Oh Putin, you card you!

[Grojlach]

Putin urges voters to back Bush

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says terrorist attacks in Iraq are aimed at preventing the re-election of U.S. President George W. Bush and that a Bush defeat "could lead to the spread of terrorism to other parts of the world."
Putin, speaking Central Asian Cooperation Organization summit in Tajikistan Monday, made his most overt comments of support so far for the re-election of Bush for a second term.
"Any unbiased observer understands that attacks of international terrorist organizations in Iraq, especially nowadays, are targeted not only and not so much against the international coalition as against President Bush," Putin said.
"International terrorists have set as their goal inflicting the maximum damage to Bush, to prevent his election to a second term.
"If they succeed in doing that, they will celebrate a victory over America and over the entire anti-terror coalition," Putin said.
"In that case, this would give an additional impulse to international terrorists and to their activities, and could lead to the spread of terrorism to other parts of the world."
Putin noted that American voters will not decide the election just on Iraq.
"Because of this we must take a realistic approach and be prepared for any development of events," he said. "We respect any choice the American people will make."
President Putin made it clear Russia remained opposed to the war in Iraq.
"Today, our views on that differ from the views of President Bush," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe...raq/index.html

Yeah, right. Also interesting to note that CNN didn't mention a thing about Putin's other reasons for preferring Bush over Kerry - a part of BBC's coverage:

'Worst instincts'
But the Russian president has also probably been angered by criticism of Russia that has come from influential figures close to Mr Bush's rival, Democratic Senator John Kerry.
Last month, a group of more than 100 US and European foreign policy experts signed a letter to Western leaders that accused President Putin of undermining democracy in Russia and turning the country back towards authoritarian rule.
Senator Joseph Biden - one of the Democrats' principal foreign policy experts - was among those who signed.
And earlier this month, Richard Holbrooke, widely tipped as a possible Secretary of State if Mr Kerry wins the presidential race, wrote in the Financial Times newspaper of Mr Bush's "tepid reaction to the disturbing trends under Mr Putin's leadership" which, he said, "had reinforced the Russian president's worst instincts".
But if elected, how different would a Kerry administration's policy really be towards Moscow? It is hard to say. But Mr Putin, for one, does not appear eager to find out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3753382.stm

[johnny]

It seems like the whole world is trying to get involved in the American elections this time.

[Timber Loftis]

Yeah, well Putin likes being left alone. Gorby had a Perestroika revelation after Reagan pressured him to open up the government and make it transparent. Government records became public for the first time. Since then the pendulum has swung. Our current Prez signed laws that have made more government documents in the US secret. Authoritarian tactics have increased over here, and there is no leader to pressure Moscow to keep going along the path of freedom. Even if we wanted to exert such pressure, we have no leg to stand on given our current tightening of rights and freedoms.

On the other hand, it does look like Putin has taken a page from Kerry's book titled "Talking Out of Both Sides of Your Mouth." According to what he's saying, the War in Iraq is necessary to quell terror, but Russia doesn't support the war. WTF?

[shamrock_uk]

Good point TL, what a creep Putin is! He must really want Bush back in power if he's willing to swallow all his earlier comments on Iraq just to help Bush score a few cheap votes.

Not that it will work. I would imagine that a Russian telling American's how to vote would go down even worse than the British doing it, and we saw how well that was liked in the earlier thread!

And Johnny, you can hardly blame the whole world for trying to get in on the election when America's actions have an impact on the whole world. We're just trying to keep a hand on the tiller as it were [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Timber Loftis]

If we're the tiller, and GWB wins, can we hold him underwater for the next 4 years? You know... stay the course.

[ 10-18-2004, 05:32 PM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[Felix The Assassin]

HEY, BACK THE TRUCK UP HERE!
You must listen to what he said, what I've been trying to you all the whole time.

We TOOK the fight there. They are SHOWING up there to fight. If we back off, GUESS where they will show up NEXT!

He may not be the perfect person, but HE is the better of the two for the current world affairs, and mainly the war on terrorism.

[Stratos]

Putin haven't gotten far in the war against terrorism on the home front.

[Timber Loftis]

Hey, the truck is backed up. Within a few months of the war being started, I was already making fun of that fact about Iraq on this forum. In fact, I think my first post was a mock late-nite infomercial about how "Yes, you too can purchase your very own pre-prepared battleground for your very own theatre of war."

I just LOVE that "Iraq has WMD" was once the excuse to go to war and now "We need to make war *somewhere*" is the excuse. Try selling that to the US back during the runup to the invasion.

WELL, WE HAVE TO GO FIGHT RAGHEADS SOMEWHERE!

Yeah, that woulda really played well. Talk about war-mongering. War for war's sake, is that what we've come to?? Imagine trying to argue this BS on the *front end* of our little sandy campaign.

Bush: This war needs a theatre!!
The Joker (a/k/a "Jack"): This town needs an enema!!

[ 10-18-2004, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[johnny]

Originally posted by shamrock_uk: Good point TL, what a creep Putin is! He must really want Bush back in power if he's willing to swallow all his earlier comments on Iraq just to help Bush score a few cheap votes. Not that it will work. I would imagine that a Russian telling American's how to vote would go down even worse than the British doing it, and we saw how well that was liked in the earlier thread! And Johnny, you can hardly blame the whole world for trying to get in on the election when America's actions have an impact on the whole world. We're just trying to keep a hand on the tiller as it were [img]smile.gif[/img]

Hardly. Will it effect you personally who's in the white house for the coming 4 years ? Will it effect me ? Will it effect my neighbours ? Will it effect how my country sleeps ? I don't think so, the world keeps turning no matter who's in charge in Washington. Personally i'd say let Bush finish what he started, but it's not really my concern. The only ones who WILL be effected are the Americans themselves. In case it's Bush nothing changes, which is fine with me, in case it's Kerry there will be most likely cuts in the military budget (perhaps not even that), and the Chinese will get better opportunities to steal American technology again.

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Hey, the truck is backed up. Within a few months of the war being started, I was already making fun of that fact about Iraq on this forum. In fact, I think my first post was a mock late-nite infomercial about how "Yes, you too can purchase your very own pre-prepared battleground for your very own theatre of war." I just LOVE that "Iraq has WMD" was once the excuse to go to war and now "We need to make war *somewhere*" is the excuse. Try selling that to the US back during the runup to the invasion. WELL, WE HAVE TO GO FIGHT RAGHEADS SOMEWHERE! Yeah, that woulda really played well. Talk about war-mongering. War for war's sake, is that what we've come to?? Imagine trying to argue this BS on the *front end* of our little sandy campaign. Bush: This war needs a theatre!! The Joker (a/k/a "Jack"): This town needs an enema!!

Ah, TL. I love your cynicism! But there really is a lot of truth spoken in jest! If we could just find that war mongering, deficet rebuilding, stock market creator, politican, then all would be saved.
I'm certain that Sen Kerry will run things deeper amuck than The President ever will. But at least he is truthful in saying there will be a tax increase.
Hopefully, in 08 there will be a real canidate that can bring bipartisanship to it's knees, and be able to bring all of us together again.
But one of the two current canidates lacks the manhood to accomplish the mission. That is why myself, and thousands others like me, are voting the way we are! May the fence riders see that the next objective might just be the homeland if the wrong canidate is elected into office!