You know, Russians are smart. Putin agrees to disagree with Bush about Iraq (and even if we disagree with his reasons, he is entitled to an opinion), but he makes no bones about who he would like to help and get from on the War on Terror: Bush.

www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/10/18/putin.iraq/index.html

Since the Russian Schoolhouse Rock episode, you can be sure Putin is going to want to turn up the heat on the Chechens soon - right now he'd settle for about 11,000 Degrees Kelvin.

Russians don't like child killers: Watch Alexandr Nevsky and you'll see why; it's in deep their history, and Russians aren't ones to forget...

Thanks for the link.

Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity.

Interesting how we hear so much about world leaders supposedly supporitng Kerry, and when one as significant as Putin supports Bush - it is buried deep on CNN's website.

Ah well, at least they DID do an article.

bumpity bum bump.....






I just saw this on CNN.com . It's fairly significant knowing Russia's general feelings about Iraq for the past year or so.

This is good news, but the UN Oil for Food thing tarnishes it a bit.

Russia is the most powerful country (militarily) that  *didn't* support us on Iraq (excluding China, since they never do that sort of thing)....

Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity.

Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq?

He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press.

Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W?

Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W?

It's a big FU to Kerry and his "global test" theroy

Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity.

Say what? This clearly shows you have not got a clue about Putin. How about placing political opponents in jail, destroying the free press, and the government take over of the Russian oil industry? Hell Putin is very close to turning Russia back into a dictatorship. Putin is pure bad news, not just for Russian democracy but also for the world. All he cares about is staying in power. Putin backing Bush is like getting an endorsment from Stalin.

Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W?

He said he supported us in the war on terror.

He disagreed that we should take the fioght to Iraq when we did.

He has now publically made it clear that he STILL supports the war on terror - despite the difference of opinion over one aspect of it.  His assessment of the stakes here is spot on - a Bush defeat will embolden the terrorists.

This is a far cry from the "Bush is Hitler" crowd in Germany and France.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W? He said he supported us in the war on terror. He disagreed that we should take the fioght to Iraq when we did. He has now publically made it clear that he STILL supports the war on terror - despite the difference of opinion over one aspect of it.  His assessment of the stakes here is spot on - a Bush defeat will embolden the terrorists. This is a far cry from the "Bush is Hitler" crowd in Germany and France.

Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W? He said he supported us in the war on terror. He disagreed that we should take the fioght to Iraq when we did. He has now publically made it clear that he STILL supports the war on terror - despite the difference of opinion over one aspect of it.  His assessment of the stakes here is spot on - a Bush defeat will embolden the terrorists. This is a far cry from the "Bush is Hitler" crowd in Germany and France. Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror?

Now you are putting words in my mouth.  That is, of course, no surprise coming from you.  I never limked Putin's integrity in the terror issue to my "liking" him.  

You have serious issues.  

"Stop calling me Pooty..."

Quoted: Russia is the most powerful country (militarily) that  *didn't* support us on Iraq (excluding China, since they never do that sort of thing)....

ANGST: Thanks for the bump.

The reason why the Ruskies didn't support the invasion of Iraq was because, Iraq still owes the Ruskies something like $10 billion for some oil field equipment. And the Ruskies wanted their money, and if Saddam was no longer around, Iraq may not pay up. But that changed after the Belsan incident. I predict that things are going to be happening after the USA election in Nov.

Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror?

Are you kidding? That has been American policy for the last 65 years!! What do you think Saddam was in the 80's? He was our butt-bitch who contained Iran. So now that Frankenstien has come back from the dead to bite us in the ass. Don;t get me wrong, I think we should nuke Mecca tommorrow!! but guess what? Mecca is in Saudi Arabia not Iraq! Right War! Wrong country! I think Bush has to re-zero his Scope. his rifle is drifting a little too high

Putin is a pragmatist. He knows that he will be on his own in his was against the Chechins without George Bush in the White House. Putin also knows that he is dealing with a decisive individual in George Bush. He knows that Bush is committed to the war on terror and that relations between Washington and Moscow will be frank and consistent.

It is not as important for Putin to see eye-to-eye with the President of the United States on all issues as it is for him to know where he stands with the President, and how the President will react in situations. With John Kerry as the President all bets are off. There won't be any continuity to US policy, and there won't be any firm commitment to defeating terrorism. Putin also knows that in Bush he'll get straight answers, just like his Soviet predesessors got from Reagan. With Kerry, there would be no consistency, no resolve, and no definative US foreign policy. In short, a Kerry Presidency would be a foreign policy of chaos that would lead to even greater international instability.

Putin's got enough instability within his own borders...he doesn't need any coming from a President who changes policy like underwear.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W? He said he supported us in the war on terror. He disagreed that we should take the fioght to Iraq when we did. He has now publically made it clear that he STILL supports the war on terror - despite the difference of opinion over one aspect of it.  His assessment of the stakes here is spot on - a Bush defeat will embolden the terrorists. This is a far cry from the "Bush is Hitler" crowd in Germany and France. Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror? Now you are putting words in my mouth.  That is, of course, no surprise coming from you.  I never limked Putin's integrity in the terror issue to my "liking" him.   You have serious issues.

