Thanks, REPUBLICANS, for Emboldening Putin! --->

[napkinz]

Last edited Mon Mar 3, 2014, 07:42 PM - Edit history (1)

[font size="3"](Putin) -- The object of the right’s affections[/font]

by Steve Benen
10/7/13

The more Russian President Vladimir Putin cracked down on gay rights, the more U.S. conservatives discovered a fondness for the Russian autocrat. Indeed, support for Putin among social conservatives and leaders of the religious right movement only seems to be growing.

But in recent weeks, the right’s embrace of Putin seems to have expanded well beyond social conservatives and anti-gay activists. Eric Boehlert reported on Friday on Republican media figures backing Putin with growing enthusiasm as U.S. tensions with Syria escalate.

Note that late last month, just hours before Obama addressed the nation regarding Syria, Matt Drudge bizarrely tweeted that “Putin is the leader of the free world.”

More recently, the Putin admiration society has been on full display all across the right-wing media landscape. On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh also seemed to side with Putin…. Limbaugh appeared to be impressed by the fact Russia had compiled a 100-page report blaming Syrian rebels for the chemical weapons attack, not Russia’s longtime ally, President Bashar al-Assad. Limbaugh told his listeners: “Now, I don’t know about you, but what does it feel like to have to agree with a former KGB agent?

-snip-

Pat Buchanan defended Putin after the Russian leader prosecuted a rock band that played songs Putin didn’t like.

read more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/09/09/20403995-the-object-of-the-rights-affections




[font size="3"]Why American Social Conservatives Love Anti-Gay Putin[/font]

by James Kirchick
8/1/13

Thirty years ago, American conservatives declared Russia the enemy. But now that Putin has declared war on gays, the religious right is in full support of its freedom-limiting tactics.

During the Cold War, there existed a no more reliably anti-communist constituency than that of religious social conservatives. The Soviet Union did not pose merely a national security threat to the United States, they argued, but “godless communism” endangered the very moral fabric underpinning of Western society. Opposition to religious liberty is inherent in communist doctrine (religion, Marx wrote, being the “opiate of the masses”) and communist forces and regimes have everywhere and always trampled upon religious freedom; from civil war Spain, where communist militias burned down churches and murdered priests, to the Soviet Union, which heavily restricted religious practice (churches were the “organs of bourgeois reaction,” according to Vladimir Lenin) and restricted Jewish emigration.

But now, in a strange twist of historical fate, many of those self-same religious conservatives who cheered wildly when Ronald Reagan denounced the “Evil Empire,” are citing Russia as the world's foremost defender of traditional values. Their turnaround is oblivious to the country's broader political climate; after all, Russia today under the heel of President Vladimir Putin is arguably less free than it was in the late stages of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev. Rather, their newfound enthusiasm for the men inside the Kremlin has everything to do with the Russian government’s anti-gay crackdown, a crackdown they relish seeing take place here in America.

On June 30, Putin signed into law a now infamous measure banning “non-traditional relationships propaganda,” a catch-all term which legal experts say prohibits everything from gay pride parades to gay couples holding hands in public. ... Yet while human rights organizations and democratic governments have condemned the law (which, in the words of American ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul, “contradict[s] the spirit of a democratic society&quot , several American religious conservatives have expressed support.

"Russians do not want to follow America's reckless and decadent promotion of gender confusion, sexual perversion, and anti-biblical ideologies to youth," Peter LaBarbera, of the outfit Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, proclaimed on his website.


read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/01/why-american-conservatives-love-anti-gay-putin.html

[Segami]

1. Maybe..

we should start referring to them as the U.S.S.R. with such moves?

[freshwest]

2. The RWNJ getting resonance abroad is frightening. They will in turn be emboldened to enact more

oppressive measures in the US. That's why we must vote them out in the states, or be overrun by their movement, which is global. Pictures 3-6 are great. But I don't believe Putin cares about social issues.

[napkinz]

4. re "The RWNJ getting resonance abroad is frightening" ... VERY!

