Bush, Putin: As different as baseball, judo

Having peered into the soul of Vladimir Putin a year ago, US President George W. Bush is now in the heart of what the White House once descr...

Having peered into the soul of Vladimir Putin a year ago, US President George W. Bush is now in the heart of what the White House once described as the ‘‘Evil Empire’’and which his father worked to destroy.

Bush makes his debut visit to Russia having mugged up on the literary works of St Petersburg as part of a trip billed as the final requiem for the two states’ Cold War rivalry. The two are a study of opposites, struggling to transform decades of mutual mistrust into a partnership of sorts. The following is a sketch of how their personal paths meet and divide:

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Blank front page mocks Prez

BERLIN: An irreverent Left-leaning German newspaper published a blank front page on Friday under the headline ‘‘Bush’s historic speech’’ to mock the US President’s address in the Reichstag on Thursday. The Tageszeitung, a leading voice for Left-wing critics of Bush’s policies throughout Germany, said in a page three editorial the advance billing that the speech to Parliament in Berlin would be ‘‘historic’’ was far off the mark.

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‘‘Bush didn’t have to come for this speech,’’ the paper wrote. ‘‘What he said he’s already said often enough in Washington. Most Europeans hope that a war can be avoided. Bush’s visit to Berlin didn’t contribute a single bit to this understanding.’’

Bush, confronted by anti-American protests in Berlin, warned that the US and its 18 fellow NATO members were vulnerable to more attacks like those of September 11. (Reuters)

Putin: KGB spy in Communist East Germany; born again as deputy mayor in Russia’s quintessentially liberal St Petersburg, deputy Kremlin chief of staff; head of domestic intelligence service; Prime Minister.

Bush: Less-than-successful businessman; put together a consortium that bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in 1989; Texas Governor.

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Nicknames
George, who is aged 55, calls Vladimir ‘‘Pootie-Poot’’, according to Time magazine, though probably not to his face. It is unclear if the Kremlin chief takes similar liberties with the American President, though ‘‘Georgie-Porgie’’ might be fair game. Putin’s staff have already given him a nickname of sorts based on his initials — ‘‘VVP’’.

Bush Jr is widely known as ‘‘Dubya’’, the southern pronunciation of the first letter of his middle name — Walker.

Famous Relatives
Putin: Grandson of the man who was cook at the dacha of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Bush: His father, George Sr, was CIA chief before becoming Vice-President and President.

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The Demon Drink
Putin: not averse to a drop of the local bubbly or vodka on national holidays, but imbibes in moderation.

Bush: Had a weakness for the hard stuff until he became a born-again Christian. He is now a teetotaller.

Sport
Bush so likes baseball he put together a consortium in 1989 to take over the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Putin, a judo blackbelt and avid skier, is a fitness freak.

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Languages
Putin won plaudits for addressing a joint session of parliament in Berlin in good German; is also learning English.

Bush admits he has to practise his Spanish or he’ll ‘‘destroy this language’’; unkind critics say his command of his mother tongue needs more urgent attention.

Children
Putin’s daughters, Masha and Katya, are almost invisible.

Bush’s daughters Jenna and Barbara have been in court for under-age drinking.

First Ladies
Laura Bush is a traditional first lady, espousing causes like women’s health and Afghan aid.

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Though they are a modern couple, the Putins avoid touchy-feely public displays.

Emotions
‘‘I’m a loving guy, and I am also someone, however, who’s got a job to do, and I intend to do it,’’ said an emotional Bush after the September 11 attack.

The deadpan Putin has never been seen with tears in his eyes.

Religion
Putin goes to church at Christmas and Easter but will not be drawn into public debates on religious belief. But, as FSB security chief, he would never have been able to attend a church service and keep his job.

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Bush is a born-again Christian and runs a country where it is inconceivable for an atheist to win the highest public office.

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