In response to Obama’s new sanctions on Russia, Trump praised how Putin handled his action, tweeting “(g)reat move on delay (by V. Putin) – I always knew he was very smart.”

A follow-up related tweet said “Russians are playing #CNN and @NBCNews for such fools…they don’t have a clue! @FoxNews totally gets it.”

Senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway called Obama’s new sanctions “a political response” at the behest of “Team Hillary,” aiming to “box in…Trump” because he favors improved relations with Russia, getting along with Putin.

Obama’s 11th hour action in the waning days of his deplorable presidency was based on fabricated claims of Russian US election hacking.

It was a thinly veiled political stunt, reflecting sour grapes for Trump’s electoral triumph, wanting him delegitimized, along with an attempt to prevent normalization of Russia/US relations after his tenure ends – favoring continued confrontation instead.

Accusations of Russian US election hacking are groundless. No evidence exists proving it. Long after America’s intelligence community claimed it, Congress has yet to be briefed.

In mid-December, Senate Homeland Security Committee chairman Ron Johnson (R. WI) said “(i)t is disappointing that the CIA would provide information on this issue to the Washington Post and NBC but will not provide information to elected members of Congress.”

The Media regurgitate what they’re told without due diligence checking. Congressional members, especially Republicans, might openly question administration claims without credible truth supporting them. None exists.

The whole sordid business was made up for reasons cited above, Obama perhaps taking a final shot at Russia before leaving office – at Trump as well by trying to delegitimize his election triumph.

So far everything tried to prevent him from becoming America’s 45th president failed. It’s unknown how he’ll govern after taking office.

Will he be a mensch like Putin or a menace like Obama? Humanity holds its breath to find out.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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