The Russian President joked, "He's a very comfortable partner. It's very interesting to be with him. The most important thing that distinguishes him from many other people, I won't name anyone by name, he's a thinker. He thinks when he speaks." Not holding back, the former Democratic operative turned journalist laughed.
He then quipped, "You had somebody in your mind, I think." Medvedev added, "Obviously, I do have someone on my mind. I don't want to offend anyone."
Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that an American journalist would share a good laugh with Russia's leader over a former U.S. Commander in Chief. After all, it was ABC President David Westin who, on October 23, 2001, refused to say whether or not the Pentagon was a legitimate target for terrorists:
The Pentagon as a legitimate target? I actually don’t have an opinion on that and it’s important I not have an opinion on that as I sit here in my capacity right now....I can say the Pentagon got hit, I can say this is what their position is, this is what our position is, but for me to take a position this was right or wrong, I mean, that’s perhaps for me in my private life, perhaps it’s for me dealing with my loved ones, perhaps it’s for my minister at church. But as a journalist I feel strongly that’s something that I should not be taking a position on. I’m supposed to figure out what is and what is not, not what ought to be.
– ABC News President David Westin to students at a Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism event on October 23, 2001 and shown four days later on C-SPAN.
(Westin retracted his comments a week later.) Overall, Stephanopoulos did ask Medvedev some tough questions. But, shouldn't Medvedev's derisive comments at least have warranted a follow-up from the GMA host? Perhaps a simple, "What do you mean by that?"
