Russian President Vladimir Putin's leading opponent in next month's presidential elections has accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a vicious media onslaught which has compared him to Adolf Hitler, made lurid charges about his sex life, and said he is funded by some of the businessmen against whom his campaign is focused.
Sergei Glazyev, who is trying to create a social democratic alternative in Russia, has been targeted by three acidic personal attacks in the media.
"Dirty tricks are the Kremlin's only weapon," he told a group of British journalists. "The Kremlin bureaucracy's idea is to have total control of the political scene. They are afraid of competition. They don't want democracy. The Kremlin organized a tender between public relations companies to produce the best lies."
A Kremlin spokesman haughtily dismissed the allegations, saying Putin's high poll ratings showed Kremlin officials could not be involved.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/02/21/2003099592Putin is turning out to be a model of Repukelicanism. Putin should sign up Gingrich for VP!