Ukraine

[RecycleMichael]

It has been almost 24 hours. Why doesn't guido911 have a plan and act now?

Everybody is waiting for your response and action.

[RecycleMichael]

Maybe guido911 is too busy doing other things he committed to. Maybe he is doing research on options.

I guess the President doesn't have that luxury. guido911 says so.

[heironymouspasparagus]

He's reading "My Pet Goat".  Give him a minute.

5 minutes +.

[Red Arrow]

Come on guys, lay off our Celebrity In Chief.  Fundraising is a crucial function of the presidency.

It most certainly is crucial.  While he is doing that, he is not doing something we really wouldn't like.

[AquaMan]

Now there's a guy who finds silver linings. Cup half full.

[patric]

Caller Tells MSNBC Host MH17 Shot Down By 'Howard Stern's donkey'
http://jalopnik.com/caller-tells-msnbc-host-mh71-shot-down-by-howard-sterns-1606812900

[guido911]

I'm sorry, I was on a burger run/photo op. That seemed to be the most rational and leadership-showing action I could take in the short term. The two fundraisers was also distracting, but I understand that RM believes these decisions are absolutely the best thing Obama could have done.

What would I have actually done, RM? Canceled the photo op, canceled the burger trip, canceled the fundraisers, and at least pretended like I was engaged in what was happening. If the plane being shot done wasn't enough, certainly Israel getting into a ground war might have pushed me over the edge to appear like I was the leader of the free world or something.

Now, since it is clear you support Obama's decision to jet around and do photo ops, defend it. Tell us why you think that was the best "option"--assuming that what Obama did on the day of the shoot down was an "option".

[AquaMan]

So he didn't look like you?

[guido911]

So he didn't look like you?

Different photo op and fundraisers. I was at Sonic, then donated money to feed the hungry. That's the difference, I was taking care of myself and trying to help others--not schmooze it up for personal gain. And before anyone states, "then why you bragging about helping others" (in the most smug, childish voice imaginable), I think I have already made clear I care about the hungry and needy--especially children.

[guido911]

Well this is frakkin great news.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/19/world/asia/ukraine-malaysia-airlines-scene-story/index.html

[RecycleMichael]

...and at least pretended like I was engaged in what was happening. I

That is exactly what you would have done.

[AquaMan]

G, if you want people to have respect for your job, your posts, what you know ,what you do, and how you do it you must show respect for others positions in life. I'm sure you do that for other lawyers. Neither you nor Gas have ever served in public office, much less at the presidential level. You make assumptions based on limited experience and information about those jobs. That makes you guys' posts pretty meaningless and mostly smug political sniping.

In short it makes you tools for those with political agendas who couldn't care less about what is appropriate or good for our country, just what is good for their narrow, shallow goals.

[Gaspar]

We should be proud of our president.

9 fundraisers and 18 holes of golf in less than 3 days!  It will be a long time before any other president will be able to top that!

[Ed W]

So Russian separatists in Ukraine shoot down a Malaysian airliner, and our President should be doing....what? Oh, he could lace up his boots, load his M4, and parachute into Moscow to hold Putin accountable, but that kind of thing only happens in the movies. Is that the problem? Perhaps our right-leaning fellows have seen too many Sylvester Stallone movies.

Or he could send, say, a well-respected former general to lay out the intelligence we've gathered on the Russian separatists, laying the ground work before the UN in order to gain widespread support for subsequent actions. Ah, no. That's already been done and done badly. No one would believe it a second time. We've lost all credibility there.

So what should our president be doing? It's easy enough to snipe from the sidelines about golf and fund raisers, but that's no more than empty complaints. What actions should President Obama take?

[Hoss]

So Russian separatists in Ukraine shoot down a Malaysian airliner, and our President should be doing....what? Oh, he could lace up his boots, load his M4, and parachute into Moscow to hold Putin accountable, but that kind of thing only happens in the movies. Is that the problem? Perhaps our right-leaning fellows have seen too many Sylvester Stallone movies.

Or he could send, say, a well-respected former general to lay out the intelligence we've gathered on the Russian separatists, laying the ground work before the UN in order to gain widespread support for subsequent actions. Ah, no. That's already been done and done badly. No one would believe it a second time. We've lost all credibility there.

So what should our president be doing? It's easy enough to snipe from the sidelines about golf and fund raisers, but that's no more than empty complaints. What actions should President Obama take?

You should probably expect crickets, Ed.  I mean there was very little if any criticism from the right to the delayed response to Katrina, which happened in this country.  But oh noes!  A Malaysian plane gets shot down over Ukraine?  You better respond right away.

It's a double standard.