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Brzezinski: Russia's Invasion of Georgia Is Reminiscent of Stalin's Attack of Finland — On Sunday I talked with Zbigniew Brzezinski, the elder statesman who was national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter, about the Russian invasion of Georgia. He long tangled with Soviet power.
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RUSSO-GEORGIAN CONFLICT IS NOT ALL RUSSIA'S FAULT — But war could ignite further disputes in the region. … Following a series of provocative attacks in its secessionist region of South Ossetia late last week, Georgia launched an all-out attempt to reestablish control in the tiny enclave.

McCain prescient on Russia? — When violence broke out in the Caucasus on Friday morning, John McCain quickly issued a statement that was far more strident toward the Russians than that of President Bush, Barack Obama and much of the West. — But, as Russian warplanes pounded Georgian …


WAR IN GEORGIA: THE OIL ANGLE — News reports indicate that Russia may have tried to bomb the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs through Georgia. If so, the bombs missed, and flow of oil through the pipeline was not interrupted. The BTC pipeline runs from the Caspian Sea …
Discussion:
Telegraph, Blue Crab Boulevard, BitsBlog, Macsmind, Newshoggers.com, Booman Tribune, Daily Mail and Danger Room


Georgia: Russia demands to be regarded as number one — Why has Russia reverted to traditional means of controlling its former satellite states? At the heart of Vladimir Putin's aggressive nationalism is his firm belief that the power of the West is on the wane, says James Sherr.

Putin's revenge — While I am still sorting out the claims …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Registan.net, TigerHawk, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The New Republic and The Politico

Russian Troops Tighten Hold on Georgia
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Agonist, CNN, Booman Tribune, A Fistful Of Euros, Eunomia, Newshoggers.com, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Neptunus Lex, Ace of Spades HQ, Danger Room, Postmodern Conservative, TIME.com, Taylor Marsh, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Washington Monthly, D-Day, PoliBlog (TM), A Blog For All, Gateway Pundit, The Parasite, Obsidian Wings, Pharyngula, European Tribune, MoJoBlog, American Power, International Herald Tribune, Balloon Juice, Power Line and Scholars and Rogues

In Georgia Clash, a Lesson on U.S. Need for Russia
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Commentary, Connecting.the.Dots, Eunomia and Postmodern Conservative


Obama's VP choice imminent via website, e-mail, text message — Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, is on vacation in Hawaii tonight. We believe. But, thanks to loyal Ticket reader Mark, just minutes ago we learned that the freshman senator's presidential campaign …
Discussion:
The Field on the Narcosphere, TalkLeft, The Democratic Daily, Washington Post and Donklephant
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The 2008 Convention: Americans Gathering To Change The Course Of A Nation — Democrats Announce Headline Speakers, Kicking Off Week-Long Convention Programming Roll-Out — DENVER - The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and the Obama for America Campaign today announced the headline speakers for the 2008 Convention.

Michelle Obama: Headliner opening night — Michelle Obama, wife of the Democratic candidate for president, will take the leading role at the podium on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. — by Mark Silva — Michelle Obama, wife of the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee …

Clinton told to portray Obama as foreign — Mark Penn, the top campaign strategist for Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign, advised her to portray Barack Obama as having a “limited” connection “to basic American values and culture,” according to a forthcoming article in The Atlantic.
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Clinton supporters at Democratic meeting fail in bid to end caucus system — The party's platform committee sets aside the caucus amendment, saying the rules committee will deal with it. The new draft party platform is a mixed bag. — PITTSBURGH — Hillary Rodham Clinton loyalists tried Saturday …

Life Sentence — Stop kidding yourself: John McCain is a pro-life zealot. — John McCain was mad. Fuming mad. It was then the early days of his political career, and he had paid an unscheduled visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Mesa, which was within his Arizona congressional district.

The MSM's Latest Embarrassment — Tim Rutten, taking to task his own Los Angeles Times and other MSM outlets, writes: … We also have the obligatory column from Clark Hoyt admitting that the New York Times was wrong, but denying that their reticence to cover the Edward story was the result of liberal bias.
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87° — The rise and fall of John Edwards
Discussion:
www.redstate.com


Feingold remains a McCain admirer — He favors Obama's views but likes GOP candidate — Washington - If Republican John McCain needs someone to vouch for his independence, he could easily do worse than Senate colleague Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, a liberal Democrat from a key battleground state.
Discussion:
The Jed Report
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Iraq demands “very clear” U.S. troop timeline — BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States must provide a “very clear timeline” to withdraw its troops from Iraq as part of an agreement allowing them to stay beyond this year, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Sunday.
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Radical Islamist to Appear at Democrat Convention ‘Interfaith Service’ — Well, since Jeremiah Wright was tossed under the bus several months ago, it's safe to say he won't be making any public appearances at the Democrat Convention. — But when the Democrats have a public interfaith service August 24 …


How Clooney offers good friend Obama advice on issues from body language to Iraq — George Clooney once famously declared he could never run for public office because he'd ‘slept with too many women, done too many drugs and been to too many parties’. — But now the Hollywood heart-throb has entered the political arena at