Spin Cycle

Axelrod says that Obama should get credit for Putin's Syrian solution. 

It's called affirmative action credit. 

Obama and Kerry threatened an unbelievably small attack that would force Assad to eat his Cheerios with a fork and possibly limit him to almond milk.  Even that threat was mitigated by 60 to 70% hard disapproval on the part of the American people as well as increasing resistance in Congress for authorizing force.  At this point, even the fat cats in the Senate would likely vote it down.

The Russians, seeing an opportunity to make a mockery of America's Nobel laureate, offer a diplomatic settlement which Assad immediate accepts. 

If I found the evidence for Assad's deployment of chemical weapons rather fragile before, it is absolutely gossamer now.  Assad has Russian support and does not need to use chemical weapons.  The al Qaida-backed insurgents are losing ground and, though the civil war may continue for some time, are unlikely to topple the Assad regime.  Assad is dictator, but he is a dictator with western, secular leanings.  His remaining in power is likely the best outcome, at least in the short term.

Does Obama come out of this unscathed?  I would say, yes, mostly.  Even with the most intense of media spins, he still looks like a weak dope.  Claiming the securing of chemical weapons was part of a discussion between him and Putin sounds rather lame to me.  It's just too much of a "Yeah! Me, too".  I think a lot of Americans will have the same reaction.  After all, the attack was supposed to be about "punishing" Assad for crossing Obama's red line (that really wasn't his, you know).

Obama's plan, as in Egypt and Libya, was to replace the existing regime with a Moslem Brotherhood/al Qaida-affiliate government in the name of "democracy".  It seems quite strange that Americans owe the former KGB head, Putin, our thanks for keeping us out of a nasty, pointless engagement that had the potential to ignite the entire region.