RUSSIA: Anti-Corruption Blogger Alexei Navalny Emerges As Putin Party Challenger; Another Protest In 'Putin Snow Revolt.'

                                            BBC/ Profile/ S.ENNIS

     Since 2008, blogger and commercial lawyer Alexei Navalny, 35, has been leading protests against corruption and now over the results of recent parliamentary elections.
    He is famous for labelling PM Putin's party...'a party of crooks and thieves.'
    He was also one of 420 arrested in Moscow and St.Petersburg after election results were released. Moscow experienced its biggest demonstration in a decade...enforced by 52,000 security officials.
    Navalny has already been sentenced to 15 days in jail.
    His influence has grown dramatically...as readers increased.
    In December 2008, his blog had about 1,500 regular readers.
    In May 2010, it had over 11,000.
    Today it has over 60,000.
    His Twitter account has over 117,000 followers.
    AND...MORE about Navalny and his Putin challenge:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/12/putins-big-mistake.html?mbid=gnep&google_editors_picks=true

    TO READ : About 2nd Day Protests, Clinton reaction to vote and Putin response:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-12-06/russian-election-protest/51670936/1?csp=34news