In his eight decades on this planet, Zbigniew Brzezinski has seen his share of would-be and actual world leaders. His father was a diplomat posted to Germany in the '30s, so he actually watched first hand the rise of the Nazis as a boy. As Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor, he dealt with such delicate political situations as Solidarity in Poland, the ouster of the Shah of Iran, the Cold War, the Soviet-Afghanistan war and all other matters of social/political upheaval. So this is not a man easily flustered or inexperienced with dealing with grandiose political personalities.

So what does the man who has consulted with almost every American president since Eisenhower think of our current crop of GOP presidential candidates? In a word: Embarrassing.

Look at those Republican debates. I must say, I’m literally, literally feeling embarrassed as an American when I see those people all right. One of them sounds like a medieval Savanarola, another one is trying to explain why he has some of his wealth hidden in the Cayman Islands, and someone else would go back to 1780 and then there is someone who is using his credentials as a repudiated Speaker of the Congress to be president. I mean, this is just…embarrassing.

I had to look up the Savonarola reference, but it's an apt one for Rick Santorum. And Brzezinski is absolutely right, they are embarrassing.