[font size="3"]US Christian Right Behind Anti-Gay Law Passed in Uganda[/font]

by Jessica Desvarieux
25 February 2014

transcript at http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/22101-us-christian-right-behind-anti-gay-law-passed-in-uganda

[freshwest]

6. And McCain gave Palin's church championing that validation on the national stage!

[napkinz]

11. Palin/Putin in 2016!

Palin and her conservative comrades are taking advantage of events in Ukraine to reignite their cold war passion for conflict with the former Soviet empire. This is a brief diversion from the Putin love-fest that they have been consumed with for the past few months.

http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=11594

[napkinz]

3. How Do Republicans Feel Now About Their Recent Hero-Worshiping Of Vladimir Putin?

by Justin Baragona
March, 3rd, 2014

I wonder if there are some Republicans and conservative pundits out there today who are having some regrets. Back in September 2013, there was a lot of turmoil and disagreement going around regarding President Obama possibly looking towards a military resolution to the crisis in Syria. Many Democrats and liberals were against any military action due to basic ideology and the fact that the nation was suffering through war fatigue. However, it appeared that conservatives were against it simply because of their hatred for all things related to Obama.

Therefore, when Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an op-ed for the New York Times, many on the right rallied around the former KGB agent and asked that Obama follow Putin’s lead. In his column, Putin asked that the United States respect the United Nations and follow the advice of the Security Council (which Russia is a part of) and practice caution on any action related to Syria. Putin also stated that peaceful dialogue and diplomacy should be utilized first and foremost and that military action should only occur with a consensus of other nations.

At that time, you had members of the right-wing in this country go ga-ga over Putin. Pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, Erick Erickson and Sean Hannity were praising the Russian President for his stance. Other Republicans like Pat Buchanan and Ralph Peters claimed that Putin was providing the type of leadership that the US apparently lacked at that moment. Basically, if you tuned into Fox News or talk radio during that time, you got a whole lot of Putin hero-worshiping.

In fact, the hero-worshiping didn’t stop with Syria. After that, with the Winter Olympics fast approaching, many social conservatives took up the ‘Putin is awesome’ stance due to his country’s anti-gay laws. Therefore, after a while, you had the hawks and the religious right all joining hands and displaying their mutual affection for a man who had essentially become a dictator of his nation.

read more: http://www.politicususa.com/2014/03/03/republicans-feel-hero-worshiping-vladimir-putin.html

[pampango]

7. I wonder what Limbaugh, Drudge, et. al. are saying about Putin now?

Putin is as homophobic, anti-abortion and "pro-family" as he ever was. He now has one more province under his control than he had a week ago.

Our religious right probably supports Russian takeover in Crimea. If Ukraine is going to become more closely associated with the socialist, humanist, gay-loving, pro-choice Europe, our fundamentalists should be happy that at least one of Ukraine's provinces will be under the tight conservative control of their buddy, Vladimir.

[napkinz]

8. they still love Putin, who shares their "traditional" values

but they will take a break in the "relationship" to use the current situation to attack the president for being -- in McCain's words -- feckless.

And speaking of McCain ...

[pampango]

9. It must be tough on them. They like Putin's domestic policies but it is hard to pass up a chance to

bash Obama. I just hope that Vladimir understands that Limbaugh, et. al. are still his buddies. Their taking a break from praising him is really in his long term best interest since they are trying to weaken Obama. Let's hope Vlad is an understanding man.

[napkinz]

10. Putin's Dreamy Eyes ...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. G DUHbya and old Pooty Poot

[napkinz]

14. I don't remember Republicans calling for Bush to go to war with Russia when

Putin went into Georgia in 2008. I don't remember Republicans calling Bush feckless.

I wonder what's different this time. Hmmm ...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. Grampy McSame wanted to go to war then.

Everyone else told him to sit down and shut up.

[napkinz]

19. well, McCain is consistent

[freshwest]

12. Crickets... n/t

[napkinz]

15. still waiting for a response from

Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, Erick Erickson, Pat Buchanan, Sean Hannity and his fellow "journalists" at FOX.

Or those far-right anti-LGBT groups.

[freshwest]

16. I read something about the Koch brothers that quoted them or said they said - ya know - they embrace

the political stratgies of Leninism. I say we call all the rightwinger Commies from now on.

After all, they live in red states, believe in socializing losses on the public and privatizing profits for the party elite. If it talks like a duck, walks like a duck, a case could be made.

LOL!

[napkinz]

17. "rightwinger Commies"

After all, they live in red states, believe in socializing losses on the public and privatizing profits for the party elite.

And they both stand for family values!

