Iraqis go to the polls in provincial elections
posted at 7:11 am on January 31, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Iraqis go to the polling booth today in their first provincial elections in the post-Saddam era. The BBC reports that while the Iraqis have put tight security measures in place and mortars have hit occasionally, a festive mood has broken out in Iraq. Turnout appears heavy, especially among the Sunni:
Iraqis are electing new provincial councils in the first nationwide vote in four years, with the Sunni minority expected to turn out in strength.
After a slow start, correspondents said voting was brisk, including among Sunni Muslims, who largely boycotted the last elections.
The vote is seen as a test of Iraq’s stability ahead of a general election due later this year.
Security is tight and thousands of observers are monitoring the polls.
The Sunnis learned a lesson from 2005, when they boycotted two elections. They expected the Shi’ites and Kurds to woo them and get a better deal, but instead they got marginalized in the National Assembly. That prompted the Sunni to ally themselves with al-Qaeda and native insurgents, which was an even bigger mistake. This time they plan on participating to ensure proper representation — a victory for democracy.
How big of a change will we see? In 2005, the Sunnis had a 2% turnout. The head of Anbar’s electoral board expects a 60% turnout this time. It demonstrates the radical shift in thinking among the Sunni about national unity, but to be fair, it also demonstrates the transformation of the security situation in Anbar and other Sunni areas. While there were plenty of refuseniks in 2005, many people got intimidated into staying home by the insurgents and AQI terrorists in the previous national elections.
Iraqi security forces expected an effort by terrorists to disrupt the elections this time as well, specifically by using women as suicide bombers. Their culture does not allow for men to search women — for that matter, neither does ours under normal circumstances — so the Iraqis hired hundreds of women to perform that task instead. The traffic bans and closed borders of the 2004 and 2005 elections are back, even though the danger has grown much smaller in the intervening years. They’re taking few chances, and at least so far it’s been successful.
The Shi’ites may have their own transformation in these elections. The previous elections produced large support for theocratic parties, but this time observers believe that they will lose significant ground to nationalist and/or secular parties. Without the Mahdis gripping the Shi’ite areas, the people want to get away from imam rule. Moqtada al-Sadr will disappear even further into oblivion.
This is what victory looks like.
Blowback
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Its a good day, and now in the heart of the Middle East we have a functioning Democracy. The long term-implications are just stunning.
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:20 AM
I had heard over 600,000 Iraqi security forces will take to the streets today.
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:20 AM
Hey Libs, this is is a purple finger in your eye. You so-called ‘liberals’ were against this, now you see how wrong you were. Admit it.
Tony737 on January 31, 2009 at 7:27 AM
4,000 women running for office. You’d think ‘liberals’ would be in favor of this, right? Right? >crickets<
Tony737 on January 31, 2009 at 7:28 AM
I’m feeling very happy for the Iraqi people right now. I’m also very grateful to all the people–military, civilian, American and Allied–who made this possible.
backwoods conservative on January 31, 2009 at 7:34 AM
tony 737,
the libs would favor it if the trial lawyers could make money off the election.
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:34 AM
Hmmmm why aren’t I seeing any of this on my TV???
KelliD on January 31, 2009 at 7:35 AM
I’m sure Obama will comment on what a great day it is in the Middle East for an important country to hold peaceful and legitimate elections, and how wonderful it is to see a true democracy developing before our own eyes. He may even give one of those fancy speeches he is so well known for, involking a great line that will endure in history the way Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbekov, tear down this wall” speech. And the people of American will love him for it because it will affirm his greatness and validate thier support in him.
Oh wait; you said this was elections in Iraq. I’m sorry; I thought you said it was real elections in Iran. Well, in that case, you can cancel the big speech and the memorable line for history to remember. It wouldn’t be prudent for Obama to highlight his failure to support the surge…
RedSoxNation on January 31, 2009 at 7:36 AM
This is just wrong , the power was unlawfully taken from Hussein. Stop democracy now!
the_nile on January 31, 2009 at 7:38 AM
For the sake of argument I’ll agree that invading Iraq was a bad idea and Bush is a hypocrite for nation building when he said he wouldn’t, blah, blah, blah.
