Horses Escape Barn, Barn Door Now Closed

In an interview with National Public Radio today, President Obama said that the U.S. will take action against Russia for its interference in the 2016 elections, which now appear to have been personally directed by Russian autocrat Vladimir "Vlad the Invader" Putin. Obama said that action would be

"...at a time and place of our own choosing. Some of it may be explicit and publicized; some of it may not be."

In the five weeks remaining in his Presidency, Obama's options may be limited, and his actions reversible by his successor. Prior to the election, it was well known by the Administration and its intelligence services that Russia's hacking was damaging the Clinton campaign to the benefit of neo-fascist con man and Putin puppy Donald "Rump" Trump. Obama reportedly gave Putin a talking-to in September about the hacking at the G-20 summit, a talking-to which Putin apparently laughed off. Perhaps action "at a time and place of our own choosing" should have been back then, well before the election, to bring Putin and his intelligence apparatus to heel. As we've said, any action that Obama takes now will almost certainly be temporary and reversed by the Putinist Rump Administration after January 20, and with it any disincentives for Russia's future meddling.