“Speaking at a brief news conference in the Hague, President Obama said he’s more worried about a loose nuke being detonated in Manhattan than he is about Russia,” Daniel Halper writes at the Weekly Standard. Click over to Halper’s post for the video; here’s the transcript:
“With respect to Mr. Romney’s assertion that Russia is our number one geopolitical foe, the truth of the matter is that America has a whole lot of challenges,” said the president.
“Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength, but out weakness.
“Ukraine has been a country which Russia had enormous influence for decades, since the break-up of the Soviet Union, and we have considerable influence on our neighbors, we generally don’t need to invade them in order to have a strong cooperative relationship with them. The fact that Russia felt compelled to go in militarily and laid bear these violations of international law indicates less influence not more.
“So my response then continues to be what I believe today, which is: Russia’s actions are a problem. They don’t pose the number one national security threat to the United States. I continue to be much more concerned when it comes to our security with the prospect of a nuclear weapon going off in Manhattan,” said Obama.
As Greg Pollowitz tweets in response, “Dear President Columbia and Harvard Law Review: a country with ICBMs, by definition, is not a ‘regional’ power.” But beyond that, two points: Interesting how Mr. Obama at this late, still feels the need to channel President Bush when it comes to American foreign policy. And nice backhanded swipe at Bill de Blasio’s efforts at keeping Manhattan safe. Though for once, the president may have a point, if several men can break into Freedom Tower at night — and as Allahpundit writes, parachute down below with impunity, bringing back footage of their descent reminiscent of the recent Batman movies: “According to one defendant, they simply stepped through a hole in the fence around the perimeter that was covered with a tarp.”
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Obligatory Allahpundit-style exit quote:
Russia is a “regional power.” Casual mention of “nukes in Manhattan.” Hobby Lobby is Public Enemy #1. #sleeptightAmerica
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) March 25, 2014
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