What's wrong with this picture?

Two news items from today...

First, a story from the New York Times (I've added some emphasis):

At their first meeting with journalists since taking over Russia’s largest independent radio news network, the managers had startling news of their own: from now on, they said, at least 50 percent of the reports about Russia must be “positive.”

In addition, opposition leaders could not be mentioned on the air and the United States was to be portrayed as an enemy, journalists employed by the network, Russian News Service, say they were told by the new managers, >who are allies of the Kremlin.

Then, another piece from the same paper:

The Bush administration is offering Russia a new package of incentives to drop its strong opposition to American missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, including an invitation to begin linking some American and Russian antimissile systems, according to senior administration and military officials.

The package includes American offers to cooperate on developing defense technology and to share intelligence about common threats, as well as to permit Russian officials to inspect the future missile bases.

I can only conclude that either Vladimir Putin really sold Jorge Bush on the "we're buddies for life" act, or that Bush has been taking lessons from Nancy Pelosi.

Either way, I smell yet another big, fat rat.

We've been had. Again.