Gramm pins GOP identity problems on Bush

"Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party's presidential candidate, has called for Russia to be booted [kicked out]from the group of the world's eight leading industrialized democracies." (International Herald Tribune, 3 July 2008). This animosity towards Russia is both dangerous and reckless. "Perspective" of June 28 writes, "The Group of Eight, or G-8, as it's popularly known, makes decisions by consensus, so no single nation can kick out another. Most experts say the six other countries - Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada - would never agree to toss Russia, given their close economic ties to their neighbor. A senior U.S. official who deals with Russia policy said that even Moscow would have to approve of its own ouster, given how the G-8 works. "It's not even a theoretical discussion. It's an impossible discussion," said the senior official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. 'It's just a dumb thing.'" What we don't need is another Cold War with Russia.