McClatchy: Bush, aides 'grossly misjudged Putin'

[deminks]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/20508.html

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's failure to win Russia's consent to install U.S. missile defenses in its European backyard and a growing list of other disputes suggest that President Bush and his aides have misread the man whose "soul" Bush thought he'd divined when they first met six years ago.

Bush's strategy on Russia assumed that Russian President Vladimir Putin embraced democracy, wanted integration with the West and sought a "strategic partnership" in which Moscow would acquiesce to U.S. policies such as NATO expansion. Feuds could be resolved through the close personal relationship that Bush believed he had with his Russian counterpart.

Instead, fueled by record oil and natural gas prices and resentment of what he lambasted in February as Bush's "almost uncontained hyper use of force," Putin has led global opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq, hosted Palestinians on the U.S. list of terrorist groups, sold anti-aircraft missiles and other arms to Iran and stymied Bush's drive to tighten U.N. sanctions on the Islamic republic for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Kremlin has steadily increased spending on defense modernization and revived symbolic long-range aerial reconnaissance patrols toward U.S. and European airspace.

Putin also has threatened to re-target Russian nuclear missiles at Europe if Bush deploys U.S. missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic, declared his intention to trash treaties that eliminate a class of nuclear missiles and limit conventional military forces in Europe and compared the United States under Bush to Germany under Hitler.

[babylonsister]

1. 'Aides' as in Condi? Recommend. nt

[AspenRose]

2. But I thought Bush saw his soul!!!

I think I now know one of the reasons why they wanted Condi as Secretary of State...


....because those in the know knew they would be trying to start the cold war back up with Russia, and that's Condi's area of expertise....

[TomInTib]

3. Her "field of expertise" is vastly overrated.

She has been a BushTool since the Poppy days.

[AspenRose]

4. True, that...she can't even speak Russian

*shaking head*

[Didereaux]

9. Condi is mad as a hatter! n/t

a psychological bomb looking for a place to make a mess!

[kansasblue]

13. didn't he 'look in his eye and saw his soul'.

what ever

[Fridays Child]

5. Here's the problem, George: You're an arrogant little cowboy wannabe and world leaders detest you.

When it comes to foreign affairs, you bring to the table zero education, zero experience, zero credibility. And the one thing you thought you had? Charisma? Uh uh, buddy. You've got none of that, either.

You're not a great man.

[madokie]

7. Oh but he makes a good piece of shit

just saying ;-)

[Rex]

6. Now now, let us not blame the drones up high

we all heard George say he looked into Pootin's eyes and saw his soul, yawn.

George, why can't you get ONE thing right? Is it possible to do one positive thing in 8 years?

Anything? :shrug:

[babylonsister]

10. Ha! Foiled...again! nt

[Rex]

11. It is a good thing for him he doesn't have to answer to anyone for it.

Good for him.

[AnnieBW]

8. Ya think?

I guess looking into his soul wasn't the right thing to do.

[Danger Mouse]

12. Bush would be worried about Russia and China if he had the sense.

...rather than waving his cowboy cock around.

[mod mom]

14. "compared the United States under Bush to Germany under Hitler"