I think the Georgia - Russia crisis plays into the hands of Senator Barack Obama; because, it highlight many of the D's criticism of the Bush Administration's foreign policy including:
1) Diplomacy's first and above everything else. The USA need to build respect and trust by being a good citizen within the international community. President Bush has managed to single handily rekindle a USA - Russia cold war with a policy of pre-emptive wars to spread Democracy, weaponization of outer space, and efforts build a missile defense system in Europe, close to the former Soviet Union. 2) The war of choice with Iraq was unnecessary and diverted time, energy and resource away from frighting the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack. 2) Placing our military into an area that has them stuck in a Tar Baby, greatly restricting our ability to move troops or otherwise react to emerging crises, and Bear Fox, he lay low. 3) A military that is burned out because of the occupation of Iraq, which has required a back door draft in the form of extending the service of those already trapped in the military, and requiring multiple tours of duty in hot combat zone. Also, tours of duty have been lengthened from 12 months to 15 months to accommodate a surge in the number of troop stationed in the hot combat zones. All of this was necessary to avoid a draft, which likely would have caused political damage to Republican candidate during recent elections. 4) When Senator Obama visited General Petraeus in Iraq, Petraeus advised not to reduce troop level in Iraq or begin a troop withdrawal, but General Petraeus' command responsibilities mainly cover only Iraq and the ME region of the world, whereas the President's command responsibilities, as Command-In-Chief of all USA armed forces, cover the entire globe, so priorities should have been in place to insure a strong military that could handle real threat to the country, as well as a military preparedness to react to any new or emerging crisis's. 5) US Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a statement regarding the crisis indicating the USA would not get involved in the conflict. What I saw on TV was a very stressed Gates that could hardly get the words out of his month, as if he had a feater stuck in his throat from eating crow. This is a very embarrassing moment for the USA, and it's hard for me to imagine how this will help Senator McCain. BTW, why wasn't it President Bush who delivered the address, rather than Gates? http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5icW267TFruv-3ds1HbgDYEdgCctw Regards, LelandJ Bob Calco wrote: > http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4535173.ece > > or > > http://tinyurl.com/6b3qx8 > > - - - > Russians were told over breakfast yesterday what really happened in Georgia: > the conflict in South Ossetia was part of a plot by Dick Cheney, the > Vice-President, to stop Barak Obama being elected president of the United > States. > > The line came on the main news of Vesti FM, a state radio station that - > like the Government and much of Russia's media - has reverted to the old > habits of Soviet years, in which a sinister American hand was held to lie > behind every conflict, especially those embarrassing to Moscow. Modern > Russia may be plugged into the internet and the global marketplace but in > the battle for world opinion the Kremlin is replaying the old > black-and-white movie. > > The Obama angle is getting wide play. It was aired on Wednesday by Sergei > Markov, a senior political scientist who is close to Vladimir Putin, the > Prime Minister and power behind President Medvedev. > > "George Bush's Administration is promoting interests of candidate John > McCain," said Dr Markov. "Defeated by Barak Obama on all fronts, McCain has > one last card to play yet - the creation of a virtual Cold War with Russia . > . . Bush himself did not want a war in South Ossetia but his Republican > Party did not leave him any choice." The Americans were now engineering an > armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Dr Markov added. > - - - > > It's only a matter of time before our Loyal MoveOn Dems fall in line. The > Kremlin has clearly been working through organizations like MoveOn for > several years to create this story line, so that they could use it in their > propaganda at the appropriate moment. Here we are. > > George Bush's single biggest failure was his inability to see/believe what > the Kremlin & friends have been doing for the last 5 or 6 years in our > domestic politics. The "Anti War" movement was pro-Soviet in the '60s, and > they're pro totalitarianism today. Just look how chummy Sheehan and other > icons of the movement are with thugs like Chavez, and how they've been > spouting this kind of crap for years. And now the storyline of the MoveOn's, > and indeed the DNC under Dean, merge with that of a resurgent Kremlin. > > The Hard Left is making a major comeback, as I have been observing for some > time, and they are going for the jugular of freedom in the West. If they get > their puppet in the Presidency + a compliant Congress, we're toast. > > - Bob > > > [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
