Graham: US should consider Olympic boycott over possible Snowden asylum...

[Indi Guy]

Source: NBC News

A key U.S. senator has told NBC News that the United States should consider boycotting the upcoming Winter Games if Russian President Vladimir Putin grants leaker Edward Snowden asylum — a suggestion that a top U.S. Olympic official quickly rejected.

"I love the Olympics, but I hate what the Russian government is doing throughout the world," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News on Tuesday. "If they give asylum to a person who I believe has committed treason against the United States, that's taking it to a new level." Graham even suggested that Putin's actions should raise the specter of the pre-World War II Berlin games hosted by Adolf Hitler's regime.

In response, U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky tweeted Wednesday, "While we acknowledge the seriousness of the issues at hand, we strongly oppose the notion that a boycott of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is in our country's best interests."

White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. government is continuing to work with Russia and hopes to see Snowden returned to the United States. "I'm not going to engage in speculation about that, and the Olympics are a long way off," he added...

Read more: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/17/19510080-graham-us-should-consider-olympic-boycott-over-possible-snowden-asylum?lite

[msongs]

1. and not a word about NSA spying and drone murders.....oh that's OUR government doing that nt

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Are we hosting the Olympics?

I missed that story.

[davidpdx]

6. No, the 2014 Winter Olympics are in Sochi Russia

They ended up winning the bid by 1 vote over Pyeongchang South Korea who will be hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. How about a boycott because they arrest gays for being gay?

Wouldn't it be a hoot to see our gay athletes arrested for being gay?

[dbackjon]

19. That is what I am advocating.

[Ash_F]

22. I'm pretty sure the good senator has no problem with that. /nt

[truthisfreedom]

4. Droopy Dawg simply cannot find a way to make himself more irrelevant.

No matter how much he droops his way into the news.

[kickysnana]

5. Yeah, that worked so well last time...

[struggle4progress]

7. "Olympics + Snowden = Attention, for me! Lindsey Graham!"

[David__77]

8. It would be a relatively simple matter to totally neutralize Graham politically.

For some reason, no one has done so as of yet. True, he makes for a somewhat comical foil, but at some point he needs to go.

[Helen Borg]

9. Would anybody care?

Really? Perhaps these will be the best Olympics ever!

[MisterP]

10. yes, "all over the world" Russia's intervening in everyone's affairs: the rest of the world

worries only about Russia...

[Downwinder]

11. Why punish US athletes for Snowden?

Most of them will never get another chance.

[liberal N proud]

14. Agreed, but the money makers only think of the money and trying to hurt others financially

For the likes of Lindsey, it is never about people and always about corporations and money.

[rpannier]

12. He's solidly behind boycotting because if Obama did institute a boycott

They could blame him and the Democrats just in time for the 2014 elections

[Paper Roses]

13. Why punish the athletes?

If we do not have skills enough to handle problems we have created, I see no merit in punishing all the people who are bound for the Olympics. Have we no other skills except to punish those who have nothing to do with what is going on?

Canceling during the Carter administration was bad enough. This possible cancellation is worse.

Instead of facing our faults head on, Washington is always ready to blame the other guy.
Have we no skills so we pass the buck to the shoulders of the innocent?

[markpkessinger]

36. What about the safety of LGBT athletes or family members visiting Russia?

Russia has said it will arrest openly gay tourists.

[BeyondGeography]

15. Stupid idea...but nice photo of a burnt-out drunk

[tanyev]

16. Because it's easy to casually discard years of hard work when you were not the one doing the work.

[Bragi]

17. Yes, the boycott will send a message

It will show the world that America stands four square in support of massive surveillance and no longer cares about civil rights. Yay!

[dbackjon]

20. You mean the civil rights gays in Russia lack?

The fact that Putin has warned that gay tourists will be arrested?

[Ash_F]

23. Graham's motivations are not related to any progressive causes.

Supporting him will not advance any. Not that your criticism of Russia's own right wing extremism is without merit.

[dbackjon]

30. Not in anyway supporting him.

Just find it repulsive how many here on DU are praising Russia for sheltering Snowden, like they are some progressive bastion of enlightenment.

[Bragi]

37. I wasn't praising Russia

I was bemoaning Americans' enthusiastic embracing of mega surveillance.

[JCMach1]

18. How about we boycott Graham...

and his forever douchiness...

[former9thward]

21. If we are going to boycott Olympics over a country's policies....

We might as well end the Olympics. Every country has faults.

[Lifelong Protester]

29. This is a really good point.

I thought the Olympics were supposed to transend politics. You are right, however, what place on the planet could hold the Olympics if they have to be a 'pure' place. We have to acknowledge that humans never will be.

I hate the idea of taking out something political on these athletes.

[Bragi]

40. Agreed /nt

[City Lights]

24. A better idea: The media should boycott Lindsey Graham!

The has lost his entertainment value.

[L0oniX]

25. Time to boycott SC until they vote that asscarrot out.

That's right ...I am mocking all the boycott mania going on here at DU lately.

[last1standing]

26. This is a case of having the right anwer to the wrong question.

Yes, the US should consider boycotting Russia's Olympics, but not because of Snowden.

Where is the outcry against Russia's bigoted anti-gay laws that make even the suggestion that homosexuality is acceptable a crime? Why are we going to send our gay athletes into a den of hatred?

[markpkessinger]

35. Thank you -- exactly what I've been saying! n/t

[Bragi]

39. Here's what you misunderstand

Sending athletes to the Olympics, or any other international sports event, is NOT an endorsement of the host country.

[last1standing]

41. I'm not concerned with endorsing Russia's policies.

I'm concerned with sending gay athletes into a place where they could be arrested for the slightest slip such as a kiss with the same sex or holding the wrong person's hand.

[Bragi]

42. Got it

Still, I don't think a boycott is the answer. I think reassurance that they will be safe is quite possible.

[ladjf]

27. How much longer do we have to listen to Graham's disingenuous crap? nt

[Lifelong Protester]

28. That guy defines "idiot"

leave the Olympic athletes out of it. This plan did not work well for us before.

[FreeBC]

31. What an ass

[bravenak]

32. Um no.

Shut up. We'll grab him at the games.

[Bragi]

38. So you support extraordinary rendition? /nt

[bravenak]

43. ?

It was a joke.

[madokie]

33. What a tool

[Earth_First]

34. Or its's stance on LGBT record...

But those are human rights issues.

[HumansAndResources]

44. The Reagan Olympic Boycott was for a Lie Too ...

The dasterdly Russians had invaded Afghanistan. They said it was to stop the Terrorists being supported by the USA, but "our" government told us that was just "Pravda"-style Russian propaganda.

Then, a few years ago, Zbig Brzenzenski admitted that, indeed, he and Jimmy Carter had begun aiding the Terrorist-Taliban 6 months prior to the Russian invasion. The USSR had been telling the truth.

About the same time, they decided not to push Pakistan on the Non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. Pakistan worked with North Korea - and this is how and why they both have Nukes today.

Such great policies those fellows from the Council on Foreign Relations like Brezezenski and Kissinger bring us - no?

Then again, it depends if you are a defense contractor or a holding company like the Carlisle Group, which makes big money by making wars and future-enemies.