Stop Me Before I Vote Again

The Great Game is afoot again in the Caucasus -- when did it ever stop, really? -- and Obama, though a late pick, is valiantly scrambling to keep up.

McCain, an old Cold War veteran, beat Barry to the punch with a chest-thumping line of bluster: Russia's quick and (it seems) highly effective response to that fool Saakashvili's adventure in South Ossetia runs the risk of "serious negative consequences", or some such, to Russia's relations with the US and... Europe!

(Is McCain also running for president of Europe? Do you have to ask? Do the Europeans get a vote? Same answer.)

Some guy at Daily Kos thought Barry would do better:

Obama, as a force of reason, will more likely deal with the complexity and reality of the situation, and will thus be completely marginalized (in the Cheney/Bush/Rove/neocon mindset).

It's tempting to follow up this idea that Obama is a "voice of reason." Reason? He's entirely a voice of feeling, as far as anybody can tell. And our Kosnik also thinks that the South Ossetia brouhaha was contrived by the present US administration solely with reference to the upcoming election: for him, it goes without saying that an American presidential election is the hub of the universe.

But let's rein ourselves in here, avoid these interesting side trails, and keep following the story line. Here's Barry's actual response -- not quite what our Kosnik was hoping for, I fear:

... [T]he situation in Georgia.... continues to deteriorate because of Russia’s escalation of the use of military force... No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia.... The Georgian government has proposed a cease-fire and the Russian government should accept it.

(The Georgian government has proposed a cease-fire because they are -- not surprisingly -- getting their asses kicked.)

This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia.... [We should] review multilateral and bilateral arrangements with Russia, including Russia’s interest in joining the World Trade Organization.

He even drags in the "Olympic ideal" -- how terrible that Russia should harsh our mellow during the Olympics!

The whole thing is well worth reading, and thoroughly vomitous. For the first time, I'm starting to think that the wrinkly white guy might actually have a shot. Wouldn't that be a hoot?