Putin Warns Washington Against Meddling

Leader Accused U.S. Of Trying To Make Upcoming Russian Elections Seem Illegitimate

(AP)  Less than a week before parliamentary elections, President Vladimir Putin charged Monday that the U.S. was behind the refusal of a European watchdog group to send election monitors to Russia.

No outsider, Putin said, would be allowed to stick his "runny nose" into Russia's affairs.

Polls predict the main pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, will win a landslide, allowing Putin to claim a mandate to continue leading the country after he steps down as president next spring.

The campaign was marked over the weekend by the violent breakup of anti-Putin demonstrations and the detention of scores of protesters and opposition leaders, including former chess champion Garry Kasparov, now serving five days in jail.

Putin said the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, a branch of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, had succumbed to U.S. pressure in deciding not to send observers to monitor Sunday's vote.

"According to the information we have, once again this was done on the advice of the U.S. State Department, and we will undoubtedly take this into account in our relations with that country," Putin said.

Putin said the OSCE was trying to undermine Russia's upcoming election. "Their goal clearly is to make the elections look illegitimate, but they won't succeed," Putin said at a meeting sponsored by United Russia.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack rejected Putin's claims, though he said U.S. officials had talked to OSCE representatives.

"Our very clear message to them was that this is your decision," McCormack said. "So there was no interference ... absolutely none."

The OSCE election monitoring office said Nov. 16 that it would not send a mission to observe Russia's vote because Moscow had not issued visas in time and had created other obstacles. Russia had also restricted the OSCE mission to 70 observers - far fewer than in previous elections.

Urdur Gunnarsdottir, a spokeswoman for the OSCE's monitoring arm, called Putin's accusations "nonsense."

"This decision was a decision that was only made based on the fact that we were not receiving any visas and were unable to do a meaningful observation of the election," Gunnarsdottir said. "It was not made on the recommendation or coordinated with any government, and certainly not with the U.S. government."

Putin's charges came in the middle of the Kremlin's campaign to insure a big victory for the Putin-backed United Russia party, apparently to set the stage for him to become Russia's "national leader" in the coming months.

Putin, who is enormously popular, is barred by the constitution from seeking a third consecutive term. Presidential elections are scheduled for March 2.

Putin warned that Russia would bolster its military so that "no one puts his runny nose into our affairs."

Over the weekend, riot police wielding clubs broke up opposition rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg, rounding up scores of protesters and several opposition leaders. The United States expressed concern over the Russian government's "aggressive tactics."

Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the Union of Right Forces Party, said official harassment had prevented his group from mounting a strong campaign.

"The entire campaign has been accompanied with slanderous hysteria and endless lies on the part of authorities," said Nemtsov, a likely presidential candidate who was detained by police during a demonstration in St. Petersburg. "The problem with Putin is not only his cruelty and cynicism, but that he has intimidated the whole country."

Nemtsov said advertising companies have refused to put up Union of Right Forces billboards in Moscow. One that was erected was torn down 15 minutes later, he said at a news conference Monday.

On Sunday, the official state Rossiya television station aired a documentary describing Russia's liberals as U.S. stooges. The documentary claimed Washington wanted a popular uprising in Russia similar to those that helped pro-Western leaders take office in Ukraine and Georgia.

Russia's liberal democratic parties are on the verge of extinction. Opinion polls show support for Nemtsov's group and another liberal party, Yabloko, hovering around 1 or 2 percent. A party must win 7 percent of the vote to hold seats in Parliament.

United Russia would get between 56 and 67 percent of the vote, according to polls released Monday.

The Communists are forecast to win from 6 to 14 percent of the vote, but in recent years they have been regarded as a party of pensioners with relatively little political influence. Two other pro-Kremlin parties may be poised to win seats. The polls had a margin of error of no more than 3 percentage points.

