Republicans Anonymous

It is still good news that the Iraqis had an election - but it didn't live up to the original hype. The BBC reports:

Overall turnout across the country was 58% of eligible voters.

But in Anbar province, at the heart of the restive "Sunni triangle" area of central Iraq where the insurgency is strongest, fewer than 2% of those eligible to vote actually did so. Insurgents had threatened to kill those who ventured out to vote.
Source: BBC "Shia parties triumph in Iraq Poll"

Juan Cole notes that Mr. Bush's best buddy interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi only got 14% of the vote despite massive spending and media coverage:

Although Allawi's list is among the three with more than two digits, in fact he lost big. Allawi had all the advantages of incumbency. He dominated the air waves in December and January. He went to Baghdad University and made all sorts of promises to the students there and it was dutifully broadcast, and there were lots of photo ops like that. Allawi's list also spent an enormous amount on campaign advertising. The source of these millions is unknown, since Paul Bremer passed a law making disclosure of campaign contributions unnecessary (the Bush administration's further little contribution to "democracy" in the Middle East). Despite these enormous advantages, clear American backing, money, etc., Allawi's list came in a poor third and clearly lacks any substantial grass roots in most of the country. It seems to have been the refuge of what is left of the secular middle class.
Source: Juan Cole's blog Informed Comment

Will the new Iraqi government stop construction on the permanent US bases currently under construction? Will they wait until the bases are completed and THEN order the US out? Stay tuned...