But isn’t this a wonderful thing to see?
pugwriter on January 31, 2009 at 7:44 AM
kellie d
the today show described did a 30 second blurb on it, the anchor described it as interesting.
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:44 AM
So where’s the return on our half a trillion dollar investment (how big is the defecit again?). Are they going to start selling us oil at a lower price. Are they going to pay us back the billions in reconstruction projects? Or did we sacrifice thousands of lives for purely altruistic reasons? Considering where our defecit is right now and the dire straits this has placed our currency in I’m not exactly having the warm fuzzies.
Also? It’s not a functional democracy until it functions without a massive U.S. troop presence.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Are you suggesting that if we shed our blood, it should be for oil?
backwoods conservative on January 31, 2009 at 7:50 AM
DeathToMediaHacks,
we will not have to deal with the Hussein dynasty in the future and 25 million people have been liberated from a vast concentration camp. That is the reward.
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:52 AM
It takes a while , look at Europe after ww2.
You know, history , you could learn something from it.
the_nile on January 31, 2009 at 7:53 AM
May God Bless the Iraqi people with His Peace and Prosperity.
And May God Bless President George Bush.
Zorro on January 31, 2009 at 7:55 AM
zorro,
well said
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:56 AM
Ditto
El Coqui on January 31, 2009 at 8:07 AM
Good to know. The sooner we can get our boys and girls out of Iraq, the sooner we can concentrate on directing our resources towards our own borders. I don’t think this was was worth it.
NorthernCross on January 31, 2009 at 8:07 AM
As a strong defender of the action originally, and one who tired to some extent after the poor administration response to some incredible Bush bashing, I am glad there is some recognizable benefit showing.
Hopefully their fledgling democracy doesn’t produce the same idiot types in a legislature like we have. We shall see..
Jason Gillman on January 31, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Huzzah for George W. Bush and the liberated Iraqi People. Congratulations again to Iraq for proving themselves a brave and civilized democracy.
Thank our military for DOING all that it took to make Iraq’s dream for democracy come true. These young men and women are OUR greatest generation, and VOLUNTEERS!
maverick muse on January 31, 2009 at 8:12 AM
Considering the constant struggle with the far-left in this world, can say the Iraqi election is not in THEIR name and it was a Bush / Republican victory?
RobCon on January 31, 2009 at 8:13 AM
… the Iraqi election is not in THEIR name … – Rob
That’s correct, sir! The lefties were against this BECAUSE it was the advancement of democracy. They PREFER a Stalinist over an elected P.M. and that’s what they want for us eventually. They’d love to have Obama (Ogabe, as Bishop calles him, haha) for life.
Tony737 on January 31, 2009 at 8:20 AM
LOL. Seems to be what is being implied. But its always about money with libs/leftie/socialist sycophants.
Why do you suppose that is?
Itchee Dryback on January 31, 2009 at 8:24 AM
Um, didn’t you see yesterday’s piece showing how Obama’s “stimulus” will cost twice as much as the entire Iraq war? Leftists are no longer allowed to talk about deficits.
Kafir on January 31, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Sounds fair to me. After having to look at the signs of “Not In MY Name” and listening to the same since ’03, it seems to be a fair request.
Itchee Dryback on January 31, 2009 at 8:33 AM
We enforced UN Resolution 1441, adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council, giving Saddam one last chance to comply with UN demands. It was their weapons inspectors, NOT GW Bush, who reported that Saddam would not account for tens of thousands of liters of anthrax and other WMD previously catalogued by the inspectors before they were kicked out of Iraq in the Clinton era…their mandate by the way was not to find weapons but merely to oversee their destruction as part of the 1991 ceasefire. IF you recall, this was not long after about 1/100th of one liter of Anthrax, placed in a handful of letters, killed several people and basically paralyzed the US for several weeks.
Just because you get convenient amnesia doesn’t mean we do.
