We haven’t had fun with this exercise in a long time.   Here’s the Official White House photo released today from the National Security Team briefing last night in the situation room.   The topic was Ukraine:

CLICK IMAGE to Enlarge – CLICK HERE to go massive

Let’s see how good we are.   Questions: (more…)

The Weekly Standard has some excellent analysis of a VERY insightful interview given by President Obama to  Jeff Goldberg of Bloomberg Media. 

The Full Obama foreign policy interview is HERE.  (A must read for those who tackle understanding of what motivates the current administration at the core.)  

Weekly Standard – On the eve of the Netanyahu visit to Washington, President Obama gave a lengthy interview to Jeffrey Goldberg that shows a chief executive who has learned next to nothing about the world in his five years in office.

First, kudos to Goldberg: he pressed Obama repeatedly, challenging vague formulations and seeking clarity. Goldberg pushed Obama hard, especially on Iran and Syria.

Obama isn’t good off the cuff, especially when challenged; he is far better with a prepared speech. And what emerged is an awful portrait of the president and his conception of the world.

Take Syria. Here’s what Obama said: (more…)

“It’s ironic that for all the talk about how tough Chicago politics are, and what hardball they train into their politicians, Obama is absurdly soft in the face of menace. Sure, he’s tough on certain things – House Republicans, debt ceiling limits, Bibi Netanyahu – but give him someone who doesn’t have to kowtow and he shrivels.”

We knew the Obama Administration was serious because they sent their most steely-eyed national security heavy to lay down the law on the Sunday talk shows….or maybe it was just a line of ketchup drawn in the sand.  Anyway, John Kerry dropped the hammer:

“I think there are, you know, they are inviting the possibility of very serious repercussions on trade, on investment, on assets, asset freeze, visa bonds. The potential of actions by the global community against this unilateral step.”

(more…)

WH Deputy Natl Security Adviser Tony Blinken re Putin’s intentions: “I honestly don’t know what his end goal is.” @npratc

— melissa block (@NPRmelissablock) March 3, 2014

(more…)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the United States has decided not to send a presidential delegation to the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The move is in retaliation for Russia’s military advances in Ukraine.

White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden says President Barack Obama still supports the U.S. athletes participating and wishes them success.

The U.S. and its allies are weighing sanctions and other potential consequences to persuade Russia to reverse course in Ukraine. Britain has also decided not to send ministers to the Paralympic Games, which start Friday. (more…)

Important notes:  •The deadline for force surrender is 10:00pm tonight.  •Secretary Kerry arrives in Ukraine tomorrow.  •Russia has declared  a new state: “The Autonomous Republic of Crimea“.

(Via NBC)  The Russian military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until 5 a.m. Tuesday (10 p.m. ET Monday) to surrender or face a “storm,” Interfax news agency reported.

“If they do not surrender by 5 a.m. tomorrow, we will start a real storm in Ukrainian bases in Crimea,” according to the statement sent by the Russians to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a ministry source told Interfax. NBC News could not immediately confirm the report.

The ultimatum was attributed to Alexandr Vitko, chief commander of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. (more…)

The New York times deposits a story today titled “Pressure Rising as Obama Works to Rein In Russia“.   The generally sympathetic article toward Obama is being cited by numerous politicos while the left-leaning media are circling an almost bizarre wagon to prop up the perception of Obama as strong.

MSNBC’s Mark Halperin is winning so far in the over-the-top water carrying category by stating that Ronald Reagan never faced a Russian adversary as strong as Russia’s President Putin:

The political analyst and author also cited a New York Times report published Sunday that said in her call with President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised doubts about Putin being in touch with reality, saying he is “in another world.”  Halperin called it “the scariest thing I’ve seen in the last 24 hours.”

“President [Ronald] Reagan never faced a Soviet leader like this. This guy is ruthless,” Halperin added.  (link)

{ Slobber – DRINK – Slobber }

However, what Mark Halperin, and the rest of the media, fail to see in the Times article is the evidence it holds for the ineptitude of the White House.  (more…)

I will be headed to Kyiv, Ukraine tomorrow night for discussions there Tuesday.

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) March 2, 2014

On the positive side at least the Obama administration is using the “I” word now (Invasion).

But seriously, you must watch this video of Kerry on Meet The Press. He seems genuinely stunned.   This is incredulous, unbelievable….. this is just… incredulous, abhorrent, cannot be happening.

With mindset of incredulity Kerry says:

…. “you just don’t invade other countries”..

On March 6th 2009 then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously used a prop, “a reset button“, to announce a new approach toward relationships between the United States and Russia.   Clinton presented the button to her counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In an attempt to break the ice with Lavrov, Clinton handed him a makeshift “reset” button wrapped in a ribbon at the start of their meeting. Laughing, she told the foreign minister that “we want to reset our relationship” and “we will do it together.”

Lavrov promised to keep the button on his desk, but pointed out that the Russian word written on it, “peregruzka,” meant “overload” — not “reset.”  (link)

At the time many people forewarned the Obama Administration was taking a very naïve position if they collectively thought the Russians would in any way align with U.S. interests.

The reasoning for the caution was simple. For two decades the general Russian political class had felt “the West” in a general sense, and the U.S. in particular, had been dancing in the end zone about the collapse of the Soviet Union. Regardless of whether or not the Obama administration wanted to admit there was a resentment in place, it factually existed. (more…)

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Associated Press journalists say hundreds of unidentified gunmen have just arrived outside Ukraine’s infantry base in Privolnoye in its Crimea region.

Russian soldiers and 20+ vehicles. Surrounding Ukrainian base at Perevalne in Crimea. Reported demanding surrender pic.twitter.com/Dnnji2czhL

— James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) March 2, 2014

The convoy includes at least 13 troop vehicles each containing 30 soldiers and four armored vehicles with mounted machine guns. The vehicles — which have Russian license plates — have surrounded the base and are blocking Ukrainian soldiers from entering or leaving it.

Squad of Russian reinforcements arrive at Perevalne base where #Ukraine troops surrounded. No sign of them moving in. pic.twitter.com/vFypJnw8dy

— James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) March 2, 2014

(more…)