Just like three years ago, Putin farts and everyone comes running to smell it.

On Sept. 13, 2004, just ten days after the bloody end of the Beslan siege, Putin managed to divert everyone's attention by ending the system of supposedly direct popular election of Russia's governors.

Now, according to Putin, instead of thinking about the mess in Ingushetia, "we should all think together how to build a structure of power and governance that better corresponds to the pre-election period." Now, we should all think about Zubkov.