Top Items:
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Pressure Rising as Obama Works to Rein In Russia — WASHINGTON — As Russia dispatched more forces and tightened its grip on the Crimean Peninsula on Sunday, President Obama embarked on a strategy intended to isolate Moscow and prevent it from seizing more Ukrainian territory even as he was pressured at home to respond more forcefully.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Telegraph, kyivpost.com and Balloon Juice
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Ben Judah / Politico:
Why Russia No Longer Fears the West — The Kremlin sees its evidence in the former leaders of Britain, France and Germany. Tony Blair now advises the dictatorship in Kazakhstan on how to improve its image in the West. Nicholas Sarkozy was contemplating setting up a hedge fund with money from absolutist Qatar.
Discussion:
The Fix, Gawker and New York Times
Russell Berman / The Hill:
US moves to isolate Russia from ‘community of civilized nations’ — The Obama administration on Sunday worked to isolate Russia on the world stage even as its president, Vladimir Putin, showed no signs of rolling back his military intervention in Ukraine. — President Obama spoke by phone …
Discussion:
Politico, The Week and The Moderate Voice
Ben Judah / Politico:
Why Russia No Longer Fears the West — The West is blinking in disbelief - Vladimir Putin just invaded Ukraine. German diplomats, French Eurocrats and American pundits are all stunned. Why has Russia chosen to gamble its trillion-dollar ties with the West?
Discussion:
ABC, Betsy's Page, The New Republic, kyivpost.com, The Dish, The Moderate Voice, Scared Monkeys, BuzzFeed and Fox News
The Hill:
Kerry: Putin now acting out of ‘weakness’ and ‘desperation’
Kerry: Putin now acting out of ‘weakness’ and ‘desperation’
Discussion:
Politico, BizPac Review, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, ThinkProgress and Liberal Values
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
Putin's War — Obama had no good options to stop the invasion.
Putin's War — Obama had no good options to stop the invasion.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Guardian and Foreign Policy
ThinkProgress:
Why The Crisis In Ukraine Isn't The Start Of Another Cold War
Why The Crisis In Ukraine Isn't The Start Of Another Cold War
Discussion:
The Federalist, The Monkey Cage, The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, The Dish, The Week, Slate and Talking Points Memo
Walter Russell Mead / The American Interest Podcast:
Putin Smashes Washington's Cocoon
Putin Smashes Washington's Cocoon
Discussion:
NO QUARTER USA NET
Elizabeth Piper / Reuters:
Putin takes on West over Ukraine: who blinks first?
Will Dunham / Reuters:
Kerry condemns Russia's ‘incredible act of aggression’ in Ukraine
Kerry condemns Russia's ‘incredible act of aggression’ in Ukraine
Discussion:
Guardian, Washington Post and Daily Kos
Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
Jerry Brown Opposes Legal Pot Because ‘We Need To Stay Alert’ — California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said Sunday that he is not convinced legalizing marijuana is a good idea because the population needs to “stay alert.” — “The problem with anything, a certain amount is okay,” Brown said on NBC's Meet the Press.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
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Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Gov. Brown Not Ready To Legalize Weed, Worried About ‘Potheads’ (VIDEO)
Gov. Brown Not Ready To Legalize Weed, Worried About ‘Potheads’ (VIDEO)
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Here's What Is Going To Happen With Ukraine — Following up on the previous post, if you do want to fret about Ukraine, I have just the thing for you. I'm going to tell you how this will all unfold: — Vladimir Putin will do something belligerent. (Already done.)
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
Alexandra Jaffe / The Hill:
Waiting for Jeb — The 2016 presidential election is Jeb Bush's now-or-never-moment. — As other potential GOP standard-bearers have been hit by scandal or seen their luster fade, many Republicans desperately want the former Florida governor to get in the race.
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
Lerner's attorney says she won't testify, Issa wrong — Rep. Darrell Issa doesn't know what he's talking about, the attorney for former IRS official Lois Lerner said Sunday. — Issa, the California Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told “Fox News Sunday” …
Discussion:
Fox News, PoliticusUSA, Mediaite and Hot Air
RELATED:
Kevin Sieff / Washington Post:
Interview: Karzai says 12-year Afghanistan war has left him angry at U.S. government — KABUL — Hamid Karzai was in the midst of negotiating a security agreement with the United States when he met a 4-year-old girl who had lost half her face in an American airstrike.
Discussion:
Guardian and Booman Tribune
Steve Strunsky / New Jersey Online:
Port Authority officials: Battle over toll hikes was all for show — Current and former officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey say a scheme was devised to give the governors of both states political cover for a 2011 toll hike at bi-state bridges and tunnels. (John Munson/The Star-Ledger)
Bloomberg:
Russia Gas Threat Shows Putin Using Pipelines to Press Ukraine — OAO Gazprom (OGZD)'s threat to end natural gas discounts for Ukraine adds to the financial burden on the near-bankrupt government in Kiev and makes Europe's energy supply part of the escalating crisis.
Discussion:
Politico and kyivpost.com
ABC News:
Pipeline Protesters Arrested at White House — Police are arresting a couple hundred people who strapped themselves to the White House fence on Sunday to protest the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. — The protesters were mostly college students who participated in a peaceful march …