Sarkozy to Putin: ‘Do you want to end up like Bush?’

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Sarkozy to Putin: ‘Do you want to end up like Bush?’»

The London Times’ Charles Bremner has identified one positive aspect of President Bush’s foreign policy legacy:

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 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.”

Fear of “ending up like Bush” now functions as a deterrent.


http://thinkprogress.org/2008/11/14/bush-putin-sarkozy/

[lurky]

1. He is a cautionary tale

The Mr. Bungle of international affairs...

[YOY]

3. Hey I like Mr. Bungle!

Best damn band that Mike Patton was ever in.

[K8-EEE]

2. K&R.......Wait I thought Bush looked into Pooty-Poot's soul

Hmmmmm....

[LeftishBrit]

4. Says it all!

[Gullvann]

5. Reading this transcript is quite bizarre.

Thankfully, I am confident that Obama can be just as calm and collected as Sarkozy was in this case.

[nichomachus]

6. Foreign heads of state have no respect for him -- how pathetic n/t

[bdamomma]

8. and the bush WH is hosting a dinner for World Leaders tonite.

I would love to be a fly on the wall for that. What leaders want to spend an evening with this jerk.

[nichomachus]

10. All they have to do is speak French and Bush won't know what they're saying

Hell, all they have to do is speak English, and Bush won't know what they're saying.

[supernova]

7. Bwahaha! Sarkozy pwns Putin!

:rofl:

[Gullvann]

9. Almost amusing and bizarre.

Though I am not sure Bush finds it funny.

Not to even mention poor Saakashvili.

[MattSh]

11. Except...

I think that comparing the US in Iraq vs Russia in Georgia is just plain laughable.

The US press might have tried to make Putin lower than Bush, but no one else in the world would see it.