Just in time for the big foreign policy debate between Senators McCain and Obama, Russia’s nuclear flagship, Peter the Great, set off yesterday for Venezuela what Moscow and Caracas promise will be joint naval exercises. Wouldn’t it be nice were the debate to be moderated by President Monroe, whose doctrine was designed to keep the Europeans from meddling in our hemisphere?

The Kremlin camarilla has hinted that its gunboat diplomacy is a response to President Bush’s decision to send warships, belatedly, to Georgia’s Black Sea ports. That followed the Russian invasion of democratic Georgia. But there is little doubt that the Russians are testing us at what they must see as a vulnerable moment. So it is an apt time to remind President Medvedev and his patron, Vladimir Putin, of Monroe.

On December 21, 1823, Monroe made it America’s policy to consider any efforts from old Europe to colonize the Americas, “as dangerous to our peace and safety.” Ever since our presidents have invoked the doctrine to keep big powers out of our Hemisphere. That is what President Kennedy meant when he invoked this principle expose and thwart the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba. He said, “The Monroe Doctrine means … that we would oppose a foreign power extending its power to the Western Hemisphere, and that is why we oppose what is happening in Cuba today.”

No doubt it will be pointed out that Monroe’s doctrine envisaged America remaining neutral in the squabbles within Europe. But that won’t give the Russians a pass. There is still time to tell Moscow that this kind of action will be seen as an encroachment on American sovereignty. If that fails, our Fourth Fleet patrolling the Caribbean could begin some exercises of its own when the Peter the Great arrives.