Kim, I am glad Georgians supported their president and I am glad opposition got enough votes to make Georgian government transpearent. Everything looks so refreshingly normal in Georgia. Did you know that their president graduated from Kiev National University and he speaks Ukrainian? Since I got my BS in chemistry from the same University, it makes my heart worm. I know it is irrational feeling and has nothing to do with Georgia's struggle, but I like irrational sometimes :)

ANNA: I didn't know that and I don't think it's the least bit irrational for you to be proud of it. Obviously that University played a great role in his development, and it's logical to think you got the same benefits. It's actually very good to know, hopefully it will enable him to foster close ties with Ukraine as it struggles to break free from Russian influence (Georgia's president should consider himself luck that at least he hasn't been poisoned like Yushchenko was, knock wood!).

Conversely, I once spent a few moments standing in front of a weird sort of shrine that the officals of the university in St. Petersburg where Putin graduated erected to St. Vladimir (despite the clear proof that he plagiarized his dissertation), and although I had nothing to do with it I still feel a bit dirty to this day just for having been near the thing.

It just goes to show that even in the darkest hours great things are still possible -- well, outside of Russia anyway.

Pro-West President Mikhail Saakashvili has won a resounding victory in recent municipal elections in Tbilisi, declared free and fair by Western observers and held in the middle of a massive assault on Georgia by Russia. The people of Georgia have poked their finger right in the eye of Russia.

They poked nothing, we hadn't our dog in this fight. Yawn.

UGLY: You're an illiterate baboon. The Kremlin had clearly expressed preferences among the parties that were running. IT PREFERRRED ANY OF THEM TO THE RULING PARTY. Nitwit. What's more, the Kremlin attempted a coup d'etat against Saakasvihli, which failed miserably (as usual for Russia) and drove him even deeper into the NATO fold.

LR: As I said already, your attempts to insult me are useless.

Now try to prove your statements here.

Firstly, give me a link where official Kremlin spokesman saying/writing something about preferable outcome of current Georgian elections. I am repeating - 'official Kremlin spokesman', not some 'analyst' or 'unknown source' deeply involved in great and dread Russian conspiracy against all mankind.

Secondly, give me a link to official (even Georgian, which means 'uncorruptible and politically unbiased', heh) court sentence which mentions Russian sponsorship of that turmoil. For me, it looked rather like saakascist provocation against opposition. If there is no such sentence, then presumption of innocence at work, and your accusations should be dissmissed as slander.

UGLY: I wasn't trying to insult you, I was trying to insult baboons.

Let me get this straight: You're saying that you think the Kremlin didn't care whether Saakashvili's party won? I should have told you, this blog is a narcotics-free zone, you're not allowed to be stoned while posting. Or are you saying that although the Kremlin didn't want Saakashvili's party to win, it did nothing to try to influence the outcome, even though it was willing to precipitate A COUP D'ETAT against his regime?

Nobody is saying the Kremlin made official statements telling Georgians who to vote for. That is how NOT to influence people. Instead, the Kremlin uses bribes and threats at Ground Zero.

My blog is full of official statements from the President that Russians sponsored a coup d'etat in his country. That is why his government ARRESTED various Russians and risked massive Russian retalation. I'm not going to read my blog for you. If you can't be bothered to read it, you have no business writing comments here.

LR: if you're 'trying to insult baboons', then I congratulate your non-commenting readers (if there are any).

You: 'The Kremlin had clearly expressed preferences among the parties that were running. IT PREFERRRED ANY OF THEM TO THE RULING PARTY'

Me: 'give me a link where official Kremlin spokesman saying/writing something about preferable outcome of current Georgian elections'

You: 'You're saying that you think the Kremlin didn't care whether Saakashvili's party won?'

You are clearly trying to change theme, because you cannot prove your point, but I'll indulge you. Saakashvili came to power as a result of some 'revolution': 'mass hysteria', imho, is more correct term. Rating of Saakashvili initialy was very high and decreasing. Until his rating become low enough, it is pointless to take some action against him on his ground. Actions were taken on our ground: I mean various sanctions. Georgian economy is almost non-existent and dependent from Russia, so sanctions were quite a painful kick. Naturally, Saakashvili answer was the second round of the same hysteria with arrests - he just hasn't others know-how. Hysteria is working in short-term, so Saakashvili's victory at local elections was inevitable.

So, my answer is: yes, Kremlin didn't care whether Saakashvili's party won. It was inevitable at this time and actions to prevent it was useless, so Kremlin not took such actions, and Saakashvili spreads BS.

You: 'The Kremlin had clearly expressed preferences among the parties that were running.'
You: 'Nobody is saying the Kremlin made official statements telling Georgians who to vote for.'

Official statements of Kremlin are expressions of Kremlin. The rest are just your conjectures.

You: 'I should have told you, this blog is a narcotics-free zone'
You: 'My blog is full of official statements from the President that Russians sponsored a coup d'etat in his country.'

Another contradiction. Saakashvili may officially state evil Martians tried to abduct him, but scientists around the world won't excite. As I said, he is just provoking hysteria and fear to gather support (look at Castro, eh?). So let's hope that Putin will put lawful measures to logical end and give Georgia real independence from Russia - and if Georgia will not survive it, it's not Russian problem.

If Georgia spit on Russia, Russia will wipe the saliva. If Russia spit on Georgia, Georgia will sink.

"Kremlin didn't care whether Saakashvili's party won. It was inevitable at this time and actions to prevent it was useless"

Have you ever heard the story of the fox and the grapes?

Have you ever heard of rationality and logic? If the Kremlin didn't care who won, then why would they want to consider any actions to change the result? Can you think AT ALL?

I must congratulate you on the single most dishonest statement from a Russophile I have ever heard, that the Kremlin doesn't care whether Saakashvili's party wins or loses. That's Guiness Book of Records stuff. Pretty soon, Russophiles will leap out of windows believing they can fly.

That will be a good day. Yes sir, a very good day indeed.

LR: thank you, thank you. Now to the matter. I am repeating... errr, don't remember which time... Saakashvili not proved that Kremlin is moved against him, armed his opponents, tried to influence the result of elections and so on. Saakascists just arrested some Russian officers, and I'll not be surprised if their chieftain ordered to find some firearms in opposition' flats.

And I am not Russophile. I am Russian.

About my statement - you cannot prove it's false, so you should accept it as truth, heh. You have no official Kremlin statements, you have nothing except your conspiracy theories. Kremlin has bigger problems at hand than some village idiot... errr, American lawyer wriggling and sqealing about eeeevil Russians. I am speaking about Saakashvili and his almost-real country.