Pat Buchanan: ‘Putin Is a Man You Can Do Business With’

MCLAUGHLIN: “You recall that the Vatican, the pope invited heads of state and he waited for Putin to come and Putin was an hour late, and he took him aside, the pope did, and engaged him in sprightly conversation. Do you think the pope has anything to do with this rapprochement between Russia and the United States?”

BUCHANAN: “No, I think Putin is -- in reaching out to the pope and other moves -- is making moves that both antagonize the Americans, but at the same time are saying, what you said is, look, I think he wants to come back. Russia belongs with the West.”

MCLAUGHLIN: “So, is Putin respectable?”

BUCHANAN: “I think Putin is a man you can do business with.”

MCLAUGHLIN: “There you go.”

CLIFT: “Yes, that was said about Saddam Hussein at one point.”

MCLAUGHLIN: “That was said about Gorbachev by Thatcher.”

CLIFT: “That’s kind of cold language. Yes. I would like to point out –“ (Crosstalk)

MCLAUGHLIN: “Did you hear what he said? That was said about Gorbachev, and Gorbachev played ball.”

CLIFT: “There’s always been a lot of glorification of Putin on this set, frankly.”