Every once in a while, you'll hear Conservative Leader Stephen Harper compared to former U.S. president Richard Nixon.

In 2013, Toronto Star columnist Tom Walkom likened the $90,172 payment to Sen. Mike Duffy to the grubby Watergate scandal that finished off Nixon's presidency.

More recently, Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson dragged up comparisons between Nixon and Harper after reading John Ibbitson's biography of the Canadian prime minister.

Two B.C.-based MPs, New Democrat Nathan Cullen and Liberal Joyce Murray, have also invoked the Nixon analogy.

But if you really want to get under Harper's skin, forget about Nixon. Compare him to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this year, Harper's spokesperson accused Tom Mulcair of "fear mongering" after the NDP leader accused Harper of pandering to Islamophobia in the same way that Putin panders to antigay Russians.

Mulcair's comment was in connection with Harper's comment that the niqab "was rooted in an anti-woman culture".

This led me to think about other similarities between Harper and Putin, who clearly loathe one another. Here's my list.

1. Both leaders have chipped away at the democratic underpinnings of their country. Harper used the Fair Elections Act to prevent the chief electoral officer from encouraging people to vote and from investigating wrongdoing. Putin did an end run around his country's constitution by taking one term off as president to serve as prime minister, then returning to the top post for another eight years. Conservative operatives have been caught breaking the rules in each of the last four elections. Similarly, Putin has also been accused of electoral manipulation.

2. Harper and Putin are pariahs in the international fight against climate change. Putin reportedly said in 2003 that global warming might mean that Russians don't need to spend as much money on fur coats. Twelve years later, Putin is seen in some quarters as a threat to the upcoming UN climate summit in Paris. So is Harper. And both Putin and Harper have rejected extending the Kyoto Protocol to curb greenhouse gas emissions, with Canada being the first signatory to withdraw from the international treaty.

3. Harper and Putin both pander to religious leaders to maintain their lock on power. In Canada, it's often Christian evangelicals through tough-on-crime laws, including the criminalization of the sale of sex. In Russia, Putin assiduously courts the Russian Orthodox Church, most notably when his government prosecuted members of the punk band Pussy Riot for ridiculing the country's dominant religion. 

4. Putin and Harper each demonstrate deep contempt for the media, though admittedly, being a reporter is a far more dangerous job in Russia. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 56 have been killed in that country since 1992. Harper hasn't killed any Canadian journalists, but he rarely answers their questions except during election campaigns.

5. Harper and Putin both play to their political bases by making a big deal about their love of hockey. Harper wrote a book about the sport. Putin, in his early 60s, still dons hockey gear and gets on the ice.

6. Harper and Putin both use their knowledge of history to political advantage. Harper has remade Canada's image from a peacekeeping nation into a country of warriors by constantly invoking past battles, such as Vimy Ridge. He's even reached as far back as the War of 1812 to reinforce his political messages. Putin likes comparing himself to Pyotr Stolypin, a former prime minister who was murdered in 1911. Stolypin was widely seen as a reasonable leader who helped rebuild the Russian state. Putin also likes coming to the rescue of Russians in high-profile situations, similar to the way some czars acted on occasion.

7. Harper and Putin have each formed deep friendships with one national leader who's scorned in many parts of the world. Harper's bond is with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Putin has formed a long-lasting attachment with former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

8. Harper and Putin are masters of controlling their own images. The Canadian prime minister has crafted his own taxpayer-funded videos, 24 Seven, showing his friendly side. Putin likes being photographed shirtless on a horse. There's a famous photo of Harper petting a panda to drive home a message that he's some sort of softie. Putin, on the other hand, has been seen petting a tiger to remind people of his macho side.

9. Each of them has a potty mouth. The National Post recently reported that Harper sometimes swears like a longshoreman in private. Putin has also been known to use crude language, talking about taking Chechen terrorists to the outhouse and hanging former Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili "by the balls".