Rice: Kremlin Power, Russian Media 'Very Worrying'

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=8225835

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, starting a two-day trip to Moscow, said on Tuesday the Kremlin's tightening grip on power and Russia's pliant media were "very worrying."

"Trends have not been positive on the democratic side," Rice told reporters on board her plane en route to Moscow, where she was due to meet President Vladimir Putin and other top officials.

"The centralization of state power in the presidency at the expense of countervailing institutions like the Duma (parliament lower house) or an independent judiciary is clearly very worrying. The absence of an independent media on the electronic side is clearly very worrying," she added.

Rice also said it "would not be a positive development" if Putin changed the constitution to be able to run for a third successive term.

...more...

[Frederik]

1. Sorry, which country?

"The centralization of state power in the presidency at the expense of countervailing institutions like the Congress (parliament) or an independent judiciary is clearly very worrying. The absence of an independent media on the electronic side is clearly very worrying."

[rodeodance]

5. yes, it is the us msm that is 'worrying"

[Ironpost]

8. And this reptile is the secretary of state.

I can say one thing for the puke he sure DUMBED DOWN the white house.

[tabasco]

16. You got that right.

The level of incompetence is simply shocking. It will take us decades to restore our international reputation.

Sad days for the USA. :(

[calimary]

30. So what do you suppose she wants us to do - go to war with 'em

to force democracy down their throats at the barrel of a gun?

I mean, GEEZ, Contradicta, I know you want to put that "sovietologist" expertise to work so you can finally get your money's worth out of it instead of just watching it atrophy in these non-cold war times, and you didn't like having a specialty that was obsolete, but this is ridiculous.

They dumb down at this White House, and fail up. Just ducky, isn't it?

[Laurab]

26. Yup I think a couple of typos in there

obviously she was referring to the U.S.

Once again, pot-meet kettle.

[ixion]

2. pot, meet kettle

:eyes:

[notadmblnd]

3. I think Russia is just mirroring the american way.

nt

[HereSince1628]

4. Hey Condi, you are going to have a bad case of deja vu

when you get back to the US.

The biggest difference between Putin's politics and the BFEE's is the flag they occur under.

[wtbymark]

6. what a hypocrite

has someone sank her oil tanker yet?

[ninkasi]

7. I am astonished

that a bolt of lightening didn't strike her as she uttered the words that could just as well describe what is happening in Smirky's Murica. How could she say things like that without breaking out into hysterical laughter? No, I guess that's me, breaking out into hysterical laughter, then tears, to think how far our once free and proud nation has veered on it's march to fascism.

[indepat]

9. An administration tightening the grip on power and a pliant MSM are

surely not worrying aspects of American life.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. Monkey see, Monkey do!

or something like that

[dkofos]

11. She is as blind as she is stupid.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

12. HHhhh-

-huHH???

[hector459]

13. I wonder why? OK, then let's invade since we know they DO have WMDs

Let's spread this freedom and democracy for real!

And don't forget, Russia has the largest oil reserves in the world if someone can figute out how to drill through the ice.

[Vickers]

14. Condi, aw man, funniest joke EVER!!!!!

:yourock:

I was beginning to think she didn't have a sense of humor!!! :rofl:

[Athame]

15. The NERVE of these people! n/t

:grr: :wow: :grr: :wow: :grr:

[leftchick]

17. New title:Rice Attacks Putin Over Grip on Power, Media

Take about your pot calling the kettle black! Lol! pootie poot isn't gonna like this condiLIAR!



US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Moscow for talks with the Kremlin leadership, delivering a new round of criticism of Russia on issues ranging from democracy to nuclear safety and energy policy(AFP/Alexander Nemenov)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/russia_usa_rice_dc

[FlyByNight]

18. Once again, another conservative...

lacking the slightest hint of irony. Tightening grip on power? Pliant media?

She can't (won't) see the forest for the trees.

:eyes:

[calimary]

31. But she should feel right at home over there. After all, they have

Pravda there, too. Just like the media we now have.

[lovuian]

19. Rice: Russia's power grip 'worrying'

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=7037b68d6a1d49d8&cat=c08dd24cec417021

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Posted: 1559 GMT (2359 HKT)



Condoleezza Rice is greeted at Vnukovo airport in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday.

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MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday called the Kremlin's tight grip on power and the media "very worrying" and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to cling on to power beyond his present term.

Rice made some of the sharpest U.S. criticism to date of the Kremlin's record on democracy at the start of a visit to Moscow, the first by the former Soviet specialist since being confirmed as President Bush's foreign minister.

