Uh Oh

When I was digging through the transcript of the Prez's Wednesday press conference for the Political DNA post a couple of nights ago, I stumbled over a somewhat disturbing back and forth between Bush and the reporter asking the question. It was clearly intended and set up as a joke, but when we've got an administration hellbent on (and getting away with) expanding executive power farther than the framers ever expected it to go, call me crazy and paranoid, but I don't find it terribly funny.

Q Mr. President, following up on Vladimir Putin for a moment. He said recently that next year when he has to step down, according to the constitution, as President, he may become Prime Minister, in effect keeping power and dashing any hopes for a genuine democratic transition there. Senator McCain --

THE PRESIDENT: I've been planning that myself. (Laughter.)

The reporter (who's unnamed in the transcript) continued setting up his question, but before he was finished, he contributed his own callback.

And what would it mean for Russian democracy if, when you leave power, assuming you do, in January 2009 -- (laughter) -- if Vladimir Putin is still in power?

I'm sure it's just nothing. We can just add it to the Prez's previous list of jokes about his own authoritarian wishes. Funny guy, that president.