Everyone in America knows that Bush has been a disaster as president. Polls have shown for months that he is the most unpopular president since polling began, and his unpopularity just seems to grow with every week he stays in office. But it's not just in the United States that he's regarded as a spectacular failure.
Consider this story told by French President Sarkozy's chief diplomatic advisor, Jean-David Levitte. Levitte went to Moscow with Sarkozy last August, as Sarkozy was trying to arrange a cease-fire in the Georgian conflict. According to Levitte:
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 Mr 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.”
As we know, the Russians stopped their advance. Was it because Putin didn't want to be viewed by the world as a fool like George Bush? Very possibly. At the very least, the story shows us just how little regard European leaders have for Bush.
Is it any wonder that even his own political party is trying to get as far from him as possible?
(Hat tip to Kel at The Osterly Times for catching this story.)
idiot
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