Right Wing Nut House

NO WORDS NECESSARY
Originally uploaded by elvenstar522.

The brave die never, though they sleep in dust:
Their courage nerves a thousand living men.
~Minot J. Savage

One of the things I love about the internet is the huge number of wildly creative people. It boggles the mind to see what someone can do with a little imagination and access to photoshop.

That said, this toy soldier hostage story has hit the blogosphere like a firestorm with both sides of the political spectrum having an enormous amount of fun.

Here’s Ace with the “Top Ten other Terrorist Threats”

10. “If the UN does not immediately withdraw support for the US occupation of Iraq, the Jihad Brotherhood will cut off one of Papa Smurf’s three fingers”

2. “Deliver Donald Rumsfeld to us as a war criminal for trial or we will take our collection of Muppets and pose them in the most insidiously-sexual of manners; verily, your children will weep bitter tears when they witness Elmo being sodomized by the deviant Gonzo and his pansexual chickens”

Scrappleface has a George Bush action doll rescuing the unfortunate plastic warrior:

(2005-02-01) — Just hours after Islamic militants in Iraq threatened to behead a kidnapped U.S. soldier doll, the camouflaged action figure was rescued in a daring nighttime operation by a toy George W. Bush action figure.

Even as the mission was secretly under way, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-MA, went before the Senate to call for the immediate withdrawal of 12,000 military action figures from Iraq.

Varifrank sums up the situation of the terrorists nicely:

Can you get any more impotent than this? Toys? Who are they kidding? Did they think no one would notice? It has to be a bad week to be an islamic teenage terrorist, first old women and young girls laugh at you and vote, despite everything you told them, now in your bold attempt to get some publicity, someone in your cell decides to use his G.I. Joe collection to convince the Americans to leave Iraq.

I would say that no one could be this dumb, then I remembered Mohammed Salameh. He was the guy who wanted to get his deposit back from the rental agency after using it to bomb the WTC. I thought to myself that people must eat a lot of lead paint chips in the Middle East…

Red State Rant has begun a “Free Cody” campaign. Cody is the name of the action figure currently being held by the terrorist and threatened with beheading:

Will it Never end? Yesterday an Islamic terrorist group released pictures of what it called US soldier John Adams. John Adams real name is Cody and he is a toy registered with Dragon Models USA, Cody is a special OPS figure. The Liberal Advocacy group People for the American Ethical and United Democratic Treatment of Plastics (PAEUDTP) have already responded, registered a complaint with someone and the group plans a march on Washington to pressure the President to remove all Toys from the Occupied Iraqi areas. Patricia Burk of PAEUDTP (whew!) commented this president is responsible for the figure and a whole lot of other stuff to. “Bush lied and good Toys died.”

I wonder what’s going to happen to the guy who thought this up?

.

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
(”He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” by Rufus Wainwright)

It was in the faces of those Iraqis who voted on Sunday. Emotions that couldn’t be captured by any camera, couldn’t be described by any reporter or pundit who, for hour after hour on Sunday droned on about the historic nature of this moment.

Somehow, I don’t think the Iraqis were thinking very much about history; at least not the way that the talking heads were speaking about it. How could they? After all, the historical perspective of an American living in a country barely 200 years old is laughable compared to an Iraqi whose civilization goes back nearly 10,000 years.

I have no idea what the Iraqis thought of this election as it related to their history. I do know I saw something in the faces of those Iraqis that bridged the chasm of years separating their civilization and mine. It’s something so basic, so elemental to the human condition that it must be something we’re born with, something passed down through the ages by some kind of hardwiring in our brains or perhaps even something in our genes.

It is the desire to be free.

How else can you explain the fact that millions of Iraqis, demonstrating an almost unearthly courage in the face of threats that would have frozen the hearts of just about anybody in the west, went to polling places that they knew all too well were targeted for terrorist attacks?

And to prove that courage knows no gender, age, or economic status, the Iraqis made the occasion of this vote a chance to share the experience with family. Widespread reports of even the poorest Iraqis getting dressed up in their Friday-go-to-Mosque clothes and walking (sometimes up to 13 miles) with the whole family in tow, pushing the elderly and infirm in carts, carrying children too young to vote but old enough so that when it’s their turn to exercise their natural rights as human beings, they’ll remember this day and be able to put into context how far they had come.

