On April 27th even Igor Sergeyev, the defence minister, a doveish Yeltsin stooge in the eyes of many of Russia's military types, said that he was wondering whether to extend the life of Russia's elderly nuclear arsenal.
However, for the Arab media, Mr Chalabi was the epitome of an American stooge, a man who sold his soul to the devil.
It was crucial to the credibility of that office that its occupant should not be seen as a stooge - and the committee chair, Andrew Tyrie, seized the opportunity to demand not just a veto on their appointment, but on their dismissal, too.
And to play Moe, the bossy ringleader of Stooge domination, there's Greek-born Chris Diamantopoulos with a bowl cut and Brooklyn accent ("Soitenly") that is Moe to the life.
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Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto present themselves as victims of a Western conspiracy, and portray Mr Odinga as a stooge of the West and architect of their indictment.
The votes of the right and centre-right would be enough to pass the new reform, but one of Mr Monti's strengths is his cross-party backing and he will not want to be seen as a stooge of the conservatives.
Alarm was also spread by Mr Berlusconi's initial insistence on a general election as the only way out of the political deadlock, and by his naming of a perceived stooge, Angelino Alfano, the secretary of his People of Freedom (PdL) movement, as his likely successor: the man who, as justice minister, introduced a 2008 law, later ruled unconstitutional, that provided Mr Berlusconi with immunity from prosecution.
Thabo Mbeki, a former South African president mandated as mediator by SADC, reacted with a scathing letter, browbeating Mr Tsvangirai's lot for rejecting the ministry-sharing idea and accusing it of being a Western stooge.
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During the MPs' questioning, Lord Patten, a former Cabinet minister and chairman of the Conservative party, rejected a suggestion by MPs that he would be seen as a "party stooge".
When their delegates failed to achieve much, the recriminations began: Mr Mogra has had to explain to Muslim audiences that he is not a Labour stooge.
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