[westprophet]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: PRESIDENT RON PAUL
RonPaul2008.com

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more torture prisons
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more erosion of Social Security to pay for militarization
-- No more U.N. (one world government) participation
-- No more NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO or GATT (globalist trade cartels)
-- No more North American Union (loss of U.S. sovereignty)
-- No more federal gun control laws
-- No more illegal aliens pouring-in over our country''s borders
-- No more illegal aliens allowed to roam freely in our streets
-- No more national ID cards (Real ID Act)
-- No more government invasion of your privacy
-- No more federal Laws which force you to take unwanted injections
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more unlimited federal government

"Wars are poor chisels for carving-out peaceful tomorrows."
- Martin Luther King Jr.

"Commerce with all nations. Alliances with none."
- Thomas Jefferson

"Ron Paul doesn''t represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers."
- Me

[eastprophet]

YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES
America is tipping way too far back in her easy chair. Something BIG is about to happen, and I predict this upcoming 2008 Presidential Election will be extremely pivotal. I''m not going to name any candidates. You probably already know who my favorite one is. But let me make my point absolutely clear: If you think times are boring, think again. If you think the future is predictable, think again. My advice to everyone who reads this is to be thoughtful. Trust only that wisdom which is your own. 90% of mainstream media in this country is controlled by fewer than 20 different organizations. Unfortunately, they, like the sold-out political ****** who pretend tp serve us in Washington, were bought and paid for by the military-industrial-pharmacutical complex decades ago. Therefore, mainsteam media will paint pictures they want to paint, and people will open their minds to pictures they want to see. So, be skeptical. Be wise. Research issues and talking points on your own, and share what you learn with those you love. The future of your family tree may lay in the balance.

[northprophet]

RON PAUL IS THE NEW WAY
What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW way. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Presidential candidate, Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherence to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[southprophet]

U.S. WAR WITH IRAN?
When I consider the prospect of a War with Iran, I wonder whether or not another major power might be inclined to side with Iran and oppose us. 10% of China''s exports go to Iran and 12% of Germany''s. Also, many countries, including China, are heavily dependent on the 2,836,000 barrels of oil Iran exports everyday. Not a problem. I''m sure those folks won''t mind riding bikes until the war is over. As far as the Iranians are concerned, I''m sure they''re just dying (no pun intended) to be invaded, er, I mean "liberated" by Americans, considering the horrid 70% approval rating of Ahmadinejad and the terrible $8,700 gross domestic product per capita there (8.6% better than China). I''m sure we''ll be welcomed in the streets after we "shock and awe" their all important looking buildings to Jahannum and back. When I compare U.S. military numbers with Iran''s, what I find is truly alarming. The U.S. has 2.37 million soldiers ready for combat. Let''s compare that with little ol'' Iran, which has more soldiers available for combat than any country in the entire world. Actually, Iran has more combat-ready soldiers (11.7 million) than China and Russia combined. Talk about hell! The bottom line is that America can''t even handle Iraq. At one point, we thought we could rush in, smite some nubs with dirks and bubble on back home in time to catch the next season of American Idol, but it didn''t quite work-out that way. Did it? With Iran, reality is going to hurt a lot more.

[westprophet]

A FOREIGN POLICY OF FREEDOM
All of the other presidential candidates want to continue our illegal police action in Iraq indefinitely, and they do not rule out a preemptive (nuclear) first strike against Iran. Conversely, Ron Paul voted against our (undeclared) war in Iraq, which was sold to us with lies. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies--the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. The war in Iraq has cost more than 3,500 American lives and almost a trillion dollars. We need a leader in the White House who will ensure this never happens again. Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have 750 foreign bases and troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. And now, there are new calls for a draft. We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing our borders against illegal aliens who are invading us from the South. No war should ever be fought without a Declaration of War voted upon by the Congress, as required by The Constitution. Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations. Too often, we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we become despised.

