The man who would have handed over Iraq to al Qaeda and the Iranians has decided handing Georgia to the Russians is better than letting John McCain defeat him in November.
Obama’s response to the Russian invasion of Georgia was painful to read (Weekly Standard):
Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war.
Read that again. Georgia must exercise restraint in the defense of its own country.
Naturally, McCain didn’t let that go by unnoticed (same WS link):
John McCain’s senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann criticizedthe apparent moral equivalence in Obama’s statement: “That’s kind of like saying after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, that Kuwait and Iraq need to show restraint, or like saying in 1968 [when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia] … that the Czechoslovaks should show restraint”.
Obviously, the Russians were not happy with that, so they went after a McCain advisor who had previously lobbied in Washington for the gutsy little Georgian democracy. Mind-bogglingly, Obama tag-teamed with the Putinist regime (Politico):
A public relations firm working for the Russian Federation pointed out Scheunemann’s lobbying past to reporters — a sign that McCain’s stance is not, for better or worse, being welcomed in Moscow — as did Obama’s campaign.
“John McCain’s top foreign policy adviser lobbied for, and has a vested interest in, the Republic of Georgia and McCain has mirrored the position advocated by the government,” said Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan, noting that the “appearance of a conflict of interest” was a consequence of McCain’s too-close ties to lobbyists.
This is an outrage beyond belief. A pro-Western democracy is under attack, and Obama responds by going after one of its champions in America just because he happens to be the obstacle to the great ambitions of the Audacity of Hype.
With this crisis, Obama has revealed himself to be the crystalline combination of self-absorption, moral equivalence, and unrepentant cynicism. McCain, by contrast, has once again has stuck his neck out for an ally in danger (Weekly Standard, different link):
I strongly support the declaration issued by the Presidents of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and their commitment that ‘aggression against a small country in Europe will not be passed over in silence or with meaningless statements equating the victims with the victimizers.’ I share their regret that NATO’s decision to withhold from Georgia a Membership Action Plan may have been viewed as a green light for aggression in the region. As they propose, a new international peacekeeping force should be created, in light of — as they observe — the ‘obvious bankruptcy of Russian “peacekeeping operations” in its immediate neighborhood.’ In addition, Finnish Foreign Minister Stubb, the Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has said there can be no return to the status quo in South Ossetia and that Russia cannot serve as a mediator in the South Ossetian conflict. Each of these leaders represents a country that has undergone what Georgia is now experiencing.
This is leadership; this is vision; this is what we need at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
DJ: Might want to put your weapon back on safe. (No argument that Obama is clueless, but there are other issues)
What is the difference in self-determination, secession and independence between Kosovo and South Ossettia?
In Kosovo the Albanian ethnic majority is Muslim. Their governing organization was declared a terrorist organization by our State Department. The US signed a treaty that promised Serbia that Kosovo wouldn’t be taken from them without their permission. But, the U.S. supports an independent Kosovo with – what …70% unemployment, 90% youth, Muslims being radicalized and continuing the ethnic cleansing against Serbs and destroying Christian churches.
In South Ossetia the ethnic majority Ossetians and Russians want to be independent of Georgia. They are Christians. The Russians are defending the forceful inclusion by the Georgian Army. But, – I suppose – the U.S. is against an independent South Ossetia.
Explain the difference. Based on principles, not just politics.
I’ll end up responding in a new post (soon upcoming), because you are not the first to ask this question.
Electing Obama as our Commander-in-Chief could be the most disastrous decision in American history.
[...] over here. Fortunately, James Atticus Bowden made it clear that one was needed by his comment to my earlier post on Obama: What is the difference in self-determination, secession and independence between Kosovo and South [...]
No Beck. the most disastrous decision was America electing Bush twice. We can’t afford risking a third term by electing McCain.
Spooky,
Which candidate backed Bush’s energy boondoggle in the Senate?
Which one was as obsequious in his praise of Red China as Bush has been?
Which one showed echoed Bush’s initial weakness on Georgia?
Not McCain.
It was Barack Who’s-Same Obama.