January 31, 2005
A personal story from Baghdad………..
I received this account of how the elections went in Baghdad. I am keeping this person’s name anonymous [for obvious reasons…safety] the author is a U.S citizen in Iraq.
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 6:32 AM
To:
Subject: Good morning from world's newest democracy - Iraq
All,
It is now 1430 on Sunday afternoon on the day that all Iraqis, and the rest of the world for that matter, have been waiting for since the liberation of Iraq in April of 2003. The polls will be closing around the country at 1700 local time - 0900 EST - and the hourly reports that I have been receiving from our Iraqi partners and friends, who are on the streets of Baghdad and the surrounding areas, have been nothing short of amazing in light of the extreme adversity the Iraqi people have faced for the past 19 months. Every report so far has confirmed that the turnout is high and the overall feeling amongst the voters is very positive and I thought that I would just bang out a quick e-mail and give you an idea of what is going on here because we all know that some in the media will try and down play this historic event as they would hate to give the Iraqi people and President Bush a victory on this one.
As you are no doubt are aware, the insurgents have stepped up their media and bombing campaign over the past month or so in order to intimidate the Iraqis from voting. One of the advantages of living here is that you can deal with the "locals" so it is easy to determine whether some in the media relaying the correct story or not. (Most of the time I just shake my head when I read and see some of the stuff that is put out there as I have no idea where some of these reporters are able to come up with this stuff.) One of the recent media "blitzes" has been to point out that, because of the terror campaign waged by the insurgents, the Iraqis are too terrified and as such voter turn out will be low. Granted, the Iraqis are terrified, as any normal human being would be, to have to walk from home and vote and walk back again knowing full well that they face the possibility of car bombings, small arms fire, etc., along the way. (All of which we have had today, BTW.)
I usually set the alarm for 0600 so I can start the day early, however, last night when I went to bed at 0230, I knew that no alarm would be needed today. (OK, so the first bomb did not go off until 0620...) My first report came in at 0700 and I was told that most of the voting places (VPs) were empty. I then had two more reports at 0800 and 0815 that the numbers were picking up and lines were beginning to form at some of the VPs. Then, unfortunately, around 0835 the first of no less than 10 explosions went off all around the city. (Several were close to the house as evidenced by the attached two pictures.) The explosions continued to rock the city for another 45 minutes or so and then faded away. Since that first barrage this morning there have been sporadic bangs and booms throughout the city. (The consensus was that the insurgents would strike early and hard in order to set the tone for the day and force voters to stay indoors.) The reports started coming in again around 1030 and I could not believe what I was being told. To wit:
1. The bombings have actually had the reverse effect and have drawn more voters to the polls.
2. A large percentage of the voters have been women.
3. The VPs are almost like a mini celebration with people dancing and waving their blue finger - proof that they have voted - around proudly for all to see.
4. As the day has worn on the numbers of voters is picking up rapidly.
5. The mood of the people is very positive.
6. The men, women and their children are kissing, hugging and shaking the hands of any American solider that they can find.
Since I have been in Iraq, I have made many friends and have always been impressed with the people and their resilient nature. However, nothing could have prepared me for what has happened today in this country. Many in the media have written Iraq off a little too soon I would say... There are many long days ahead for this great country and its people as they are only now taken the first of many steps on the road toward a true democracy. However, today proved that the Iraqi people are capable of taking these steps and I am thankful to be here and see it unfold and I thank all of you for your support.
Best regards,
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 01:04 PM | Comments (1)
January 30, 2005
Iraq 10……Washington 0………..
Did Jihad-Jim McDermott bring back more than memories from his visit to Baghdad?
Saddam had a 100 % turnout in his ‘election’…maybe he passed on some pointers to Jim over tea. And Jim passed them on to the Democratic Party.
Who was it that said “vote or die”?
King County did even better than that......they had almost 101% turnout..... okay…maybe a slight exaggeration…but you get the point.
In king county there are more votes than voters. My personal favorites are the four dead voters whose signatures matched. Do you suppose they got their absentee ballots at the dead letter office?????
I wonder if Saddam had the dead voting too……..
