McCain stays tough on Russia

John McCain continued today to strongly condemn Russia's military action in Georgia, highlighting his warnings about Russian aggressiveness and his foreign policy experience.

"Americans wishing to spend August vacationing with their families or watching the Olympics may wonder why their newspapers and television screens are filled with images of war in the small country of Georgia," he said while campaigning in Erie, Pa. "Concerns about what occurs there might seem distant and unrelated to the many other interests America has around the world. And yet Russian aggression against Georgia is both a matter of urgent moral and strategic importance to the United States of America."

McCain called for the UN Security Council to condemn "Russian aggression" and call for an immediate cease-fire, and also said NATO should meet in emergency session to push for an end to hostilities. He said the United States should begin "high-level diplomacy" with European allies and send humanitarian and economic aid to Georgia.

He warned that "the very existence of independent Georgia – and the survival of its democratically-elected government – are at stake," and that the western response could set a precedent for Russia's other neighbors.

"The implications of Russian actions go beyond their threat to the territorial integrity and independence of a democratic Georgia. Russia is using violence against Georgia, in part, to intimidate other neighbors – such as Ukraine – for choosing to associate with the West and adhering to Western political and economic values. As such, the fate of Georgia should be of grave concern to Americans and all people who welcomed the end of a divided of Europe, and the independence of former Soviet republics. The international response to this crisis will determine how Russia manages its relationships with other neighbors," McCain said.

"Our united purpose should be to persuade the Russian government to cease its attacks, withdraw its troops, and enter into negotiations with Georgia. We must remind Russia’s leaders that the benefits they enjoy from being part of the civilized world require their respect for the values, stability and peace of that world. World history is often made in remote, obscure countries. It is being made in Georgia today. It is the responsibility of the leading nations of the world to ensure that history continues to be a record of humanity’s progress toward respecting the values and security of free people."

Democratic rival Barack Obama has issued more measured statements, emphasizing diplomacy and negotiations.

UPDATE: Obama just issued a new statement that calls the crisis a "turning point" for Russia's relations with the West.

"The relationship between Russia and the West is long and complicated. There have been many turning points, for good and ill. This is another turning point." Obama says. "Let me be clear: we seek a future of cooperative engagement with the Russian government, and friendship with the Russian people. We want Russia to play its rightful role as a great nation – but with that role comes the responsibility to act as a force for progress in this new century, not regression to the conflicts of the past. That is why the United States and the international community must speak out strongly against this aggression, and for peace and security."

Obama also said he has spoken to Georgian President Saakashvili, and "conveyed my deep regret over the loss of life, and the suffering of the people of Georgia."

Obama said he has been warning for months about the need for negotiations to settle the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Now, he said the UN Security Council must call for an immediate end to hostilities.

"No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and invaded another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. There is no possible justification for these attacks," the Illinois senator said. "I reiterate my call for Russia to stop its bombing campaign, to stop flights of Russian aircraft in Georgian airspace, and to withdraw its ground forces from Georgia. The Georgian government has proposed a cease-fire and the Russian government should accept it. There is also an urgent need for humanitarian assistance to reach the people of Georgia, and casualties on both sides."

Obama's campaign earlier pointed out that a key McCain adviser, Randy Scheunemann, obbied for Georgia, prompting this missive from McCain's camp over the weekend:

“The Obama campaign’s attacks on Randy Scheunemann are disgraceful. Mr. Scheunemann proudly represented a small democracy that is one of our closest allies in a very dangerous region. Today, many are dead and Georgia is in crisis, yet the Obama campaign has offered nothing more than cheap and petty political attacks that are echoed only by the Kremlin. The reaction of the Obama campaign to this crisis, so at odds with our democratic allies and yet so bizarrely in sync with Moscow, doesn't merely raise questions about Senator Obama's judgment -- it answers them,” said Tucker Bounds, a McCain spokesman.