ONE OUT OF TWO AINT BAD

First the bad news: Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party won last Sunday's election by garnering 68% of the vote.

The good news: Hugo Chavez lost his bid to be president for life in Venezsuelan elections. In an obvious repudiation of his socialist agenda, Chavez reported that he lost the election 51% to 49%. Many experts say if that is what the Chavez government claims are the results, then the real results are probably closer to 80% to 20%. Despite his country being awash in oil money,the country is enduring a food shortage. So much for socialism helping the poor.

The Russians, who have no conception of what a democracy is, gave Putin almost unlimited powers. Even though he must vacate the post of President in 2010, the referendum allows him to maintain power. It is presumed he will declare himself Prime Minister, and then handpick the next President, who will, of course, be a puppet for Mr. Putin. Scratch Vladimir Putin deep enough and you will find an old school Bolshevik straight out of the Stalin-Kruschev school of dictatorship. What else would you expect from a guy who once ran the KGB?