Posted on 11/16/2001 1:20:26 PM PST by Dubya_gal
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:49:34 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Bush were at Crawford High School this morning, discussing their three days of meetings together. Bush said the two leaders would take questions from the students.
"No math questions," an uncharacteristically impish Putin interjected.
"Good idea," Bush replied, then recalled an old campaign line. "Particularly no fuzzy math questions." The reason for the aversion to mathematics soon became apparent.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
"When Bush suggested Putin visit the ranch in August, the leader gave a wave of his hand to indicate his tepid response. Bush said Putin replied, 'fine, and maybe you'd like to go to Siberia in the winter.'"
"Bush called Putin 'Vladimir.' He said he had had further opportunity to inspect the Russian premier's 'heart and soul.'"
I have a feeling that Bush's spiritual discussions with Putin have begun to take root. This could be a monumental relationship on the order of the friendship between Churchill and Roosevelt.
Bush comes in and Putin is ready to try to at least salvage some Russian self respect by doing everything he can to cause the US trouble.
But Bush is not Clinton. Bush from day one treated Russia as if it were still a super power. A superpower that Bush wanted to make a friend. Putin reacted at first with a bit of scepticism. Then he realised that for the United States to continue to treat Russia as if it were still a super power, Russia had best become our friend. Putin can clearly see that a Russia that is a big deal to the USA is a big deal to every nation on earth. You can bet Putin likes that situation.
The way Russia gets to play supper power in the world is to be buddies with the US. American presidents don't spend several days playing up to third world powers. And Amercian Presidents don't visit just one third world power on a trip. Putin is getting the super power treatment and it is obvious he likes it. For 8 years Russians have faced the fact that they are no big deal. Now pictures of Putin and Bush are showing up all over Russia and the world with the implications that the USA thinks Russia is a big deal That has to play well for Putin. No wonder he is smiling a lot.
Bush has made Russia a friend. A friend that gets prestige and world influence because they are our friend. It is brilliant foreign policy. The oil rich middle east was looking at a poor Russia. Many of them hoping to reverse the Power/Client relationship they once had with Russia. They were hoping to become the money power and Russia their military suplier client. After all it was Russian arms that permitted the Israeli Arab wars. Those thousands of Russian nukes had to look very good to the oil Shieks. Now they are checkmated. It is Russia and the US against the Muslim terrorists.
Look for the long term results of these talks in Texas to be about marketing Russian Oil.
Putin: Ya, try da veal!
Bush: Thank you, tip the waitress, good night!
His dad is the same way. They're like old shoes.
Q I am Zalacia Stanford -- (phonetic.) I'm a senior. As we go out into the world, do you have any advice for us? PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, listen to your mother. (Laughter and applause.) I do. I think, follow your dreams, would be my advice. Work hard; make the right choices; and follow your dreams. The other thing is, you never know where life is going to take you. I can assure you, when I was a senior in high school, I never sat in an audience saying, gosh, if I work hard I'll be President of the United States. (Laughter.) Didn't exactly fit into my vocabulary in those days. (Laughter.) But you never know. You never know. Trust the Lord, too. (Applause.)
Here is something I didn't know: Britt Hume was talking about Putin's comments about faith on his show tonight, and he said that Putin had been secretly baptized as a child.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.
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