Right-Wing Media's Love Affair With Putin Continues Over Syria Weapons Proposal

[Turborama]

Right-wing media have rushed to heap praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin for a proposal to allow Syria to avoid U.S. air strikes by surrendering all of its chemical weapons to the international community, despite the fact that Russia was responding to statements by Secretary of State John Kerry and that President Obama supports the solution.

Right-Wing Media Give Putin Credit For Diplomatic Solution To Syria

The Washington Times: "Putin Offers Obama Face-Saving Lifeline." The Washington Times published an Associated Press article under the headline "Obama face-saving lifeline in push for Syria to surrender chemical weapons":

The Russian foreign minister says Moscow will push Syria to place its chemical weapons under international control.

Sergey Lavrov said Monday that if such a move would help avert a possible U.S. strike on Syria, Russia will start work "immediately" to persuade Syria to relinquish control over its chemical arsenals. (The Washington Times, 9/9/13)

Fox's Martha MacCallum: "Vladimir Putin Is Coming To The Diplomatic Rescue Here." On Fox News' America's Newsroom, co-host Martha MacCallum suggested that Russia was solely responsible for the diplomatic proposal and expressed shock that "Vladmir Putin is coming to the diplomatic rescue":

MACCALLUM: I find this fascinating, Dan Henninger. I mean, you know, what we're seeing, it would appear, and you tell me if I'm wrong, is that Vladimir Putin is coming to the diplomatic rescue here or appearing to try to do that at least, to a president who told us when he ran for office that all you needed to do was sit down with everybody to work things out. (Fox News, America's Newsroom, 9/9/13)

Fox's Tucker Carlson: "Putin Is Riding To President Obama's Rescue": On Special Report, Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed "Putin is riding to President Obama's rescue":

CARLSON: The administration's policy in Syria is ad hoc. The president implied this was all in the works, that at the G20 he and President Putin worked this out. That's ludicrous. They're making this up as they go along and that's obvious, I think. The second thing that is clear is that this strengthens Russia and humiliates the United States. Putin is riding to President Obama's rescue. He is entirely dependent upon the goodwill of Vladimir Putin, who does not our interests at heart. (Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 9/9/13)

Fox's Charles Krauthammer: "I Don't Believe For A Second" The Solution Was An American Idea. On Special Report, Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer expressed his doubt that the U.S. was responsible for the arms deal proposal:

KRAUTHAMMER: Kerry said we would demand that this be done by the end of the week, or the pledge be done by the end of the week, and all of a sudden in the Obama interview with Chris, he's talking about a debate for a week or a day, a second day, or a month. So Obama has obviously sort of changed the terms to make them open-ended. And secondly, if it was an American idea, as Obama implies, which I don't believe for a second, but if it was, then why isn't it the American proposal? (Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 9/9/13)

=snip=

Obama Has Been Pushing Similar Plan With Russia For Months. NPR reported that Obama said he and Putin had previously talked about the proposal during meetings in Russia and Mexico:

In an interview with PBS, President Obama said if there is a diplomatic path to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria it would be "overwhelmingly my preference."

Obama also added that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had talked about the plan now on the table both during the recent G-20 meeting in Russia and during another meeting last year in Mexico.

In other words, the proposal is a true diplomatic breakthrough long in the making. (NPR, 9/9/13)

http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/09/09/right-wing-medias-love-affair-with-putin-contin/195803

[TwilightGardener]

1. Republicans hate Obama more than they care about America.

Quite a change from the "you're either with us or against us!" days of 2003, innit?

[Cali_Democrat]

2. We are witnessing the convergence of the hair-on-fire left and the right wingers over Syria

Holy shit....it's like I read that same analysis by many folks right here on DU.

Crazy.

[JaneyVee]

4. Ding ding ding!

[Scurrilous]

3. K & R