Well, it only took a day or two. I'm surprised how long it took, actually. Fred Kaplan does an excellent job, though, of bringing the irrational rage and absolute venom of the Left towards President Bush to the fore:

Regardless of what happens next, it is worth asking what the Bush people were thinking when they egged on Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia's young, Western-educated president, to apply for NATO membership, send 2,000 of his troops to Iraq as a full-fledged U.S. ally, and receive tactical training and weapons from our military. Did they really think Putin would sit by and see another border state (and former province of the Russian empire) slip away to the West? If they thought that Putin might not, what did they plan to do about it, and how firmly did they warn Saakashvili not to get too brash or provoke an outburst?

You know, this analysis deserves an analogy. So, you're a woman married to an abusive jerk. You can't leave. Finally, you have a chance, you divorce. You change your life, but you can't move. You have kids together with the jerk, so you have to stay around. One of the kids, prefers abusive dad. You know what's best, but what can you do? You try to assert yourself. The ex, though, he's no nicer. It pisses him off that you dare defend yourself. He brings his gun over and he shoots you. Attempts to kill you, for having the nerve to defy him. And oh, by the way, he will show the others around where it's at, too. He's above the law, because he's crazy and everyone is afraid of him.

Most friends are outraged at this jerk's actions. He's wrong. He's abusive. He's vicious. But some people go after the woman for daring to believe she could be independent and assert herself. She should have known better. She should never have provoked him. Stupid woman. She deserves what she got. And furthermore, she's a complete idiot for listening to anyone who believed she could be independent.

Why does the Left always, always take the side of the abusive spouse? While they should be protecting the rights of the woman to wear what she wants, screw who she wants, the Left always blames the victim when it comes to freedom and sides with the aggressive, oppressive, dictatorial jerk. Always.

The most important thing Kaplan says, though, is this:

In the long term, the best way to take Russia down a notch (along with Iran, Venezuela, and other hostile powers overflowing with oil money) is to pursue policies and fund technologies that slash the demand for oil. The Georgia crisis should make clear, if it isn't already, that this is a matter of hard-headed national security.

How about blaming Clinton for vetoing the drilling ten years ago? Oil dependence has given these world thugs power they don't deserve. Slash demand? How about increase our supply? Wait. Wait. America is wrong. Always. Wrong. Everything is America's fault.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com