During the early days of the ‘fiasco’, I called King County elections office and had the pleasure [okay, totally kidding about the pleasure part] of talking to Dean Logan. Who pointed out right away how busy and important he was. Okay….fair enough about the busy part. At that time they still hadn’t manufactured, oh, excuse me….’found’ all of the new ballots that they were going to. Dean was more than happy to tell me that he had too much to do, and…are you ready for this? He was having trouble with the election because King County was the third largest metropolitan area in the whole United States. OH PLEASE……
I immediately became one of his least favorite people by saying “Boston, New York and Los Angeles ring any bells for you?”
There was suddenly dead silence on his end of the phone line…… though I am pretty sure that I could faintly hear wheels turning.
So I asked him “What about Pierce County?” he laughed rather nastily and said well…there are only 200,000 people in Pierce…of course it’s easy to count there.
200,000???????
Go ahead everyone…I dare you to Google Dean’s name. This guy has been everywhere…you would think that they couldn’t find anyone else to work in this state.
When I called Pierce County to quote Dean….the man I talked to was shocked to say the least.
Ticked is probably more accurate…and of course he cleared up the numbers issue right away. It seems in Pierce County they can actually count…who knew? Certainly not Dean…….
I also talked to Bill Huennekins…..who immediately told me that he wasn’t sleeping well [gee…I wonder why?] and hadn’t had enough coffee that day. Being the helpful person that I am, I directed him to the nearest Starbucks.
He was not amused. It took him about 2 minutes to go from whiney to shrill. This is what this guy gets paid 80,000 dollars + a year for?
And yes, even though I am a smart ass here…I am very polite to all these little dictators on the phone. Oops…did I say dictators? Well, if the tasseled loafers fit….
So what’s going on in King County?
And just why do they keep recycling the Dean Logans of this state, when they have proven they are not up to the job?
Maybe because in the eyes of the Democratic Party they ARE up to the job…..just not the job the rest of us think our tax dollars should be paying for.
So now, here we are….with a hopelessly flawed election.
When Sam Reed and Dean Logan admitted to Robert Mak that they really didn’t know who actually won the election and probably never would….that was a classic moment in television.
I think it’s called a smoking gun….but maybe that’s just me.
Can anyone say fraud?
After all they have been warned several times by the Secretary of State’s office ….yet very little has been changed. It can only make us all wonder………..
After this weekend’s spectacular success in Iraq in the elections, maybe we should send Jihad Jim back there again. Maybe he will learn something really valuable this time for king county’s benefit.
Like how to hold an election where the votes really count.
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 10:12 PM | Comments (2)
January 28, 2005
White on Rice…….
Boxer, Byrd and Kennedy don’t think Condi Rice should be given a promotion because of her involvement in the Iraq war?? Are they serious????
But it’s okay with the Democrats that these three have their positions in spite of being a murderer [Kennedy], a Klansman [Byrd] and the village idiot [Boxer]…..
As much fun as it is [usually] to watch the super lefties implode…..this one is just too ridiculous to even be funny.
Is it just me, or has the rhetoric reached such an implausible level that it makes even grown people want to shout ……. I call B.S. on you!!!!
I don’t think even the biggest of lefties out there will back this one up. Unless they are certifiable……..
But it brings to mind that all-too-familiar and herd-like habit, of the far-left-of-left-Dems. Or as it’s called in this state…..’Locke-Step.’
* My computer suggested the word DIMS here…you just have to laugh sometimes…..
….. in the future I will of course follow the computer’s suggestion and refer to them as DIMS….they’re the far left of left Dems….*
Many people have told me that Washington State is usually a few years behind in the social growth department. But how many years is the question. We are supposed to be progressive, right?
Christine Gregoire, the 20-second governor of this state, didn’t just belong to an all whites sorority…..she was the president of it. How old is she?
What year was this?
This is the best the Dims can do? When you add her to the other list above doesn’t it make you wonder if that party really doesn’t embrace social inequality more than justice and equality?
Boxer is their poster child for women’s rights…..oh, right.
Kennedy is their fearless leader…the only thing teddy is afraid of is running out of interesting drinks [Osama…Obama….Bin…o.o.o.]……where is that whiskey anyway????
