Photo of the Week....

From Russia's President Vladimir Putin's mind to First Deputy Dmitry Medvedev's ear.... Moscow on Thursday prior to this Sunday's election where Medvedev will be "elected" Putin's successor.

Suggest that Hillary Clinton.... who couldn't pronounce Medvedev's name in this week's debate, dismissing her stumble with "whatever".... Barack Obama and John McCain become familiar with the name of Putin's placeholder as Russia becomes ever more dangerous to the West.

One Dictator Checked, One Empowered

Democracy wins in Venezuela while Russia's fate lies with Putin's dirty-gray soul that The Decider gushed over a seeming lifetime ago.

"Venezuelans Deny Chavez Additional Authority"..... as voters yesterday blocked proposed constitutional changes that would have sped the country toward socialism and allowed President Hugo Chavez to stand for reelections indefinitely. A hopeful sign in our dangerous back yard.

At the same time a half a world away, "Pro-Democracy Groups Call Russian Election Unfair"..... as the United Russia party headed by President Vladimir Putin won the parliamentary elections by 64 percent. European observers called the election "the merging of the state and a political party."

An example of the skewed results.... in Chechnya United Russia received 99.36 percent of the vote with a turnout of 99.5 percent. Chechnya is currently led by a Putin strongman, and their elections were not monitored.

Putin's United Russia now has 315 of the 450-member State Duma.... enough to change the constitution to allow Putin to remain in power beyond the current limit of two consecutive terms. Putin opponents called the vote a "disgusting" repeat of Soviet practices, while Putin said he was pleased with the results.

There seems little doubt that the empowered Putin will continue to consolidate his dictatorial powers, while the The Decider and his Russia "expert" the dithering Secretary of State Rice, watch their soulful Russia policy ice over like a Siberian winter.... or a cold war.

Bush's Foreign "Friends"

So grandiose is The Decider's opinion of himself, and his influence on other world leaders, that he has based much of our foreign policy on his so-called personal relationships with those leaders, leaving the good of the people of those nations, and ours, to choke on the effluvia of his egomaniacal "spreading of Democracy" rhetoric.

The Decider's "good friends" like.... Mexico's former president Vincente Fox who described The Decider as the cockiest man he ever met and speaks Spanish like a fourth grader; Russia's president Vladimir Putin who is grabbing Soviet-style power while Bush is gazing into Putin's soul; and Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki who is firmly lodged in Iran's back pocket while pimping American lives and treasure.

Or, nuclear-armed Pakistan's president Gen. Peverez Musharraf who is ignoring the admonishments of the White House to stop his martial-law-enforced grip on power. These leaders are at the ready for Bush photo-ops, but their actions scream their disdain.

Bush gets no respect, because he's earned no respect.

The dangerous oligarchs lying in wait just beneath the surface of nations.... usually restrained by a commanding president of a strong U.S.... have taken arrogant Bush's measure and judged that as long as they give lip service to The Decider's neoconist worldview crusades they can unleash their dictatorial ambitions without retribution.

The perfect example is Pakistan. Musharraf seized power in a military coup in 1999 with promises of a civilian government. Because The Decider wanted Musharraf's support for his "war on terror," he looked the other way... and slipped Musharraf a mostly unaccounted for nearly $11 billion. Musharraf tested him by repeatedly breaking promises to move toward democracy, forcing his rivals into exile, being vindictive, and intimidating anyone who tried to stand up to him.

Now Bush's dependence on his perceived "relationship" with this man has blown up in his face.... Musharraf has suspended the constitution, is rounding up judges, beating and jailing lawyers and journalists, arresting members of his opposition, and has silenced the media.

Moves that will embolden extremists in The Decider's war on terror like Al Qaeda and the Taliban who are resurgent on Musharraf's northern borders, while fueling anger and mistrust among Pakistani moderates.

Musharraf said his actions were necessary to preserve Pakistan, and compared himself to Abraham Lincoln during our civil war. Please.

