George W. Bush must have missed something when he saw Putin's Soul

So Tweeted Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School, this afternoon.

Guess GWBush missed something when he saw Putin's soul

— Stephen Walt (@StephenWalt) March 2, 2014

Yes, this is just a humorous quip, a reprieve as we struggle to absorb what is transpiring in Ukraine. But it is also a smart piece of symbolic snark: a reminder of the dangers we face when embracing elected leaders who govern with their emotions.

And yes, Dubya really did say this about Putin after their 2001 schmooze-fest:

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue.

"I was able to get a sense of his soul."

Oy.

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David Harris-Gershon is author of the memoir What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?, just out from Oneworld Publications.

Follow @David_EHG