Gaddafi to Moscow?

Vladimir Zhirinovsky is one of Russia’s most, uh, colorful politicians. He’s infamous for his firebrand rhetoric, be it raging against the West or Jews, two of his favorite targets of hatred. He was once famously filmed hanging out in a bathhouse with Russian soldiers in the lead-up to the Iraq war, which he vehemently opposed, suggesting that Condoleezza Rice would calm her position if she were “taken to the barracks, where she would be satisfied.”

He’s often treated as a joke. But Zhirinovsky isn’t just another random crackpot. He’s the deputy head of the State Duma, Russia’s parliament. As Gaddafi ordered the Libyan air force to swoop in and bomb his own people on Tuesday, Zhirinovsky issued the following Tweet:

“The Libyan leader has done a lot for his country’s development, but the time for change has come. I suggest Colonel Gaddafi move to Moscow!”

The Kremlin hasn’t gone that far … yet. The foreign ministry issued a statement today calling on “all sides” to “peacefully resolve existing problems.” No condemnation of the Gaddafi regime, which has been a good economic partner to the Kremlin for years.