Bolton: US Sanctions Against Russia 'So Weak It's Embarrassing'

The sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States in response to their invasion of Crimea were "so weak that it's embarrassing," and would have no effect on future threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, said former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton.

"I mean, naming 11 individuals and imposing visa restrictions on them and freezing their assets in the United States — it is nothing in the big picture," Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox News' "America's News HQ" on Monday.

The sanctions were especially timid, Bolton explained, since Putin had "put thousands of Russian troops across an international border" and held a "Soviet-style" referendum in Crimea, where 97 percent of voters cast ballots Sunday to return to Russian rule. On Monday, the Crimean parliament formally requested that Russia annex the breakaway peninsula.

President Barack Obama announced Monday the United States would impose sanctions against Russia, expanding them to include freezing the assets of several Russian officials. Bolton said the officials targeted were "not the big economic oligarchs of Russia."

Bolton indicated the U.S. response would work to embolden the Russian president to "get a government in [Ukraine] that's subservient to his wishes."

"I think this simply reinforces, in Putin's mind, that he has the high cards. He has the upper hand. And he's going to continue to do what he's been doing," he said.

Bolton suggested the way to get Putin's attention would be to "stop their banks from doing business in the United States, freeze every asset you can find." He said the sanctions merely showed Putin "he's dealing with people who have a real sense of their own weakness."

Obama Imposes Sanctions on 11 Russians, Ukrainians Over Crimea Move

In the most comprehensive sanctions against Russia since the end of the Cold War, President Barack Obama on Monday froze the U.S. assets of seven Russian officials, including top advisers to President Vladimir Putin, for their support of Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine. Obama said he was moving to "increase the cost" to Russia, and he warned that more people could face financial punishment.
"If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions," Obama said. He added in a brief statement from the White House that he still believes there could be a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and that the sanctions can be calibrated based on whether Russia escalates or pulls back in its involvement.
The Treasury Department also is imposing sanctions on four Ukrainians — including former President Viktor Yanukovych and others who have supported Crimea's separation — under existing authority under a previous Obama order. Senior administration officials also said they are developing evidence against individuals in the arms industry and those they described as "Russian government cronies" to target their assets.
The administration officials said Putin wasn't sanctioned despite his support of the Crimean referendum because the United States doesn't usually begin with heads of state. But the officials, speaking to reporters on a conference call on the condition they not be quoted by name, say those sanctioned are very close to Putin and that the sanctions are "designed to hit close to home."
The U.S. announcement came shortly after the European Union announced travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people they have linked to the unrest in Crimea. Obama administration officials say there is some overlap between the United States and European list, which wasn't immediately made public.
The sanctions were expected after residents in Crimea voted overwhelmingly Sunday in favor of the split. Crimea's parliament on Monday declared the region an independent state.

The administration officials say there is some concrete evidence that some ballots for the referendum arrived premarked in many cities and "there are massive anomalies in the vote." The officials did not say what that evidence was.
The United States, European Union, and others say the action violates the Ukrainian constitution and international law and took place in the strategic peninsula under duress of Russian military intervention. Putin maintained that the vote was legal and consistent with the right of self-determination, according to the Kremlin.
The administration officials said they will be looking at additional sanctions if Russia moves to annex Crimea or takes other action. Those targeted will have all U.S. assets frozen and no one in the United States can do business with them under Obama's order.
"Today's actions send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including their actions supporting the illegal referendum for Crimean separation," the White House said in a statement.
"Today's actions also serve as notice to Russia that unless it abides by its international obligations and returns its military forces to their original bases and respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the United States is prepared to take additional steps to impose further political and economic costs," the statement said.
Administration officials say those Obama targeted also are key political players in Russia also responsible for the country's tightening of human rights and civil liberties in the country. Obama's order targets were:

• Vladislav Surkov, a Putin aide;
• Sergey Glazyev, a Putin adviser;
• Leonid Slutsky, a state Duma deputy;
• Andrei Klishas, member of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
• Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Federation Council;
• Dmitry Rogozin, deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation;
• Yelena Mizulina, a state Duma deputy.

