This morning, many Ukrainian parliamentarians showed up wearing stupid blue-and-white scarves with Yanukovych's name on them - "Our [something] Yanukovych" - you couldn't see what they called Yanukovych because the middle part of the scarves was on the back of their necks - but it was probably the word "president" (or "proffessor" spelled with two "f" - the way Yanukovych prefers to spell it).

There were enough little orange flags there, too, and little orange ribbons pinned to the parliamentarians' jackets - enough Yushchenko supporters. Yulia Timoshenko spoke beautifully, announcing Yushchenko's victory and condemning the thugs who were trying to steal the country. There was some booing while she spoke - or perhaps it was a mixed response.

What's sickening is that almost all of those who spoke after Yulia Timoshenko screamed about their love for Yanukovych and about his victory.

I forgot to mention it yesterday - but I've finally met a person who knows someone who supports Yanukovych: her own mother. This person voted for Yushchenko herself, and is now thinking of a way to distract her mother from voting in the second round. The mother blames Yushchenko for taking away the benefits their family used to have before he became prime minister. She also thinks Yushchenko is a thug because she saw footage of him beating the shit out of a special forces guy - the daughter hasn't seen this footage, and I haven't, either - but even if it's true, shouldn't the interior affairs minister be fired? isn't it shameful for this special forces guy - someone trained to fight and kill - to fall at the hand of an ailing politician?

I'm not saying people shouldn't have the right to vote for Yanukovych. I just don't understand how anyone can admire - and see him fit to be the president - the man with two criminal convictions, the man who can't spell and can speak neither Russian nor Ukrainian decently, the man capable of ordering his aides in front of the TV cameras to take some elderly protester "the fuck out of here."

Everyone's making fun of George W. Bush - but, compared to Yanukovych, he's an intellectual. And this is what's shameful and disgusting - to live in a country ruled by someone much dumber than Dubya.