An editorial in today’s New York Times makes the familiar point that Dmitri Medvedev is relatively weak within the administration, and does not possess an independent base of power outside of Putin’s favor. The newspaper argues that one unconventional way for Medvedev to show his mettle and prove that “he is his own man” would be to insist “that the Kremlin lift restrictions on the press, nongovernmental organizations and opposition political parties so that there can be a real presidential race.” Isn’t it much much too late for this line of thought?