Luzhkov Shoots the Messenger

After promising Muscovites a winter without snow, Mother Nature dumped 13.5 billion cubic meters of the stuff onto the city. Mayor Luzhkov’s response: blame the weathermen.

Moscow Times: "Luzhkov, known for his attempts to control both the rain and the snow, lambasted weather forecasters Tuesday for failing to predict this winter’s first big snowfall, which caused traffic jams that even stunned drivers used to Moscow’s notoriously crowded streets. The mayor 'is extremely dissatisfied with the work of the [city] meteorological office, which was unable to make an exact forecast even on a short-term basis,' said spokesman Sergei Tsoi."

Poor Tsoi. He was about to add, "You know, in Stalin's day they'd all be shot," but somehow training and professionalism won out.