Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
OBAMA'S HANDLING OF THE CRISIS
IN UKRAINE.
WE'RE IN THE MOST DANGEROUS
CHALLENGE TO THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY SINCE SADDAM HUSSEIN
SQUEEZED KUWAIT AND IN THE
COMING DAYS THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION WILL ONLY MAKE
THINGS MORE DANGEROUS.
LISTEN AS PRESIDENT OBAMA SITS
IS HELPLESS IN THE OVAL OFFICE
TRYING TO SHAME THE RUSSIAN
LEADER INTO BEHAVING BETTER.
>> THE STEPS RUSSIA HAS TAKEN
ARE A VIOLATION OF UKRAINE'S
SOVEREIGNTY, UKRAINE'S
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, THAT
THEY'RE A VIOLATION OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW.
>> NICE TALK FROM A FORMER
PROFESSOR OF LAW, BUT VLADIMIR
PUTIN HAS INDICATED HE DOESN'T
CARE WHAT THE AMERICANS OR
EUROPEANS THINK.
PUTIN HAS COMPLETE DOMINANCE IN
THE IMMEDIATE REGION AND INTENDS
TO USE IT.
THIS IS A REAL CRISIS.
THE DANGERS ARE GOING TO RESOUND
AROUND THE WORLD.
DECISIONS BEING MADE RIGHT NOW
WILL CHANGE HISTORY.
>> I AGREE.
INTERESTING THAT REPUBLICANS
WOULDN'T MAKE ANY OF THOSE
DECISIONS DIFFERENTLY.
THEY JUST COMPLAIN ABOUT THEM.
IN THE "CROSSFIRE" TONIGHT OBAMA
SUPPORTER LAWRENCE KORB AND
OBAMA CRITIC DANIELLE PLETKA WHO
WORKED FOR THE SENATE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE.
AS WE SIT HERE RIGHT NOW CNN IS
REPORTING THAT OBAMA IS PUTTING
TOGETHER A CRIPPLING PACKAGE OF
SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA.
ISN'T THIS EXACTLY WHAT
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN DEMANDING
AND AREN'TING GOING TO CRITICIZE
OBAMA ANYWAY?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T THINK
WE SHOULD CHARACTERIZE ANY OF
THIS.
THESE ARE SERIOUS MATTERS.
THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE HAVE MORE
THINS ON THEIR MIND THAN
AMERICAN PETTY POLITICS.
I'D LOVE TO SEE SANCTIONS PUT IN
PLACE BY THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT
WE'RE GOING TO REALLY NEED IS
CRITICAL AMERICAN LEADERSHIP.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE PRESIDENT,
IT'S THAT WORD "CREDIBLE" WHERE
HE HAS A REAL DEFICIT.
HE LET PUTIN BRING HIM DOWN THE
GARDEN PATH ON SYRIA, A COUNTRY
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GIVEN
UP ALL ITS KEMIC AM WEAPONS BY
FEBRUARY BUT HAS ONLY GIVEN UP
11% OF THEM.
WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY HAVE WE
HEARD DEMANDED BY THE PRESIDENT.
WHETHER IT'S UKRAINE, CHINA,
SYRIA, WHERE WHEREVER WE SEE
HIM, HE JUST DOESN'T HAVE WHAT
IT TAKES TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY
BY FOREIGN LEADERS.
>> IS HE CREDIBLE?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK HE'S MORE THAN
CREDIBLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GO BACK AND
LOOK AT 208 WHEN RUSSIA WENT
INTO GEORGIA, WE DID NOTHING.
THAT WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF OUR
INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN.
HE'S GOT THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY TO PUT SANCTIONS.
THESE AREN'T GOING TO BE THE
TREASURY.
THESE HAVE TO BE INTERNATIONAL
SANCTIONS.
NOBODY, EVEN THE HARSHEST
CRITIC, WANTS TO PUT BOOTS ON
THE GROUND.
>> LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF
WHY I THINK THE CREDIBILITY
THING IS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY.
LOOK AT WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID
AT ONE POINT TODAY.
IT'S REMARKABLE.
>> ONE THING RIGHT AWAY IS TO
WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO
HELP BUY ASSISTANCE TO THE
UKRAINIANS TO THE PEOPLE AND
THAT GOVERNMENT, WHEN THEY GET
BACK IN ASSUMING THE WEATHER
CLEAR, THAT WILL BE FIRST ORDER
OF BUSINESS.
>> LET ME MAKE TWO POINTS, THEN
GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO RESPOND.
FIRST IS YOU'RE A RUSSIAN,
MOSCOW'S HAD 85 INCHES OF SNOW
THIS YEAR.
THE PRESIDENT SAID WHEN THE
CONGRESS GETS BACK IN, ASSUMING
THE WEATHER COOPERATES.
YOU'RE THINKING TO YOURSELF, IS
THIS GUY LIKE NUTS?
THIS IS A SIGN OF AMERICAN
TOUGHNESS.
FIVE INCHES OF SNOW, CONGRESS
COLLAPSES.
U.S. IN THE SPRING WILL BE BACK.
WHAT'S HIS FIRST ACT?
OBAMA'S FIRST ACT IS ALWAYS TO
SPEND MONEY, BUT THE TRUTH IS
THE NUMBER ONE SUPPLIER OF
ENERGY TO UKRAINE IS RUSSIA.
THE NUMBER ONE DEBT IS TO
RUSSIA.
THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSING THE
AMERICAN TAXPAYERS SEND FOREIGN
AID TO UKRAINE WHICH WILL
IMMEDIATELY GO TO RUSSIA.
WHICH STRIKES ME AS PUTIN SAYING
FINE HE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THE
TAXPAYERS' MONEY.
>> THAT'S NONSENSE.
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRESS, BY THE
WAY, IS COMPARED TO WHEN YOU'RE
THERE, THEY'RE NEVER THERE.
THEY'RE OUT ALL THE TIME, THEY
CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE.
HE CAN'T AUTHORIZE ANY MONEY
THROUGH THE IMF UNLESS THE
CONGRESS ADOPTS IT.
THAT'S WHAT HE'S TRYING TO SAY.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUTIN WAS GOING
TO LEND MONEY TO UKRAINE.
HE LENT THEM 3 BILLION WHICH
HE'S NOT GOING TO GET BACK.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER
UKRAINE, YOU'RE TAKING OVER A
BANKRUPT COUNTRY.
THE IDEA THAT SOMEHOW ANOTHER --
BY SAYING WE WANT TO GIVE THE
MONEY, YEAH, I THINK WE OUGHT TO
HELP THEM GET OUT OF BANKRUPTCY
JUST LIKE GENERAL MOTORS OR
SOMETHING.
>> BUT WON'T THAT MONEY -- WON'T
A LARGE PART OF THE MONEY GO
DIRECTLY TO RUSSIA?
>> NO, IT WON'T GO TO THE
RUSSIANS.
YANUKOVYCH WHO WAS THEIR GUY, HE
GOT ELECTED BECAUSE OF THE
RUSSIAN VOTE IN CRIMEA.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN PUTIN WITH HIM.
WHEN HE WAS IN RUSSIA HE WAS
STANDING BEHIND A UKRAINIAN
FLAG, PUTIN WOULDN'T EVEN TALK
TO HIM HEN HE WAS THERE.