Then there were the tears; both mine and the Iraqis. I didn’t expect to be so affected by seeing people engaged in the simple act of voting. But watching them weep, I teared up as well. I was happy for them, yes. But more than that, I felt a vindication. Not a shallow triumphalism that manifested itself amongst some on the right side of the blogsphere in a crowing “I told you so” attitude towards the left (although God knows, they deserved that and worse). But a vindication of my belief that despite the best efforts of the terrorists and their “useful idiot” allies in the press and leftist circles around the world, the sacrifices of those killed and wounded in this war have not been in vain. That here is a direct correlation between the spilling of American blood, the spending of American treasure and the physical manifestation of a selfless idea; the idea that liberty is the birthright of every human on the planet.

It was almost as if for one brief moment, the dead had come to life, the lame had regained use of their broken limbs, the grief stricken had been granted a reprieve in pain, and the all the bickering and backbiting about this endeavor had been silenced. I felt a closeness, a kinship with those men and women that transcended any differences in religion or culture. It was a feeling of brotherhood whose members share common hopes, common dreams, and similar aspirations; the simple, yet powerful belief that the life a parent bequeaths to the next generation will be better than the one lived by the current generation.

Middle east expert Fouad Ajami:

It was almost like we as Americans had grown estranged from the people of Iraq. We came to doubt them. We got used to seeing them in a foul mood. We didn’t see enough gratitude on the ground in Iraq. For a fleeting moment, today, January 31, in the immediate aftermath of the election, it seems as though we’ve closed a circle. We’ve gone back to that dramatic day, April 9, 2003, when that statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled in Firdos Square [in Baghdad]. We now seem to be bonded with the Iraqis because they were doing the most American of things, voting. (Hat Tip: Belgravia Dispatch)

If indeed “the circle is closed” as Ajami points out, there’s no doubt that the cost has been high; higher than anybody would have predicted on that glorious April day in 2003 when most Iraqis joined us in celebrating the downfall of one of the bloodiest tyrants in human history. So the question becomes how to hold that circle together? What can we do to insure that this is a magnificent first step towards self-government instead of something we look back on 5 or 10 years from now with rueful regret at our folly.

I think the answer is pretty clear; we’ve got to stay the course. We’ve got to continue to help the Iraqis with the mundane but vital chores of protecting and nurturing this nascent democracy. Surrounded as they are on all sides by nations that wish them to fail, Iraqis have a hugely difficult time ahead. There will be setbacks. It will appear at times that unity is impossible, that compromise is out of reach. But somehow, Iraqis must find a way to make all the disparate segments of their society coalesce so that the sum of its parts is greater than the whole.

A tall order, that. But an order that Americans and freedom loving people everywhere stand ready to help fill. It won’t be easy and it won’t be pretty. But the Iraqis are family now. And they need our help.

Isn’t that what brothers and friends are for?

Kiefer_Sutherland_108504a
Originally uploaded by elvenstar522.

God, I love this show!

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

SUMMARY

We learn how the Super Secret Nuclear Power Plant Override Meltdown Gadget works…or doesn’t. The idea that they could actually shut down the cooling system for a nuclear chain reaction from a remote location is, well…interesting. Good thing it couldn’t really happen. (Although I’ll bet some of the Islamofascist dingleberries are watching the show and going “MMMMMMMMMM…We got to get us one of THESE things! Maybe Abdul could pick one up for us when he stops at the hardware store to pick up some plutonium …”)

Audrey and Jack, in an effort to ID the American traitor working with the Islamofascist terrorists, head off to the firm that has the security tapes for the party where Audrey saw the guy.

Navi and Dina (sounds like a good title for a Fox sitcom) find out that young Behruzz has killed Takrit and is on the loose. Dina, hoping to save her son from the clutches of bad dad Navi, meets up with Behruzz and double crosses her own husband by urging the youngster to flee for his life. Enraged, Navi shoots Dina, but loses the two in traffic. He reports to his terrorist boss(not the mastermind) that the “job” isn’t done, at which time the boss (played by The Mummy star Andrew Vosloo) gives Novi until the end of the day to kill his own family.

Meanwhile, fat geek Edgar may have figured out a way to thwart the plans of the terrorist by doing a little remote hacking of the nuclear power plants himself. (Anyone else really, really, really worried that our nuke power plants can be hacked by any fat guy with a lap top?)

Richard is DEFINITELY not going to give his dad Secretary Heller a father’s day gift this year.

Erin…well, you’ve gotta feel sorry for her. She’s got the President on her back about this terrorist threat and her daughter picks this day of all days to have one of her “bad days.” Not to mention the dumbass doctors at the CTU clinic who almost kill the kid by dosing her with a drug she’s allergic too.

