Georgia on the mind . . .

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Ukraine's "Orange Revolution," which swept Viktor Yushchenko to power, came barely a year after a similar uprising in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia saw U.S.-trained lawyer Michael Saakashvilli overthrow Eduard Shevardnadze in what has been called the Rose Revolution.

I was a there the day Mr. Shevardnadze escaped through a back tunnel from the Parliament building in the capital city of Tbilisi.

In both cases, the public was buoyed by the promise of new, young leadership and government cleansed of post-Soviet corruption. It seems both revolutions, while public relations dreams, left those who wore orange T-shirts in Kiev and waved roses in Tbilisi disillusioned and bitterly disappointed.

Earlier this month, Mr. Yushchenko fired his government and dismissed the colleagues responsible for his election.

In Tbilisi, President Saakashvilli has struggled with claims of incompetence and corruption. This while he travels the world, proclaiming his leadership and while workers have just completed a lavish McMansion on the outskirts of Tbilisi at a cost of $27 million to the state. This "President's Palace" sits atop a mountain, perfect for looking down on the little people.

At the same time, pensions for retired citizens accounted for $17 million, which works out to $7 monthly per recipient.

Electricity is provided sporadically. There is no health insurance, though the new president promised it in his campaign. Taxes have been raised, not lowered.

Sixty-five percent of Georgians are unemployed, which may account for the exodus of smart and talented professionals who simply cannot make a living in Georgia. More than 1 million Georgians have abandoned their home country. There are now little more than 4 million people, most below the poverty line.

American aid to Georgia -- a high priority for the current administration which backed Mr. Saakashvilli -- is $300 million a year. This prompts the question: Where does all the money go?

But it was not America that failed. The blame lies squarely on the inexperienced Georgian government, which is grappling with serious problems unlike ever before. No amount of money can compensate for corruption and scandal, and no orange shirts or long-stemmed roses can prevent a governmental implosion.