Father Taylor is away for a couple of days, so allow me to take this opportunity to debase the integrity of The New Nixon by spreading a possibly frivolous and probably scurrilous rumor.
The newly annointed Chairman of the United Moscow party may have decided to romance the members of the prestigious Public Chamber of Russia one by one beginning with Representative Alina Kabaeva. If this intriguing blind gossip item (in no less authoritative and august a venue than the London Telegraph) turns out to be true, remember where you saw it first. If not, be assured that I deplore my action even now as I prepare to hit “Publish”.

Perhaps the only thing more deplorable would be to link a clip of Ms. Kabaeva’s samba extravaganza on the Russian version of Dancing With The Stars.