NYT-1201: STATE OF THE ART A Thermostat That's Clever, Not ...
NYT-1201: STATE OF THE ART A Thermostat That's Clever, Not ...
NYT-1201: STATE OF THE ART A Thermostat That's Clever, Not ...
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Putin supporters, including brazen stuffing of bal<br />
lot boxes. <strong>Not</strong> only did United Russia barely secur<br />
e a legislative majority — 238 seats out of 450, d<br />
own from 315 now — it had to cheat to do it.<br />
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in E<br />
urope said election administrators lacked independ<br />
ence and there was no free media to cover the camp<br />
aign. Some opposition parties were barred, and Uni<br />
ted Russia was given huge advantages over those th<br />
at could run.<br />
The United States needs Russia’s cooperation on a<br />
host of issues, most notably Iran, and the Obama a<br />
dministration made the right decision to try to “r<br />
eset” the relationship. But that can’t mean giving<br />
Mr. Putin’s authoritarian ways a pass. So it was<br />
good to hear Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Cli<br />
nton express “serious concerns” that the voting wa<br />
s neither free nor fair.<br />
Since then, Washington has said nothing about the<br />
government crackdown on protestors who have turned<br />
out by the thousands to denounce the electoral fr<br />
aud. More than 1,000 people have been detained, am<br />
ong them a number of prominent opposition figures.<br />
The administration needs to keep speaking out. It<br />
would certainly help to have an American ambassad<br />
or in Moscow, but Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican<br />
of Illinois, is still blocking the confirmation of<br />
Michael McFaul.<br />
Mr. Putin has promised to shuffle the government n<br />
ext year. What he really needs to do is listen to<br />
voters who are demanding a real chance at politica<br />
l competition and economic opportunity. Unfortunat<br />
ely, he has long ago made clear his disdain for de<br />
mocracy. And while his approval ratings have decli<br />
ned, they remain, for now, above 60 percent. But t<br />
he lesson of this week’s election is that Russians<br />
’ patience is not unlimited — and a surprising num<br />
ber can imagine a world after Putin.