PUTIN RIPS HILLARY: 'At a minimum, a head of state should have a head'

[Thepricebreaker]

He was asked about the remark at his press conference yesterday, however, and indeed wasn't pleased.

The former KGB lieutenant colonel appeared to lash out at U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton — a leading Democratic candidate for president — when one reporter quoted her as saying that former KGB officers have no soul:
"At a minimum, a head of state should have a head," Putin said.


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Putin_vs_Clinton.html

.....

All I have to say is OUCH!

[Renew Deal]

1. That's a delayed reaction.

Hillary's irresponsible comment came at least a couple weeks ago.

[JVS]

23. The article did mention that it was Christmas in Russia when she said it.

Perhaps they were occupied with festivities rather than hanging on every word of Democratic primary candidates.

[Araxen]

2. Starting Cold Wars on Day 1

When Hillary Clinton said, way back in New Hampshire, that Vladimir Putin "doesn't have a soul,"

[bunnies]

3. she said Putin "doesnt have a soul" ?!?!

Holy jeebus. How did I miss that one?! So much for relations with Russia under Clinton 2. wow.

[Barack_America]

11. Bunnies, see my post below.

I found a link describing the initial event.

A perfect example of something that is fine to think, but never to say in public. What a fool.

[bunnies]

49. !!!

What an incredibly dumb thing to say. Great. A Clinton 2 Presidency ensures worsening relations with Russia. What the hell was she thinking? Meanwhile Russia sends more nuclear fuel to Iran. Unreal. And she has the gall to call Obama naive? This totally blows my mind. Thanks for the info. :hi:

[rodeodance]

84. That was a foolish OP as this this one. Your argument hit the dust. as will this one.

[wndycty]

4. Yeah but the same could be said for Bush

:kick:

[UALRBSofL]

13. Have y'all been paying attention?

China and Russia are siding trying to force a cold war stance. CNN was talking about it yesterday. This was in reference to the spy ring that was found in California this past year, 4 Chinese people caught in a type of intelligence spy ring over technology being passed to China.

[JVS]

21. And her insulting the leader of Russia in an attempt to mock Bush helps this situation how?

[psychopomp]

5. Mr. Putin is not on our side

He has basically recast himself as Tsar and has stashed away untold billions that he has siphoned from his country's resources. This petty snipe should be taken with a grain of salt. Sen. Clinton is at least an intellectual match for Mr. Putin.

More puffery from the same ersatz Napoleon who is sending turboprop bombers to buzz the borders of his neighbors and prick at US air defenses.

[Thepricebreaker]

16. She will have to deal with him if she is president.. Thats why its relevant. n/t

[L0oniX]

40. This is an example of how she will carry on diplomacy with insults.

[rodeodance]

85. you forget--PEEEUTin is leaving office.

[Alexander]

97. He's leaving office but maintaining his iron grip on power.

His successor is something of a weak figurehead, and it's well-known Putin will still be calling the shots if he wins.

[AlertLurker]

17. Exactly. He's now threatening the entire Caucasus.

The fucking Crybaby Gambit again:

If the UN recognizes Kosovo as an independent entity (which has actually been the case for the last 10 years or so), Putin's going to stir up Holy Georgian Shit in two (erstwhile) breakaway Republics and throw the entire region into chaos.

Putin shares the lowest rung of the evolutionary ladder with Boosh.

[Barack_America]

18. So by all means piss him off?

The attack dog in your neighbor's yard is not on your side either, but does that make it a good idea to poke at him with sticks?

[psychopomp]

31. You are absolutely right

in pointing out that it was a serious error on the part of Sen. Clinton to make such a remark. I just want to mention that though I am supporting Sen. Obama's bid I do not put any stock in what Mr. Putin has to say about our candidates.

The blame for this mess would be more accurately laid at the feet of Dick Cheney and GW Bush. Their ill-advised push to try to contain Russia by moving into former Soviet satellite states with plans for an anti-missile system killed any chances at keeping Mr. Putin within our sphere of influence.

[JVS]

19. I think his jab points at a real problem. People who just go around declaring others...

to have no soul because of their politics, are not suitably level-headed for a position of responsibility. If someone were to say Hillary has no soul for having supported Goldwater, they'd be losing their head just like Hillary lost hers.

