It's certainly true that Russia's democracy is degenerating. And, in theory, Iraq's is pretty good.

But a free press doesn't count for much when you have to buy electricity from a shady group who supplies it to your block via diesel generators, or when you can't leave your neighborhood without worrying about being kidnapped, or when you can't even enter other neighborhoods because their little local militia doesn't like the way you look.

But, hey, the government isn't "persecuting" a large oil company! It's utopia!

Bush is such a fucking moron.

Um yeah, let's see, Iraq is on the verge of civil war and Bush is holding it up as a model for Russia to strive for? I bet Putin wanted to kick the smarmy jerk in the balls, I know I do pretty much everyday.

The sad part is that he thinks he's helping when he says garbage like this.

Bush is an idiot.

Putin is a judo wrestler.

Putin makes me think of some exotic souffle or something dirty. Putin, Putin, Putin!

Putin = "prostitute" in French.

The guy seems pretty contemptable to me, but then again, Rusian has Islamofascists, post-Communists, and a mafia or two to deal with; how much do we really know about the realities of the post USSR? Then again, aiding and abetting Iran and Iraq is pretty clearly evil.

PS: I think President Bush is doing a very good job.

I think President Bush is doing a very good job at continuing to look like an asshole.

Poisson = "fish" in French.

Gift = "poison" in German.

Holy crap. We didn't get Shrub's response.

BUSH: I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world, like Iraq, where there’s a free press and free religion. And I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia will do the same thing. I fully understand, however, that there will be a Russian-style democracy.

PUTIN: We certainly would not want to have same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, quite honestly.

BUSH: Just wait.

Times change.

I can't wait for Powerline to blog about how the press all laughed at Putin's jab, so they must be communists.

The French call Putin 'Poutine' for the very reason that ParamusParis points out.