The smile, with eyebrows raised in approval, tells me it's supposed to be a compliment, and once again I'm baffled.
The treaty requires legislative approval, but that is a mere formality given Mr. Putin's unchallenged political authority and the wild popularity of his actions, which have raised his approval ratings and unleashed a nationalistic fervor that has drowned out the few voices of opposition or even caution about the potential costs to Russia.
After objections were raised planning approval was rescinded but it was demolished in 2011.
TOKYO, Aug. 27 — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought Monday to raise sinking approval ratings and ward off calls for his resignation by forming a new cabinet made up of political veterans to replace a scandal-prone group.
In retrospect, this brief local news item instantiated what Carter might well have regarded as characteristic of and contributing to our national malaise: the news anchor's cynicism in ignoring the content of the president's speech and assuming he could only be motivated by trying to raise his approval ratings.
(Sound familiar?) At the suggestion of his advisors played by Rip Torn and Kevin Pollack, the president tries to find an enemy to raise his approval rating.
"The problem, foremost, is that there may be no other means of raising the approval rating besides fresh military adventures abroad," said Stepan Goncharov, a senior researcher for the Levada Center.
(Sound familiar?) At the suggestion of his advisers, played by Rip Torn and Kevin Pollak, the president tries to find an enemy to raise his approval rating (whoa) after a failed attempt at starting a new Cold War with Russia (I wonder why?).
"Meanwhile, the plan to grow the economy is pretty much to hope that oil prices keep going up". "The problem, foremost, is that there may be no other means of raising the approval rating besides fresh military adventures abroad".
It is not about politics, whether it is going to raise his approval ratings or boost his reelection chances, and it certainly isn't about sleazy opportunists who leapt to blame a senseless tragedy on the political speech of whatever side they disagreed with.
