Political Geography

As DDay explains, the McCain campaign’s neocon grandstanding and effective U.S. foreign policy takeover is being driven by McCain’s combined foreign policy adviser and lobbyist for Georgian president Saakashvili, Randy Scheunemann (check bio).

In yesterday’s photo aboard McCain’s plane, we see Scheunemann and Lieberman jawboning with McCain, seated behind.  Obviously, the major prop here is the map of Georgia.  As much as McCain accuses Russia of having grand designs, what the map most calls into relief — with Obama on vacation, Graham and Lieberman packing for Georgia, and Scheunemann dangling the paper in the aisle for the cameras — is how McCain is milking the crisis for all it’s worth.

(images: Mary Altaffer/AP.  Aug. 13, 2008. Newark, N.J.)