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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsU.S. response to Ukrainian crisis takes shape
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/us-response-ukrainian-crisis-takes-shape
U.S. response to Ukrainian crisis takes shape
03/06/14 11:02 AMUpdated 03/06/14 11:11 AM
By Steve Benen
Secretary of State John Kerry visits the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 4, 2014.
Kevin Lamarque/Pool/AP
Even President Obamas most aggressive critics arent calling for a military response to the crisis in Ukraine. Plenty of voices on the right are demanding the White House do something and act tough, but practically no one is calling for the administration to start moving U.S. troops into position for possible action.
So what do Obamas critics want to see? The preferred prescription is usually far less specific, but it usually involves calling for some combination of visa restrictions and economic sanctions.
Which, as it turns out, is exactly what the president has been preparing, as the White House announced this morning.
President Obama has also ordered financials sanctions to be set up against those responsible for activities undermining democratic processes or institutions in Ukraine, following days of threats that the United States may use economic pressure to move Russia towards a diplomatic solution.
Theres no list of targeted people or companies yet, but a senior administration official tells NBC that it puts them on notice they could be targeted for sanctions. As for visas, the administration has made it clear that both Russian and Ukrainian individuals will be affected by the move and see their visas revoked.
The policy will not require congressional action; Obama made the move by way of an executive order. Whether or not congressional Republicans will pretend to find this outrageous they recently decided theyre against presidential executive orders, but only Obamas orders and only when the GOP disapproves of the underlying issue is unclear.
Regardless, the administrations moves raise questions about the sincerity and coherence of conservative criticism. Many of the responses Republicans have demanded financial support for Ukraine, G8 meeting boycott, sanctions, visa restrictions are the same responses the Obama administration supports.
So what is the political argument about, exactly?
E.J. Dionne Jr. has a terrific column today about the knee-jerk Obama-bashing thats been so common since the crisis in Ukraine began in earnest.
A remarkably broad cross-party consensus has quickly coalesced around two propositions: the first, that we will not commit U.S. military forces in this crisis, but secondly, we should use every realistic form of pressure at our disposal to contain and then reverse Putins assault on Ukraines sovereignty. Must we pretend to disagree even when we agree?
That need not be a rhetorical question.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)...find anything to justify the use of force, so they need to pretend that the administration's proposal don't go far enough, even as they've co-opt those proposals.
WaPo, WSJ Slam Obama's Response To Putin's Aggression
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024596657