File this one under "Least surprising news of the month."Vladmir Putin's United Russia party amassed a huge majority in yesterday's parliamentary elections which will allow the former KGB chief to do pretty much whatever he pleases with regards to his own future.This despite European election monitors - those few that Putin allowed to operate - who said the ballot was unfair. The sky's the limit for Putin now: The victory paves the way for Putin to remain Russia's de facto leader even after he leaves office next spring. On Monday, Putin described the weekend's election as a vote of confidence in him. "I headed the United Russia ticket and, of course, it's a sign of public trust," Putin said in televised remarks. Sunday's vote followed a tense Kremlin campaign that relied on a combination of persuasion and intimidation to ensure victory for the United Russia party and for Putin, who has used a flood of oil revenues to move his country into a more assertive position...(Read Full Post)