US Senator John McCain (R-AZ), during a press conference with Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) (NOT PICTURED)November 14, 2012 on Capitol Hill...

KAREN BLEIER

Senators McCain, Coats respond to Russian entry bans

03/20/14 09:15 PM—Updated 03/21/14 12:49 PM

By Lisa Crivelli

If Vladimir Putin was hoping to anger U.S. leaders by imposing entry bans in response to U.S. sanctions against Russia, that’s not what he got.

The most common reaction? Sarcasm.

I guess this means my spring break in Siberia is off, Gazprom stock is lost & secret bank account in Moscow is frozen http://t.co/TgwZneD4HY
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) March 20, 2014

McCain is one of several politicians named in the sanctions, along with Sens. Harry Reid, Mary Landrieu, Robert Menendez, and Dan Coats. House Speaker John Boehner and White House staffers Dan Pfeiffer, Ben Rhodes, and Caroline Atkinson were also listed.

Reid and others showed their dismissive reaciton to the sanctions on Twitter Thursday and Friday:

#SanctionedByPutin will not stop me as @SenateEnergy chair to promote #USA as energy superpower & help ↑ energy exports to ↓ Russian power
— Senator Landrieu (@SenLandrieu) March 20, 2014

President Putin, it’s one thing to pick on me, but I wouldn’t mess with Mary. @SenLandrieu #SanctionedByPutin
— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) March 20, 2014

Coats also joined the Twitter conversation on Thursday…

While I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to go on vacation with my family in Siberia this summer, I am honored to be on this list
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 20, 2014

…and followed up with these tweets on Friday:

In the spirit of Hoosier native @Letterman, here are the top 10 things I won’t be able to do since Putin banned me from Russia:
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

10. I won’t be able to complete my granddaughter’s Russian doll collection
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

9. I won’t be able to compare the Bolshoi Opera House with the Palladium in Carmel
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

8. I’ll never learn the Russian name for our dog Hoosier
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

7. I won’t be able to ski on the slushy slopes of Sochi
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

6. I won’t be able to buy Marsha a Russian mink coat for Christmas
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

5. I won’t be able to counsel Duma members on how to say no to a President
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

4. I’ll have to cancel my tennis match with Maria Sharapova
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

3. I won’t be able to compare Russiaville, IN with Russia
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

2. I won’t be able to see if borscht really does taste just like pork tenderloin
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

1. Our summer vacation in Siberia is a no go
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 21, 2014

Close video

Hardball with Chris Matthews, 3/20/14, 8:22 PM ET

Russia responds to US with entry bans

Anne Gearan and Ryan Grim join Hardball to discuss the latest sanctions announced by President Obama against Russia – which the president said will have a significant impact on the Russian economy.

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