The four newly targeted by the Treasury Department are:

• Yanukovych, who fled Ukraine for Russia and has supported the dispatch of Russian troops into Ukraine;
• Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of Crimea separatist group Ukrainian Choice and a close friend of Putin;
• Sergey Aksyonov, prime minister of Crimea's regional government;
• Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament.

Newsmax: Herman Cain: GOP Fla. Win Doesn't Ensure More to C...

Newsmax: Herman Cain: GOP Fla. Win Doesn't Ensure More to C...: Republicans mustn't think the surprise victory of Republican David Jolly in Florida's special congressional election means future GO...

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Herman Cain: GOP Fla. Win Doesn't Ensure More to Come

Republicans mustn't think the surprise victory of Republican David Jolly in Florida's special congressional election means future GOP victories are a sure thing, businessman and former presidential candidate Herman Cain says.

On Tuesday, Alex Sink, one of the biggest Democratic names in Florida politics, was defeated by first-time candidate David Jolly in a special election — a victory believed to be a jab against the Affordable Care Act.

"I agree with what David Jolly said when he was doing an interview earlier this morning that Republicans can't just run against the failed Obamacare plan," Cain told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

"They have also got to talk about some other things that they would do.... The one that for some reason they keep avoiding is replacing the tax code. I don't know why they won't get on that because that would resonate with the American people."

Cain is also unimpressed with the way the GOP has been tackling the perception that it has not done enough outreach in minority communities.

"The Republican Party does not need to pander to blacks and Hispanics, Asians, or any other ethnic group. They need to just show up and clearly explain what the Republican Party stands for. They're not doing that," Cain said.

"They think that all they have to do is to mention the fact that they want to reach out, when in fact it turns out that they're not reaching out because they do not know how to engage those communities.

"When I ran for president, I was a face. [Former Rep.] Allen West was a face when he was a congressman. [Former Ohio Secretary of State] Ken Blackwell is a face of the Republican Party. We didn't have to pander to people. All you have to do is to put those faces out there and tell the story about what it is that we're trying to do."

Cain said he is not surprised that President Barack Obama's approval rating is down to just 41 percent in a new poll.

"People are starting to wake up when they experience Obama sticker shock for themselves or when they experience – they can't find a job, then it starts to hit home," Cain said.

"He's pander[ing] to people with things like raising the minimum wage, changing the overtime rules," he said.

"All he's trying to do is to pander to people, thinking that's going to buy some votes. It may buy a few, but I don't believe long term it's going to buy enough."

Asked if he might throw his hat in the ring for president again, Cain straddled the fence.

"Only God knows. God knew the first time and I didn't know and only God knows the next time,'' he said.

See "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV each weekday live by clicking here now.

Arizona Gov. Brewer Decides Against Another Term

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, a Republican who has clashed with the Obama administration over immigration, said on Wednesday she would not run for re-election for a third term, ending speculation about her plans.
Arizona governors are limited to serving two terms at the state's helm. But as Brewer had taken over mid-term from Janet Napolitano, who left to head the Department of Homeland Security, there had been speculation she could seek another four years in office on the grounds she had not served two complete terms.
Brewer, 69, in announcing her decision at a school in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, said she felt it was time to "pass the torch of leadership."

"So, after completing this term in office, I will be doing just that," she said. Her decision means she will not seek re-election in November and will leave office in the New Year.
The controversial governor was thrust into the national spotlight in April 2010 when she signed into law a bill to crack down on illegal immigration in the southwestern U.S. state that shares a border with Mexico. The law was later partially struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brewer's conflicts with President Barack Obama gained heightened attention in 2012 when she greeted him at the airport during a Phoenix visit and was seen wagging her finger at the president.
The staunch Republican has at times gone against conservative elements in her party in recent years, with the biggest clash coming last year when she signed a law to expand Medicaid as part of Obama's signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act.

Under mounting pressure from business and gay rights groups, Brewer also vetoed a measure last month that would have allowed business owners to use their religious beliefs as grounds for refusing to serve gay couples and others.

John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona thanked Brewer for her years of service. "First entering public service as a mother concerned about the workings of her local school board, Gov. Brewer has served with distinction at every level of state and local government over the last three decades," he said in a statement.