Patrick S on January 31, 2009 at 8:48 AM
That’s spending on the United States and on infrastructural, national investments that our country needs. Imagine how much less damage this defecit spending would be now if we’d spent that much on fixing our crumbling infrastructure, retrofitting our buildings and spending research and development on alternative fuels to the tune of half a trillion instead of engaging in nation building. Is the new GOP line going to be that history began in Jan 20 2008? I thought you DIDN’T think this guy was a history changing messiah.
You want me to believe that conservatives are motivated by the sanctity of UN international law? No one’s buying it. I also recall that the very same UN did not authorize the use of force, we ignored them. The very same UN weapons inspectors said they had not completed their work and wanted more time, we ignored them. I don’t have convenient amnesia you do.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Facts are not something one “buys”. They are simply facts.
Your preceding diatribe, on the other hand, is nothing but populist and socialist crap and myopic opinion imo.
I don’t buy it.
Itchee Dryback on January 31, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Ed, I gave you a nice plug for this article, using your comments above, over at Libertarian Republican blog.
Article titled, “Iraq: Before George Bush, After George Bush.”
ericdondero on January 31, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Can we do an America before George Bush, after George Bush analysis too? Hmm looks like Bush did a better job being Prez of Iraq than he did of the United States.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Can our economy absorb 500,000 returning Iraqi War Veterans right now?
Yesterday it was reported that the economy shrank by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. They’ll be trading their uniforms for a spot on the unemployment lines.
ericdondero on January 31, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Its a good day, and now in the heart of the Middle East we have a functioning Democracy. The long term-implications are just stunning.
I’m sooo glad the Dems supported the war so that we could get to this point. Without their unbridled support we couldn’t have gotten here. What’s that? They took every opportunity to point out what a failure the war was, that it was lost? Oh, well then screw them.
Don’t forget that they wanted surrender.
RWLA on January 31, 2009 at 9:15 AM
DeathToMediaHacks, you mean all those attacks that we suffered here on US soil since 9/11.
Yeah, absolutely horrible that Bush let Houston be blown up by the dirty bomb. And Los Angeles attacked by those Muslim extremists who crossed over from the Mexico border. And that second attack in New York, where that Islamic extremist blew up all those tens of thousands of people in the Subways.
Yeah, I know what you mean. Bush should have kept America safe after 9/11.
ericdondero on January 31, 2009 at 9:15 AM
We did not finish off Saddam in 1991 because the UN mandate was to remove him from Kuwait only. We complied with the UN. You lose that point.
Resolution 1441 was the last of many resolutions demanding that Saddam comply with the ceasefire requirements. It gave him ONE LAST CHANCE to comply. If you are not complying with a ceasefire, that means the war is back on. You lose that point.
The very same weapons inspectors reported that not only weren’t they finding WMD, they weren’t even finding dust. Supposedly long abandoned facilities were virtually sterile. They weren’t going to find anything, because Saddam knew where we were going. That was the conclusion of weapons inspectors. You lose that point.
Go back to the Huff POS or Daily POS or whatever sewer you oozed out of and spew your ignorance, you little America-hating piece of crap. It won’t fly here.
Patrick S on January 31, 2009 at 9:18 AM
Thank you President George Walker Bush.
carbon_footprint on January 31, 2009 at 9:24 AM
The big question is not whether the Sunnis have learned their lesson but whether those who opposed the liberation and pacification of Iraq, especially you know who, will learn anything from this.
Basilsbest on January 31, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Bravo Patrick! Thank you for the entire piece – both your recitation of the facts and the Daily POS which I really like as it can be applied to both pos Stewart and that pos summer soldier.
Basilsbest on January 31, 2009 at 9:30 AM
How so?
Itchee Dryback on January 31, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Iraq would have been pacified sooner if “progressives” hadn’t given strength and encouragement to the insurgency. But WTF, it paid off in the mid terms and the general elections.
Basilsbest on January 31, 2009 at 9:39 AM
You mean the UN weapons inspectors who lie about how close to the bomb Iran is? You mean the UN who got in so much trouble over the Oil-For-Food scandal? You mean the UN who is supposed to be “peacekeeping” between Israel and Lebanon and does nothing of the sort? You mean the UN who lets its own peacekeepers rape women and sell children into slavery? That UN. You have a lot of faith in a failed organization, darling.