The truth of the matter is that after "winning a sham ballot last month, General Musharraf was awaiting a Supreme Court decision on whether his election, while still serving as army chief of staff, was legal.... he asserted military powers after getting word that the court would rule against him." (New York Times)

It's plain....Musharraf is preserving his power.... although he did throw the bone of a "promised" election in January. Will there be another "emergency" to stay that election? Elections held by a tyrannical government have but one outcome.... either no election, or the "election" of the tyrant.

Just as we have watched world leaders gutting their sham democracies while seizing unlimited state powers, we have also watched The Decider, by virtue of presidential directives and an acquiescent attorney general and lawmakers, vastly expanding the powers of his office.

Is Pakistan's perilous state just a chilling preview of November 2009?

The answer may lie in whether or not The Decider takes strong measures to restrain Musharraf by plugging his U.S. piggy bank, protecting the popular former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and insisting on open elections.... a real foreign policy effort, not a nod-and-a-wink accommodation for his "friend."

Could it be that the most dangerous leader is the one elected to office for the national common good, who instead uses it to undermine individual rights while pursuing his ego-directed globalist ideology.

Bush's Reckless Relevance

At any moment today during The Decider's press conference it seemed he would flash double overhead Nixonian Vs and declare.... "I'm not a crook!"

Of course, despite his declaration, President Nixon was a crook and resigned the presidency in disgrace, just one step ahead of slam-dunk impeachment proceedings.

What President Bush did declare today was "I am relevant!"

Which, of course means he's become a cipher, not only irrelevant, but to most of the country an embarrassment too.

Ah.... but The Decider has a way to get our attention, he says, the power of his veto.... "one way to ensure I am relevant."

In the irrelevant race, Bush's 24 percent job approval rating has now tied Nixon's for an all-time low. But the cocky Bush also reminded us that it wasn't just his veto (whose use by Bush is akin to a red-faced tantrum) that makes him relevant.... it's also his "bully pulpit."

Boy, does he have that right! Bush and his bully boys use the force of the executive to gut the Constitution and pervert the rule of law, and then take the pulpit to deny and obfuscate.

Which brings us to another statement made by The Decider today.... "we don't torture."

Department of Justice memos have surfaced recently outlining the administrations "approved" tortures. So, when asked today for his definition of torture, he said "That's defined in U.S. law, and we don't torture." When asked what that means to him, he said "Whatever the law says." And, of course, Bush directs the writing of the torture guidelines.... the law.

What was torture today was listening to The Decider's grade school intellect.... coupled with his unbounded and unwarranted arrogance.... and then to realize this is the clueless cowboy who has been leading our country for last seven excruciating years, and it's not over yet!

Feeling full of his pulpit-power, Bush didn't want to let the country off of the hook with just his relevance-making veto and tinny bully pulpit, he wanted to instill fear.... the easiest way after all to keep the electorate compliant.... with a red alert warning about his new favorite target, Iran.

".... So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them [Iran] from having knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," Bush recklessly lectured.

With trademark Bush barroom delivery and lack of dignity, when asked about the recent tete-a-tete between Russia's President Putin and Iran's President Ahmadinejad in Tehran, and Putin's supportive words to Iranian leaders, Bush poo-poohed the thought that anything was amiss in our... or, as he views it, his.... relationship with "Wily" Putin.

With a wink and a nod he said he would talk to Putin and get the real lowdown on what happened on Putin's visit to Iran. Bet Putin appreciated Bush's public implication that Putin would compromise Iran and tell Buddy Bush the real skinny.

And, aren't you starting to feel a little sorry for Secretary of State Rice and the world perception under which she has to labor. More than once The Decider referred to "Condi" not "Secretary Rice" which would give her much needed stature. His "Condi" reduces her to just one of his stable of unprofessionals.... "Heck of a job, Brownie."

But, the scariest moment of the press conference came with a question about Putin's intent to continue ruling Russia after his term expires next spring, possibly by becoming prime minister.

The Decider was asked if he should get tougher with Putin... "what would it mean for Russian democracy if, when you leave power.... assuming you do in January 2009 (laughter).... that Vladimir Putin is still in power?"

Bush's answer was evasive. But, it was the question that made the blood run cold.... "assuming" Bush leaves power in January 2009. The reporters in the room laughed.... but, to even touch on the possibility really isn't funny at all.

