Midnight Minus 10 Seconds and Counting...

10...9...8...7...6... This space was previously filled with an incoherent rant about unreconstructed Clintonbillies spoiling the Democratic convention, but I see Bush has just ordered some kind of "humanitarian action" involving U.S. naval air forces in Georgia (that's the Georgia Ilya Kuryakin (above, left) came from). Condoleezza Rice, who at least knows about Russian paranoia, looked terrified† in the Rose Garden. Gates stood as far from the podium as he possibly could. George the Terrible seems to have subscribed to the "Aprez moi, le sooner ze better!" view of deluge‡.

†_{Just gas. Apparently it's not going to be a "Georgian Missile Crisis" after all. Except for John "Gasbag" McCain who seems to have promised Georgian leaders (or was it Joe Lieberman?) that he'd launch World War III if the Rooskies invade South Ossetia.}

‡_{Like Katrina?}