So you also are basically placing a monetary value on people. Since we went to war and should thus be compensated for it. Instead of being happy that that frigging psychotic in charge of Iraq is gone, gone, gone. Tell me something: How much is an Iraqi worth? How about a Sudanese Christian? How about a Jew? Just curious, baby.
mjk on January 31, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Liberal seem to forget that the members of the U.N. (while accepting bribes from Saddam) were clamoring for the removal of sanctions on Iraq. Weekly there where sad sad stories about how the Food for Oil program was not sufficient to care for the (drum roll please)children. What the media wasn’t mentioning was that Saddam built four new palaces during the years of the sanctions. I am sure everyone will remember CNN admitting to not reporting what was truly going on in Iraq so that the could maintain access. Although why you need access if you’re not going to report on it still mystifies me. It human nature to take stuff out of context but some folks need to remember the big picture.
Cindy Munford on January 31, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Well said.
Patrick S on January 31, 2009 at 9:50 AM
The surge worked. George W. Bush was right to double down on Iraq.
Pity that DtMH can’t see that, or write the words “Bush was right”
rbj on January 31, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Hack —
So you want to toss out the accomplishments of the war because it may have started on false assumptions? You’re a real standup guy.
Hey CIA, go grab Mugabe out of Zimbabwe, Hack wants to put him in charge of Iraq.
jimmy the notable on January 31, 2009 at 9:51 AM
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 7:20 AM
Thanks to George Bush and General Petraeus. They stood alone through all the name calling and the “suspension of disbelief” in Washington.
Herb on January 31, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Maybe our local voting districts should take a leaf from the Iraqi’s and start having voters dip their thumbs in ink after voting. Might cut down on those ‘double, triple’ voting problems.
GarandFan on January 31, 2009 at 9:58 AM
Via icasualties.org
Just 4 hostile deaths in Iraq this month. Lowest of the war, I believe.
jimmy the notable on January 31, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Not that it should be a justification, but military spending also has an economic stimulus effect, doesn’t it?
See history, USA 1929 ~ 1945.
DarkCurrent on January 31, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Do NOT conced the point to Liberals, and even Leftwing Trolls at HotAir, that “No Weapons of Mass Destruction were found.” That is complete and utter bullshit!!
They were found, on at least 4 different occasions: Twice by US Troops, once by Polish Troops, and a 4th time the 500,000 tons of yellow cake, that were eventually shipped to the US via Canada.
Also, US Troops discovered plans for Saddam’s extensive WMD program buried in the Rose Garden of one of his top Female Bio-Scientists.
Just because the liberal media does not report on it, doesn’t make it true.
ericdondero on January 31, 2009 at 10:09 AM
But.. but… but… Dingy Harry, Botox Nancy, and Obamabi said Iraq was a lost.
Hog Wild on January 31, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Just 4 hostile deaths in Iraq this month. Lowest of the war, I believe.
jimmy the notable on January 31, 2009 at 10:03 AM
There were more than twice as many deaths in Los Angeles this past week than there were in Iraq.
CH on January 31, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Real, honest-to-God free elections in Iraq… maybe I’ll move there.
chunderroad on January 31, 2009 at 10:47 AM
“The surge won’t work. The war is lost”
- Harry Reid, April 20, 2007
“Iraq will turn into bloody civil war.”
- NYT, LAT, WaPo, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS
“It is time to bring our troops home.”
- B. Hussein Obama, July 20, 2007
“This war is the biggest ethical issue we’re facing in our country. … This is not working. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. We must reverse it.”
- Nancy Pelosi, November 8, 2007
Hey everybody, guess who’s running the show now, and deciding how large our military should be?
Gulp.
fogw on January 31, 2009 at 11:03 AM
It’s just bizarre.
the_nile on January 31, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Good point, fogw…they’re like a five year old driving an eighteen wheeler.
Patrick S on January 31, 2009 at 11:09 AM
There were more than twice as many deaths in Los Angeles this past week than there were in Iraq.
CH on January 31, 2009 at 10:44 AM
U.S OUT OF LOS ANGELES!
