A SUCCESS FOR MULTILATERAL PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY that deserves more attention:

Twice in six months, the United States and Russia have told corrupt, authoritarian, Soviet dinosaurs that it’s their time to shuffle off into the sunset. Each time it was against Russia’s better interests. Each time, the United States was firm in its commitment and made this commitment clear to Russia, the world, and Georgian leaders who insisted on holding back their people for personal gain. With the Ajaria situation, we also had a Georgian leader that took the world to task for its willingness to sell short Ajarian human rights and dignity for the sake of stability.

Say what you will about the Bush administration. Tell me it’s all about oil. Tell me it’s a plot to substitute fine Georgian wine with Coke. Tell me Saakashvili, a US-trained lawyer, was groomed for this role by the CIA.

I don’t care.

Bottom line: half a million people are free tonight that weren’t free this morning. Why? The Bush administration, the State Department in particular, did a fantastic job of sticking to its values and convincing Russia to stand by our side to bring freedom to Ajaria.

If that’s unilateralism and cynical manipulation in pursuit of profits, pass it on down, I want some more.

Me too. And bravo for the State Department.