OBAMA'S LOVE FOR MOTHER RUSSIA – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 9:59 A.M. ET:   Putin rides again, while Obama leads from behind.   From Andrew Malcolm at IBD: 

Almost exactly three years ago, on Oct. 22, 2012, a haughty President Obama mocked his Republican presidential rival, Mitt Romney, in their third campaign debate:

"Governor Romney, I'm glad that you recognize that Al Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what's the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia, not Al Qaida. You said Russia. In the 1980s, they're now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War's been over for 20 years."

In these 36 intervening months we've witnessed countless examples of the insight of Romney and the naive guilelessness of Obama . Obama seemed to misread Vladimir Putin's intentions. Obama described ISIS as a JV team. He overlooked Iran's deceits to do a desperate deal.

The evidence against trusting Putin is overwhelming. His demeaning PR rescue of a bumbling Obama from the American's own silly "red line" threat over Syrian chemical weapons. Russia's annexation of Crimea. Its underwriting of armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine. Its successful defiance of economic sanctions. Its arms sales to Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. And in recent weeks Russia's armed occupation of parts of Syria, construction of a major airbase and upgrading of a port all allegedly to help fight ISIS.

Wednesday came the worst Obama humiliation yet. A Russian general delivered to a surprised U.S. military attache in Baghdad an abrupt diplomatic notice that within the hour Russian war planes would begin bombing in Syria and a demand that U.S. forces stay out of the way. They did. And we did.

And the world in general, and now-dubious U.S. allies in the Mideast in particular, saw once again who's taking charge in that volatile region to occupy Obama's willful power vacuum. And who in the person of John Kerry is left pleading with Russia's foreign minister for a meeting to avoid any accidental conflicts.

All this just 48 hours after Obama and Putin met at the United Nations. By all accounts, the Obama team was caught flat-footed by Russia's attacks Wednesday.

COMMENT:  And yet, Obama gets a virtual pass from most of the press, and the potted plants in his own party, who also went along with the Iran surrender.

Russia is now back in the Mideast.  There is even speculation that they may conduct bombing runs in Iraq.  The intent is to prove power, and to humiliate a weak, indifferent American president.  Putin is succeeding.  Obama is planning his next vacation to Martha's Vineyard.

October 1, 2015