Obama speaks again with Putin by phone - why? What the hell is this guy thinking? Putin is not the editorial board of the NY Times anxious to nod his head in supplicant awe of your wonderfulness, he's not some addle brained bit of Hollywood fluff who thinks the doors to Nirvana have swung open because you've deigned to chat with him - Putin has an agenda - you're not gonna talk him out of it - in fact, the appearance of you talking him out of it would be about the worst possible thing that could happen to him. Is Obama actually an idiot or simply an example of how arrogance can turn intelligence into seeming idiocy? I dunno - but there's gonna be nothing left of American credibility by the time his second term is done. Him talking to Putin reminds me of the end of There Will Be Blood and the pathetic preacher begging for mercy from the Day-Lewis character - that did not end well for the preacher - Vlad wants your milkshake, Barack, and not only will a phone chat not keep him from it, it's like to whet his appetite - I keep imaging Vlad and his boys stifling sarcastic guffaws and giggles every time Obama tries to get tough or wax philosophic.
