esrosedotblog

THEY BLINKED

Another breakthrough in a week of breakthroughs. The Russian-US disarmament agreement.

Obama (and Hillary Clinton) doesn't get enough credit for the great strides he has made in foreign affairs.

The meme is that he is weak. He gives in.

Take a look at this.

Steel.

The Arms Deal That Almost Didn't Happen

That seems to be one of the key takeaways from the long-sought treaty -- Russia wanted to test Obama, and hoped he'd buckle. Indeed, the Russians seemed to think it was likely, given the U.S. president's domestic challenges, and Obama's desire to complete the deal and move on.

"When President Obama's domestic positions were weakened in recent months and he was completely consumed in his crusade for health care reform, making all other issues irrelevant, it is surprising how much attention he kept on Start," said Sergei M. Rogov, director of the Institute for U.S. and Canada Studies in Moscow, referring to the treaty. "Even being 24-hours-a-day busy on health reform, he had a 25th hour for Start."

What Russia didn't expect is what they got -- a U.S. president who took hard lines, didn't yield, and was willing to be patient. That was true even when missile defense provisions threatened to scuttle the entire deal.
(snip)
Despite the Russians' apparent leverage, Obama didn't back down. The Russians did.

Periodically over the last few years, Obama has joked that "just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough." I think everyone is starting to get a better sense that the boast is accurate.

Labels: Administration Obama