I think he's trying to give Rove an early Christmas present: a bump in the polls.
Posted by ann at December 15, 2005 12:21 PMNow the question is who will count the votes. If the US is still running things, the Shia candidates will fall short of 50% of the Parliament, with the Kurds and Sunnis splitting the remainder. Then again, we've always simplified this into only three blocs when the number is much larger than that.
Yeah, and GWB promised $20 billion to treat AIDS in Africa years ago and has delivered almost none of that. It's a standard Bu$hCo trick, when cornered to respond to something that they don't want to do anything about, they make some promise that looks extravagant. If it is extravagant they don't deliver, and if it isn't they drag their heels on it, anyway.
Posted by Marie at December 15, 2005 12:24 PMThe high turnout is great.
cause it'll add legitimacy when the new Iraqi govt politely asks the US to leave.
Posted by polmorf at December 15, 2005 12:24 PMfor the moment the election has been radicaly simpliefied. while there are over a hundred parties running only four blocs are expected to win any seats.
the United Iraqi Alliance-- such helpful shia religious organizations as the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). the Muqtada Al Sadr party (yup ), The Badr Organization, the Islamic Dawa (Call) Party , the Islamic Fadilha party/.
the Kurdistan Alliance- both the PUK and KDP are in this.
the Iraqi National List-- almost all the "secularists" are in this one fmr PM. Allawi, fmr Pres Al Yawar, Pachachi (sunni moderate) even the Iraqi Communist party.
Iraqi Accord Front-- dominated by the Iarqi Islamic Party rthis is the main sunni religious party.
Chalaibi is running on his own National Congress coalition
And now for some bad news;
CNN is reporting that Iraqi forces detained al Zarqawi in 2004 but released him because they didn't know who he was.
Posted by snark at December 15, 2005 01:08 PMYesterday MoveOn volunteers delivered 400,000 petition signatures to 285 congressional offices urging Congress to insist on an exit strategy plan for Iraq. This morning good news arrived: an additional 30 Democrats in Congress have signed on as cosponsors of the Murtha exit strategy.1
I receive this E-mail as I sign that petition.
And lookee here what's happening in the rest of the GOoPer world as their actions will result in health and education cuts. Yes that is the real political agenda that those "bad cop" republican congrescritters are playing while Bush gets to play the political good cop (more funding for NOLA--and it's long overdue I might add). Gee, how come Bush didn't tout that a deal had been struck to cut education funding?..I mean I doubt Bush plans on vetoing it?
Posted by emal at December 15, 2005 01:24 PMFrom emal's link;
Programs funded under President Bush's No Child Left Behind education law would face a 4 percent cut, while aid for special education and Title I funding for disadvantaged children would be frozen at last year's levels, assuming the across-the-board cut is imposed.
Can we rename the law "Only A Few Children Left Behind"?
Posted by snark at December 15, 2005 01:31 PMA peaceful election with high turnout is the worst thing we could have hoped for. Once the Shiites have legitimate power to go along with the centuries old bloodlust and blind anger they feel for the last 30 years of brutal repression at the hands of the Sunnis, they will get whatever military hardware they lack (because we destroyed a bunch of it and then Sunnis took what was left as they melted back into their neighborhoods) from Iran and tell us to get the F@#k out. And then... it's Sunni huntin' time.
And after the Sunnis get killed or flee (could take a few years), we'll have a nice, stable, RADICAL ISLAMIC THEOCRACY completely beholdent to the Mullahs in Iran.
That about sums it up. Have a nice day ;-)
Posted by The Truth at December 15, 2005 01:48 PMSteve, do you really think high turnout means the Sunnis want to change their guns for ballots?
No, it means they want to use both guns and ballots in their civil war.
Please leave the Iraq commentary to people who understand the place.
Posted by Mr Boots at December 15, 2005 01:48 PM"Results should be known in two weeks." Steve, I think you may have cut that sentence short. Wasn't it supposed to be "Results should be known in two weeks after Bush has had time to cheat the Shia down to 48-49% and make sure Allawi is in a position of power".
I wonder if one could claim a connection between the relatively low violence (e.g. suicide bombers) and the fact that U.S. forces kept a very low profile during the election process? Or perhaps it's just the effect of banning all motor vehicle traffic from a city of millions of people...
Posted by Roy Batty at December 15, 2005 02:04 PMPlease Mr. Boots,
Leave the uneccesary rudeness to our good host at the door.
Posted by Growth Factor at December 15, 2005 02:05 PMI agree with Growth Factor, that was pretty snotty Mr. Boots.
Posted by iamcoyote at December 15, 2005 02:11 PMBad news for Reid, Dean and Pelosi.....a high Sunni turnout
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 02:33 PMThank GEORGE BUSH for the Good news!!!
Here's a new poll STEVE:
http://diageohotlinepoll.com/DiageoHotlinePoll1205.pdf
Posted by ROOF at December 15, 2005 02:55 PMToo bad the Democrats no longer stand for human rights and freedom. If you did you would be glad of the events in Iraq today.
Posted by David at December 15, 2005 04:03 PMGood grief. Trolls want a theocracy. Why am I surprised?
Posted by Ga6thDem at December 15, 2005 04:15 PMWow a trollfest....or is it a trollathon....whoda thunk it epsecially when the host is mentioning the relatively good news about the Iraqi elections and praising Dear Leader over the change of heart for the NOLA funding. But nope that's not good enough for the perpetually miserable and always ungrateful trolls that visit this site. Their reaction to this post proves they can't be happy unless they are spewing anger.
Posted by emal at December 15, 2005 04:27 PMBad news for Reid, Dean and Pelosi.....a high Sunni turnout
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 02:33 PM
-----------
avaroo,
If you think this will turn out to be anything but a disaster for the United States and the west, you need to stop smoking crack, huffing glue and listening to Rush 24/7.
