Putin's character didn't merit a high opinion before this, but supporting Cheeto doesn't improve things

Not hardly.

From AP - 

Putin says prosecution of Trump shows US political system is ‘rotten’

Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted Tuesday that the criminal cases against former U.S. President Donald Trump are political revenge that show the fundamental corruption of the United States.

“As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy,” Putin said at an Eastern Economic Forum gathering in Russia’s Pacific Coast city of Vladivostok.

Prigozhin presumed to be dead; Cheeto wishes that he could deal with adversaries the same way that Putin does

If Vlad was responsible, at least he changed things up this time - it wasn't a spontaneous defenestration.

From AP -

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after a plane crash outside Moscow

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year, was presumed dead Wednesday after a plane crash north of Moscow that killed all 10 people on board.

Prigozhin was on the plane, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency, which cited the airline. The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.

Cheeto, trying to do his idol one better

Of course, in this case, "better" might not be the right word to use.

First up, Cheeto.

From CNN -

Trump says he expects to be arrested Tuesday as New York law enforcement prepares for possible indictment

Former President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects to be arrested in connection with the investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney next week and called for protests as New York law enforcement prepares for a possible indictment.

In a social media post, Trump, referring to himself, said the “leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week.”

“Protest, take our nation back,” he wrote.

Two observations here:

1. For once, I hope he's right.

2. NYPD and the NY state police should expect violence from trumpkins.

Now Vlad.

From BuzzFeed -

Vladimir Putin Is Officially A Wanted Man

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, accusing him of war crimes over the invasion of Ukraine. 

Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, are both wanted by the ICC for unlawfully deporting and transporting Ukrainian children to Russia.

The International Criminal Court does not have its own police force, so any warrants issued by it have to be enforced by other jurisdictions, and unless the subjects of the arrest warrants visit some place that will enforce the warrants for the people named in them won't be arrested.

I don't expect Putin et. al. to do so

You just know that Vlad misses Cheeto right about now

Mostly because Cheeto would have blithely supported any/all of Vlad's depredations.

From AP -

US: Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine

The United States has determined that Russia has committed crimes 

against humanity in Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris said 

Saturday, insisting that “justice must be served” to the perpetratrors. [sic]

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Harris said that the 

international community has both a moral and a strategic interest 

in pursuing those crimes, pointing to a danger of other authoritarian 

governments taking advantage if international rules are undermined.

“Russian forces have pursued a widespread and systemic attack against 

a civilian population — gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and 

deportation,” Harris said. She also cited “execution-style killings, 

beatings, and electrocution.”

"Murder, torture, rape, and deportation."

Sounds like a summary of Cheeto.

Did Putin learn to lie from Cheeto or did he know that already?

Pointed to this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From the Telegraph (UK) -

Vladimir Putin 'poised to declare all-out war on Ukraine'

Army chiefs want the president to drop the term ‘special operation’ and declare war which would enable mass mobilisation of Russians

The rest of the piece is behind a paywall.

Funny, I thought attacking hospitals, schools, and civilian targets already qualified as "all-out war"

Oh, and Russian use of land mines doesn't change the idea that Putin and the Russians are already waging an all out war against the Ukraine,

Betcha I know what movie that they're watching in Congress tonight

Well, to be watched by the members that aren't otherwise occupied by hanging with Madison Cawthorn, doing coke, and participating in orgies.

From Politico -

No more 'dillydallying' and 'lollygagging': Congress finally puts its foot down on Russia

Congress finally came to grips this week with one simple fact about Russia’s war in Ukraine: the U.S. is in it for the long haul.

After weeks of delays, the Senate and House nearly unanimously passed legislation to isolate Moscow from the global economy in ways that some acknowledge could become permanent. It’s also the first time since Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine that lawmakers have sent sanctions measures to President Joe Biden’s desk.

[snip]

“We’re in the middle of a war,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks lamented. “This is serious business. They don’t have time to be lollygagging. That should not happen in a time of crisis. We have found ways on the House side to work together.”

"Lollygagging"?

That reference made me think of one particular scene from one particular movie.

Bull Durham. (link goes to a YouTube video and will have ads, and is probably not safe for work, so don't watch the video there.)

In the scene, the manager, played by Trey Wilson, threw some baseball bats at his players to scare them into not "lollygagging".

He described baseball as a "simple game"

Dealing with Vladimir Putin will be less simple.

Step one: Don't be like Cheeto.  Don't kiss Vlad's ass.

Caveat: Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies evah, and is, IMO, the best baseball movie ever.

Guessing that right about now, Cheeto is throwing a tantrum...or asking Vlad for some Russian hookers

From Newsweek -

Trump's Georgia Rally Sees 'Smallest Crowd' in State Since 2016: Reporters

Former President Donald Trump's Georgia rally on Saturday failed to draw the

 

number of supporters he has been accustomed to in the southern state,

 

according to multiple journalists covering the event.Trump held the event 

 

in support of several of Georgia's Republican primary candidates in 

 

Commerce, Georgia, which is about an hour drive northeast of

 

Atlanta. While the former president has regularly seen tens of thousands attend

 

his events in the state, as well as other states across the country, journalists assessed

 

that the crowd size was underwhelming this weekend.

Of course, Vlad has his own problems.