Barrel Strength

Eager enough to time his invasion of Georgia two weeks before the conventions and boost McCain’s chances by making foreign policy and national security the key election issues?

An article on today’s Politico.com entitled McCain reopens the national security gap notes that ‘July’s NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll found that three in four Americans believe McCain can “handle” the role of commander in chief, while only 19 percent said he “cannot,” compared to a 50 percent to 42 percent split for Obama.’

The article goes on to state: ‘When violence between Russia and Georgia escalated to war earlier this month, McCain’s first statement demanded that “Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory.” Obama’s first statement, by contrast, delicately avoided the question of responsibility. “Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full-scale war,” he said. Later that day, Obama blamed Russia for the invasion. By Saturday, the Democrat had moved still closer to McCain’s position: “Russia has escalated the crisis in Georgia through its clear and continued violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Obama’s Carter-esque lack of clarity and spinelessness were clearly revealed in those 24 hrs. Putin is the craftiest, most ruthless leader Russia has had in decades. He has no love for the USA, but his country shares a continent with China and Iran - nobody’s friends. He needs the greatest military power on the planet to help keep them in check, not wring hands and plead with them to play nicely.

He chose to stage his invasion on a weekend in August when world leaders were on holiday or with him at the Olympics opening ceremonies, and a bare two weeks before the Democratic convention. He is accomplishing a number of goals: putting the fear of Putin into former SSRs and bloc members, reminding Europe he can turn off the pipeline anytime, and forcibly reminding Americans which candidate can deal with him - and which has no clue. Collateral side-effect or part of his calculations from the beginning? I believe there is no coincidence in anything orchestrated by Putin.