You should really learn a little history, learn to think for yourself, and try to observe and learn a little human nature. This will prevent you from parroting GOP talking point and being wrong all the time.
emal,
There is no virture is being delusional.
Posted by The Truth at December 15, 2005 04:40 PMGa6thDem,
An Islamic Theocracy is what you're going to end up with. And that was obvious from the second any idiot thought of deposing Saddam. It's not a matter of hoping for anything. We f@cking handed Iraq to Iran on a silver platter. You cheer this today and history will dog you with regret and embarrasment until the end of your days.
Posted by The Truth at December 15, 2005 04:44 PMI don't see how Iraqi elections can turn out to be a disaster for the US. Or the west.
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 04:47 PMDavid,
Dems want whats best for the United States. Civil war followed by a radical Islamic theocracy run by the Mulahs in Tehran is not in the best interest of the United States. A isolated, contained, no WMD, NO THREAT TO ANYBODY OUTSIDE HIS BORDERS, no ties to terrorist Saddam was in our best interest. Only really stupid and corrupt people did not realize this.
Why do you thing daddy Bush stopped at Baghdad city limits? And do you remember the Shiite uprising that Saddam brutally put down after that? Well now it's payback time. You can bet your last dollar on that.
I can't believe how stupid conservatives appear to be that just think these people are going to hug each other and all have a western style democracy. You people are crazy and by voting YOU ARE A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER to our national interest. You're ruining this country and destabalizing the world.
"We should constantly be reviewing our policies, constantly be looking at those sanctions to make sure that they are directed toward that purpose. That purpose is every bit as important now as it was ten years ago when we began it. And frankly they have worked. He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors. So in effect, our policies have strengthened the security of the neighbors of Iraq, and these are policies that we are going to keep in place." - Colin Powell, FEB 24, 2001
Posted by The Truth at December 15, 2005 04:51 PMavarro,
Because 65% of the population is SHIITE MUSLIM!!!
They have been pounded on and tortured by the Sunni minotiry for decades. The Shiites are religious slaves of the Mulahs in Tehran. By giving them the right to vote you will end up with a Muslim theocracy run by the Mulahs in Tehran. You just replace a secular no threat country with a terrorist training, hyper-religous Iran clone. Good job.
Shiites are voting as well as sunnis, The Truth.
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 05:07 PMI don't see how Iraqi elections can turn out to be a disaster for the US. Or the west.
well that shows your ignorance doesnt it?
People do elect religious fundamantalists or maybe you missed to recent egyptian elections? where the Muslim Brotherhood grabed 20% of the seats ?
Posted by polimorf at December 15, 2005 05:08 PMShiites are voting as well as sunnis,
LOL and who are they voting for ? the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq maybe ? or maybe Al Sadr's party ?
Posted by polimorf at December 15, 2005 05:11 PMavaroo,
are you.. like... 10?
"I don't see how Iraqi elections can turn out to be a disaster for the US. Or the west."
That is because you are an incredibly stupid person.
Do 20% of the seats in Egypt control the government, polimorf?
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 05:22 PMHate to see you eliminate yourself as a resonable person to talk to, The Truth.
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 05:22 PMSo you deny that Islamic fundamntalists are going to win the Iraq election avarooo ?
Posted by polimorf at December 15, 2005 05:26 PMp.s. considering the the muslim Brotherhood only won 4% in the previous elections I think its some cause for concern......dont you ?
Posted by polimorf at December 15, 2005 05:31 PMavaroo,
doesnt matter. you got nuthin..
I don't know who is going to win the Iraqi elections, polimorf and neither does anyone else. My guess would be that candidates from several parties will gain seats in the Iraqi Parliament.
Posted by avaroo at December 15, 2005 05:44 PMYou cheer this today and history will dog you with regret and embarrasment until the end of your days.
I certainly don't cheer expanding the power of the Shia. These are the same people who took our countrymen hostage in the late seventies.
polimorf, I see you've met the newest inmate. This one is quite silly. And stupid, as you've noticed.
Posted by iamcoyote at December 15, 2005 05:53 PMShort so the trolls can understand it: The Shia will be running Iraq. They are the majority. The only way that the Shia WILL NOT control Iraq is if they stay home and only the Kurds and Sunni show up. Not likely I would say.
Posted by Ga6thDem at December 15, 2005 05:54 PMThey're trying to complete a troll-talitarian takeover of TLC!
Posted by bbtb at December 15, 2005 08:23 PMLOL apparantly avaroo cant count either .......avaroo which group won the most seats in January's Iraq election? hmmmmmm?
Posted by polimorf at December 16, 2005 05:04 AMSteve, if you have a minute, visit TomPaine.com and read Robert Dreyfuss' IRAQ'S TIPPING POINT - WHATEVER THE OUTCOME OF IRAQ'S ELECTIONS, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS -
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20051215/iraqs_tipping_.php
Let Bush have fun trying to make is mark in history that he has "saved" Iraq.
Posted by canuck at December 16, 2005 06:07 AMI don't see how Iraqi elections can turn out to be a disaster for the US. Or the west.
This is funny coming from someone who can't see that Sam's Club is a division of Walmart!
Come back when you grow a brain stem, avaroo!
Posted by pessimist at December 16, 2005 07:20 AMWhat an odd thing to say, pessimist.
Posted by avaroo at December 16, 2005 10:57 AMavaroo,
Actully, there's nothing odd about pessimist pointing out that you show your eagerness to speak of things you know nothing of. After all, you've been doing that consistantly in your posts.
Posted by rlp at December 16, 2005 11:33 AM