The Elections (Yes, Those Elections)

Link

Thousands of Iraqis heading to the polls (from Fox News)

Freedom On The March

A busy day, so not much time for blogging. At the end of the day I have found some time to flip around the various news channels, and even MSNBC and CNN seem to acknowledge that today's election was a real success and a devastating blow against the islamofascists and for democracy.

I do not think we realize yet just how wonderful all this is. Look at the photo gallery on the Fox News site just to get a sense of what happened in Iraq today.



Michelle Malkin also has a great photo gallery of Iraqi women voting.

Wagonboy sums all this up beautifully here.

If you want to feel the pride and joy of an Iraqi, read Iraq the Model's account of election day in his country. It will make your day.

Here is an excerpt from Geraldo Rivera's report, which came in the middle of the night, California time:

When I went with these [American soldiers] to the polling station, they stopped about two blocks away. They would not go. They didn't want it to seem as if it was American military might that was pulling this whole thing off. They stayed two blocks away. We walked up to the polling place, first the Iraqi Army, then the Iraqi cops inside. You had a feeling in there, a kind of almost family feeling in this community....An exciting day, an historic day here in Iraq. It is the dawn of freedom....You folks who live in the United States who are watching this, just be proud. Be proud of this. This is amazing. This was inconceivable, wasn't it, during the days of Saddam Hussein. Look how far this country has come. It will heal its wounds. The terrorists are going to lose.

The whole thing is worth reading.

Fox News reports that recently captured documents show that the "insurgency" was set up in advance of the invasion by Saddam Hussein himself. Apparently there were leaders chosen (from among Saddam's Baathist chiefs) and considerable training and strategic planning. That will be an interesting story to watch unfold.

Meanwhile, back in the Bizarro World . . .



I hate to end on a down note, but you all really ought to read John Kerry's comments on the Iraqi elections. Tim Russert had the simply wonderful inspiration to invite Kerry onto Meet The Press today, of all days, and here is the transcript of the good Senator's remarks. An excerpt:

. . . it is significant that there is a vote in Iraq. But no one in the United States or in the world -- and I'm confident of what the world response will be -- no one in the United States should try to overhype this election.

This election is a sort of demarcation point, and what really counts now is the effort to have a legitimate political reconciliation. And it's going to take a massive diplomatic effort and a much more significant outreach to the international community than this administration has been willing to engage in.

Absent that, we will not be successful in Iraq.

Yup. We've still got to "reach out" to "the international community" (meaning the French and Germans). Excuse me, but what a clueless dope. "Overhype" this election? Is there any major American political leader now living who has more of a tin ear when it comes to freedom and democracy?

Read the whole thing. You'll see that Kerry seems to have, ah, forgotten that he lost the election. It's important for us all to know how blind he is prepared to be, either because he just doesn't get it or because he doesn't want to; clearly he still thinks he can be president.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin comments further on the Kerry Meet The Press interview, and points out that Tim Russert, 3 months late, did grill Kerry about Christmas in Cambodia.