law. but i think he was absolutely wrong on the question of american exceptionalism simply because i don't think he understands this country, the fact that all of us can sit on this panel from divergent backgrounds is testament to american exceptionalism in a way that it doesn't happen in the soviet union. people like you and me would not be considered to be russians, you know, to kingdom come just because of the way the russian historic, ethnic, and racial composition -- and the same applies to other countries. i think there's a failure on his part as an individual to recognize what the united states is. but i would make one last point. i don't think he wrote that op-ed. he may have expressed few views to the pr phone that, i hate to say it, some americans sitting down writing it and submitting it to "the new york times," but i don't think he's of the linguistic or political caliber to -- >> i disagree with that. >> it actually sounded like him -- >> because putin has been making those arguments in the russian