AP
US President George W. Bush, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wave from a fishing boat Fidelity III off Kennebunkport, Maine, Sunday afternoon, July 1, 2007.
Reflecting on his father's life and leadership, former President George W. Bush describes how the pair hosted Putin for a weekend of boating and discussions about missile
AP President Bush, left and Russian President Vladimir Putin, fish near the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, Monday, July 2, 2007.
Former president George H.W. Bush was thrilled to process the request. "Just let me know what you need, son," he said.
"When Putin arrived on July 1, 2007, Dad met his plane at the airport in New Hampshire and accompanied him on the helicopter ride to Walker's Point. Then he took both of us for a speedboat ride," Bush writes.
AP
Good one.
"Although initially startled by the idea of a eighty-three-year-old former President driving the boat at top speed, Putin loved the ride. (His interpreter looked like he was about to fly out the back of the boat.)
"The next morning, we had a long conversation about missile defense, in which we found some common ground. We then went fishing. Fittingly, Putin was the only one who caught anything," according to the memoir.
(In 2009, the US and Russia announced a "reset" in relations. It hasn't worked out.)
AP
Putin wins.