While Ukraine sends its ragtag army to retake the east from thinly disguised Russian special forces, Hamlet on the Potomac reviews America’s options on dealing with Vladimir Putin’s land grab.
President Obama’s strategy appears to be wishing both Crimea and eastern Ukraine all the best. He simply does not want to do foreign policy, other than pass travel bans on a couple of Russian oligarchs. Easily said, easily done. That’s Barry’s way.
Meanwhile, Putin merrily rolls on as Obama dithers. White House indecisiveness diminishes all of America, especially those people who put their trust in the President. Offering Putin a “way out” is not a policy. It’s embarrassing to even Putin, who rightly believes he has demonstrated ten times the leadership of our commander-in-chief.
The American public would never support US military intervention in Ukraine, which historically has been linked to Russia. It does want a decision from Obama. At the very least, the U.S. should supply Ukraine’s military and sanction Russia’s Gazprom energy giant and its financial sector.
What will it take for the President Obama to lead? PR may be the answer in the form of Ketchum. That Omnicom unit handles Putin and Gazprom. How about rallying around the flag? Ketchum should drop its Russian masters and advise the American president on how to grow a spine.
Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo earned his Hamlet on the Hudson title after he dithered on whether to make a run for the presidency in 1988. The eloquent Cuomo electrified the nation during the 1984 National Democratic Convention with his amazing “Tale of Two Cities” speech, a theme currently in vogue with the takeover of US wealth by the 1%ers. Cuomo then hemmed and hawed and ultimately passed on a sure-fire win against George Bush I and Dan Quayle in 1988. The hapless Mike Dukakis went to the Democratic nomination and was hammered in November.
Cuomo’s lightening-like collapse in support following his waffling led to a re-election defeat against a nobody named George Pataki of Peekskill. His son Andrew currently sits in his dad’s sit in Albany, plotting his own run for the presidency to restore luster to the family name.
Does Barry want to suffer the same fate as Mario? Of course, he can’t run again for the president, but his name will be forever linked to indecision. Time is running out for both Obama and Ukraine.
Husch Blackwell Strategies has added FleishmanHillard alum Michael Slatin as a principal in its public affairs group.
Rory Cooper, a veteran Republican operative and policy specialist, has joined Teneo’s Washington office as senior managing director in its strategy & communications practice.
Brian Fallon, who served as national press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, is signing on next month as Vice President’s Kamala Harris’ campaign communications director.
TikTok is nothing more than a Chinese propaganda tool that poses “a grave threat to America’s national security and, in particular, impressionable children and young adults,” say two Congressmen who want the platform registered as a foreign agent.
Public Strategies Washington has added Abbie Sorrendino, a former aide to now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
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