You’ve flown around under the radar landing top job after top job (Citgo (who named a tanker after you), Stanford, NSC advisor, and now State) and all one ever hears or sees is an empty dress suit. Your fairy tale assertion that Russia will somehow be isolated because of Georgia is another indication you are sniffing your own press releases.
Your Administration is in its final throes (thank God) and besides rattling sabres with Iran, you are now going to take on Russia and your boss’ soul mate Vlad? Over Georgia?
Russia was neglected by this Administration (and, in fairness, the one before it) during a time it needed the West’s help to rebuild after the fall of communism. We gave them a hand, well a finger actually, while our interests rushed in to feed on the carcass.
So they looked to the past and got a technocrat ex-KGB officer as President who brought the best of both worlds. Now they not only have the oil resources, they have cash, lots of it, half the real estate in London and you need them to keep the American borrow and spend economy going.
Putin does not lie awake at night worrying about the USA. He picked on Georgia the way we did Iraq because their leader is a blow-hard and it was relatively easy pickings. Russia wants a relationship with us but now we are the junior financial partner and they know it.
So please save the hubris, tap your boss and John McCain on the shoulder and everyone step back from the brink. A shooting war with Russia over Ossetia serves no one and they know it.
So enjoy Paris, but don’t sign anything. Stick to the piano in the lounge Madame Secretary.
