Is Obama Russia's Most Valuable Useful Idiot?

Russia's president-elect Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama. AP

American Thinker, Obama, Russia, and Gasoline Prices - "The Obama administration has responded to Vladimir Putin's landslide re-election as president of Russia by doubling down on appeasement. America may never live down the shame, and it will keep on paying through the nose at the gas pump for this folly. What the Obama administration has done over the course of just a few days is truly disturbing.
"First, after watching one of the most corrupt elections in Russian history, during which every major pro-freedom candidate was systematically excluded from the ballot, Obama congratulated Putin on his victory, and Obama's ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, defended the vote as if he were working for the Kremlin.
"Next, Obama unilaterally offered to turn over U.S. military secrets to Russia in order to convince Putin to help Europe protect itself from an Iranian missile strike. It will be remembered that Obama had already unilaterally canceled George Bush's plan to protect Europe because the Russians found it offensive.
"Finally, Obama demanded the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, the last formal legal obstacle to dictatorship in Russia left in the U.S., claiming the Russian opposition supported the move, while McFaul was simultaneously insisted that no legislation be enacted to replace it, ignoring the Russian opposition demands that such a measure be passed. Obama's duplicity here was nauseatingly palpable, and neo-Soviet in character. No wonder Putin and Obama get along so well.
"Meanwhile, Obama's approval rating in the U.S. plummeted precipitously.
"Now, I'm not naïve enough to think that Obama's slide in the polls is due to his outrageous and cowardly policy on Russia. Not that many Americans care what happens in Russia. But more should, and Obama's rating would be even lower if they did.
"Here's why: Russian actions are causing American to pay much more at the pump. Russia has consistently supported dictators and terrorism throughout the Middle East because by doing so it can worry the oil markets and cause the price of oil to rise.
"Russia's economy depends on oil the way the human body depends on blood. Shortfalls in oil revenue are putting intense pressure on the Russian budget, and there is only so much oil that inefficient Russian systems can pump in a day. This means Russia's only option is to try to boost the price. Helping Syrians kill civilians, or better yet aiding Iranians in killing Americans, is a surefire way to accomplish that.[...]" -->read more