POL - Kudos to Bush!!!

[Flasch186]

I back this decision 100%!!


McClellan: Bush Nixed Iraq Election Funds

25 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The White House considered funding candidates in
Iraq's January election, but
President Bush decided against it, his press secretary said Monday.


While publicly the Bush administration was saying the United States would live with whatever government was elected in free and fair elections, U.S. officials were concerned about Iranian support for pro-Iranian Shiite parties.

"We did have concerns that outsiders might try to influence the election, including
Iran," press secretary Scott McClellan said. "That raised concerns about whether there might be a need to level the playing field for the elections, and it presented us with some difficult issues about what action to take, if any, in response to those concerns.

"And in the final analysis, the president made the decision that our policy would be not to try to influence the outcome of the election by covertly helping individual candidates for office."

The election resulted in the United Iraqi Alliance, a Shiite-dominated party, winning a majority of seats in the National Assembly.

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Chris Rock

"N--- always want credit for some s--- they're supposed to do. They'll brag about stuff a normal man just does. They'll say something like, “Yeah, well I take care of my kids.” You're supposed to, you dumb f---. “I ain't never been to jail.” Whaddya want? A cookie? You're not supposed to go to jail, you low-expectation-having m---f---!"

When your latest rationale is bringing democracy to Iraq, you're supposed to let them have free elections without outside interference. It's a great decision, but is the bar really that low?

[Buccaneer]

Again, it's really funny to see how niave some people are. Do you actually believe that it was truly a free election? Even the US doesn't have that.

[Flasch186]

regardless, the decision was the "right" one.

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Again, it's really funny to see how niave some people are. Do you actually believe that it was truly a free election? Even the US doesn't have that.

Your bag seems to be to interject strawmen into the argument and comment on how stupid someone is to believe your strawman that you invented.

No election is free from corruption, but it doesn't make sense to purposefully add to the corruption.

[andy m]

The White House considered fucking candidates in
Iraq's January election, but President Bush decided against it, his press secretary said Monday.

[Buccaneer]

You don't think our covert as well as observation presence there did not influence (or interfere with) anything? Some would argue that it was for the good of not making the election any more in favor of the Iranians and to get some pro-Allies candidates more influence than they would otherwise have. All of a sudden people are now believing sound bites and over-generalized short quips coming out of DC???

[Arles]

There was no need to fund one side. As Buc says, our presence there was enough to provide the influence to make sure the extremists ended up on the outside looking in.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by andy m

The White House considered overtly fucking candidates in Iraq's January election, but President Bush decided against it, his press secretary said Monday.

Fixed that for you.