perhaps you could include the important sub theme of when bush was in power verses now having obama in power.. while there may be little difference, one can hope that obama's time will be better spent then was bushs in alienating just about anyone and everyone..

Ben this is really cool!

Ben, you did it again. You omitted Putin's response to Bush's peering into his eyes:

“From our part, we still have to do so much that would make Russia attractive for foreign investors. Although among international investors, the Americans are in first place. Naturally, FIRST AND FOREMOST, we have to take care of the ISSUES OF THE ENERGY PROBLEM in the world at large. American business is showing a great interest in this sphere.”

Energy issues were a critical part of their discussions. Whose agenda does it serve to omit this fundamental fact?

You could make a compelling time line to chart Putin's deception with the US. It would include increasingly aggressive US actions (coup in Venezuela, attack on Iraq, threats against Iran). It had to be obvious to Putin that the US was not intent on cooperating on energy development but controlling its sources.

Bush should have gotten down on his knees before Putin, because it was Russia's dramatic increase in oil production that met most of the rise in world demand (2001-2005) and kept prices from skyrocketing in spite of the major supply disruptions in Venezuela and Iraq. Instead of gratitude, Bush simply stiffed Putin with the US actions shown on your time line.