The scene was the Kremlin on August 12, when Sarkozy flew in to persuade Moscow to call off its invasion of Georgia.
Putin: “I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls.”
Sarkozy: “Hang him?”
Putin: “Why not? The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.”
Sarkozy “Yes but do you want to end up like Bush?”
Putin, after a long pause: “Ah, you have scored a point there.”
Putin will be lucky to end his political career as popular as Bush is as he is leaving office. But the fool thinks he can save Russia. That is more futile than trying to bring democracy to the Middle East.