Catch 22

The Left is always mad at Bush for not making nice with those European countries that constantly undermine our (and their own, for that matter) interests. Which is why this article by The New Republic is so shocking to me. Apparently Bush is both not being nice enough, and being too nice simultaneously.
And what's up with Putin's stupidity? I used to like him, but now he undermines democracy, The US, and consolidates power at every turn. Selling Nuclear fuel to Iran seems like his worst idea yet. Does he not remember that he has radical Islamicts within his boarder? Does he think Iran lives in a vacuum? An Iranian-Chechnian cooperation doesn't seem to out of the question to me (course, I'm no expert).