GOP Rep. Who Defended Russia Is Sad Putin Hasn't Thanked Him Yet

[DonViejo]

IGOR BOBIC – MARCH 28, 2014, 2:24 PM EDT

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) feels like he deserves more gratitude from Vladimir Putin for defending Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea.

“I kind of wish I would get some sort of word back,” he told the New York Times on Thursday. “But I haven’t even gotten so much as a thank you.”

The Cold War veteran, who once had a drunken arm-wrestling match with Putin when he was deputy mayor of St. Petersburg in the 1990s, said Tuesday that Crimeans had every right to "self-determination" and that the U.S. should be happy about the bloodless transfer of power.

"Yet we have to go and condemn the Russians, of course, when no one lost their life in an attempt to make sure the people of Crimea had a right to control their own destiny and their own self-determination," he said.

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rohrabacher-russia-putin

[okaawhatever]

1. People should be very scared if this guy gets reelected. nt

[DonViejo]

3. He's been around for a long time...

Rohrabacher served as assistant press secretary to the 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan. From 1981 to 1988, he was one of President Reagan's senior speech writers. During his tenure at the White House, Rohrabacher played a leading role in the formulation of the Reagan Doctrine.[citation needed] He also helped formulate President Reagan's Economic Bill of Rights, which was a series of policy proposals that Reagan introduced in a speech at the Jefferson Memorial.

Rohrabacher left the Reagan administration in 1988 to pursue the open House seat recently vacated by Dan Lungren. With the fundraising help of friend Oliver North, Rohrabacher was able to win the Republican primary with a plurality of 35%. He won the general election with 64%. He only had serious primary competition twice, in 1992 and 1998. After redistricting, he won a three candidate primary election in 1992 with a plurality of 48%. In 1998, he won an open primary with 54% of the vote. As far as general elections, he only dipped below 55.0% once (2008).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Rohrabacher

[okaawhatever]

5. Yes, I was just reading his bio and voting record. It seems like a very unusual statement given

his record. Oliver North has been stirring up $hit since he got out of prison, so it wouldn't surprise me if he said it just so Ollie could watch his Republican friends heads explode.

[okaawhatever]

2. I had no idea Alan Grayson was such a Putinist. From the article:

The Republican congressman found some bipartisan backing in Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), who believes the United States should be "pleased" with the situation in Ukraine.

[DonViejo]

6. Here ya go, okaawhatever...

Grayson: U.S. Should Be 'Pleased' With 'Virtually Bloodless Transfer Of Power' In Crimea

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024738444

[okaawhatever]

8. Thx DonV nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Wow. I was sure this was from The Onion.

[TwilightGardener]

9. I had to double-check the link, myself. So Onion-y.

[Jamaal510]

7. Putin doesn't give

a rat's arse about Comrade Rohrabacher.