kid who was bigger than me, and older. He said you back down, then every one smaller than him is going to fight you. He was right.
Lesson here is that for 200 plus years Americans don’t back down, and I don’t seem to recall in my life town any two bit dictaors thumbing their noses at us like we are on the verge of happening now.
True...the problems in the world are not on our soil. So Obama is getting a pass. He’s not committing troops, he’s not carrying a big stick. He’s punting down the field for the next president to deal with the problems he’s started.
Putin has his number... Crimea, in my opinion, might be better under Russia who knows... not worth us getting involved in... BUT THINK ABOUT THIS? Wouldn’t this be a great time for China to take on Taiwan knowing that the US won’t resist?
Obama is liar and a coward... and this Gregory character is another useful idiot.
Ugh. Amateurs with microphones. Yep, cut Russian off economically, that'll work fine...as long as they have plenty of long underwear ready in the EU. No money, no gas, comrades. Who wins that one?
So you send your Son or Daughter to the Crimea in a UN force to fight a protracted battle against Russian forces. I think we should stay the hell out of there, not every scenario is the warmongers cry of "Poland 1939". Most of the cogitation on FR the last couple of days is Schadenfraude of Oblameos fecklessness, which is fine. I guess if it makes you feel good to be a critic, the guy is a rich target, but it should end there. Not one America boot on the ground, in the air or on the water to defend one Slav against another.
Obama, the left, and the corrupt MSM continue to unwittingly add grains of sand to the scale that will soon tip completely out of balance. A lot of things will then fall off and fall and come crashing down. They will be shocked and the toll won't be pretty.
People are going to die because we have an Ernst Roehm style fascist/homo in the White Hut. Him and Jabberwocky.
Fortunately millions of anti war protesters have taken to the streets to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia will now withdraw shortly.
This is because the anti war movement is an ethical non ideological movement for human fairness
/s
Yep.
In the media All that matters is Obama.
It’s ALL about Obama.
The people of our nation be damned,
they have to protect Obama.
He is their god.
I abhor Gregory.
Gregory apparently did not catch the groveling act John Kerry was engaged in over on the other network.
You might even say there's a Bear in the Woods
Obama is not like that brute, Putin, who actually does what he says.
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