There's that as yet unfocused disquiet.... why is the White House so secretive, and so intent on accumulating so much power.

Putin Baits the West

Bass fishing diplomacy has it limits.... actually, our relationship with Russia is much worse after The Decider's yukking-it-up press conference early this month with Russia's President Putin after their Kennebunkport fishing summit to resolve U.S. anti-missile plans for Russia's backyard.

Putin made a show of cooperating with the defense system, offering to place it on Russian soil if Bush abandoned plans for facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.

When Bush didn't go along with Putin's plan, on Saturday Putin announced that Russia would pull out of the CFE treaty, a landmark pact limiting post-Cold War military strength. "Russia rebuffs NATO talks offer on arms pact." (WaPo)

A hopefully sobered Bush, pushing ahead with his anti-missile plans, met with the Polish President Kaczynski at the White House on Monday.

Great Britain also has serious disagreements with Russia who is refusing to cooperate on a terrorist incident.... just days after London kicked four Russians out of the country, a retaliating "Russia Expels 4 British Diplomats" (WaPo)

Moscow continues to refuse to extradite the Russian former KGB officer, Andrei Lugovoy, who the British accuse of poisoning Alexander Litvinenko.... a fierce critic of Putin.... in London last November using polonium-210.

The case is particularly charged because Litvinenko, who fled from Russia to Britain in 2000 and became a British citizen, suffered a slow and gruesome death. In addition, hundreds of Londoners feared they were exposed when the radioactive substance was found in numerous places causing alarm and panic in the city last November.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said this week that he could not tolerate "lawlessness" in London and would make "no apologies for the action we have taken."

Hear! Hear! Good show, Brown!

Bush should take note of how grownups deal with an increasingly dangerous Putin.... drop the Bush frat boy buddy-buddy approach.... Putin isn't looking for friends.

No Curtain Calls for Gonzales

"British officials said Tuesday there was 'sufficient evidence' to charge a Russian former KGB agent with murder and seek his extradition from Moscow in the sensational poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko." (WaPo)

Livinenko was an outspoken critic of Russian President Valdimir Putin, and pointed the finger of blame for his poisoning at Putin from his deathbed.

But, Moscow has already made it clear they wouldn't cooperate with any British attempt to extradite Andrei Lugovoy who met with Litvinenko for tea at a London hotel on the day he fell ill.

The timing for the British in filing these charges is curious.

Tomorrow, the G8 Justice and Interior Ministers.... from Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, Russia and the United States.... are meeting in Munich in advance of the G8 Summit in early June.

Ironically, the ministers will be discussing among other things "international judicial cooperation, particularly in the fields of counter-terrorism."

Surely the poisoning of Litvinenko in London by a former KGB agent using a rare and deadly isotope.... 97 percent of which is manufactured in Russia.... would qualify as terrorism. This would be the perfect opportunity to exercise "international judicial cooperation."

A Litvinenko family spokesman, Alex Goldfarb, said the British investigators "have pretty strong evidence" based on the radioactive trail.... where it came from and who was handling it.

So, will these icons of world justice meeting tomorrow demand Russia's cooperation with Britain's prosecution?

Don't hold your breath.

Not when the likes of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is the person representing law and justice for the United States at the G8 meeting.... The Decider's legal strawman who has prostituted his legal moral authority.

So, the G8 justice ministers will probably ignore the hot potato of extradition in the diplomatic confrontation between London and Moscow.

But, perhaps not all justice will be denied.

Sometime in the next two weeks the Senate is planning a vote of no confidence in Gonzales. A move The Decider has called pure "political theater."

However, if Gonzales doesn't resign after a bipartisan no confidence vote, and, The Decider doesn't fire him, the "I" word is being urged on Congress as a means of ridding us of this legal pestilence.

For Gonzales, theater it is, and the curtain will be going down.

Bush's Playground

Guru took Pootie-Poot to the woodshed, and Pootie-Poot promised to stop sticking his tongue out at Dubya.

No, you haven't wandered into a Dr. Seuss children's book.

Welcome to the world of the most powerful leader in the world.... the self-proclaimed "Commander Guy," a.k.a. "The Decider," his Secretary of State, Condi "Guru" Rice., and Russia's President "Pootie-Poot" Putin.

