<HTML>In a message dated 11/23/02 12:15:14 AM Pacific Standard Time, chrisd@russiajournal.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">GEORGE BUSH SAYS VLADIMIR PUTIN IS ONE OF HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS PUSHKIN, LENINGRAD REGION, November 22 /from RIA Novosti's special correspondent/ - President George W. Bush believes Vladimir Putin to be one of his closest friends. The US leader said that Friday when addressing a news conference after talks with President Putin. </BLOCKQUOTE> Let's see, in the statement you send, Putin refers to "Mr. President" and Bush refers to "Vladimir." Who is in charge of protocol? What lets that inequity slip through? I have more than once seen Putin and Bush together with Putin looking like he's about to eat glass and Bush has his Alfred E. Neuman mug on. I think if they were real friends, equals, peers, Bush would at least get to refer to him by a nickname and I have not idea what Putin would get to do in return! DoreneC</HTML>