Every once and a while Vladmir Putin reminds us what his life's calling was before he become psuedo-czar of all the Russias.

He was a high ranking KGB agent. And when confronted with a roadblock to his ambitions, what do you think the automatic, knee jerk response of the former secret policeman might be?

Arrest and detention. Reuters:

The head of an independent Russian election watchdog was detained for 12 hours at a Moscow airport Saturday as part of attempts to stop it monitoring Sunday's vote for a new parliament, the group's lawyer said.

Golos leader Liliya Shibanova was held by customs officers at Sheremetyevo airport after returning from a trip abroad on the eve of the election, in which Vladimir Putin's United Russia is likely to have its huge parliamentary majority reduced.

The Western-funded group's lawyer, Ramid Akhmetgaliyev, told Reuters the customs officers copied contents of her laptop computer and Golos deputy head Grigory Melkonyants said her laptop had been confiscated.

Hours earlier, the United States had expressed concern about "what appears to be a pattern of harassment" of Golos, which has aired reports of alleged violations in Russian elections.

A Moscow court ruled late Friday that Golos had violated a ban on the publication of opinion poll results within five days of the election to the State Duma lower house.

During the campaign, Prime Minister Putin has accused foreign countries of meddling in the preparations for the election -- and for a March presidential election he is expected to win -- by funding organizations in Russia.

This is why Russians are resigned to Putin winning election as president again; he will do anything, stop at nothing, allow no impediment to his returning to office.

Given this incident, that seems a safe bet.