That Didn't Take Long

Well, ol' Vlad certainly isn't wasting any time in kicking Syrian ass and taking Syrian names.

Russia Fires Cruise Missiles in Syria

Russia and Syria unleashed a coordinated assault by land, air and sea on Wednesday...

Moscow said it had fired 26 cruise missiles on Syrian targets from naval vessels in the Caspian Sea, 900 miles away...

The bombardment appeared to be severe in some places. One video showed white smoke rising above a village’s minarets, while another appeared to show at least a dozen explosions — the person filming described the weapons as rockets — in less than five minutes.

At certain points in Wednesday’s fighting, rebels fired advanced TOW antitank missiles, supplied covertly by the C.I.A., at Syria’s Russian-made tanks, leaving the impression of a proxy war between Russia and the United States...

Gee, I think we all know who's gonna win that one.

In other Putin-related news:

In Honor Of His 63rd, Putin Plays Hockey And Is Painted As The Buddha

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 63rd birthday Wednesday, amid a controversial bombing campaign in Syria, a weakening economy and tensions with the U.S. and its Western allies. The Russian leader made a point of taking it all in stride — including adulation from his fans.

...he was shown taking part in a hockey game, playing alongside Russian stars of the National Hockey League.

Putin's fans arranged tributes, including a song by a pair of popular Russian rappers... The song calls Putin "a tough superhero."

The theme of Putin as a superhero was also promoted at a small art gallery in Moscow's Arbat district, hosting an exhibition called "Putin's Universe."

It features paintings depicting Putin as various leaders and heroes, from Alexander the Great to Batman...

Portraits are displayed of Putin as the god Thor, as Che Guevara and as the Brazilian soccer star Pele — kicking a ball drawn with the face of President Barack Obama.

Putin is portrayed as a peace hero, too — as Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha.

"Here is Vladimir Putin presented like Martin Luther King," Kojic says. "He was the most famous fighter for human rights. Also, Vladimir Putin is a fighter for human rights and he is protecting his people..."

Just like Muhammad Ali.

I'm not a big Putin fan, but you've got to admit that when push comes to shove we're in trouble.

The last word on Putin vs. obama: