Verbatim

(2 of 2)

"The road trip underscores one of Putin's biggest problems as the national leader--how to spend his time. He certainly doesn't waste it by worrying about trivial problems such as health care reforms, corruption or modernization ... He likes taking a minisubmarine to the floor of Lake Baikal, river rafting in Tuva, tagging Siberian tigers, riding in ... fighter jets and flying co-pilot in firefighting aircraft to drop water on the leaping flames. Now that's exciting!"

--9/8/10

For daily sound bites, visit time.com/quotes

Sources: WhiteHouse.gov BBC; NPR; BBC; AP; TheAtlantic.com RadarOnline.com