TCinLA on Letters from an American

[TCinLA]

I understand the Russian word for "partner" and "stooge" are the same. :-)

[George E Dobbs]

Unconscionable obsequiousness, Eh!?

[Terry Preshaw]

In Russian a "stooge" can be translated as a "comic partner" - партнер комика

[Katya Partan]

Personally, I like "марионетка"—puppet.