I’ve got to say, after a very rough start, I’m starting to admire Erin Driscoll…still don’t like her, though.

And how about this…the world is about to end and Paul cries on Heller’s shoulder that he “has a broken heart…” I have only one thing to say about that:

BWAAAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAAAA…Get a life you spineless, spoiled brat! Eight million people are about to die and this guy is worried about his own silly, stupid, insignificant L’amours …Kinda makes you wonder if he’s involved in all this somehow, doesn’t it?

Finally, poor Jack and Audrey just can’t catch a break. After finding the mystery traitor on the tapes at the security firm, the offices are invaded by a bunch of bloodthirsty, murderous thugs who, after killing both CTU and security company personnel, start gunning for Jack and Audrey. Then, out of ammo and with things looking their blackest, who should show up to pull Jack’s chestnuts out of the fire?

Tony Almeida!

BODY COUNT

After recalculating Jack’s body count from last week, here’s where we stand:

JACK: 18 dead, 1 gratuitous wounding, 1 viscous pistol whipping.
Show: 88 with 1 wounded (Dina)

Jack took out 5 terrorists in the shootout. Tony claims 2. (I thought I might start a whole separate category for Tony’s kills but somehow, I think he’s destined for greater things). The terrorists took out 5 at the security company.

PREDICTION

Maryann is NOT working for the terrorists. She’s either working for the CIA or some other super secret government organization. Why do they want to kill Jack? Could Jack, in his capacity as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, have stumbled across some kind of nefarious scheme to undermine the government or worse, bilk the taxpayers? The key is that Maryann’s contact mentioned killing BOTH Jack and Audrey (both work in the SoD office).

Stay tuned.

LOOSE ENDS

Terrorists opened the security company’s garage door from the OUTSIDE. Let me ask you this, gentle readers…would you use a security company whose own offices aren’t even secure?

‘Nuff said.

What an extraordinary week this is going to be!

Do I mean the Iraq elections? Maybe the choosing of a chair for the DNC? Or could it be the week that Ted Kennedy gets outed as Star Wars gangster and notorious womanizer Jabba the Hut (And Babs Boxer as Chewy?)?

No, you cretins! It’s SUPER BOWL WEEK!

That’s right…and what better game than Football to use as a metaphorical club to beat into submission this motely collection of weepy, simpering, truly and totally tasteless and awful posts we have for this weeks Bonfire!

Two notes: First, since my football knowledge spans several decades, some references may be a little obscure for you youngsters out there (anyone under 45). Therefore, I will, whenever possible, supply a helpful link to fill you in on the inside jokes. Second, I will refer quite often to “my beloved Bears” or more simply. “my beloveds.” Pay this no mind as its a sympton of a terminal illness we refer to in Chicago as “Waituntilnextyearitis.” (A similar condition can be found in Cubs fans. However, this is a chronic condition and not life threatening).

The American Mind has some pre-game eating suggestions regarding a twinkie. Couldn’t we just stick with nachos?

The Zero Boss has some more pre-game goodies…The Boss also has a picture of himself reminiscent of a Ray Nitschke bubble gum card of the early 60’s.

The Conservative Cat (is there any other kind of cat?) wants to “undo the damage” of the Iraq elections. Speaking of damage, watching “Big Cat” pancake those defensive linemen for my beloved Bears all those years makes me wonder what kind of matchup problems the Democrats would have if he were on our team?

The Chainik Hocker posts about the problems prosecutors are having in the Saddam case. Problems? Folks, this should be a chip shot. They should be able to walk into the end zone from where they are. I’d check the zebras on this one.

Useful Fools educates us on rent control. Considering what they just paid to renovate Soldiers Field, my beloveds could have purchased a quarterback, an offensive line, and maybe even a decent offensive coordinator.

The Alpaca Burger (Yum!) blogs on the art of “non blogging.” Yes, and your point is? I mean, is that anything like the Immaculate Reception? Kind of happened, but shouldn’t have?

My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy channels Snoop Dog and disses Blogdaddy. To coin a phrase; AIII! MY EYES! Kind of like spittin’ on the grave of Papa Bear.

Cao’s Blog invites you to write your name in the snow. Sounds like something T.O. would try at midfield, huh?

Basil’s Blog receives our very first flag of the day…5 yards for illegal contact. (Note: I THINK this last link is not work-safe. I don’t work so I wouldn’t know).

