Holy WikiLeaks, Batman!

MOSCOW-Journalists here spent the weekend tensely Awaiting the Wikileaks data dump, Been having "tipped off That Would there be a Russian Bombshell in the mix. Would the documents finally Reveal Just How Much of Gazprom, Vladimir Putin, owned, or how much money they really had occurred? Would They shed light on his personal life? WHO has really killed Alexander Litvinenko, or All Those journalists? Instead we found out That Putin is an "alpha dog"; That President Dmitry Medvedev is Not an independent actor; That, by comparison, they is "pale" and "indecisive" That He Is Robin Thurs Putin's Batman; That the Russian state resembles the Soprano clan, That Putin is extremely close to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. This was about as Shocking as the attendant revelation That 9 / 11 Still Haunts American politics. Who Did not Already Know That Putin is Batman?

What we Learned, besides a few new shades and details, Is that the American Diplomats in Moscow rely on a lot of the murky sources, Western journalists do in Trying Thurs Decipher the Kremlin - sources like the Russian press, Which is a lot more intrepid please the West Gives it credit for. They do not Shem Also Thurs spend much time deciphering Actually the Kremlin; Mostly the cablers were preoccupied with the gossip coming from the Bulldogs under the rug or the spiders in a jar or the "heads in a soup, 'or whatever metaphors Such circles use . We discover, for instance, That Russian First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva Keeps a blacklist of WHO bureaucrats do not Respect her husband. That does mean anything real, and do Actually Suffer These chinovniki for earning her wrath? Unclear. "I would ask Whether there's anything really Sensational here, Whether there's anything here That Is not Already in the news papers," a Moscow source familiar with the situation But Officially unable to comment on the leak, Told Me.

In Fact, there Seems little chance That the latest, Biggest document VoMiT will derail America's largely Productive relationship with Moscow, an achievement That Barack Obama CAN Perhaps justifiably flaunt as his sole untarnished triumph as president. The official response has ranged from strong condemnation Thurs disdain - "Hollywood Imaginary Characters Require Some do not comment," Medvedev's spokeswoman said, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the the cables "Amusing reading" - and this, Given Both Sides' interest in the Not rocking the boat reset, also Life is not a surprise.

In Addition to the Fact That much of the information in the cables - Even the intertwining of the Russian Police and Organized Crime - has Been Reported widely in the Russian press, is Both Sides Officials say weren't They really caught off guard. "When the U.S. found out What Would Be Published, They got in touch, They warned the respective governments and asked Not to make this into a big deal," says Sergei Markov, a Russian parliamentarian WHO specializes in foreign policy. "The authors of These Cables Are Not Exactly policymakers. I think the Russians see and know the difference," says a senior administration official WHO Obama was Not Authorized to Speak to the press.

As for the Potential for Diplomatic awkwardness Now that everyone knows America thinks Medvedev wears green Tights, few seemed Concerned Russia watchers. "In Russia, unlike in America, M Optimism reigns, the views are politics are extremely cynical," says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs. "No one is surprised That Diplomats say These kinds of things." (That only added Lukyanov Medvedev Stood To Be offended. "Putin is likely To Be flattered," they says. "He has built his wholesale Political image is being the alpha dog.") There Is Also A Practical Matter Preventing Any kind of real offense, the American side was quick to point out. "I personally do not see what the big deal is," the Obama official says. "They intercept our phones and emails Enough To Make this Not surprising." Besides, Batman, Robin Those analogies, they ADDS, were the work of "Bushies." "Obama doesn't treat Medvedev as Robin," they says.

And while Obama May Face Political repercussions at home for the Leaked information, on the Russian side no one really cares, Given how little new information was Revealed - except, of course, the Fact That Chechen president and deranged boy-warrior Ramzan Kadyrov Gives Gold Bullion as wedding gifts. We Did not learn, for instance, anything new or Definitive about how power is Distributed Between Medvedev's Kremlin and Putin's White House, about how Medvedev Feels About His Role in the tandem, or about his future Ambitions - or Whether anyone who Matters cares. Given the banality of the disclosures, the Russians are likely Thurs RESPOND The Way They Know Best: purging. "We will draw internal Conclusions," says Markov. "Most likely, they'll look at the cables to see the WHO spoke a little too Frankly with the Americans and a couple department heads or deputy Ministers Will Be Fired."

In the Meantime, the Americans await a new batch of data, One That Could Actually make a big impact. "To be honest, I was muchmore Worried about What Might Have Been in there," the official Obama Told Me. "But this roller coaster ride Is not done yet." And while the Wikicoaster climbs the next hill over-anticipated, the Russians, for once, radiate a Innocent Bystander's pity. "We feel the awkwardness and Sympathy," a Russian diplomat Told the Interfax news agency, because "rooting around in the Diplomatic dirty laundry is not very pleasant."