Over the weekend, John McCain and Joe Lieberman called for the expulsion of Russia from the G8. Didn't hear about it? Not a single American news source seems to have reported it. By contrast, the story is getting wide play in Russia.

This is a story I have observed more than once in discussing U.S. foreign policy with Russian speakers: often they refer to obscure congressional bills and regulations specifically aimed in Russia that I haven't even heard of. I think its worth noting that what is driving U.S. public image is not diplomatic actions but opinions expressed by congressmen here and there that get picked up by the Russian media.