I would take it a step further, DC, in saying that Michael was indeed a "lousy cold hearted bastard" and Vito was not.
I agree. Vito was a kind hearted man, while Michael(after becoming don) relied on nothing but cold logic. He had no room for the emotions and feelings of life, he viewed life as the cold hearted tragedy it is, and left room for no other view of it. Vito was much more of a glass 'half full' guy than his son was.
