Free Republic

President Obama announced Thursday that he is imposing sanctions on additional senior Russian officials and others over the country's annexation of Crimea, warning that broader economic sanctions could be in store if Russia does not stand down. The president, speaking on the South Lawn of the White House, voiced concern that Russian military positioning could point to "further incursions" into southern and eastern Ukraine. He also issued an executive order giving the U.S. authority to impose sanctions on "key sectors of the Russian economy."

It’s unfair to expect Obama to do anything about Ukraine when his biggest priority is convincing twenty-somethings to buy worthless health insurance policies by appearing on online comedy shows and deploying his March Madness bracket. The Obama Twitter feeds are filled with desperate pleas to buy ObamaCare; harnessing every memeworthy bit of internet detritus from cat pictures to twerking in the hopes of convincing healthy young people who don’t want health insurance to buy it anyway. On March 17th, Obama’s Twitter linked to a statement on Ukraine and then it was back to “There’s only 14 days to get coverage.”...

Moments after Obama "escalated" against Russia with a second set of sanctions, here comes the prepared Russian statement, which bars the following US individuals from entering the Russian Federation "in relation to the US sanctions over Ukraine and Crimea." The people sanctioned via the Russian foreign ministry: •Caroline Atkinson •Daniel Pfeiffer •Benjamin Rhodes •Harry Reed (sic) •John Boehner •Robert Menendez •Mary Landrieu •John McCain •Daniel Coats The original, with Harry Reid's name misspelled: More detail from RIA: In the sanctions list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia against the United States, including Barack Obama's aides entered Pfeiffer and...

Pope Francis was named the world's greatest leader by Fortune magazine, topping a diverse list released Thursday. Fortune’s first list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders includes a Hollywood actress, a baseball superstar, a teenage education advocate and the president of a small California college. It also includes a former American president, but the current one failed to make the cut. Former President Bill Clinton ranks No. 5 on the list, selected for being a “relentless and forceful advocate” in numerous causes, but noticeably absent is one of his successors and the current leader of the free world. "President Obama...

(CNSNews.com) - After Russian officials laughed off the first round of sanctions imposed by the United States -- and amid fears that Russia may encroach further into Ukraine -- President Obama announced on Thursday that he is "now moving...to impose additional costs on Russia." Among other steps, Obama said he signed a new executive order on Thursday "that gives us the authority to impose sanctions, not just on individuals, but on key sectors of the Russian economy. This is not our preferred outcome," he said. "These sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the Russian economy but could...

Our company implements the following sanctaions against US President Barak Obama and US Congress members: Barak Obama is not allowed to use toilet in our office. US Congressmen are not allowed to visit our canteen and our toilet. Barak Obama is not allowed to take bananas from the fridge. Our company implements sanctions against: - Barak Obama - John McCain - John Kerry - Catherine Ashton and Angela Merkel (sorry, dear). They cannot enter our office! SANCTIONS Barak Obama is not allowed to approach me closer than 40 meters

It's a comparison too obvious to pass up. We all remember the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield, best known for exclaiming, "I get no respect," as he tugged at his collar and bulged his eyes to a laughing audience. You know things are, as Rodney would say, "tough" if his comedy has entered a discussion of foreign policy. Over the past few weeks, columnists and commentators have struggled to comprehend President Obama's reaction to the situation in Ukraine as well as the more recent "defection" of Crimea into the Russian camp. But the truth is that no one can make any...