McCain: Crimea Crisis Caused by Obama Fecklessness

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Monday that events in the Ukraine are directly related to President Barack Obama’s “feckless” policies.

The people of the Ukraine demanded to no longer be a part of Putin’s Russia, McCain explained, and the Russian occupation of Crimea, in response to that demand, is “a blatant act” by Putin that is unacceptable to the international community.

While a military move is not an option for the US at present, he opined, “the most powerful nation in the world should have many options – including economic actions.” He added, with emotion: “This is the ultimate result of a feckless foreign policy where nobody believes in America’s strength any more!”

The audience responded with prolonged applause.

McCain reminded the audience of Obama’s do-nothing attitude in the face of Iran’s cruel suppression of its civilians in 2009, when a young woman named Neda bled to death in the street and Iranians expected Obama to intervene. He noted the savagery of Bashar Assad and the destabilization of Lebanon and Jordan and said the situation “cries out” for American leadership – “and I’m sorry to tell you that it’s MIA.”

McCain also reminded the audience of Obama’s famous hot-mic statement to Russia’s then-president Dmitri Medvedev, in 2012: “Tell Vladimir that I’ll be more flexible when I’m reelected.”

Iranian mullahs, he said, do not take the US seriously, and the Senate must pass new bipartisan legislation on Iran sanctions that will take effect if the current negotiations with Tehran fail. 

“I have never seen this world more in need of American leadership than it is today,” he summed up.