Cranky Bastard

The New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: President Viktor Yushchenko: "For his part, Mr. Putin disgraced himself by meddling in the internal affairs of Ukraine - which he clearly considers one of his territories. He even summoned Ukrainian authorities to a Moscow airport to demand that the first compromised election results stand. Now Russia has lost face. Mr. Putin may well have been playing solely to Kremlin hard-liners opposed to the West, but in so doing, he alienated the eventual winner of the Ukrainian balloting.
Initial reports suggest that Mr. Yushchenko is so far proving to be the bigger man. Last week he said that his first trip after the election would be to Moscow. It would certainly now behoove Mr. Putin to paste a smile on his face and put a spring in his step as he welcomes the new Ukrainian president."

This editorial may be more anti-Putin than pro-Democracy, but at this point, they all seem to be synonyms. I actually wanted to follow the President's lead and support Putin, but he is obviously desirous of a Russian dictatorship where pictures of him adorn buildings. It would seem he would see how countries like that have fallen as of late, but he must believe he can do it better. In the worldwide pro-democracy environment we live in, it will inevitably be his downfall. My only hope is that the Russian people do not suffer while this struggle plays out.