Dasvidanya and thanks for all Ossetia

The U.S. is sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a trip to Tbilisi, Georgia even as the U.S. military is sending humanitarian relief. This follows a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the man who actually negotiated the current cease-fire between the two nations. The signals remain muddled over who exactly is doing what, and to whom. Russia says that as far as territorial integrity is concerned, Georgia can "Forgedda' 'bout it!" The mood in Moscow is decidedly mixed. The long-term consequences of the conflict remain unclear as well, though the U.S. has cancelled a joint military exercise with Russia. The consensus on the matter is that America and Europe will not fight over Georgia, that the Russians will run out the clock on Team Bush and that Russia will win this round. While RIce may be going to Georgia, she might very well being going to Canossa.