[eastprophet]

MORE TROOPS AND VETERANS SUPPORT RON PAUL
On Veteran''s Day, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul today addressed a crowd of over 5,000 enthusiastic veterans and supporters in Philadelphia. The Veteran''s Day weekend rally took place at Independence Mall. Thousands of veterans and their friends and families heard country music superstar Rockie Lynne open the event for the Texas congressman. John Holland, the founder of a leading advocacy organization for troops, veterans, and POW/MIAs, delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Congressman Paul, before the congressman addressed the crowd. The rally coincided with the launch of the Veterans for Paul Coalition, a group composed entirely of American war veterans. "Dr. Paul''s support among veterans is extremely high," said Paul campaign spokesman Joe Seehusen. "These great patriots who have fought for our country know that only Dr. Paul''s foreign policy of peace and secure borders can guarantee true national security, and they want him fighting for our country''s freedom." Congressman Paul was himself a Captain in the Air Force who served as a flight surgeon during the "totally unnecessary and illegal" Vietnam war. He receives more campaign contributions from former and active military and military affiliates than all of the other 2008 presidential candidates combined.

[northprophet]

RON PAUL''S FOREIGN POLICY BOOK IS BESTSELLER
Ron Paul''s new book, "A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship," broke into the best-seller''s list recently. Dr. Paul''s collection of speeches on foreign policy is currently hovering around number 93 on the amazon.com top 100-selling books list, and has continued to maintain its number one spot in the Non-Fiction Government and Economic Policy genres. The book is a 30-year compilation of his speeches from the congressional floor, and assorted foreign policy writings on Constitutional Republicanism and Non-Interventionism. "Dr. Paul''s message of peace, prosperity and freedom is a best-seller," said Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton. "The numbers don''t lie. Americans want a humble and constitutional foreign policy, which only Ron Paul can deliver in 2008."

"Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the ability to handle conflict through peaceful means."
- Ronald Reagan

"A professional soldier understands that war means killing people, war means maiming people, war means families left without fathers and mothers. All you have to do is hold your first dying soldier in your arms, and have that terribly futile feeling that his life is flowing out and you can''t do anything about it. Then you understand the horror of war. Any soldier worth his salt should be antiwar."
- Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf

[southprophet]

GIULIANI GIVES AID TO AL QAEDA
How much exactly would it cost to get Rudy Giuliani to holster his overdone 9/11 sanctimony? The government for the tiny Persian Gulf nation of Qatar might have a good idea. Following earlier reports that Giuliani was still getting paid by a consulting firm he created, Giuliani Partners LLC, Mary Jacoby of the Wall Street Journal sheds light on some potentially problematic sources of Giuliani''s private income. Chief among them is Qatar, the U.S. ally that paid Giuliani Partners for "security advice" regarding their petroleum facilities. The article uncovers a "potential political pitfall" for Giuliani''s candidacy and image given Qatar''s spotty record in fighting Al Qaeda, and addresses aspects of the business arrangement that could dog Giuliani during his quest for the presidency. Specifically, the ostensible chief consumer of Giuliani''s security advice in this case would be Qatar''s Internal Security Ministry, currently headed by a known Al Qaeda associate. As reported earlier this year, Qatar Interior Minister Abdullah bin Khalid Al-Thani has long had ties to top Al Qaeda operatives including Osama Bin Laden, and is believed by many U.S. officials to have personally arranged the narrow escape of Al Qaeda big-wig Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from U.S. agents in 1996, thereby ensuring his freedom to mastermind the 9/11 attacks. Giuliani has refused to release specifics of the case, and to-date remains on the firm''s payroll.