Dodgeblogium is drunk blogging…in Wales, no less. No NFL Europe team there (not to mention they think that football is a game you play with your FEET, of all the nonsense…)

King of Fools illustrates what life was like in the paradise created by Saddam Hussien and Michael Moore. Living under Saddam must have been something like playing for Ditka …only I’ll bet Saddam screamed louder.

Centerpiece tells us there are tax and spend liberals in California. Jyah! Like, this is should be a surprise, yes? I mean, it’s not like Super Bowl III or anything. Maybe more like Super Bowl XX I think.

Multiple Mentality has some extremely helpful tips on how to get out of a traffic ticket. Too bad the Raiders couldn’t have worked the Zebras here in a similar manner a couple of years ago.

Brian J. Noggle muses about robot farmers. …Gives me the shivers. Can you imagine Robot Football players? Some would say we’ve reached that place already.

How about this post from yours truly? Pure sweetness.

Finally, as an appetizer for that apres Super Bowl soiree how about some nice, hot camel meat? Interested Participant explains. Sorta gives the slogan “Genuine Taste” a whole new meaning, huh?

Well, that’s it! It’s been fun. If I’ve forgotten anybody or screwed up anywhere, I’ll betcha I hear about from ya.

Next week’s Bonfire will be hosted by Sophistpundit. (Jeez! That Glenn guy sure gets around, doesn’t he? Chalk up another one to blogdaddy).

As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.

Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.

This week, the winning Council post comes to us via Wallo World where in a long, thoughtful post, the writer discusses the President’s innauguration pledge to spread liberty. Much to think about here.

The winning non-Council post is from Guardian Watchdog and deals with Zarqawi the Beheader and his feelings on democracy. Gee…I thought these islamofascists didn’t care about us because we were free; I thought it was because George Bush was such a meanie. At least that’s what all those empty headed internationalists are always telling us.

If you’d like to enter a post in this week’s Watcher’s vote, follow the instructions here.

A few days back I did a post on imagining what it would be like to be an Iraqi citizen at this time in their history. Here, courtesy of John Hawkins, is a roundup of observations from Iraqi’s themselves.

Zeyad from Healing Iraq:

“The turnout in Iraq was really like nothing that I had expected. I was glued in front of tv for most of the day. My mother was in tears watching the scenes from all over the country. Iraqis had voted for peace and for a better future, despite the surrounding madness. I sincerely hope this small step would be the start of much bolder ones, and that the minority which insists on enslaving the majority of Iraqis would soon realise that all that they have accomplished till now is in vain.

While that may sound like wishful thinking, the terrorist beheaders have clearly now placed themselves firmly on the wrong side of history here. And with the Coalition continuing to roll up al Zarqawi’s terrorist network, it may be just a matter of time before the jihadists are reduced to sporadic, ineffective, but still bloody suicide attacks with no chance of doing anything except making themselves more hated by the indigenous population.

This from Alaa The Mesopotamian:

“I bow in respect and awe to the men and women of our people who, armed only with faith and hope are going to the polls under the very real threats of being blown to pieces. These are the real braves; not the miserable creatures of hate who are attacking one of the noblest things that has ever happened to us. Have you ever seen anything like this? Iraq will be O.K. with so many brave people, it will certainly O.K.; I can say no more just now; I am just filled with pride and moved beyond words.

So are many of us, Alaa.

Some voters apparently derived immense satisfaction from casting the ballot, seeing it as payback to the murderous thugs who controlled Iraq for more than a quarter of a century:

”Now I feel that Saddam is really gone,” said Fatima Ibrahim, smiling as she headed home after voting in Irbil, in the Kurdish northern region. She was 14 and a bride of just three months when her husband, father and brother were rounded up in a campaign of ethnic cleansing under Saddam. None have ever been found. (From the AP)

Bagdhad’s mayor, who wants to erect a statue of George Bush in the city, had this to say:

…Baghdad’s mayor was overcome with emotion by the turnout of voters at City Hall, where he said thousands were celebrating.

“I cannot describe what I am seeing. It is incredible. This is a vote for the future, for the children, for the rule of law, for humanity, for love,” Alaa al-Tamimi told Reuters.” (From Wired News)

At Iraq the Model we get an explanation for the name of their sometimes poignant, always informative blog:

I still recall the first group of comments that came to this blog 14 months ago when many of the readers asked “The Model?”…”Model for what?” Take a look today to meet the model of courage and human desire to achieve freedom; people walking across the fire to cast their votes.

Could any model match this one!? Could any bravery match the Iraqis’!? Let the remaining tyrants of the world learn the lesson from this day.”

