SIGNS OF THE TIMES: Opinion polls put the pro-Putin United Russia party in the lead, followed by main rival the Russian Communist Party
Vladimir Putin rapped on the microphone to get his ministers' attention. "Look over here and listen to me when I speak," he snapped. "If this is not interesting ... " He jerked his head toward the door, suggesting that the top officials gathered for this Security Council meeting should leave. It's not quite the calm, authoritative image the Russian President likes to project, but these days Putin often seems rattled. In an appearance on Russian TV last week, he warned of "clan struggles" that could plague the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, after its crucial elections on Dec....