[tigereye]

62. people say this kind of thing all the time during campaigns...

I think she's right fwiw. She may be signaling that she would want more concessions from Putin than simply having buddy time (with George) riding around in various Jeeps on the ranch...

[JVS]

81. Why should Putin grant us any concessions?

We were all sweetness and light to them in the early nineties, saying "Reform your economy and all will be good." They followed the advice and it wrought havoc, killing millions. Yeltsin's regime was the worst thing to happen in Russia since the German invasion of 1941. While people starved, froze, and died we offered no help, only worthless advice. Putin is incredibly popular in Russia because (although in authoritarian style) he has presided over a turn-around for their population. Is he to be credited for this? Probably not. The biggest factor in Russia's turn-around is probably the huge increase in oil and natural gas prices of the last several years. But for a population that has experiencd 20 years of decline, his regime is something better. Meanwhile NATO and EU encroachment on Russia's territory has inflammed attitudes. Clinton's comment feeds into this, and it does not intimidate Putin because in conflict like this most Russians would prefer to stand up to the West.

[tigereye]

91. I realize why some folks there see him as a hero, they long to return to the

"stability" of the past. But stability in this sense may be a good thing related to perceived security (but not from mafioso or the govt), but not wages, more job stablity, freedoms, or maintaining what appeared to be a much more democratic structure. What is ironic to me is that Bush (like many past us presidents) reinforces dictators whom he perceives as benefiting him/us, while he encourages them to perform the same types of abuses that cause us to invade other natiions. It's obvious, I know, but still incredibly hypocritical.

But Bush's coddling of Putin sends a totally wrong message and i think Obama or Clinton would be likely (and need to) send a very different message. In this case, there are probably a number of diplomatic, border or economic cages of Putin's that we could rattle.

[End Of The Road]

86. Sorry, but this made me laugh...

"he has basically recast himself as Tsar and has stashed away untold billions..."

Sounds just like some other head-of-state I know...

[sunonmars]

6. You guys are quoting Putin as a good thing against Hillary.

R u off your trolleys.

[jsamuel]

7. Americans will rally around Clinton if Putin attacks her.

[maddiejoan]

26. Except on DU

where everyone will rally around Putin.

[rodeodance]

89. THEY are in SWOONland. forgive them. as they are the spell.

[Strelnikov_]

92. Rally around Putin. Everyone. Really?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2385719

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3030449#3030488

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2875595#2875858

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2802112

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2274748#2274924

[TwilightGardener]

29. You understand that tensions are increasing, right? This isn't fucking college football.

Kind of important not to veer into personal insults of world leaders for "atta girls" and to try to look like a tough player on the stage. Silly.

[JVS]

30. This is part of her typical belligerence on the international stage

Maybe she'll bomb them and make the STFU

[TwilightGardener]

32. She is going to turn hawkish if she gets the nom, to compete with McCain--

she won't be able to help herself, that's how she tends to react--with a chip on her shoulder, always has to prove herself to "the boys". God fucking help us all.

[Strelnikov_]

94. Turn?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4596446&mesg_id=4596446

[L0oniX]

50. Kind of Bushish isn't she.

[JVS]

83. Just plain old careless.

I saw this comment on TV when she made it and thought it was stupid as hell. I understand the desire to mock Bush's "looking into Putin's soul". However to call a popular leader of one of the world's most powerful countries soulless in order to get a jab at bush is really not using her head, and Putin has every right to call her on it, and in fact must in order to preserve face.

The fact that the Clinton contingint here assumes that the head comment refers to her lack of a penis and a corresponding glans is just a sad reflection of the fact that they cannot accept that any criticism of her might have to do with her thinking and speaking rather than her genitalia.

[Barack_America]

8. Wow. What an inexcusable gaffe! (the rest of what he said is even worse...look inside)

She's already pissed off a superpower and she hasn't even been elected yet! Way to go Hill!

What was the point of her statement anyway?

This below is from CNN. Looks like Putin is trying to set the tone for how other foreign leaders should view her.

"At one point, the focus of the news conference shifted to the U.S. presidential election when a Russian reporter asked Putin to respond to a remark by Hillary Clinton questioning whether the Russian leader, as a former KGB officer, has a soul.

