Old urges re-emerging at the Kremlin

President Bush once famously looked into the eyes of Russian President Vladimir Putin and liked what he saw. Now he needs to focus on Putin’s actions, which were the subject of cautionary commentaries this week in The New York Times and The Washington Post. What passes for democracy in Russia has long been suspect. But barring foreign nonprofit groups from having offices in Russia? Denying Russian groups suspected of “political” activities from receiving foreign funds? Ending elections of regional leaders? Such measures find the Kremlin increasingly trying to cut off Russia from the global marketplace of ideas and recentralize control. To his credit, Bush reportedly brought up such issues in a conversation with the Russian president last month. He and other champions of democracy need to keep the pressure on.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

5 Comments

  1. Damoon
    Posted December 8, 2005 at 9:09 am | Permalink

    Wasn’t Putin once the head of the KGB?No wonder Bush liked what he saw.

  2. Galahad
    Posted December 8, 2005 at 3:55 pm | Permalink

    “He (Bush) and other champions of democracy need to keep the pressure on.”

    A true champion of democracy would have allowed all the votes to be counted in Florida and not thrown tens of thousands off the voter rolls.

    You know, Armstrong Williams and a number of other “journalists” get a little something extra from the Ministry of Truth to write glowing reports of our Great Helsman.

    Maybe you can get on the payroll too, Rhonda. You’ve already clearly drunk the Kool-Aid.

    War is Peace.Ignorance is Strength.Slavery is Freedom.

  3. J M Walker
    Posted December 8, 2005 at 5:11 pm | Permalink

    “A true champion of democracy would have allowed all the votes to be counted in Florida and not thrown tens of thousands off the voter rolls.”

    I’m thinkin’ you need that engraved on your tombstone. The elections over. Your dog, spot, lost. Get over it. You wanna know why the Liberals in this country are going no place? Read Galahad. The man is truly lost in the past.

    “You know, Armstrong Williams and a number of other “journalists” get a little something extra from the Ministry of Truth to write glowing reports of our Great Helsman.”

    Better look under your bed. There might be a neocon hiding there:-))

  4. Galahad
    Posted December 9, 2005 at 11:06 pm | Permalink

    JM–you may be the only person in the United States who hasn’t heard about the administration’s illegal paying of journalists to run their propoganda, but it actually happened.

    What?! You didn’t hear it on Rush or Fox News?

    Looks like it’s you that needs to look under your bed. You might as well do SOMETHING while you’re not getting laid . . .

  5. Galahad
    Posted December 9, 2005 at 11:08 pm | Permalink

    BTW, do you really agree that Bush is a “champion of democracy?”

    Hoo boy, that’s rich . . .