Smart Diplomacy

...out of the Bush administration. Latvia and Georgia deserve accolades for their achievements, and it's good to see the US recognizing this.

For Latvia, Russian 'occupation' still rankles | csmonitor.com: "But a larger political message will bookend those stops. In recent months the Bush administration has been critical of Russia for, it says, a pattern of meddling in the politics of neighboring countries - notably Ukraine last fall - while backsliding on democracy at home. By choosing to begin the tour here and end it next week in Georgia, the White House is making this part of its democratic push around the world by singling out two former Soviet satellites that have journeyed from oppression to opportunity."