Obama's suck-up to Russia continues, but Putin snubs Camp David invite
By Andrew Malcolm
Investor's Business Daily
Posted 10:12 AM ET
According to the White House, President Obama has telephoned Russia's new President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on that country's Victory in Europe Day.
Seriously.
Old people will recall that Russia (then the Soviet Union) began World War II as an ally of Hitler's Nazi Germany, becoming a sudden Western pal only when Hitler turned on Russia.
Three years ago in one of his trademark extended-hand gestures Obama sought to reset drifting relations with Russia by summarily canceling the U.S. missile defense shield system set for Eastern Europe. The Russians didn't like it next door and said they didn't believe the defensive system was really aimed at Iran's future ICBMs.
Obama didn't inform Eastern Europe first. He was counting on Russian gratitude to restrain Iran's development of nuclear weapons. Of course, that didn't come to pass and Obama's international sanctions on Iran haven't done the trick either.
A year ago on the mere threat of Libya's Gadhafi killing rebellious civilians, Obama instigated his military ouster via NATO. Now that Syria has actually slaughtered thousands of rebellious citizens, Obama doesn't match those firm actions. Just words. Russia is a Syrian ally and arms its military.
Earlier this year Obama phoned Putin to congratulate him on his questionable election win. Then, back in March Obama was caught on tape pleading with then Russian President Dmitri Medvedev (see photo above) to tell Putin to give Obama some space during the U.S. reelection campaign because after his last election Obama would have much more "flexibility" in terms of further missile defense concessions.
Those whispers produced the now iconic quote: "I will transmit this information to Vladimir."
Of course, Obama's countrymen were not supposed to hear those shared whispers, which came on an open mic in Seoul. Clearly, Obama has something in mind he'd rather American voters not know until after they perhaps give him four more years of unfettered political rule.
We also don't know what else Obama and Putin discussed in Tuesday's conversation, ostensibly prompted by marking a 67-year-old victory day that occurred years before either man was born.
The sanitized White House readout is below in full. In it we learn that Putin declined to meet Obama at Camp David this month. The purported reason: He's busy assembling a cabinet, for which he's only had four years advance planning. Also, without cellphones a traveling Putin would no doubt be forced to use a cumbersome semaphore communications system.
No mention either in the White House report of Putin's ongoing crackdown on democratic forces within his country and the widespread police arrests sweeping through Moscow these days.
Another part of Obama's policy reset.
Remainder @ http://news.investors.com/article/610934/201205101012/obama-calls-putin-on-a-holiday.htm?p=full
The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence
| 