And Byrd?? We have a former Klansman ripping apart a superb intellectual like Condi Rice? I guess it couldn’t be because she’s African American …. could it?
I mean…he’s changed, right? Right?
It’s the perfect ‘trifecta’ of idiocy…………
And the pattern continues right here in our state with Chris Gregoire , Dean Logan , and Paul Berendt.
A tip for the smart Democrats out there………stop using these human retreads. New people have actually been born who are smart, qualified and they don’t have a history of not being able to count or wearing hoods……or crying in public.
I always thought that you wanted a ”Big Tent Party” ………
not the schizophrenic-many-faced party ...or do you?
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 12:30 PM | Comments (3)
A moment with Paul…………..
After Char and I left the gallery, where we had been watching the Legislature make a mockery out of our laws, AND their fellow Legislators [Tim Sheldon]...which truly was like watching sausage being made.......not pretty and you don't really want to be force fed the result.....
Anyway, as we stood just outside the doors I saw Paul Berendt standing nearby. So I walked over to him with a smile and said " Mr.Berendt?" He spun around and I put my hand out to shake his hand. It was like grabbing a bouquet of sweaty sausages.......
I guess he really was as nervous as he looked while sitting in front of me in the gallery.
I wonder why? Didn’t he know he had the vote all locked up?
I said that I just wanted to thank him, and he clutched my hand like a not-so-lucky Titanic passenger and grinned from ear to ear.
Okay…..I am not heartless…..I did feel a moment of pity for him, and then I remembered some of the things he has said and well……. It’s every man for himself in politics.[see Soundpolitics for some of the now classic berendt-isms]
So I continued...."Yes...I just wanted to thank you and the Democratic Party for completely ruining any confidence the people of Washington have in their electoral system. You should be ashamed of yourself!'
He jerked his hand back and said "YOU REPUBLICANS!!!!" and then made a mad dash for the elevator. As he turned to look back at me I pointed out that I never said I was a Republican....just a voter .Sadly for him the elevator doors took forever to close……..
The assumptions these "men of the people" make……..
So you heard it from Paul Berendt first I guess....ONLY REPUBLICANS are concerned about clean and fair elections...is that what he was trying to say? I would hate to put words in his mouth but........what was he trying to say anyway?
It would have been nice if he had stayed to answer some questions...but I guess IT'S HIS PARTY AND HE'LL CRY IF HE WANTS TO.....but only on camera.
Darn……..I guess that's what was missing.
Well…...I am a Republican, but I am a citizen of this State and an American first. Too bad Mr. Berendt doesn't think that way.
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 11:40 AM | Comments (3)
January 26, 2005
In Judge Bridges' Courtroom ............
In Judge Bridges’ courtroom on Feb. 4th there will be a lot more there than meets the eye.
Behind the attorneys acting on behalf of the Republican Party and Dino Rossi, there will be hundreds of thousands of people that are there in spirit………..
If the dead can vote in king county then surely the living can channel themselves into that courtroom…because they are really the ones that have been cheated here. Those lawyers aren’t just representing Dino Rossi…they are representing all of us here in Washington state that feel the election was a sham and a fraud. They are the representatives of every single legitimate voter here that has been cheated out of a real election, cheated by people that are either just horribly incompetent or have not-so-hidden agendas……..
So when you hear the Democrats, and especially Paul Berendt , say that this law suit is wasting valuable time…what he’s really saying is that we are wasting his time.
For the party [supposedly] of the average guy, the Democrats seem to have little or no use for us when it’s not election time. In fact I think they want us to go away…period. It’s their way or the highway.
Called any of them lately?
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 07:39 PM | Comments (4)
So We Don't Forget............
And so do we ....
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 07:30 PM | Comments (1)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words..........
Our first political cartoon.....yup, you saw it on soundpolitics first but it's our 'baby' and we are showing it off again!
L- Gregoire, C- Reed , R- Berendt
Stay tuned.............we have evil minds and a lot of time on our hands......there will be more......
Posted by ChristmasGhost at 07:25 PM | Comments (4)