[SweetCaroline]

"We must always remind Russia that our alliance stands for a free press, a vital opposition, the sharing of power and the rule of law," Bush said Monday. The United States should place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue with Russia."

[the invisib1e hand]

"exchanging barbs" is an odd custom. why don't they just shake hands? And what happens to the barbs after they exchange them? Do they give them to an aid to put in a jar or something? You never see that covered in the media.

[Savage Beast]

Concentrate on Russia, George.

If you can forge a strong alliance between the U.S. and Russia--with all those fabulous human, geographic, and natural resources, badly in need of both protection and development--the destiny of the rest of Europe will be of relatively minor consequence.

Europeans may decide to join the alliance, or they may decide to succumb to dhimmitude. They will have a choice.