John McCain on Russian Airstrikes: We Should Tell Putin To ‘Stay out of Our Way’ in Syria

John McCain on Russian Airstrikes: Putin "Better Stay Out Of Our Way" In Syria (RealClearPolitics)

SEN. JOHN McCAIN: This is a bad day. And it's a time for American leadership. 

It is time President Obama woke up to the realities in the world and reassert American leadership. 

And that does not mean that we're going to send thousands of ground troops back into Iraq or Syria. But it does mean that we develop a policy. 

In the case of -- I am told that these bombings, that the American government has said that American planes should not fly, and that, we have somehow approved of these airstrikes. 

I do not know if that's true or not. I hope that it's not true. 

What we should be saying to Vladimir Putin is that you fly, but we fly anywhere we want to, when and how we want to, and you'd better stay out of the way. 

That's the message that should be sent to Vladimir Putin. 

So I hope that the American people understand how serious this is and that this rogue dictator named Vladimir Putin, who is a thug and a bully, can only understand a steadfast and strong American policy that brings American strength back. We are still the strongest nation in the world. Now it's time for us to act like it.