Putin Officially Running for Prez

United Russia party nominates him to run in March elections
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2011 5:51 AM CST
Vladimir Putin Nominated to Run for Russian President
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev listens during a United Russia party congress in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011.   (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Vladimir Putin has decided that he'd like to be Russia's top dog again, so his United Russia party today obliged him by formally nominating him to run for president in March's elections. Pooty-poot, who has relegated himself to the No. 2 prime minister job since 2008, has vowed to make handpicked successor and current president Dmitry Medvedev his new prime minister. The neat swap isn't going over well among Russians concerned with democracy, notes the AP, and could set Putin up to serve another 12 years. (More Russia stories.)

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