NO BLOOD FOR WHATEVER IT IS THEY PRODUCE!
Bishop on January 31, 2009 at 11:10 AM
It was a stunning success. They actually had to keep the polls open an extra hour.
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Basilsbest,
sad but true
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 11:13 AM
So I guess, uh, we, uh, well…
I suppose we, uh, won the war.
I hate what dhimmicrats are doing to our country.
Mojave Mark on January 31, 2009 at 11:17 AM
And they did it all without ACORN.
Disturb the Universe on January 31, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Unwatchable movies, tedious TV, unlistenable music, and awards shows.
NO BLOOD FOR BOTOX!
CK MacLeod on January 31, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Yes – but I’m beginning to like what they’re doing to themselves.
CK MacLeod on January 31, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Maybe this will start changing around the mindset held in ‘high esteem’ in liberal circles that Arabs by their nature are not compatible with democracy and freedom (you know, like they said about the Russians after the cold war?)
Defector01 on January 31, 2009 at 11:27 AM
The Democrats would counteract this measure by wearing skin-like sheaths on their thumbs.
Basilsbest on January 31, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Actually we had nothing to do with the elections today. I know , I’m here. The U.S. had virtually no troops on the streets today as we were all sitting in our FOB’s and COP’s hoping for a good outcome. In fact it was hard to tell what was going on because we didn’t have a presence out on the streets. It was all 100% Iraqi today folks, and the turnout was far better than what we get in the U.S. relatively speaking. Regardless of how they might or might not feel about us, or how certain a** hats feel back in the states, I feel pretty damn proud today of the Iraqi people I have come to know so well over the past six years.
gator70 on January 31, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Quagmire.
Jim Treacher on January 31, 2009 at 11:44 AM
U.S OUT OF LOS ANGELES!
NO BLOOD FOR WHATEVER IT IS THEY PRODUCE! – Bishop
HA! That’d be even funnier if it weren’t so inevitable.
And even funnier still with an ‘ uh dot dot dot’. Allow me to demonstrate: U.S OUT OF LOS ANGELES!
NO BLOOD FOR uh … WHATEVER IT IS THEY PRODUCE!
Tony737 on January 31, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Why are you saying death to to people who “think” like you?
Basilsbest on January 31, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Freedom is great when you have it. Libs don’t care about anyone else. They want to think about the world…just look at how little they contribute to charity.
tomas on January 31, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Actually we had nothing to do with the elections today. – Gator
Well, depends on how ya mean that, ’cause the U.S. had EVERYTHING to do with it, but we know what ya meant, not being involved and letting the iraqis do it themselves, which can be defined as victory.
Thank you for your service, Gator, please keep us up to date!
Tony737 on January 31, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Libs don’t care about anyone else. – Tom
Correct sir. They are not true ‘liberals’ ’cause they only want liberty for themselves. They are not true ‘progessives’ ’cause they only want progress for themselves and they are not true ‘democrats’ ’cause they only want democracy for themselves.
Tony737 on January 31, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Of course this is bad news to DeathToCapitalistPigs. It’s democracy.
Jim Treacher on January 31, 2009 at 11:51 AM
It is indeed good (don’t forget Israel though), but I couldn’t help thinking when I saw the pic of the lady voting that universal suffrage here in the US is leading to the undoing of our own democracy. It’s that old life-cycle of democracies referred to many times here at HA. Iraq may be at one end while we’re approaching another. Bittersweet.
JiangxiDad on January 31, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Total Expenditures for War in Iraq: $546 billion
Total Expenditures for Obarfy’s Stimulus: $1.2 Trillion
Looks like we’ve found someone who doesn’t think the deficit is high enough – by a long shot. And golly gee, it’s a Democrat. I bet that makes you warm and gooey.
fogw on January 31, 2009 at 12:03 PM
We didnt win in IRAQ huh? Try this 6 or 7 years ago.
johnnyU on January 31, 2009 at 12:32 PM
JiangxiDad.
lets stay optimistic, but….
rob verdi on January 31, 2009 at 12:47 PM
This is a wonderful day for everyone in Iraq and for all of us who have prayed for this day. The only ones disappointed by it and grumbling about it are the libbies–but then, they’ve never been for individual rights and freedom to begin with.
