I disagree. It has been very clear from most news  sources I've seen and read that Georgia initiated the violence by invading Ossetia and brutally bombarding and levelling the capital city causing a large number of civilian casualties.  It is also true, from my perspective, that there was very limited coverage of the Georgian incursion and its immediate aftermath vs. the Russian counter invasion.  This could be (don't know for a fact) because the Georgian attack was a surprise to the press while the Russian action was not given the progression of events over time. The other aspect of this was that the Georgian perspective was loudly proclaimed  via interviews of Saakashvili and other Georgian Government officials by the Western press.  The Georgian Govt had a message to get out and the press was very accommodating.  However, I heard the Saakashvili interview and frankly thought he was lying rather unconvincingly.  For someone listening with interest, I doubt he did much for the Georgian side.  The sad fact, however, is that most American could care less about this whole affair.

On the other hand, the portrayal of Russia as expecting the Georgia attack and as having a long and well planned response I find credible and logical. The Russians are not guiltless in this whole thing, so it is entirely within reason that they also receive their lumps in the press.

The NATO split is understandable considering that Western Europe is almost entirely dependent upon Russia for energy needs - so it likely to prefer soft talking diplomacy and less aggressive action.  Eastern European countries have had decades of experience with Russian bullying so they are scared to death.  Mind you, I don't believe World War III is quite the right answer either.  I have always felt that isolating Russia outside of NATO and surrounding it with NATO allied countries is a lousy strategy bound to cause this kind of trouble eventually.

All in all I pretty much got what I expected from the press so it wasn't particularly egregious. Maybe I've just become jaded.  

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears