Coalition Of The Gassy

In the ongoing Russian/Ukrainian dispute over natural gas prices, what I have heard absolutely nothing about is what we are doing to help out the Ukrainians, in return for them sending troops to Iraq to help us.

Gazprom had given Ukraine a deadline of midnight Saturday to agree to pay quadruple the amount it previously paid for Russian gas, which accounts for about a third of the consumption in the country of 48 million people.

The showdown has underlined the tensions between the two former Soviet republics since Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko - a West-leaning leader who wants to reduce Moscow's clout in his country - defeated a Russian-backed rival in a bitter electoral battle a year ago.

The gas crisis comes as Ukraine prepares for parliamentary elections in March, in which Yushchenko's bloc faces a strong challenge from the party of Viktor Yanukovych, who lost the presidential ballot after mass street protests forced a revote.

This is precisely why so many people are so damned critical of Bush's fecklessness and stupidity. Maybe someone should pull this moron away from his precious brush clearing (and yes, Pravda should be embarrassed at running that silly-ass shit as a featured article) and explain to him that there's more to assuring Ukraine's path to democracy than merely waving some orange scarves. If Yushchenko loses the next election because of this situation, Ukraine reverts to a Russian proxy for the time being, under an increasingly authoritarian Pooty-Poot. No doubt Bush secretly envies his Slavic soulmate. Why, if he could have Michael Moore and George Soros thrown in jail on some trumped-up bullshit....

Hard work, good people.