Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wants to “punish” Russia by not allowing our Olympic athletes to venture to Sochi for next year’s Winter Olympics.

Yeah, senator, that’ll teach ’em to quit meddling in the affairs of the United States vs. Edward Snowden.

Give me a break.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/16/sen-graham-us-should-consider-boycotting-olympic-games/

Russia is considering granting Snowden, the NSA leaker who’s on the lam from U.S. law enforcement, temporary asylum while Snowden shops around for a country that will take him permanently. So, to make some kind of point — God only knows what it is — Graham says the United States should deny its Winter Olympic athletes the chance to compete on behalf of their country.

Maybe Graham doesn’t remember, but we tried that once already. In 1980, the then-Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. President Carter decided he would stick it in the Big Bear’s eye by boycotting the Moscow Summer Olympics. Several nations joined us to protest the Soviet invasion. The Games went on without us and they were, from what I understand, largely successful.

Four years later, with the Summer Olympics set for Los Angeles, the Soviets decided to return the favor. They boycotted the LA Games, along with a smattering of their allies around the world. Guess what? The LA Olympics also took place and they, too, were hugely successful.

Not a single thing was accomplished by either boycott.

Nothing will be accomplished with any future boycott if Lindsey Graham has his way. Let’s get real and stop threatening to use our athletes as pawns in a geopolitical chess game.