An excellent four-part series in the Washington Post would have us believe that Cheney is the Grand Inquisitor of the Bush Administration. They portray a somewhat softer, manipulable Bush.

But Swopa reminds us of this little anecdote from Colin Powell:

One gem which the audience enjoyed was the retelling of Powell and President Bush’s first encounters with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Powell recalled it after the meeting he and Bush were reviewing events and comparing notes and seemingly they disagreed. At one point Bush looked at his Secretary of State and said (with a suitable Texas twang) “Powell, I looked into Putin’s eyes and I saw his soul” to which Powell replied: “Mr. President, I looked into President Putin’s eyes and I saw the KGB”.

Who is the better prophet?

Vladimir Putin is the only world leader to be invited by W to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport. Bush usually eschews his ties to the Eastern elite Even Prince Bandur has to go to Crawford and play cowboy.

Link from Steve Benen at Talking Points Memo.

Addendum: BAGnewsNotes has some creepy pics of W, who got his anchor stuck this weekend and so was stuck out to sea. Notice how Daddy's always driving the boat.

Cross-posted at Sherry Chandler.