March 20, 2014

US Lawmakers Fight Russia on Twitter: “I Guess This Means My Spring Break in Siberia Is Off”

McCain: Will Seberger/ZUMA; Coat: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-154946795/stock-photo-happy-man-covered-by-snow-enjoying-winter.html?src=11IMqT6f5JJIf1pmzXSixg-1-52">Jan Mika</a>/Shutterstock; Landscpape: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hobnob_malevolence/4903553713/sizes/o/in/photolist-8tiZFx-4TfsGX-4i6Gmc-jRf4gi-dy83K8-fnYpk1-fnYoWJ-fnJ8B8-fnJ7QT-fnJ8oT-fnYnRE-fnYmN1-fnJ7KP-fnJ7F6-fnJcc2-fnYndW-fnYqHy-fnJaPM-fnYoAq-fnJ826-fnJbjk-fnJ9bH-fnYrtU-cxCLfC-7cN432-7cSYZU-5Zw2TF-afEMJw-afC3Kc-afDbHp-afEMJ5-afEPzG-hPPebu-6p2dAe-5Uj7Fb-afFXDW-afFXCL-afFXGL-afFXF1-afEPCu-afEPDu-afC3Zk-afEPAU-afC3ZX-afEPAj-afC3PK-afEMFJ-afC1NR-afC1U6-afDD6t-afEMKj/">hobnob_malevolence</a>/Flickr. Photoillustration by <a href="http://preprod.motherjones.com/authors/matt-connolly">Matt Connolly</a>.

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On Thursday, shortly after President Obama expanded sanctions against Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis, the Russian Foreign Ministry released its own list of nine US officials and lawmakers who will be targeted by sanctions. The list includes three White House aides—deputy national security advisors Ben Rhodes and Caroline Atkinson, and senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer—as well as six US lawmakers: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)?, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)?, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)?, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)?, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.)?, and Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.)?.

Many of the Sanctioned 9, none of whom will be allowed to visit the Russian Federation or attend Valdimir Putin’s birthday party (assuming it is held in the Russian Federation), took to Twitter to win the morning show their strength and solidarity.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.)?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)?

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.)

Brendan Buck, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), to senior White House advisor Dan Pfeiffer

“What did you do during the war, daddy?”

“Twitter, mostly.”

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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