It's Chess, Not Checkers - Dick!!!

In this morning's Guardian - Russia brushes aside ceasefire calls after Georgia withdraws and Putin in charge as flood of South Ossetian refugees grows. Russia's prime minister, Vladimir Putin, who has taken charge of the crisis, eclipsing the president, Dmitry Medvedev, visited refugees in hospitals in Vladikavkaz, and said 22,000 had crossed into Russia.

Meanwhile, from an undisclosed location back at the ranch, President (oops, VP) Dick Cheney said that "Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States."

Cheney spoke Sunday afternoon with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Cheney press secretary Lee Ann McBride said. "The vice president expressed the United States' solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," McBride said.

Asked to explain Cheney's phrase "must not go unanswered," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, "It means it must not stand." White House officials refused to indicate what recourse the United States might have if the military onslaught continues.

When the USSR broke up, Russia withdrew, pay attention, 80 armored divisions from Europe. The US does not have 80 armored divisions ANYWHERE. I don't think v-prez Cheney has anything more substantial than heated rhetoric in his trick bag, but given the rapidly developing nature of these events - we won't have to wait very long to find out now, will we?