The Audacity of Arrogance
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The Georgian-Russian conflict has been getting a great deal of news coverage the last few days as world leaders, candidates and concerned citizens try to get a handle on what has happened and what should be done to avoid a descent into all-out war.
Fortunately for the rest of the world, Barack Obama is on the scene. As the Russian leadership wrings its hands waiting for some guidance from the international community, the clear, still voice of The Chosen One rings forth, beseeching them to halt the violence. Relieved, the Russians immediately acquiesce to the wishes of the Junior Senator from Illinois.
That is, of course, if you believe the version of events put forth today by our Governor, Tim Kaine.
Yes, Veep-hopeful Kaine saw fit to grace the world this morning with his sterling interpretation of the ongoing conflict with this choice analysis:
“It was a bad crisis for the world. It required tough words but also a smart approach to call on the international community to step in. And I’m very, very happy that the Senator’s request for a ceasefire has been complied with by President Medvedev.”
As Jim Geraghty points out in the post above, the fact of the matter was that the Russians had NOT stopped firing on Georgian targets until late this evening. Of course I’m sure that had much less to do with the international pressure placed on Russia by France and the United States and the rallying of Georgia’s allies in Tiblisi today than it did Obama’s sage advice.
Folks, this type of behavior from Obama and his supporters is merely par for the course. This is the same guy who stated in one of his speeches that his victory “was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow, and our planet began to heal.” This is the same guy who lists a song made up of his own speeches (will.i.am’s Yes We Can) as one of his Top 10 favorite songs!
Thank goodness we all have Barack Obama and Tim Kaine around to tell us what the right thing to do is. It is truly a wonder that our nation has survived for 200+ years without them.
on 
It comes as no surprise that Gov. Kaine is willing to kiss Obama’s rear end if needed to secure the Veep nod.
But this statement is the “reach around”.
Kaine: (exit, stage left)
I am rather torn by this issue.
I am enjoying the debate about how we should react.
On the one hand, Georgia is a country that attempted to swing westward.
On the other hand Georgian actions are not much different from Sebian actions towards Bosnia and Kosovo.
Just how much different are Russian actions from NATO actions in the Balkans?
We are dealing with two opposing forces upon which it is difficult to paint either party as being saints. What is the result when the devil fights with the devil? Which devil do we support?
LD,
Check out this editorial by Robert Kagan.
I think it’ll help you answer your questions.
How is what Tim Kaine said any different than the myriad claims made by McCain and his surrogates? The irony to that is of course the fact that the Bush Administration and Sen. Obama were both operating off of the same diplomatic page - while Sen. McCain seemed to be quite out of his depth. But then, he has never been the foreign policy guru that the MSM has annointed him.
The fact is, for both candidates, that the conflict in Georgia is a complex affair - and unlike the recent administration’s inability to see and understand nuance, in a world with a weakened U.S. military, growing Russian, Chinese, Indian, and Iranian powers - dipolomacy and the willingness to take diplomatic action - and to understand nuance will be necessary.
[...] Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine boldly told the nation in an interview that Senator Obama’s words had caused the Russians to ceasefire in Georgia: “I’m very, very happy that the Senator’s request for a ceasefire has been [...]
Sen. McCain out of his depth? Have you read his statement?
Doesn’t look out of his depth to me.
Did you see his statement on the day of the invasion?
Looks like he advocates a diplomatic solution…with specificity.
Where has your intellectual honesty gone, Ragnar?
J.R.
The piece you linked to provides only a very one sided opinion. Yes it provides a strong argument for your viewpoint, but it does not “answer your questions”.
If the Georgian conflict is held under the same microscope that Kosovo and Bosnia are placed, the answer is not as clear cut.
If the Russian objectives go beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia then indeed there is a problem. However as long as the objecitives are not more then these two areas there is no difference between the Georgian conflict and what America and Nato did in the Balkans. We can quibble about minor points. But the Georgians were guilty of “offensive” actions whether you wish to argue who struck first or argue about what they did after they acted.