Ben
Smith of the Politico notes a characteristic
difference in the way Barack Obama and John McCain address the
Russian invasion of Georgia. Note the diplomatic neutrality of
Obama’s statement:
“I strongly condemn the outbreak of violence in
Georgia, and urge an immediate end to armed conflict. Now is the
time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an
escalation to full scale war. Georgia’s territorial integrity must
be respected. All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of
stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations
Security Council, and the international community should fully
support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.”
Obama refers to “the outbreak of violence,” calls on “both
sides” to seek peace, and invokes “the international community.”
Meanwhile,
McCain bluntly speaks of the Russian invasion and makes
prominent mention of the NATO military alliance:
Today, news reports indicate that Russian military
forces crossed an internationally-recognized border into the
sovereign territory of Georgia. Russia should immediately and
unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all
forces from sovereign Georgian territory
We should immediately call a meeting of the North Atlantic Council
to assess Georgia’s security and review measures NATO can take to
contribute to stabilizing this very dangerous
situation.
So, if getting tough with the Russkies is what you want, Maverick’s
your man. (Cross-posted at
The Other McCain.)