"The minimum a statesperson should have is a head," he said. His remark was met with laughter. "To build on interstate relations it is necessary to be guided by the fundamental interest of your own country, not by emotions."

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/14/putin.conference/

Well, that's just ducky. WTF was she thinking?

BTW, here's a link to the original "soul" remark:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4095212

[Tatiana]

27. Experience counts, eh? n/t

[Bill McBlueState]

9. never mind, it's not worth it.

[JVS]

12. I can't believe you thought it was a dick joke.

Reflexes, huh?

[Bill McBlueState]

80. yep, I sure did

Had second thoughts, and removed my post. But you thought it best to call attention to it. Pretty cool.

[JVS]

10. Good one, comrade.

[joeybee12]

14. Um, her comment was actually more intended as a slam against Bush...

...who in 2001 said he had looked into Putin's eyes and seen his soul. Incredibly stupid thing to say. Bush's. Hilary's was a joke, and BTW, Russia is no longer considered a superpower.

[MonkeyFunk]

52. And Putin's presidency endsin May of this year, too

[Occam Bandage]

56. Not really. He's just getting a new title.

[MonkeyFunk]

67. Maybe.

but he won't be President.

[Occam Bandage]

71. A distinction without a difference.

[bunnies]

68. At which point Putin becomes Prime Minister. nt

[Occam Bandage]

74. And at which point the Presidency becomes occupied by a man who has already declared

that he intends to be fully loyal to Putin and Putin's "movement."

[rock]

15. And I suppose for Mr Putin

it doesn't matter how small it is.

[LostinVA]

20. Why is anyone on here praising Putin, even if you don't like HRC?

He's a despot and quite evil. He's a self-proclaimed dictator.

I see an awful lot of undeserved invective thrown at Chavez on DU, but this guy gets a pass AND a hearty chuckle???

[MethuenProgressive]

22. You Obamas do know that Putin is a bad guy, don't you?

sheesh.

[NoPasaran]

28. As always, anyone who trashes HRC is a friend for the Them

Secret Police or Secret Santa, it's all the same.

[ProgressIn2008]

39. I'm starting to believe you're right -- to them, it's like Vlad got off a zinger

"ouch!"

[Occam Bandage]

57. Yeah. He is. So was Saddam. So is Ahmadinejad. Doesn't mean belligerence is smart.

[TwilightGardener]

24. She needs to think before she speaks. No one thinks Putin is a swell guy, but

rhetoric can be either helpful or...well, not helpful. Her rhetoric was not helpful. It was too personal, and not related to a current topic. Keep it to policy differences, Hillary.

[rodeodance]

88. ha ha--she was dissing bush for his stupid comment about looking into his soul.

[theHandpuppet]

25. To me that's actually a great endorsement

B-)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. So We Like Russian Authoritarian Leaders Who Murder Or Imprison Their Opposition Now

OK.. I guess...

[Occam Bandage]

70. Not one Obama supporter has defended Putin. We all think he's a ruthless czar.

We also think that Bush's strategy of needling foreign leaders you don't like has been somewhat counterproductive over the last eight years, and would prefer electing someone with half an ounce of diplomatic sense.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. Oh How I'm THOROUGHLY Enjoying The Ignorance And Partisanship Of Obama Supporters In This Thread!

Get your heads out of your asses. Jesus!

:rofl:

[L0oniX]

35. Another Hillary basher ...from Russia with love.

[terrya]

36. God. Shall we find out what Kim Jong Il has to say about her as well?

Christ. :eyes:

We're not electing a President of the United States based on what some dictator in Russia has to say.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

47. LOL!

:applause:

[goldcanyonaz]

37. Putin, the new hero of the Obama campaign.

[mondo joe]

38. Politics is supposed to make strange bedfellows - but this sets a whole new standard.

But its not in any way a cult. Not at all.

[okasha]

51. Obama, Putin and McClurkin--

that's a hell of a threesome!

[Jamastiene]

95. OMG, talk about a freak show.

Btw, is Putin pronounced "pooting" like gas? I've always read his name, but never heard it pronounced.

[TwilightGardener]

41. No, we just think she made a dumb remark.

[terrya]

43. It boggles the mind reading this.

If Caligula was still alive and hated Hillary, some Obama supporters would be posting about that.

