The shadow government

Imagine if Barack Obama sent "his delegation" to Georgia? The howls from the Right would be deafening. And McCain may actually be forcing Bush's hand and putting U.S. troops in a dangerous situation for non-existent U.S. interests (again).

Meanwhile, for those who think this is a case of an autocratic Russian bear pounding on a brave, Democratic Georgia, their memories are short.

Last fall, he deployed riot police with tear gas, rubber bullets and batons against unarmed demonstrators. He also used his police to destroy an opposition television station, which went off the air as masked officers stormed it. His critics say that while he is an unwavering American ally, his record as a democrat was long ago checkered.