Start the Music as Russians Change Seats

There is a bit of a musical chair scenario happening in Russia as they gear up for a Presidential election next year, along with the United States. Already events are unfolding in Russia that will affect their Presidential election next year.

The NY Times reported that there is some dust stirring up in the Kremlin these days.

The finance minister, Aleksei L. Kudrin, was fired on Tuesday and told to vacate his country home after serving in public office for over 20 years. The Times reported that it was retribution for defying President Dmitri Medvedev and meant to be a deterrent to others who would dare to go against the leader.

You can read all about it here.

Vladimir Putin shuffled the leadership deck last week and prepared for his return to the Presidential seat where he will sit for the next 12 years if he wins and he is expected to. Medvedev would take the helm of Prime Minister to lead Russia's political party called "United Russia." Although it would appear that Medvedev is ruling by an iron fist and making sure that there is little opposition to his party.

Just what will happen when Putin returns to the Presidential post is anyone's guess. Interestingly enough, President Obama was quoted as saying, "I think Putin has one foot in the old way of doing business, and one foot in the new."

If President Obama returns to office next year, will that statement come back to haunt him? NPR news reported that, "Russians are at odds with the U.S. administration on a number of issues."

Let's just hope that the Cold War doesn't heat up again.

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-putin-20110928,0,2923676.story?track=rss

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/28/140857428/will-u-s-russia-reset-survive-a-putin-presidency

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/world/europe/kremlins-treatment-of-fired-finance-minister-sends-warning-on-defiance.html