■"Rivals in Ukraine Agree to Negotiate Over Disputed Vote: Little common ground, but planned talks signal an easing of tension," by C. J. Chivers, New York Times, 27 November 2004, p. A9.

■"A Tug of War Over Ukraine: In Cold-War-Like Rift, It's Putin vs. the West," by Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 24 November 2004, p. A1.

■"Powell Says Ukraine Vote Was Full of Fraud," by Steven R. Weisman, New York Times, 25 November 2004, p. A10.

Ukraine is a tricky one for this administration, given itís own history of getting elected not twice but onceófinally!

To me, fixating on Ukraine the issue itself is not the long-term answer to anything. What we need to be thinking about is, Why does Russia fear the alternative outcome to this election so much? Deal with that fear effectively and it wonít matter who gets elected in Ukraine, which is how it should be.

Instead of asking that question, too many on our side are getting all excited about recasting Russia as the bad guy, a tendency that will only grow as we increasingly become intertwined economically with rising China. For the U.S. to work the Russia issue only reactively like this shows what a poor job this administration has done over the past four years in terms of solidifying the Core political alliances with any eye to amassing the resources and will necessary to successfully prosecute this Global War on Terrorism.

Powell canít leave fast enough, as far as Iím concerned. At least Rice will know Moscow from her elbow.