"Do You Want to End Up Like Bush?"

The historically low approval rating is one thing. Being the punchline of a back-and-forth between the French and Russians is another:

"With Russian tanks only 30 miles from Tbilisi on August 12, Mr Sarkozy told Mr Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgia's Government. According to Mr Levitte, the Russian seemed unconcerned by international reaction. 'I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,' Mr Putin declared.

Mr Sarkozy thought he had misheard. 'Hang him?'-- he asked. 'Why not?' Mr Putin replied. 'The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.'

Mr Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: 'Yes but do you want to end up like [President] Bush?' Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: 'Ah--you have scored a point there.' "