[westprophet]

ONLY RON PAUL CAN BEAT CLINTON
Zogby''s Director of Communications Fritz Wenzel said on November 20 that Paul is the strongest of the GOP candidates to run against Clinton. "Among the larger universe of voters," which includes all parties, "yes, Paul would be a much stronger candidate than any of the other three [Romney, Giuliani, Thompson]," Wenzel said. Zogby recently announced that Paul was their winner in a nationwide blind-bio poll which included voters from all parties. "He is anti-war and the majority of Democrats are anti-war, he has some other ideas and policies and stances on issues more attractive to Democrats, particularly conservative Democrats," said Wenzel. "Even among Independents, he is far and away a more attractive candidate," he added. Paul is the only GOP candidate who is not threatening war with Iran, whereas Clinton vowed to keep that option "on the table." Paul also voted against the war in Iraq, which Clinton has supported. Because Democrats outnumber Republicans, none of the other GOP candidates can win against Clinton, because they simply won''t be able to reach across party lines and attract enough Democratic and Independent voters to beat Clinton. Only Paul can do that. "He''s right on schedule," Wenzel said. "He''s making all the right moves, going in the right direction...at a time when other candidates are not moving." Wenzel based his analysis on recent polls that show Paul could win in New Hampshire and that his support nationwide is intensifying.

[eastprophet]

RON PAUL WINS BIG IN NATIONAL POLL
The results of a nationwide telephone poll, announced by Zogby on November 19th, reveals that Americans want to vote for a candidate who protects liberty; who wants to shrink government; and who wants to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq - positions of Congressman Ron Paul. As part of a blind-bio, spread poll, likely voters (from all parties) were provided with descriptions of four different Republican candidates and asked to choose who they would vote for based on each one''s resume and political platform. 33% of pollees chose Ron Paul, 19% chose Rudy Giuliani, 15% chose Mitt Romney and 13% chose Fred Thompson. The results clearly illustrate that the country is crying out for Ron Paul, which is why mainstream media has launched a public relations offensive to marginalize his accomplishments and suppress the Congressman''s name recognition. In a seperate question, over 49% of pollees said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who would begin an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. In fact, Ron Paul won in every demographic of this poll including, but not limited to, religious voters, NASCAR fans, military families, African-Americans, etc..

[dmhphils]

Putin reminds me of the skinny kid in high school that owned the basketball, so you had to let them play too.

Putin wants to raise the national pride of Russia, so no telling what he is liable to do.

[JoelB]

How could this be. After all, Bush looked into Putin''s eyes and took a measure of his soul... and it was excellent at that time. Condi Rice also likes to look into people''s eyes to judge them. Apparently the entire Bush administration has this faulty test that they rely on.

[beehive21-2009]

*** KGB don''t forget it, this guy has been working on destroying the USA forever.they were friendly ,however there''s a change in the wind,we forsee trouble,same guy who put oilmen in prison ,maybe he is friendly, we have a couple right here who need jail time.

[tbweb]

Hmmm, Putin sees the U.S. boogie man behind every Russian problem, kind of like how Bush sees the al Qaeda boogie man behind every U.S. problem! Maybe everybody should have their own boogie man! Heck, even this site has its Ron Paul SPAMMER boogie man! That way when things are going bad, you can always blame boogie man. I wonder if I can create a boogie man doll and have it ready in time for Christmas? Hmmm.

[prairiefox1]

SOMEONE HAS TO PUT A MUZZLE ON THIS MADMAN!
PUTIN IS RIGHT! BUSH HAS MEDDLED TOO MUCH! THIS IDIOT IS SUPPOSED TO RUN THE US, NOT THE WORLD!

[questionnews]

Send in Jimmy Carter!! He''s the self appointed UN elections monitor. And besides, look at that face. Who could not believe him if he says "it was a fair election & Putin wins!!" "What? I''m not supposed to say that until after the election??" Dang it!

[denn034]

Some conservative books accuse Putin and Russia of meddling as well. Perhaps, Putin and Russia need to stop meddling before they tell us to stop doing it.

[tylenol6]

Putin should have done some meddling in Bush''s presidential election. He would have found out our
Liar in Thief Bush STOLE 2 election so he could be president. What a lying scumbag.