Peggy Noonan: U.S. Government 'Feeling Resentful' and 'Dissed' By Putin

August 4th, 2013 5:25 PM

"I think those in the American government, looking at Vladimir Putin and what he's done, are feeling resentful and they're feeling dissed. They're wondering why he's treating America so roughly."

So said Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday.

BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST: You know, Peggy, Chuck Schumer took it step beyond where it was, I think, this morning, when he said because Russia gave political asylum to Edward Snowden, that the president should not only cancel the summit he had with Putin, but should also talk to our allies and try to move this big economic conference, international conference, that was going to be held there.

PEGGY NOONAN, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": That was kind of strong. Also, Paul Ryan seemed to immediately agree with him. So I think maybe there will be a little bipartisan push on that. I think those in the American government, looking at Vladimir Putin and what he's done, are feeling resentful and they're feeling dissed. They're wondering why he's treating America so roughly. My own sense of it -- we were discussing before -- is that I think Putin is doing this because he can, because he judges us now to be a country in some difficulties, in some trouble. It's not all his relationship with Obama. It's his sense of who America is, and it's his 50-year-old resentment for what America has been. So I think we're in a rough time, and my own sense is, if you make America stronger, you will make it stronger in the world and people will be less eager to snub you in colorful ways.