Putin Dissolves Russian Government

Earlier today, President Vladimir Putin dissolved Russia's government. Before you start thinking that Putin usurped power, all he did was accept the resignation of his Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. By Russian law, when the Prime Minister leaves office, it automatically causes the dissolution of the government.

In a surprise move, Putin nominated little-known Viktor Zubkov as Fradkov's replacement. Zubkov used to work with Putin in the city administration of St. Petersburg in the 1990s. It will be interesting to see if Putin uses this activity as a way to setup a potential presidential comeback in 2012.