is it just the old one with a hand puppet cald Medwedew?

Its kinda scary who Putin owns the Place.......but then....Russia always has been in the hand of one strong man with his friends......so what....

It's terrible. The dude ran practically unopposed. In fact, I read he didn't have to even campaign or anything. I can't believe their country is so stuck right now. They get a taste of democracy early on with Yeltsin but it was during such a turbulent time with their economy in the tubes during the transition that now the russians have ended up reverting back to the old ways/leadership.

I give it 2 years before Medvedev and Putin go in opposite directions and a major political crisis breaks out in Russia. Maybe I'm being too generous with t years...

Medvedev would just be removed.

Or Putin. The president has the power to dismiss the parliament.

Don't forget that Putin started out as a complete unknown who was appointed by Yeltsin first as his Prime Minister and then as his successor. Then within a year Putin established policies that were exact opposite of Yeltsin's. Medvedev, at least on the face of it, is far more liberal than Putin.

Putin has the entire inner circle of power stacked with his supporters, Medvedev doesn't have any ability to do that. The Yeltsin situation differed in old Boris didn't have the will or push to hold on to the reins in the background, Putin does.

If Yeltsin wanted to retain the power, then the whole Russia situation would be far uglier that it is now. The fact is that Putin does want to retain power, and that's why I think there will be a political crisis in Russia. Medvedev is not KGB, he doesn't seem to have delusions of grandeur, but he doesn't look like a pushover either. It will be a very interesting dynamic between him and Putin, to say the least.