Her two-day trip got off to a shaky start when a bomb threat forced her motorcade to divert as it took her to her hotel from the airport.

"There was a bomb threat called into the hotel. She has gone to the ambassador's residence," said a senior U.S. official who asked not to be named.

Security services checked the hotel, but no bomb was found, a U.S. official said.

With meetings scheduled with senior Russian officials including Putin on Wednesday, Rice told reporters on board her plane as she flew in to Moscow: "Trends have not been positive on the democratic side."
more...

I can't believe her!!! She is NO DIPLOMAT!!!

[Tempest]

20. It's worrying to Kindasleazy because...

It resembles what the U.S. administration is doing.

And they hate it when they're exposed to the light.

[Roland99]

21. And the Reich Wing's grip on power and media here ISN'T???

Fuck that two-bit whore.

[kskiska]

22. Rice sets chilly atmosphere for Kremlin talks

The Kremlin's alleged backsliding on democracy was "very worrying", the US secretary of state said yesterday on the eve of her meeting with the Russian president in Moscow.

Condoleezza Rice expressed increasing concern at the consolidation of power inside the Kremlin, and warned Vladimir Putin not to cling to power beyond his present term.

The comments, made to reporters travelling with her on her first official visit to Moscow, carried even greater resonance because of her status within the Bush administration, where she is one of President George Bush's most trusted confidantes. She was also an expert on the former Soviet Union before becoming involved in Republican politics and joining the government.

(snip)

She will meet Mr Putin today to smooth the way for a summit meeting between him and Mr Bush, when the US president attends the 60th anniversary Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1463909,00.html

[bemildred]

23. Putin will ignore these bonehead provocations. nt

[bpilgrim]

24. Rice sets chilly atmosphere for XXX talks...

the neoCONs are 1 trick ponies.


http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

[Horse with no Name]

28. Our democracy has been replaced with a hypocrisy

LOL...it's so amusing that all of shrubby's visits have to be "smoothed" over. I don't imagine that the Russkies are gonna worry about what Rice or shrubby think.
I guess the misadministration didn't get the memo that the rest of the world doesn't give a shit.

[Theduckno2]

25. Earth to Condi: How many terms does our ally

President Musharraf of Pakistan get before you get worried? If you were worried, would you sell him brand new F-16s? She worried that that inaction over Iraq would bring an answer in the form of a mushroom cloud, and yet she goes out of her way to poke the Russian Bear in the eye. Good plan.:sarcasm: If Putin got past Bush's recent lecturing in front of the press, I am inclined to believe he'll get past this, just like bemildred.

[Laurab]

27. How reassuring it is

that she thinks "it would not be a positive development" if Putin changed the constitution to be able to run for a third successive term.

Ok, reassuring isn't the right word. Since we're doing everything else she complains about them doing, it's downright scary.

[w4rma]

29. She's supposed to be the expert on Russia and she is *just now* noticing

all this? Hahaha.

[calimary]

36. Astonishing. Pathetic, isn't it?

She's a disgrace. Was a disgrace. Will ALWAYS BE a disgrace. And some folks out there see her as presidential material?!??!? MY how the bar has been lowered. What an utter embarrassment she is to the United States.

[Art_from_Ark]

37. Not an expert on Russia-- an expert on the USSR

See, they're two different countries, so how could one expect her to know about Russia since it didn't exist as a country when she was writing her dissertation about the USSR??

</freeper kneejerk apologist mode>

[Moderator]

32. kick to combine

[KoKo]

33. Russia's Putin Has Too Much Power, Says Rice ( & Criticizes Russian Media)

Top Stories - AFP
Russia's Putin Has Too Much Power, Says Rice
Rice arrives with new volley of criticism for Russia

Tue Apr 19, 8:59 AM ET

Top Stories - AFP

MOSCOW (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Moscow for talks with the Kremlin leadership, delivering a new round of criticism of Russia on issues ranging from democracy to nuclear safety and energy policy.


AFP/File Photo



"There's no doubt when we talk about the trends - the trends have not been positive on the democracy side," Rice told reporters en route to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin and other officials.

The United States has "continuing concerns about the course of democratisation in Russia and issues concerning the rule of law."

There "also concerns about the state of the media."

[bemildred]

34. Notice the similarity to the rhetoric used with Chavez

and other disobedient leaders.

[yorkiemommie1]

35. she's kidding, right?

...can she not hear the irony in what she is saying????