Ha! This makes the story about clearing out the White House and sending Bush out to play with the dog whenever he shows up so much more interesting:

Putin ahead of G8 hits backs at West on democracy

By Oliver Bullough

MOSCOW, July 12 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin, seeking to pre-empt rebukes over democracy from fellow members of the Group of Eight, said on Wednesday the West’s criticism of Russia was a mix of Cold War thinking and neo-colonialism.

In interviews with French, Canadian and U.S. TV channels — transcripts of which were published on his Web site on Wednesday — Putin denied allegations Russia was back-tracking on democracy, and said it would develop at its own pace.

And in what looked like a sign of the bitterness he feels about criticism of his rule — most recently from U.S. President Dick Cheney — he joked about a hunting accident when Cheney accidentally shot his lawyer and gave him a heart attack.  Read more