Is there anything Putin doesn't do?

[nikimcbee]

Hunting. Bare-chested fishing. Now, fire fighting!

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100810/D9HGQB8O0.html

Wow, what a leader. I would have thought he'd be out golfing or on vacation to the Black Sea, or golfing, or on vacation to the Crimea, or golfing, or shootin' hoops, or on vacation, or golfing.

Anyway...

Putin has been a very visible leader in the battle against the fires, which have caused billions of dollars in damage and left thousands homeless in the past two weeks. He has demanded that soldiers help overstretched firefighting brigades and has walked through smoldering villages, consoling residents and promising them new homes by fall.

So he leads by example?

After hitting the button, Putin glanced toward the pilot and asked, "Was that OK?" The response: "A direct hit!"

Like the pilot is going to say: "nah, you missed."



Wait a minute, didn't see this!...wait for it...

Medvedev himself was slow to interrupt his Black Sea vacation even as fires around Moscow grew worse, and, unlike Putin - who went out in jeans to meet with sobbing villagers and exhausted firefighters - mostly conferred with officials after his return.

Why does that sound familiar...

The stunt was classic Putin. In past years, he has copiloted a fighter jet, ridden a horse bare-chested in Siberia and descended to the bottom of Lake Baikal in a mini-sub. Just last month he drove a Harley Davidson motorcycle to a biker rally. All of his exploits have been widely publicized on the national television networks, which are under government control. Russia holds its next presidential election in 2012, and Putin would be eligible to run.

wait a minute....

HRC missed her chance to shine. She should have been out in a rubber raft in the Gulf with a bucket and a sponge. Maybe next disaster.