Putin Says he will Accept Job as Prime Minister

It's official--Russia is a dictatorship. I wonder if George Bush is getting any ideas:

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he would agree to become prime minister if Dmitry Medvedev is elected as his successor, but that he would not seek to make the premiership more powerful.

Putin's statement virtually ensures that the 42-year-old Medvedev, seen as business-friendly and not hawkish, will be elected March 2.

Does the word puppet come to mind:

The prime minister is a significantly less powerful figure than the president in Russia. But by remaining in a prominent position, Putin could continue to exert his enormous influence and personal popularity to direct Russian affairs.

He has previously said that a victory in parliamentary elections by United Russia would give him the "moral authority" to ensure that his policies are continued. The party won the Dec. 2 vote with an overwhelming majority of seats.

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