Matt Helm on January 31, 2009 at 12:52 PM
“I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and – you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows – (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday.”
- Harry Reid, 4-20-07
WisCon on January 31, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Care to be intellectually honest and combine total expenditures for Iraq and Afghanistan and the annual Pentagon budget which we all know is seperate from those two budgets. I’ll wait.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 1:03 PM
What’s your point?
Pianobuff on January 31, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Thanks to the Brave men and women that where the American uniform and other nations who stood up and took down Saddam and AQ in Iraq. Thanks to the Iraqis who stood strong in that tough time. Thanks to President George W. Bush who liberated 50 Million strong in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
lavell12 on January 31, 2009 at 1:22 PM
60% turnout?
Damn!
They have the US beat… we only got about 51% turnout, the lowest since 1964 and possibly since the US Civil War. Iraqis participating in representative democracy at higher rates than US citizens do… makes their government look like it has better backing than ours does… and since this wasn’t the big sort of election, we are beat hands-down on the legitimacy part of it as our inter-presidential turnouts are pathetic.
Perhaps we can get lucky and be invaded by them so they can teach us about this strange custom of voting? Apparently we need a counter-insurgency to get rid of those in control of things who are turning americans off to representative democracy.
ajacksonian on January 31, 2009 at 1:26 PM
ACORN dude is thinking “what’s their secret?”.
Pianobuff on January 31, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Um, this isn’t what “victory” looks like. Victory will be when they can do this election holding when our troops are out of the country and they arrest the nutjobs dictating from the Koran.
Speedwagon82 on January 31, 2009 at 1:38 PM
***
I hope the Iraqi People will make good use of the gift of freedom that our military paid for with our sacrifice of blood and treasure.
***
They are a very courageous people–a few years ago having a purple stained finger after voting could result in having their heads cut off.
***
Iraq will look like France, Germany, or Japan in the future–prosperous and at peace–thanks to the U.S.A. and our military. May God give them the wisdom to make this happen for the benefit of all their people.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on January 31, 2009 at 1:42 PM
When would you say victory over Germany and Japan in WWII was achieved? Just curious….
Pianobuff on January 31, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Total costs for both fronts to date: $872 billion
Still 1/3 less than Obarfy’s ponzi scheme that will be thrown away on pork projects.
Why include the entire Pentagon budget? Oh, I forgot, all you lefties would like to elminate the military altogether. Good idea toolbag, leave our nation totally unprotected.
fogw on January 31, 2009 at 2:01 PM
So where’s the return on our half a trillion dollar investment (how big is the defecit again?). Are they going to start selling us oil at a lower price.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 7:47 AM
It is a moral and honorable investment in liberty and security.
We know we dont have to research and sleuth saddam anymore in an attempt to outguess his evil.
We know that alqeeda and are not going to plan missions against us from Afghanistan and the taliban has been replaced.
Most of all, radical islamists and their like, definately know that the world is a lot smaller for them to hide today than it has been in a long time.
See?
Thank you brave Iraq and congratulations on your sovereignty.
Thank you,
President George W. Bush and the members of our armed forces
Sonosam on January 31, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Um, the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Jim Treacher on January 31, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Still dragging their feet, kicking and screaming like the spoiled children they are in reference to speedwagons 1:38 wimper.
We forgive you and offer you an invitation to the liberty party.
Sonosam on January 31, 2009 at 2:32 PM
God bless the Iraqi people with purple fingers…may their future be better than anyone anticipated.(I wish the same for the US, after the Obama Nation is returned to the United States of America—I can dream.)
Christine on January 31, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Um, speedwagon…are we out of Germany yet? I don’t think so.
I heard that there are plans afoot (in Iran, I think), to rebuild Babylon so that the prophecies of Islamic world domination will come true. I don’t think that the 6th century throw-backs who use the Koran to mount a world-wide jihad are going to join the 21st century any time soon, but they aren’t victorious yet either.
Christine on January 31, 2009 at 3:00 PM
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