Recently, I’ve seen a number of “experts” on TV pooh-poohing the idea that the “tyrants of the world” would see this election as anything that could threaten their own hold on power.

If this were so, how come the governments of Syria and Iran have done their damnedest to prevent yesterday’s vote from happening? Do they just enjoy meddling in the affairs of another country? Maybe they like the pictures from al Jezeera of suicide bombers blowing up innocent human beings.

Or maybe they’re scared witless at the prospect of having a functioning, multi-party democracy next door. After all, it just won’t do for their own people to get the silly notion into their heads that the same thing could happen there.

At least Democrats in this country agree with them.

Finally, from Ali at Free Iraq, we hear this:

I entered the school and the supervisors showed me the way to were I should vote. They and the ING guys were so polite and gentle. I cast my vote and got out, not in a rush at all. This is my Eid and I felt like a king walking in his own kingdom. I saw the same look of confidence and satisfaction in the eyes of all people I met. As I left one of the guards said to me as he handed me back my cellular phone,”God bless you and your beloved ones. We don’t know how to thank you. Please excuse any inconvenience on our part. We wish we didn’t have to search you or limit your freedom. You are heroes” I was struck with surprise and felt ashamed. This man was risking his life all these hours in what has become the utmost target for all terrorists in Iraq and yet he’s apologizing and calling us heroes. I thanked him back and told him that he and his comrades are the true heroes and that we can never be grateful enough for their services.

Ali’s story brings up something we didn’t hear much of yesterday; the outstanding performance of Iraqi soldiers, police, and national guardsmen. They stood at their posts the entire day knowing that they were targets.

I wonder if Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore, and the rest of the naysayers on Iraq could do the same?

Here’s a roundup of a few reactions to the Iraqi elections:

The Captain has a breakdown of turnout numbers by region:

Nationwide: 72%
Baghdad: 80%
South: 92%
Najaf: 80%
Karbala: 90%

The Baghdad number jumps out immediately. The city has a large Sunni minority and a large number of followers of radical Cleric al Sadr who just a few months ago were killing our boys in Najaf. Chrenkoff has this statement from a Sunni cleric trying to spin the fact that apparently more Sunnis than expected turned out to vote:

” ‘The associationÂ’s call for a boycott of the election was not a fatwa (religious edict), but only a statement,’ said Association of Muslim Scholars spokesman Omar Ragheb. ‘It was never a question of something religiously prohibited or permitted. We never sought to force anyone to boycott’.”

Uh-Huh.

Arthur also breaks down the Sunnis into four main groups:

Talking of “the Sunnis” in the context of the vote is a big generalisation, of course. The Sunnis of Iraq are not a monolith, and arguably could be divided into four different groups, each with its own attitude towards the election: 1) moderate, anti-terror Sunnis who are actually voting; 2) Sunnis who want to vote but by virtue of their residence in terrorist strongholds are too intimidated to; 3) Sunnis who have done the math and couldn’t be bothered to vote because whatever happens, on January 31 they will not be in control of the country; and 4) Sunnis who ran, or directly or indirectly benefited under, Saddam’s regime and are therefore hostile to any changes that see them lose their previous status.

Pretty reasonable assumptions there. The concern, of course, is over international legitimacy. I believe that number comes in at anything over 40%. Anything less, and there are legitimate questions.

Powerline writes of simple faith:

The process by which we succeed in Iraq (if we do) can be thought of as a series of events by which one party keeps faith with the others. First, we kept faith with the people of Iraq by remaining in force to rebuild the country after we toppled Saddam and carried out our search for WMD. Then, the Shiite majority kept faith by rejecting the radical elements when they rose up against the occupation. We then kept faith with the Shiites by scheduling elections and seeing them through as scheduled. And today, the Iraqi people kept faith by turning out and voting.

This is precisely why the reason for the triumph these elections represent will go over the head of the lefties. We’re speaking two different languages here. Words like “faith” have no meaning to people who only believe in what they can see and touch. Don’t get me wrong. I am not talking about God here. I’m talking about the ability to reach outside of yourself and latch on to something that transcends the physical senses. It’s one thing to “believe” in something or someone; as in I “believe” in George Bush (or John Kerry for that matter). It’s quite another thing to say “I have faith in George Bush.” Faith requires a leap beyond logic, beyond the self into the realm of the sublime.

I don’t think that came out exactly the way I intended. I hope I made the point.

Meanwhile, Iraqi bloggers are really upbeat, I mean, to them this must be Christmas, New Years, St. Patricks Day, and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. This from “Iraq the Model” courtesy of Charles Johnson:

We had all kinds of feelings in our minds while we were on our way to the ballot box except one feeling that never came to us, that was fear.

