U.S. public-relations firm helps Putin make his case to America

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In April 2011, then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was asked an unusually flattering question by an American journalist: "Are you the coolest man in politics?"

The interview, which ran on the website of Outdoor Life magazine, was set up by Ketchum Inc., the U.S. public-relations firm that has worked to burnish Russia's image since 2006.