Excuse us George if we don't laugh at your bestowing of childish nicknames in lieu of a real governance.

It was bad enough that you gurgled after your meeting with "Pootie-Poot" in 2002, "I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul."

Since then, Putin's "soul" has been hard at work suppressing the press and individual freedoms in Russia, and aligning Russia's interests with those of our enemies.

It was even discovered that Russia provided intelligence to Iraq's government on U. S. military movements in the opening days of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Naughty, naughty Pootie-Poot.

Now we've had to witness Commander Guy dispatching "Guru" Rice to Moscow to deliver her school marm scolding to Pootie-Poot. Putin is kicking sand in our face because he doesn't like the U.S. plans for a missile defense system in his backyard among other things.... and a week ago in Red Square appeared to compare Bush's United States to Hitler's Third Reich.

Now, now Pootie-Poot, it's not nice to call names.

If only we could go back to the fairy tale "Mission Accomplished" days. When Iraq was a glorious victory, and Russia loved the U.S.

In those la-la land days, "Guru" Rice .... a supposed Russian specialist....said, "To see the kind of relationship that Presidents Bush and Putin have developed and to see Russia firmly anchored in the West - that's really a dream of 300 years...."

A dream indeed.

Actually, it's a part of the nightmare scenario inflicted by an inept, unready, uncomprehending, stubborn, good-ol'-boy Commander Guy leading our great nation into the abyss.

And, our clever Bush even has a nickname for the United States of America..... the North American Union.

Will someone please wake me up!

"From Russia With Love...."

Last week, just four days after Paul Joyal, a 53-year-old expert on Russian intelligence, appeared on NBC's "Dateline" alleging that Putin was involved in the fatal polonium-210 poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. Joyal was shot in the groin by two men as he exited his car in his Prince George County, MD driveway.

The men immediately fled. Although the WaPo had reported that unnamed law enforcement said that Joyal's wallet and briefcase were taken, thus giving the shooting the appearance of a robbery, his wife and son have denied that his wallet was taken, showing the billfold to reporters, and his briefcase has been accounted for.

Another participant in the "Dateline" show recently died from a heart attack in London.

The FBI is "looking into the shooting." Joyal is still in critical condition although the doctors are now "cautiously optimistic" that he will recover.

Is this "random shooting" more Putin's KGB-sharpened tentacles reaching out to stifle dissent?.... IN OUR COUNTRY!

The silencing of Putin's critics is old news in Russia.

Last Friday Moscow journalist Ivan Safronov plunged to his death from his apartment building.... he was working on a story about Russian plans to sell weapons to Iran and Syria via Belarus. A subject which would greatly upset the U.S. and Israel.

Safronov had traveled to the United Arab Emirates arms fair last month where he called his editors from Abu Dhabi to confirm rumors that Russia planned to sell S-300 missiles to Iran and Su-30 fighter jets to Syria.

Upon his return, Safronov told colleagues he also had learned about Russia's plans to provide Syria with Iskander missiles, MiG-29 fighter jets and Pantsyr-S1 air defense systems. The Iskander has a range of 175 miles and would give Syria the capability to strike targets in Israel with very high precision.

Russian authorities are calling Safronov's death a suicide.

Independent analyst Pavel Felgenhauer, who knew Safronov and met with him shortly before his death, said "It's quite probable that such deals have been signed, and it's also probable that he [Safronov] was killed because of that."

He said a Russian military affairs officer was brutally beaten by Russian military intelligence agents several years ago over his report on arms sales. "I also feel scared since I'm writing about similar subjects," Felgenhauer said.

Safronov's death comes amid a rash of attacks on Russian journalists who write about official corruption, Chechnya and other abuses.... "13 journalists have been killed in contract-style murders since Putin took office in 2000."

A dazzled Bush looked into Putin's soul and proclaimed he was a man Bush could trust.... just what did he see to admire in this ruthless and dangerous authoritarian.

The Cold War arms race is on again, only this time our enemies are much more dangerous. And our government.... Condi the Clueless, Congress the Confused, Bush the Unready.... seem unable, or unwilling, to confront reality.