Franklin Graham thinks Putin is doing good

And the Russians are eating it up with a spoon.

Vzglyad, a Russian business newspaper (think the Economist or the WSJ - it deals with a lot besides "business") has a story about Franklin Graham holding Putin up as an example for Obama. The teaser for it on other pages is this: Christian Values. Yep. Putin exemplifies Christian values. And even Americans think so. And Obama simply "won't do what's right" for America.

Nice going, there, Franklin. You've been dragging your father's name through the dirt for years, but this has to be the topper.

Here's the story, and here's my translation of it:

US Evangelists holds Putin up as example to Obama

Russian president Vladimir Putin is doing the right thing for Russia, especially when he banned homosexual propaganda to minors, said American Christian Evangelical leader Billy Franklin Graham.

Graham noted that it was "very wise" on Putin's part to protect the children of his country, and lamented the fact that the US not longer has a president who, unlike before, could do "what is right for the country," according to ABC (translation into Russia by the Center for Current Politics).

The Reverend Graham stated that Putin made the decision which he thought would protect Russian children.

No one and no social group should be allowed to exploit children, and in this Putin is absolutely right, Graham believes.

Franklin Graham is an American religious and social activist and a Baptist clergyman. He is a member of the largest Baptist organization in the world, the Southern Baptist Convention. For many years he was a spiritual counselor to US presidents.

Since the end of July 2013 Russia has had a law forbidding disseminating gay propaganda among children. According to this law, promoting nontraditional sexual relations among minors carries a fine, while propaganda by mass media can result in their suspension for up to 90 days.

The law evoked conflicting reactions abroad. Along with sharp criticism from a number of social activists, its passage was supported by some rights defenders and leading religious figures in the United States.