Dmitry Rogozin has never shied away from inflammatory statements.  As Russia’s envoy to NATO, though tucked away in a neutral corner of Brussels, he frequently made headlines, whether branding Republican senators ‘monsters‘, lambasting Western intervention in the Arab Spring, or accusing NATO of plotting against Russia in a wildly conspiratorial fashion.  Prior to his stint in the heart of the EU, Rogozin had gained notoriety in Russia for his unabashed demogogy on the issue of nationalism, spearheading the anti-immigration Rodina campaign.  It was reported earlier this week that for the upcoming elections, Rogozin has thrown his support firmly behind Vladimir Putin’s United Russia, which, in the face of faltering popularity ratings is looking to reconnect with the demos by any means available to it.  Michael Bohm in the Moscow Times has an insightful piece on why Putin’s party could stand to lose from embracing Rogozin’s particularly pernicious brand of chauvinism.  Here’s an extract which reveals just how unsavory the politics of Rodina’s leader are: