John McCain Understands Vladimir Putin

Aware of breaking news from Russia and Georgia and of the fact that Republican presidential candidate John McCain is making a stop today at the Iowa State Fair, I think an Iowa-related flashback is in order.

Travel back in your mind to Oct. 24, 2007, when John McCain met with members of The Des Moines Register’s editorial board and shared his feelings about then-Russian President Vladimir Putin (now prime minister) and how he would deal with him.

In this video, McCain says this (and more):

“I look into Putin’s eyes and I see three letters, a K, a G and a B. He’s an old KGB apparatchik surrounded by his buddies who were in the KGB, and he’s not going to restore the power and the prestige of the Soviet Union, but he is trying to restore the Russian empire and he enjoys sticking his thumb in our eye.”

In case you’re not familiar with the word, apparatchik, the word is defined by Merriam-Webster this way:

1:a member of a Communist apparat

2:a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (as a corporation or political party) <a movie studio apparatchik>

My guess is that Barack Obama isn’t familiar with the word. I am certain, however, he’s very familiar with it’s meaning.

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See also:

‘Russia Has Declared War on Us!’ — Georgia (includes five updates)

Propaganda Accompanies Russian Attack

-- Bob McCarty Writes