Did the U.S. Give Georgia the Green-Light?

Looking at the war between Russia and Georgia, which reportedly is still ongoing, from a purely political perspective, John McCain is clearly looking to use the conflict to his advantage. He's characterizing Obama's position as "appeasement," and using some strikingly caustic language towards Russia.

McCain is not, however, actually moving beyond bluster. The NYT noted this morning that McCain and Obama, verbal sparring notwithstanding, are largely "on the same page in dealing with the current crisis." The Times reported, "Both said Russia had escalated the dispute beyond its catalyst, the conflict over South Ossetia; both said the United Nations Security Council should call for an end to the violence; both called for putting Georgia on a path toward membership in NATO; and both spoke of deploying an international peacekeeping force in the disputed areas that set off the fighting."

With this in mind, there's probably less of a story here about this war and the next U.S. president, but more of a story about this war and the current U.S. president.