The Russian invasion of the Republic of Georgia should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans. The world is a dangerous place and this country has enemies on every continent. It is clear that Vladimir Putin is intent on re-establishing the Russian empire, which is why he is building his military, subverting elections and invading sovereign countries. This is clearly a direct challenge to the United States, for Georgia has been very pro-American. The country has also been in line to join NATO and establish even closer ties to the West. This is not acceptable for the Russian dictator Putin.
President Bush famously said that he could see into the soul of his friend Vladimir Putin. Well, it seems to me that Putin’s soul is a very dark place. The former KGB Director has expansionist dreams and could not care less about human rights.
How have we responded to this crisis? Tragically, our response has been typically limp. We seem to be long on rhetoric and short on action when it comes to disciplining the Russians. In contrast to Bush, Republican nominee John McCain has harshly condemned the Russians. He has shown the type of leadership that has been missing in the White House. “For many years, I have warned against Russian actions that undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors. Unfortunately, we have seen in recent days Russia demonstrate that these concerns were well-founded.”
In contrast, Obama has emphasized diplomacy while increasing the stridency of his rhetoric in the past few days. While this crisis has intensified, Obama has been on vacation, obviously getting schooled by his foreign policy advisers. McCain has 26 years of congressional experience and 22 years of military experience. Obama has been in the Senate for three years and spent most of that time running for President. There is a huge experience gap between these two candidates. McCain is ready and has the experience for the job, while Obama would need on the job training. According to political commentator George Will, Barack Obama has the thinnest resume “of any major party nominee since Wendell Willkie in 1940.”
Today, the United States needs to be wary of Russia, China, Iran and Islamic terrorists, just to name a few of the many threats that we face. At this dangerous juncture, the United States needs a President with the experience to deal with these threats. It is a perilous time for this country. The stakes of this presidential race have never been higher. The conflict in Georgia has just reminded everyone of this sobering fact.
Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.
Sharon, the Russians interupted the photo shoots because they were invited to do so......... You really have to look closer at the props on the stage..... But careful lest checkmate be contemplated and stalemate becomes the bitter root... One cannot achieve nuclear superiority or political polarity through attrition....... Written by
on 8/18/2008
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Evidently, Russia has bought into the media hype that Obama is already President and that no one has told George Bush yet. If this wasn't such a serious matter I would have found it funny that Keene would think that Obama's words would turn back Russian tanks. This is a thinly veiled look at what we can expect for the next POTUS & CIC. Bush right now cannot get his judges voted on, how does one expect him to "do" anything about Russia? Europe and NATO can do something NOW. McCain has been right about Russia. Obama well his speech writers are working on it...............His stands on issues are "living" and "poll driven". This week is a time for photo ops surfing and being adored by the people on the beach. How dare Russia interrupt? Written by Sharon
on 8/15/2008
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I feel you Kgal, but the facts of the matters are; if we are spread too thin, then we as a collective whole need to come to the realization and decision where what we are willing to individually contribute, and/or conserve comes into question in order to cause our 'static' resources to cover more areas of need..... That is economics, that is society, that is life............... This row boat we are in isn't as big as some of us seem to think it is.......... It is funny sort of, but ZPG was the mantra some 4 decades ago, and now it is MPG................ One way of getting better in town milage is to lighten the load................ A dark observation I am sure, but it holds true no matter what way you look at it... Or get used to walking around and foraging for twigs, leaves, and berries like our ancestors did some 15,000 years ago....................... Written by
on 8/14/2008
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"In contrast to Bush, Republican nominee John McCain has harshly condemned the Russians.".. First off, little is in "contrast" with Bush, when it comes to McCain...... Today, the Russians violated the cease-fire agreement...And, Sen. McCain's bully-attitude truly scares me. We need diplomacy more than ever now-- The U.S. is spread too thinly... Please- No McSame. Written by KjunLady
