WILL BUSH BE PUTIN IT ALL ON THE LINE AT THE G-8?

The G-8 summit set to begin this week in a small coastal village off the Baltic Sea has experienced protesters (as usual) over such topics as a new arms race, lackadaisical efforts at eradicating AIDS, and the exploitation of the situations in war torn Africa, among others.

In response, security for the G-8 summit is understandably tight, including performing background screens for each of the 300 local residents prior to the summit.
The summit, caricatured above, consists of Russia, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Germany, France and the United States.

Topics will include all world issues, including AIDS and the spread of diseases, world monetary issues, the Middle East situation, and a possible showdown between Germany's Andrea Merkel and George Bush, and his watered down climate change policy proposal.

But the main event will almost certainly be the following new skirmish between Bush and Putin. Angered by the U.S. plans to place a radar facility (missile defense system) into Eastern Europe (among other issues, including Kosovo), Putin has gone public with repeated threats of a new arms race, as well as insinuating his missiles will be pointed towards selected European targets, as in the Cold War days of long ago.

Putin was asked whether the U.S. plans would force the military to direct its missiles at locations in Europe, as during the Cold War. "Naturally, yes," Putin said. "If the American nuclear potential grows in European territory, we have to give ourselves new targets in Europe. It is up to our military to define these targets, in addition to defining the choice between ballistic and cruise missiles."
Putin, in an interview to be published Monday that the U.S. shield would "increase the possibility of unleashing a nuclear conflict." He said Washington was "forcing a reaction" from Moscow.
The president raised the specter of a new arms race Thursday, saying the U.S. plans had prompted a test earlier in the week of a new multiple-warhead missile.

The reaction from the U.S. has been to claim Putin is merely posturing and trying to bully the E.U. in rejecting the U.S. missile defense system, and has further criticized Putin for his abysmal record in the area of human rights.

Russian insiders say the U.S. missile defense plan was by far the most bitter conflict between Moscow and Washington. But they also point to "elements of cooperation" in the Middle East and over nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea. "Yes there are general differences, but you must not speak of a confrontation and you must not speak of a Cold War."
Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Federation Council's International Affairs Committee, downplayed the differences as pre-election campaigning. "The current rhetoric of American politicians and journalists does not reflect the real state of Russian-U.S. relations," Margelov said in an e-mailed statement. "The political culture in both countries demands strong words during election campaigns. But there are number of problems in the world that can only be addressed by friendly ties between Russia and the U.S."
Kremlin spokesman Peskov also said electoral campaigning played a role. Russia holds parliamentary elections in December and a presidential vote in March, while the United States will elect a new president later next year.

Maybe King George II should take Nancy Pelosi, just in case things get tight.

I would pay a few dollars just to see his Al Gore impersonation.