The Big Election and Beyond
My thoughts on the election yesterday are that they will probably solve some problems and create more. What those new problems will be no one knows. Which puts me on the Robert Fisk unintended consequences bandwagon. Also there are some other things to take into consideration. The election was the easy part governing will be the hard part. This administration kept setting low expectations in two areas. The first was that even if three people from Basra showed up to vote it would be a success. The second was that the violence was going to be horrible. This has made it seem that a country that hasn't had a free election in half a century to get a high 50% voter turnout -- of registered voters -- is great. Only 44 Iraqis dead on election day is good news too. Of course, when their was actually security in place, the Iraqi resistance wasn't going to attack. That's not how they fight. They attack you at your weak points not at your strong points.

OOPS!
Audit: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq

The U.S. occupation authority in Iraq was unable to keep track of nearly $9 billion it transferred to government ministries, which lacked financial controls, security, communications and adequate staff, an inspector general has found.

What a radical ruling
Guantanamo Bay Military Reviews Ruled Illegal -- Trials Violate Principles of Due Process, Federal Judge Rules

Green said the detainees are entitled to constitutional rights, including the advice of a lawyer and a fair chance to confront the evidence against them. The judge found the reviews have largely denied those rights.

More on Chertoff
Chertoff and Torture

Chertoff (now an appeals court judge in New Jersey) demanded--reportedly at Defense Department insistence, according to what defense attorneys were told--that Lindh sign a statement swearing he had "not been intentionally mistreated" by his US captors and waiving any future right to claim mistreatment or torture. Further, Chertoff attached a "special administrative measure," essentially a gag order, barring Lindh from talking about his experience for the duration of his sentence.

Check this out, GOP Social Security playbook
- posted by Mom/Dad @ 1:17 PM