Perhaps because President Obama is looking pitiably weak in his mano a mano with Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine, ABC News chose to bury the story during today's Good Morning America. Incredibly, the show-opening teaser didn't mention the Ukraine--but did highlight the latest on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. As the program unfolded, and before saying a word about the Ukraine, GMA inexcusably chose to air segments on rain in California, snow in the North, a laser being shined into a plane's cockpit, an airplane bird strike, the arrest of a Mexican drug lord, the cause of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death, and Mardi Gras in Brazil.
When GMA finally got around to the most serious story in the world right now, it did its best to protect President Obama. Two nights ago on FNC, Charles Krauthammer did a devastating take-down on President Obama's feeble statement, saying “the Ukrainians, and I think everybody, is shocked by the weakness of Obama’s statement. I find it rather staggering.” So how did GMA's reporter Alex Marquardt describe the Obama statement? As a "harsh warning." Gag me with a kalashnikov, and view the video after the jump.
Somewhere, Vladimir Putin is laughing.
Note: at the same hour, CBS' This Morning Saturday did a much more credible job, leading with the Ukraine, devoting several segments to it, and noting that President Obama's credibility is "somewhat shaken" after his failure to act in Syria.
ALEX MARQUARDT: Crimea may technically be a part of Ukraine but culturally and ethnically it is mostly Russian. Crimea did not support the uprising in the capital Kiev and many would like to see it become part of Russia. Russia is already in Crimea with bases for its Black Sea fleet and around 15,000 troops. But President Obama on Friday issued a harsh warning against any further military action: "the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine."
