Seeing George W. Bush discuss U.S.-Russia relations, with his increasing frustration over the media's incomprehension, reminds us that there is probably no one who more eagerly awaits the end of his term than George himself. Listening to this unconvinced talk about needing Moscow's help on Iran, personal relationships with foreign leaders, and whether or not Medvedev is a puppet of Putin, one can just sense a yearning to be back on a Crawford ranch clearing brush.
Wouldn't it have been great if Bush could have just grabbed the microphone and said: "Look, my administration's policies on Russia have been a dismal failure. I messed everything up, I squandered opportunities, and committed to severe misjudgments - so much so that even McCain makes fun of me for 'looking into Putin's soul.' The truth is that my government had more in common with Putin's than any other on earth, but at least you can vote me out. I was the best thing that ever happened to the world's autocrats. Let's just hope the next guy can start fresh and get some things accomplished, because let's face it, from down here there is no where to go but up."