on 8/13/2008
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Uhhhh, Quid, Georgia is not the primary issue, and Obama has about as much stature with the Russians as Jesse Jackson does..... They would simply be looking at him, and contemplating the methods they would employ to manipulate his Muslim 'faith' based postulations..... McCain? He doesn't need to have ties to Georgia above and beyond those that are already established, and when it comes to squaring off with Russia, whichever way it should go, I have a great deal more faith in McCain than I do with "Change" or "Yes we can"...................... This is not going to be another 'old war', it is merely going to be a methodology of attrition........ The Bear is still nervously eyeing its 'Dragon' spawn as it tries to figure out how to control the game.......... History has recorded that Russia is the birthplace of communism.......... It is a failed philosophy but as long as they can heap more ignorant victims upon the fires hearth, they will continue as long as the politico's are in power...... Right now we here in the United States have to make sure we do not put a similar persuasion into an office or position of leadership.... China is about to come to a rude awakening where capitalism is concerned...... And the eventual fall out from their misunderstandings will have global implications......... One cannot serve two masters..... And right now they are putting up the illusion that they are welcoming the ideals of the west, while adhering to the philosophies of the North while remaining true to their selves at the same time....... Chinese are not schizophrenic, nor are they illogical.... Impractical perhaps, as is evidenced by their propensity to overpopulate their own country like there is no tomorrow…….. The end game can only come to one possible outcome........ We need to shore up our domestic front, entrench our foreign diplomacies, and stay the course.... It is going to come on down to the choice of what to retain, and what to surrender in the upcoming decade, 2025 and beyond.......... Perhaps Darwin did have a point when he contemplated ‘Natural Selection’ thesis’s… So better start a program of ‘de-dumbing’ down America, or we are going to be a collective and miserably yoked society……… I WANT TRUE AMERICAN FREEDOM…………………………. IT IS SUCH A RARITY THESE DAYS…………………….. We are in the midst of the Kansas City Shuffle....................... Written by
on 8/13/2008
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Yesterday, the Virginia governor stated that the Russian's complied with Sen Obama's request for a cease fire. Today the Russian tanks kept rolling, so what is the democratic nazi inspired propaganda team going to say about this turn of events? Does anybody out there really think Russia cares what Obama has to say. Written by Sid
on 8/13/2008
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Doesn't a McCain advisor have ties to Georgia? Obama's response to the crisis was more in line with world leaders than McCain's was. McCain's temperment makes him a questionable commander in chief. Written by David Quidd
on 8/13/2008
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On a more serious note, of course "our response has been typically limp ... when it comes to disciplining the Russians" - after all, they have thousands of nukes. What other course besides diplomacy can we reasonably take? All the more reason to keep suicidal religious kooks from obtaining nuclear weapons. The nuclear weapons in Pakistan are more than enough "Islamic Bombs" already, and one or more of these may yet one day be used against our country. Written by kpf
on 8/13/2008
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"Every dark cloud has a sliver lining" - at least with the conflict in Georgia Britney and Paris Hilton are getting less "news" coverage. Written by kpf
on 8/13/2008
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Enter the 'Kansas City Shuffle'........ Russia is only one of the symptoms to the endemic problems that both commercial trade and democracy currently suffers around the globe.......... It is imperative that the United States fully examine its domestic policies, with each individual state following suit while foreign policies are effected......... We are laboring under an artificial series of 'Gold Standards' that are being introduced and acted upon that are in essence nothing more than superficial fluff.............. The whole spectrum from GNP, GDP, import - export, immigration, technology transfer, most favored nation trading status, and fiscal monetary policy must be scrutinized carefully.... This is not the 1930's anymore, world events can now seemingly alter the human condition in the blink of the eye now...... Prudence, excellence, confidence, and tenacity are called for......... Those are the virtues we must pursue and advocate strenuously or we, here in the United States, will be pursued to our collective and mutual destruction.... The writing isn't on the wall anymore, it is in our face.... Written by
on 8/13/2008
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The Russian invasion of the 