Nice "Flip-Flop", but no dice. Using the word "Integrity" when describing Putin on any issue shows you are terribly uninformed.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W? He said he supported us in the war on terror. He disagreed that we should take the fioght to Iraq when we did. He has now publically made it clear that he STILL supports the war on terror - despite the difference of opinion over one aspect of it.  His assessment of the stakes here is spot on - a Bush defeat will embolden the terrorists. This is a far cry from the "Bush is Hitler" crowd in Germany and France. Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror? Now you are putting words in my mouth.  That is, of course, no surprise coming from you.  I never limked Putin's integrity in the terror issue to my "liking" him.    You have serious issues.

understatement of the week!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Say whay you want about Putin - but he strikes me as a man of integrity. Integrity? Like how he said he was behind the US and then opposed us full force on Iraq? He has as much integrity as I'd expect out of a communist KGB Director (Putin's last job). He has done such noble things as destroy the Russian free press. Why the hell is the endorsement of an authoritarian excommie good news for W? He said he supported us in the war on terror. He disagreed that we should take the fioght to Iraq when we did. He has now publically made it clear that he STILL supports the war on terror - despite the difference of opinion over one aspect of it.  His assessment of the stakes here is spot on - a Bush defeat will embolden the terrorists. This is a far cry from the "Bush is Hitler" crowd in Germany and France. Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror? Now you are putting words in my mouth.  That is, of course, no surprise coming from you.  I never limked Putin's integrity in the terror issue to my "liking" him.    You have serious issues.   understatement of the week!

I notice the king of the "Post Whores" is hard at work running up his post count.

There are a couple of ways to look at Putin's record;

This may come as a bit of a shock to you, but a lot of Russians have no idea how to go about being "free". They've been serfs of one kind or another for nearly 1,000 years.

Culturally, they are used being under the heel of a boot. They have a huge inferiority complex as a result. Many Russian defectors committed suicide after coming to the west, simply because they didn't know how to deal with the concept of freedom.

Now when Communism crumbled, a lot of opportunists (Robber Barons) the likes of which we haven't seen in nearly a hundred years moved in to fill the power vaccuum: The went about "privatizing" industry with little or no capital, then started raking in the cash.

Yeltsin had no idea how to deal with it either, and bless his boozy heart, he was on the verge of being exposed as getting kickbacks from these privatization concerns.

Putin had to put those guys in check, and he did it in a very Russian way. He also did it legally. Putin knows he has a country that's falling apart, he also knows that people there have been conditioned to believe what is written: again, that Russian mindset comes in; Why confuse the people with contradicting information? You are dealing with people not conditioned to make decisions for themselves - lest you think they are stupid, let me be the first to remind you that the Russians are a nation of thinkers, some of the best Engineers, Mathematicians and Writers in the world were born and raised from there, but as a group, they are unaccustomed to making decisions that affect their day-to-day lives.

This is very alien for the citizens of the US, but maybe it is not such a bad thing for Russia. They are going to need to be carefully weaned from the dictatorships they were born and raised with into the 21st. century and the ideas of free society. Putin knows this; He was an officer in the KGB, and he understands the West from the Russian viewpoint. He also knows that just putting the Russian people out in the woods of freedom will leave them to the wolves, too. Been there and done that in the early 1990's.

He's a good guy, and I'd trust him long before the French and German leadership now.

This is excellent news for Bush, and an enormous FUCK YOU for John Kerry!

We now have world leaders endorsing Bush, when Kerry said that HE was going to build a true international coalition! The American people MUST hear this story!!!



BTW...I don't give 2 shits what Putin is doing in Russia to the free press, if he helps us keep our own would be dictator in Boston then Putin is OK in my book!

Quoted: BTW...I don't give 2 shits what Putin is doing in Russia to the free press, if he helps us keep our own would be dictator in Boston then Putin is OK in my book!

+1

This is the way politics works people. Any enemy of my enemy is my friend (for now). Allies, coalitions, etc... are all built upon this dynamic premise. It's reality. Deal with it.

Quoted: Like I said, you are very poorly informed on this subject. Do we now "Like" dictators just becuase they will "Support" our war on terror?

dude, we've supported all kinds of dictators over the years, for various reasons at the time..like stopping the spread of communism.  Sometimes, it comes back to bite us in the ass, a la Iran.  But then again, pushing democracy all over the place, like the former Soviet Union, may come back to bite us on the ass as well.

I'm one of the skeptics who think that the Russian and American government's DON'T have all those russian chem/nuke/bio weapons accounted for.  Sometimes a strong central goverment (read totalitarian) is a GOOD thing

I hate to break everyone’s bubble but Putin did not endorse Bush. If you read the whole interview which is not in the CNN article he is asked if he is endorsing Bush and he answers to the effect…. he will respect the choice of the American people and will not state a preference.

But on whole the in the interview he clearly indicates his sympathies lay with Bush.

FYI polling was done of 9 European nations and Israel in the past couple of weeks on who they would like to see elected President of the US… Bush lost in all countries except Russia and Israel. So Putin’s views are in line with the Russian mainstream

If you translate Russian incorrectly, it can come out sounding very circumspect (i.e. "I need to take a leak." in Russian translated literally into English looks like this: "Use of the urinal I need to make a leak in."), the article does not speak well of the translator's skill.

Still and all, it is tacit support of Bush. Especially significant is that he said it at a multi-national meeting.

Mathahir is a loon.