[napkinz]

24. standing firm ... with Putin

[butterfly77]

5. Kick...

[napkinz]

20. MSM & GOP hypocrisy ...

Last edited Wed Mar 5, 2014, 02:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Media, GOP forget Bush's feeble response to Russia-Georgia conflict

Jon Perr
March 3, 2014

Proving once again that politics no longer ends at the water's edge, Republican leaders and many in the media have been lambasting President Obama's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the Washington Post editorial board charged that Obama's foreign policy is "based on fantasy," Senator John McCain and his Mini-Me Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called President Obama "feckless" and "weak and indecisive," an approach which "invites aggression."

Predictably, the memories of the administration's critics are short. After all, President Bush didn't roll back the Russian occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after Vladimir Putin's battering of Georgia in August 2008. Bush didn't lead an alliance of the willing to isolate Russia, undermine its economy, mine the Black Sea, provide defense guarantees and rush American military supplies to Tblisi. Instead, Dubya simply denounced Moscow's reaction using much the same language President Obama is deploying now.


read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/03/1281857/-Media-GOP-forget-Bush-s-feeble-response-to-Russia-Georgia-conflict#



Conservatives Bash Obama, Forget GWB’s Man-Crush on Putin (Video)

March 4, 2014

If you think Republicans and conservative media are rallying around the President in this time of crisis, you’d be right – except it’s the wrong president.

There was a time when a Russian invasion made Fox News and other conservative voices shrug. But now that Obama is president, all the negative and hyperbolic rhetoric seems to be targeting the wrong guy. Who’s to blame for Putin’s treaty-breaking, international law-scoffing incursion into the Ukraine? Obama of course!

According to snarky neocon and Iraq war architect John Bolton, Putin’s actions prove that Obama “is not interested in American national security affairs.” Donald Rumsfeld told Fox viewers that Obama left a “vacuum for Putin to fill,” with Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy adding that Obama hasn’t done “much” to solve the situation.

Let’s not forget that George W. Bush’s man-crush on Putin is no secret:

read more: http://aattp.org/conservatives-bash-obama-forget-gwbs-man-crush-on-putin-video/

[napkinz]

21. another Republican embracing & emboldening Putin ...

On Fox, Giuliani Praises Putin: He's "What You Call A Leader," In Contrast To Obama

http://mediamatters.org/video/2014/03/03/on-fox-giuliani-praises-putin-hes-what-you-call/198316

Giuliani fawns over Putin’s ‘leadership’

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/giuliani-fawns-over-putins-leadership-180865603839

Rudy Giuliani: Unlike Obama, Putin is “what you call a leader”

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/04/rudy_giuliani_unlike_obama_putin_is_%E2%80%9Cwhat_you_call_a_leader%E2%80%9D/

[napkinz]

22. not satire ... FOX report on Macho Putin

MUST WATCH: Highlight Reel of Vladimir Putin Doing Macho Things

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has a very colorful history of doing 'macho' things in public.

A video has surfaced chronicling many of these activities.

The scene opens on a gymnasium where Putin is shown performing karate, slamming competitors to the mat.

The video cuts to a meadow, showing Putin (shirtless, of course) riding a dark-colored horse, with mountains and a pond in the background.

He then moves to the water, butterflying through a lake, and later fishing and scuba diving.

Then, there's a tiger...

video at http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/03/03/must-watch-highlight-reel-vladimir-putin-doing-macho-things

[napkinz]

23. Palin: Obama wears ‘mom jeans’ while Putin wrestles bears and drills for oil

by Travis Gettys
March 4, 2014

Palin also expressed her admiration for the Russian leader and the masculine self-image he projects in comparison to President Barack Obama.

“Obama, the perception of him and his ‘potency’ across the world is one of such weakness,” she said. “Lookit: People are looking at Putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil, they look at our president as one who wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates. We are not exercising that peace through strength that only can be brought to you courtesy of that red, white, and blue that only the strength of the United States military can do.”

She encouraged the U.S. president to take some sort of symbolic action against Putin.

“Obama instead has chosen to adopt this M.O. of ‘lead from behind,’ whatever the heck that means, I mean, because the rest of the world, looking for that shining city on a hill, looking for that country in which – that they can emulate – they’re not seeing that anymore, or in America because Obama’s weak leadership, leading from behind, which makes absolutely no sense,” Palin said.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/04/palin-obama-wears-mom-jeans-while-putin-wrestles-bears-and-drills-for-oil/

[Cha]

25. Wow! I see this is from almost a year ago, napkinz.. we need an update!

Mahalo!

I saw your link in freshwest's post..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=245686

[sheshe2]

26. Some on the right just loves them some Putin.

Thanks napkinz~