Wendie Colpitts asks in a recent letter (“Ironic how liberals hailed so-called Lobster Summit,” Aug. 11) where the liberal outrage was when George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush asked Vladimir Putin to a summit at Walker’s Point in 2007.

Answer: Because there was little reason. At that time, Putin and Russia were not attacking our electoral system. Oh, some poked fun at W. for saying he “looked in (Putin’s) eyes” and “saw his soul.” But both men followed protocol, unlike the present occupant of the Oval Office.

Neither George H.W. nor George W. met with Putin, one on one, with only translators in the room.

And George H.W. – and, to a lesser degree, George W. – were versed in foreign policy.

And the death toll of Putin critics wasn’t as high as it is now.

And Russian oligarchs weren’t holding massive Bush family debt.

And 41 and 43 weren’t denigrating our allies and weakening our agreements with them. There is nothing Putin could wish for more than a weakened NATO.

And George H.W. and George W. were not singing the praises of despots around the world, while insulting the leaders of our allies.

There are just a few of the reasons I see as to why there was no “liberal outrage.”

Roger A. Smith

Portland