I couldnÂ’t think of a scene more beautiful than that

Finally, Bill and INDC rounds up some misleading wire service headlines:

Scanning a minority of the headlines of a google news search gives us a tedious glimpse of the political unconsciousness of Fifth Columnists:

What’s the real story here? That two dozen people died in a country that’s a regular victim of terrorism? Or that perhaps 8,000,000 people stood up and demanded Democracy, shedding a half-century of brutal oppression and defying the threats of terrorists? What it would take to wring a positive headline out of those editors is beyond me.

I realize “If it bleeds, it leads” is gospel in the MSM but Jeez! Even the NY Times and WAPO had optimistic, almost giddy reports.

As I said in my first post early this morning, I’m going to withhold final judgment on how successful these elections were until some hard numbers come in, probably on Tuesday. But early reports are very encouraging. And if the Iraqi people can maintain this kind of enthusiasm, the transition to a democratic state may be realized despite the certainty that the insurgency will continue.

My guess would be that the insurgents will now concentrate all of their efforts in trying to start a civil war between the Shi’ias and Sunnis. Only by turning Iraq into another Lebanon can the Sunni’s have a chance to dominate the government again.

While mainstream media sites and righty bloggers are posting like mad on the vote in Iraq, lefty blogs and media sites have taken on the appearance of the three monkeys…see no election, hear no election, and speak no election.

Kos is posting about new media consolidation rules. He actually praises the Bush administration for trying to prevent the further consolidation of news outlets. No election stories on the front page.

The Skankette is living down to her reputation with this post on Condi Rice being related to a drag queen named “Vaginal Davis” who claims that the Secretary of State is sleeping with the President. She reports that Ms.?(Mr.) Davis has some inside information on the President’s “equipment.”

Atrios has an open thread where commenters (outside of some conservative trolls) seem more concerned with getting laid on Saturday night than the historic nature of the Iraqi elections.

While generally speaking, I’m all for getting laid one would think that on a political site like Eschaton they’d be talking more about the size of the Iraqi turnout than the size of some woman’s breasts.

Talking Points is blogging social security. Ole’ Josh can’t seem to bring himself to talk about elections that just a few months ago he was urging to be postponed indefinitely.

The moonbats at the Democratic Underground are ecstatic that Howard Dean was endorsed for DNC chair by FOB Harold Ickes. Mr. Ickes was notorious for being Bill Clinton’s hatchet man and chief political “fixer” in the White House. He was largely credited with turning the debate on Monica Lewinsky away from perjury into a case of infidelity.

All I can say to the DU moonbats is…be careful what you wish for.

Predictably, The Nation has done its level best to deligitimize the elections, even going so far as saying you can’t have an election while Iraq is occupied.

I guess this would mean that the post-war elections held in Germany and Japan were bogus, not to mention elections held in Kosovo back in the 90’s.

Come to think of it…elections in the American South in 1866 and 1868 were held while US troops were occupying the southern states.

I love it when the left tries to change history to suit its own agenda.

I desperately wanted the Iraqi elections to succeed. In my own mind, I thought that a turnout of 65-70% overall with more than 40% turnout amongst the Sunni’s would be a pretty good barometer of success.

Alas, it would appear that the overall turnout won’t hit 60%. And the Sunni’s? Fox news just reported from Mosul, a Sunni stronghold, that they had ballots at one polling place for an expected 3000 voters and had given out only 300. We won’t know for several hours what the estimated turnout was and probably not for a week what was the actual number of Iraqis who went to the polls.

Round one to al Zarqawi and his supporters in America specifically, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, and John Kerry who all devoutly wished for the election process to fail.

This was the first round in a series of elections in Iraq. These elections determined who would sit in a temporary National Assembly. This assembly will have until October 15 of this year to draft a constitution at which time there will be another election in December to ratify that constitution. Then, early next year, there will be elections for a permanent National Assembly and a separate election for President.

One can only hope that the security situation will improve-especially in Sunni dominated areas-so that future elections can have better participation. For now, my guess is that the world will give the nod to this election being legitimate, but just barely.

We’ve got to do better next time.

UPDATE:

Initial reports may have underreported the turnout. Some cities in the southern part of the country have reported turnout as high as 90%. And while many of the righty bloggers have already proclaimed success, I’m going to withhold judgement until at least Tuesday when we get some firm numbers-especially from the Sunni districts.