Russia No Longer Free

Via some Insta-something site, we learn that Freedom House has determined that Russia is no longer even partially free:

Political rights and civil liberties have become so restricted in Russia that the country has been downgraded to "Not Free," Freedom House announced in a major survey of global freedom released today.

They're right, of course. Ironic, that Russia is currently a so-so ally against terror, at least when they're not selling arms to the terrorists, that is. It looks like Bush's attempt to reach out to Putin has gone nowhere, though for all the rhetoric that attempt had always been wisely done at arm's-length, just in case.