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There are many reasons: Russian arms and nuclear technology sales and diplomatic and political support for America's enemies like Saddam, Syria, Iran, North Korea, and others; stupid anti-American statements by Russian diplomats and political figures; and Russia's staggering corruption and lawlessness, with a buyers market in Russian brides suggesting that many Russians are desperate to get out, even at the price of marrying an American nerd.

Need more reasons? There is Putin's progressive dismantling of Russia's nascent democratic institutions and disregard for the security of foreign investments; his rise to and consolidation in power based on a Mafiya-Chekist alliance; his affection for the good old days of the Soviet Union and his rehabilitation of sinister figures from that era; his use of the Chechen war and real and contrived terrorist attacks in which the security services seem to have been complicit; Russia's predatory and antidemocratic actions against former Soviet allies and republics; and Putin's alignment with Chirac and Shroeder against the US over the Iraq War.

Russian whining and claims of victimization are a fool's snare for himself and will be of no use in trying to improve Russia's image with the American public. Better conduct and policies would work, as would well done gestures, like having Putin or even the Russian ambassador finding some reason to praise the United States, such as going on Fox News and saying that US aid to the tsunami victims was generous and good-hearted. But I suspect that those kinds of words are unlikely to issue from a government that seems more a throwback to the Soviet era the longer that it is in power.

Even at that, the Bush administration has been flexible and forgiving toward Russia. In Condi Rice's formulation, when it came to support for Saddam, punish France, ignore Germany, and forgive Russia. Yet, with Russia's reputation declining with the US public, there are limits to that approach. This does not auger well because, in five to ten years, Russia is likely to need US help against a rising and aggressive China with expansionist tendencies and an eye on Siberia and the Russian Far East.

no offense but most of that support stems from the fact that its necessary to have viable arms industries which require arms being sold to those that dont get em from anyone else... You can't sell someone arms without being politicly correct or incorrect in someone else's view...

Now for US the 5 bill contracts Russia gets from India and China or Syria and Iran may seem small but to Russia that maybe the necessity of keeping the industries viable as well as getting 10-15% of gov budget equivelent into an industry...