Heart Talk

Putin’s O.C. Pal

March is just around the corner. As one who taught history for many years, I often think of the Ides of March, the day when Julius Caesar met his end. Popular with the masses, Caesar successfully extended the boundaries of Rome through brutal conquest and arranged that he be proclaimed dictator for life. It is no great stretch of the imagination to see parallels between Caesar and Vladimir Putin, though I don’t think Caesar was seen shirtless quite as often as Czar Vlad.

Putin’s past speaks for itself. He is a thug, a tyrant, and if Senator Marco Rubio is correct, and I believe he is, a war criminal. In the old Soviet Union, he was a KGB agent. What a resume builder.

During his tenure as leader of a resurgent Russia, he annexed Crimea, supported pro-Russian terrorists in eastern Ukraine, and engaged in a savage war in Syria in support of the murderous President Assad. The actions of his troops in Syria caused America’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers, to ask her Russian counterpart, “Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child, that gets under your skin?”

Within Russia, democratic voices, journalists, and opposition leaders have been killed under mysterious circumstances. Freedom House, a U.S. based non-partisan organization that researches political freedom and human rights around the globe, rates Russia under Putin a “six,” with “seven” being the worst score. Similarly, Reporters without Borders, an international non-governmental organization that promotes freedom of the press, places Russia under Putin in 147^th place out of the 165 evaluated nations.

As the Russian bear gains ground in Syria, continues its murderous activities in Ukraine, and shows its teeth to the tiny Baltic nations, it is no wonder that senators like John McCain say we must stand up to Vladimir Putin. But, Dana Rohrabacher, the congressman who represents Laguna Beach and surrounding regions, amazingly takes the opposite position.

There are plenty of reasons for liberals to be at odds with Mr. Rohrabacher. He is against marriage equality, abortion rights, and at war with the science of climate change. But I hope that most conservatives would see his positions in regards to Putin, whom he once claimed to have arm wrestled, in the same light as respected Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham. Under Putin, Russia is a danger to the interests of our nation.

In 2014, Congress voted to offer aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia. The vote in the Senate was 98-2 in favor. In the House it was 399-19. Guess who was one of the 19? That’s right, our very own Dana Rohrabacher. He has spoken of increasing political and social freedom in Russia, despite all the evidence to the contrary.                                                                                                          Saying we need to have better relations with Putin because he is fighting Islamic terrorism somehow creates a common cause. This ignores the far more dangerous game that Putin is playing in Syria, which, if successful, will prop up Assad and give the Russians a much stronger position in the Middle East. All at our expense.

Politico has referred to Rep. Rohrabacker as “Putin’s top congressional ally.” The New York Times says, “Dana Rohrabacker speaks up for Russia with pride.” Even former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough, who hosts “Morning Joe,” had to cut Rohrabacker’s mic off during a contentious interview when the subject of Russian activities came up. When the segment was over, Scarborough lamented, “A little different from the Dana I served with.”

Could it be possible that some brave Republican, who would like to make Putin a little less happy, could challenge Rohrabacker in the 2018 primary? He would have my vote.

James Utt is currently out of town. He is searching for the 3 to 5 million illegals who voted for Hillary Clinton. It could take some time.