Hotline After Dark -- Cruisin' For A Bruisin'

Last night's TV coverage was dominated by the conflict between Russia and Georgia. FNC's Cameron sat down with John McCain in York, PA, where McCain talked about the situation.

McCain, asked if the U.S. adequately recognized Russia's threat: "I'm not sure that we did. Obviously I did, and I said they shouldn't stay in the G8. And I said that I thought that Vladimir Putin was most interested in restoring the old Russian empire."

Cameron: "Is that a victory for Moscow, other nations in the area?"

McCain: "I think it's a setback for democracy."

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Cameron: "McCain tried not to blame President Bush for Moscow's aggression but made it clear he disagreed with Bush's friendly attitude toward Putin."

McCain: "I don't know if the president 'missed the boat,' but I do believe that the president probably had a higher opinion of Vladimir Putin than I do."

McCain, on the U.S.-Russia relationship being impacted for years by its invasion of Georgia: "I'm not saying we are reigniting the Cold War, but this is an act of aggression which we didn't think we'd see in the 21st century."

McCain, on Barack Obama's attack ads saying McCain is not a Washington maverick: "I was not elected Ms. Congeniality, because I have taken on the powerful old bulls in my own party as well as the other party."

McCain, asked if he has reached a decision about his running mate: "We're still going through the process. And I'm not driven by Senator Obama's schedule, but it's a very tough thing to do, and I'm working hard at it" ("Special Report," 8/12).

CBN's Brody, on McCain saying "we are all Georgians": "Clearly, it was a flub of a line. But it goes to McCain's sense of patriotism. You know, he mentioned the brave little nation and I'm sure he was trying to compare it a little bit to America in its infancy, you know, the little engine that could standing up. I think that's where McCain was getting all of that from. It, clearly, was a flub, though" ("Situation Room," CNN, 8/12).

Newsweek's Fineman, on McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) questioning Obama's patriotism at the York, PA, event: "McCain didn't so much just wrap himself in the flag up in York today, he was in it tighter than one of the swimmers in the Olympics in those new bathing suits. ... And I was there when Joe Lieberman introduced him. ... And it struck me as fighting words for sure and it will be interesting to see what, if anything, the Obama campaign does about it" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 8/12).