"From the United Russia political party website, a photo of Vladimir Putin's party membership card."

As everyone who can read Russian sees, in reality this is an identity card of a candidate for the State Duma Deputy.

The card clearly specifies Putin's party membership, but thanks for pointing out some additional information as well, and reminding our readers how Putin plans to continue his dictatorship by remaining in power in a totally undemocratic manner.

Meanwhile, we'd like to point out to you that Russian is a perishing language and one of the reasons is because thugs like you discourage its use by making comments like you have made. A typical Russophile thug, you can't see the forest for the trees.

Looks like somebody "can't read Russian good" and is a little bit defensive about it :) Perhaps it won't be so bad if you stop claiming that you actually know the language, and concentrate on writing about things you actually _do_ know about. Something tells me your blog will be little less entertaining that way, though.

According to Russian election legislation, one can have his or her name put on a party roster without being a member of that party. What is "undemocratic" in running for a deputy is something I can't understand.

As to "Russian being a perishing language", I would like to remind you that during the last years of "Putin's naughty authoritarianism" the birthrate in Russia increased sharply and the mortality rate began to fall. So maybe rumors about the death of the Russian nation are somewhat premature. :)

MICHAEL:

Looks like somebody is desperately afraid of this blog and is grasping blindly for any way he can find to attack it. Thanks for the compliment!

ANONYMOUS:

HA! Russia! What a country! On the party list but a not a member of the party! What's undemocratic about remaining ruler of a country for life? Only a Russian would ask such a question! Or maybe you haven't heard that once he's elected to the Duma he'll become Prime Minister? Maybe you think that once he becomes Prime Minister he'll take orders from the President? This is the kind of "thinking" that drove the USSR into the ashcan of history.

So, so pathetic.

i read the translation of the first picture too quickly -- 'Russia will be just a country' - oh no, just like all the other countries. terrible...

If anyone thinks for moment that Spravedlivaya Rossiya, the Kremlin sock-puppet "opposition party" behind for the first billboard, could have anything to do with creating a more just Russia, they are ideed "polniy bananas".