An Unfortunate Combination of Arrogance and Stupidity

It's difficult to determine whether if it was an act of extreme arrogance or just garden variety stupidity (or perhaps an unhealthy combination of the two) that led to the decision to host the Russian foreign minister and the Russian ambassador in the White House yesterday and allow it to devolve into a photo session which was well covered by Tass for worldwide distribution. In any case, but especially amid the current tumult and controversy regarding the possible collusion between the Trump administration and the Russian government not only involving the 2016 election but also with respect to the future development and possession of Russian petroleum resources, it is cringeworthy to see our president being played by Putin like a finely tuned Stradivarius to a standing ovation in Moscow.