There are so many negative attributes about President George Bush, you'd have to write several novels to full encompass them all (oh wait, that's been done already). So I'd like to take a moment to highlight something good he's done in the world of foreign affairs, even if it was done indirectly. It seems that a conversation between Nicolas Sarkozy and Vladimir Putin might have saved Saakashvili's gonads by way of our outgoing Presidential disaster.
From The TimesOnline (UK):
Now when someone as sinister as Vladimir Putin takes pause at the fear of being compared to George Bush, we can truly account for how far world opinion has fallen of our country in the last several years. That countdown clock to January 20th really can't tick fast enough. Though I wonder if Bush will take credit for that in his memoirs, hmmm.
With Russian tanks only 30 miles from Tbilisi on August 12, Mr. Sarkozy told Mr. Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgia’s Government. According to [Sarkozy’s chief diplomatic adviser, Jean-David] Levitte, the Russian seemed unconcerned by international reaction. “I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,” Mr. Putin declared.
Mr. Sarkozy thought he had misheard. “Hang him?” — he asked. “Why not?” Mr. Putin replied. “The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.”
Mr. Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: “Yes but do you want to end up like [President] Bush?” Mr. Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: “Ah — you have scored a point there.”
|