caught a comment on WMAL last night

[GURPS]

.... John McCain said, Russia is a Gas Station, $75 per bbl OIL Crushes them ... and they become nothing again .....

Progressive spin:


McCain: 'Russia Is A Gas Station Masquerading As A Country'
By Heather March 16, 2014 9:25 am
John McCain was back for his gazillionth appearance on a Sunday show, doing his best to undermine the Obama administration on foreign policy.

Politico: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/john-mccain-russia-gas-station-105061.html

“I have no illusions or worry about the long-term future of Russia. Russia is now a gas station masquerading as a country,” McCain said.

“They are an oil and gas company masquerading as a country,” Graham agreed.

(Also on POLITICO: Obama: Putin will lose — eventually)

But in addition to their zingers, the hawkish GOP stalwarts also raised grave concerns that Putin will be emboldened by the easy manner in which the Crimean Peninsula was seized by Russia. They worry that Moldova, or Eastern Ukraine could be next.

“The value system of Mr. Putin is that of a KGB colonel,” Graham said. “I understand where he is coming from because of his value system. I just don’t agree with it. But what we can’t do is let him affect those who are living around him who want to go a different path, because the day you begin to do that, it never works out well. In World War II, every time somebody gave Hitler a little of this and a little of that, eventually it never works out well.”

and Mediaite:

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/sen-mccain-russia-is-a-gas-station-masquerading-as-a-country/


Senator John McCain (R-AZ) returned from a trip to Ukraine and told State of the Union host Candy Crowley Sunday morning that the United States needed to target Russia’s role as a gas provider to European nations in order to weaken its leverage in Ukraine and elsewhere.

“The United States of America, first of all, has to have a fundamental re-assessment of our relationship with Vladimir Putin,” McCain said.
“No more reset buttons, no more ‘Tell Vladimir I’ll be more flexible.’ Treat him for what he is. That does not mean re-ignition of the Cold War. But it does mean treating him in the way that we understand an individual who believes in restoring the old Russian empire.”

“Look, Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country,” McCain said. “It’s kleptocracy, it’s corruption. It’s a nation that’s really only dependent upon oil and gas for their economy. And so economic sanctions are important. Get some military assistance to Ukrainians, at least so they can defend themselves. Resume the missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Look at Moldova and Georgia, both of whom are occupied by Russian troops as we speak, a path toward membership in NATO.”

and finally HuffPO:

John McCain Calls For A 'Fundamental Reassessment' Of U.S. Relations With Russia

He supported economic sanctions as an important step in the U.S. response to Russia's actions.

"Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country," McCain told Candy Crowley on CNN's "State of the Union." "It's kleptocracy, it's corruption, it's a nation that's really only dependent upon oil and gas for their economy."

But he also said that wider action was necessary.

while IMHO;

McSame is mostly right, Russia is not much more that a Petro-Chemical Exporter, we have NO National Interest in Ukraine - let the Europeans do something [if anything] about the issue