In classic "Wag The Dog" scenario there is a neat little war brewing between American and Russian proxies, and real Russian troops, in the Caucacus Mountains on the Russian border.
It couldn't come at a better time for the Republicans.
McCain gets to act and talk tough against the Russians, while Obama is on vacation in Hawaii, issuing "can't we all get along statements."
It perfectly augments Republican campaign points: Obama is not ready. He is not tough, experienced enough to deal with a dangerous world.
McCain knows he can't win the election on Iraq or Iran or the economy. Republicans need a real boogeyman -- the Russian bear -- armed with nuclear weapons -- to really scare the bejesus out of the American voters.
What is most interesting is that McCain's chief foreign policy aide, Randy Scheunemann,has been advising/ lobbying for pro-western Georgia for the last four years.
Can't you just imagine what happened?
Randy lets it be known to the Georgian President that this would be a good time for Georgian troops to invade South Ossetia, which had been an autonomous territory for more than a decade. The Georgians didn't take much persuading, as they had been wanting to crack down with their troops for a long time.....and now they felt they had some backup.
And with American -- Republican -- support, what a better time to act?
Meanwhile Bush is conveniently meeting with Putin at the Olympics in Beijing and lets it be known that if Georgia attacks Ossetia, the US will not "mind" -- Wink Wink -- an aggressive response from Russia.
Oh, we will talk tough, but we are not going to do anything..... And this mini crisis will be good for the Republicans in the 08 Presidential Election.
Classic Machiavellian maneuvers as adapted by Cheney and Rove.
Everybody wins.