All the nutty gits who imagined that Bush fancies himself an emperor, here’s a look at a man who really looks like he is readying to set himself up for eternal power. And, no, it’s not happening in Venezuala.

President Vladimir Putin said Monday he would lead the dominant party’s ticket in December parliamentary elections and suggested he could become prime minister, the strongest indication yet that he will seek to retain power after he steps down as president early next year.

Putin is barred from seeking a third consecutive term in the March presidential election, but has strongly indicated he would seek to keep a hand on Russia’s reins.

He agreed to head the United Russia party’s candidate list in December, which could open the door for him to become a powerful prime minister—leading in tandem with a weakened president.
[...]
The popular Putin has repeatedly promised to step down at the end of his second term in May, as the constitution requires, but has suggested he would maintain significant influence. He offered some initial hints at his strategy last month when he named Viktor Zubkov—a previously obscure figure known mainly for his loyalty—as prime minister.

With no power base of his own, Zubkov would likely play his preordained part in any Putin plan. If he became president and Putin prime minister, Zubkov could be expected to cede specific powers to Putin or step down to allow him to return to the presidency. If he becomes prime minister, Putin would be first in line to replace the president if he is incapacitated.

Putin continues to manipulate and twist Russia’s democratic institutions to ensure that his base of power will remain long after his term in office. That’s what a real power grab looks like, and it is cause for continued concern.

I’ve said it a number of times over the last few years, yet it’s still worth repeating: Russia is not our friend. I’d allowed myself to hope that our relationship with our former enemy would be congenial after the Cold War ended; the truth is, though, that Russia’s interests are not our interests, Russia’s foreign policy goals are often directly at odds with our most important goals, and Russia has taken an intentional adversarial stance to the United States. Russia isn’t our friend because Russia doesn’t want to be our friend.

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