McCain: ‘This President Does Not Believe in American Exceptionalism’

MCCAIN: "This president does not believe in American exceptionalism, America's role leading the world. And that doesn't mean we should have boots on ought ground everywhere or anywhere for that matter. But we have to understand that Vladimir Putin will take whatever he can get while we are saying 'oh, gee we've got to' -- you know, going to Geneva? You know, Geneva is now a metaphor for do nothing. Why watch -- 'we've got to go to Geneva again and talk about this' while the Russians consolidate their position in eastern Ukraine. And the Ukrainian government has great difficulty getting their economy in order and getting an IMF loan, getting all the thing they need to get their country going."
HEMMER: "They have a government -- had, I should say, because things have dissolved quickly over the past 12 months. Why is the move on Crimea so critical to the United States?"
MCCAIN: "Because if you let him do that and get away with it, then he is encouraged. These kind of people are always encouraged. Look back in the 1930s when Hitler went further and further and further. I'm not predicting World War III. But I am predicting that if Putin thinks the price he pays for absorbing part of a country is 11 persons sanctioned and one bank -- by the way, he sanctioned me."
HEMMER: "I think you were proud to be on that list. John Brennan, the CIA director, was in Kiev about a week ago, I don't know what that was about, perhaps you have some intel on that. But quickly, what you are describing here is a scenario where Putin senses weakness and when he does he capitalizes.
MCCAIN: "He senses weakness. And by the way, there is weakness. I cannot believe what we are doing. I cannot believe 150,000 people have been massacred in Syria. A million refugees in Lebanon. The Chinese defense minister, when Hagel was over there, said 'by god, we have -- the East China Sea is ours.' You see these people taking advantage of American weakness. Ronald Reagan said 'peace through strength.' And that's the way you achieve it."
HEMMER: "Senator, thank you. John McCain."