Grandstanding

The New York Times reports in its online edition of August 14, "Mr. McCain, pressed by reporters, has resisted opportunities to criticize how Mr. Obama has addressed the situation in Georgia."

That's not very difficult when you have surrogates doing the attacking for you. For instance, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who has been traveling around with his hero from Arizona, had this to say at a McCain fundraiser in New Jersey on August 12:

And if you read the statements from the beginning, Senator McCain and Senator Obama, one had kind of moral neutrality to it that comes I think from inexperience.

Moral neutrality? Here is what Barack Obama had said earlier on August 12 about the Russia-Georgia war:

Now is the time for action – not just words. It is past time for the Russian government to immediately sign and implement a cease-fire. Russia must halt its violation of Georgian airspace and withdraw its ground forces from Georgia, with international monitors to verify that these obligations are met.

Do these Repubs (or in Lieberman's case, Repub in spirit and in preference) really think before they talk? Or is it all mere posturing? In case you're not sure, McCain (in)famously blurted out earlier on August 12: "And I told him that I know I speak for every American when I say to him, ' Today, we are all Georgians. "

Senator, I can't speak for your fellow Republicans, but I, for one, am not a Georgian. Though I support Nationalist China, I am not a Taiwanese; and while supporting Israel, I am not an Israeli. I am an American.