[Occam Bandage]

64. If Caligula was alive, was a major player in world politics,

had the power to shut off the energy supply to half of Europe on a whim (and had selectively exercised that power for mild diplomatic slights), was involved in every major potential diplomatic hot spot, and was famously thin-skinned, and if Hillary bashed him randomly and he took deep offense...yes, I might say that holding that up as evidence of a flawed, Bushlike foreign-policy mindset was valid.

[Occam Bandage]

55. Er, no. He's a tyrannical czar. We just would prefer we move past the Bush strategy of

throwing rocks at hornet's nests.

[rinsd]

75. self delete because I was wrong

[Occam Bandage]

77. No, not really. I'm aware of a small protest, which RW blogs tried to turn into a "riot." Perhaps

you have heard more than I have.

[rinsd]

78. That's what I get for reading only headlines on DU.

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/08/pakistanis-protest-barak-obamas.html

[bridgit]

65. no fucking shit!! i've seen some pretty stupid Obamatronic crap in this forum...

here's hoping we're somewhere closer to the bottom of their dregs so we can maybe end this nonsense :toast:

[goldcanyonaz]

96. They don't die, they multiply. Like a bad experiment.

[oasis]

42. To hell with that little beady-eyed commie.

:puke:

[Occam Bandage]

59. Hillary supporters long to bring back the cold war, apparently.

[Thrill]

44. McCain will certainly use this. As World leaders don't even like her.

She will lose badly to McCain

[Thepricebreaker]

48. Bigtime - "I thought we were supposed to change how people view the USA" n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

60. Yeah

McCain's gonna run on the slogan: Vote for me! Vladimir Putin likes me better!

:eyes:

[LostinVA]

90. hahahaha

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

45. She Should Say In Response "Well, Maybe He Does Have A Soul, It's His Sense Of Humor That's Missing"

[Occam Bandage]

54. Putin is infamous for having no sense of humor whatsoever. That would just sound bitter.

Better to just let the whole thing drop, and maybe consider not poking fun at humorless, standoffish czars in future.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

58. Hmmmmm. Maybe She Should Say The Same Thing To You While She's At It.

:rofl:

Jesus christ. Lighten up people!

[Occam Bandage]

61. Yes, there's a lot of humor in angering world leaders without cause. It's worked so well under Bush.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

63. Oh Lighten Up Francis, Before Ya Crap A Diamond.

[Occam Bandage]

66. I see we're adding Russia to the "doesn't count" list, eh?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

69. Couple More Squeezes. It'll Come Out! Push! Push! Almost Got It! WOW!!!!! A Full Carat!!!!!!

:rofl:

[Sparkly]

46. Is he referring to, um, the "little head?"

I mean, Chimpy was okay with him... :shrug:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

53. Putin needs to STFU...

eom

[bridgit]

72. It was very likely a sexist comment...

[Adelante]

73. Welcome to DU, Thepricebreaker

:hi:


She was ridiculing GWB at the time. Putin shot back harder yesterday than she had first done in NH. She'll have to take it. But it's no great international incident to be concerned about, imo.

[bigtree]

76. Putin is a despicable ruler

He needs an America which isn't spending it's time mooning over his soul.

[NeedleCast]

79. Putin is a Friend I Don't Need

And I say this as an Obama supporter. Putin is short of being a full on dictator pretty much in name only. When his presidency comes to an end, he'll change titles and continue doing what he's doing. Worse, he's ex-KGB and pretty much a thug. As far as his dislike for Hillary, I consider that pretty much a good thing...no Democrat needs "friends" like Putin.

[rodeodance]

82. This is the 2nd Obamacamper to use PeeUTin as their hero. See here--this one lost

the argument also. It was a Hillary hate post--as is this one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4602825&mesg_id=4602825

[rodeodance]

87. OBAMA HAS A NEW SURROGATE.

[MethuenProgressive]

93. Welcome back to DU, "ice"! What was your name before you were tombstoned?

Траханье напевает.

[rug]

98. He's a dickhead.

[TheWebHead]

99. obviously I and most on here don't think much of putin...

but I'm trying to figure out how it is in America's political advantage to make personal attacks against him... you don't have to kiss his ass like *, but Hillary's remarks were ill advised no matter what your political beliefs are. It's intellectually dishonest to criticize * for "axis of evil" while ignoring or worse praising Hillary for this remark.