Russian Politician Blames Navy Yard Shooting On American Exceptionalism

A prominent Russian politician has posted a series of Tweets blaming today's shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on American Exceptionalism.

The Tweets from Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian Parliament's foreign affairs committee, first reported by Max Fisher at the Washington Post, started just after 10 a.m.

At least 12 are reportedly dead and several are injured after a gunman, identified as 34-year-old Navy veteran and civilian contractor Aaron Alexis, opened fire on employees at the Washington Navy Yard.

The shooting reportedly started after 8 a.m. this morning; by the time Pushkov started Tweeting, few details were known.

- ??????? ?????? (@Alexey_Pushkov) September 16, 2013

Fisher translated the Tweet (emphasis ours), "A new shootout at Navy headquarters in Washington - a lone gunman and 7 corpses. Nobody's even surprised anymore. A clear confirmation of "American exceptionalism."

He then switched to English:

- ??????? ?????? (@Alexey_Pushkov) September 16, 2013

This all comes after Russian president Vladimir Putin criticized U.S. President Barack Obama for evoking American Exceptionalism in describing U.S. foreign policy toward Syria.

"It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation," Putin wrote in a much-discussed opinion piece for the New York Times.

Later tweets by Pushkov noted that he was being showered with insults for his Tweets.