SwiftVets.com

[Tex]

This is truly a great day. Watching this whole thing unfold, in spite of the threats, and in spite of the critics, it really makes me proud.
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"If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness." -- Theodore Roosevelt

[shawa]

Sorry, Kate. I didn't note who the reporter was. As I said, I was
watching FOX and just quickly clicked over the others. It was a
female reporter, must have been the end of her report because
she made that statement and then said "back to you". I just
thought WHAT A PEA BRAIN, and went back to FOX.

[MSeeger]

Heck, we shouldn't be surprised if the MSM starts declaring this election an illegitimate one. From one of the news stories I read, the almighty UN refused to send monitors because they were afraid they would be kidnapped and held for hostage.

Yet, it is only the UN who can guarantee that the rest of the world will see the results as fair and legitimate. Maybe that's the real reason they didn't go there, hmm?

Just you wait...in about a week, you'll be hearing stories about voter fraud and about how the election didn't count, and only serves to underscore the liberal left position that "these people aren't used to democracy and we had no right to interfere in their form of government", etc. etc. etc.

In other words, we should have left well enough alone and let Saddam just keep on killing his people. Who cares if he kills 30,000 a year? They're just poor Iraqis, after all.

Down with racist Democrats and the liberal leftist wing of the MSM!
Viva Democracy and the conservative bloggers and journalists who keep us on the straight and narrow!

Maria
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Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal. 6:7

[Uisguex Jack]

MSeeger wrote:

[scotty61]

Just for kicks, I tuned into ABC's World News Tonight. It was quite humorous to see Peter Jennings intro a story with doom and gloom then see the reporter talk about the huge turnouts and optimism of the Iraqis. At first I thought they mixed up the intro and the story, but it happened a couple of times. Must be tough to be an anchor when you can't get your own reporters to follow your lead.
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John Kerry. A Neville Chamberlain for our times.

[LimaCharlie]

You should see the total meltdown over on the DUmb site.
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I was going to become an anarchist, but they had too many rules.

[Uisguex Jack]

I had'nt even thought of that..... think i'll go swim in the sewar for a bit

[shawa]

For those who can stand to read the Blather.
HEY DAN, it's too late for your hypocritical praise!
HEY DAN, we don't need your recommendations about exit strategy!
HEY DAN, you're really looking ill and your ratings are in last place.
DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD SPEED UP YOUR OWN EXIT STRATEGY!
COURAGE Dan, exit now.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/30/iraq/main670308.shtml

Rather: High Point For U.S.

BAGHDAD, Jan. 30, 2005

(CBS) A lot went right with the just-completed first free elections in Iraq in half a century.

The fact that the election was held at all is a major accomplishment.

Overall, Iraqis were brave and determined, and turned out to vote in large, heartening numbers.

Conservative estimates placed turnout at 50 to 60 percent of the 14 to 15 million Iraqis who were eligible.

Whatever the final percentage of eligible voters who actually cast ballots turns out to be, it will be high, especially considering that it came about in the teeth of a ferocious guerrilla warfare effort to stifle turnout.

The Iraqis interim government, the U.S. military, and American diplomats had a good plan and carried it out well.

More than 5,000 polling places in all parts of the country were well organized and well protected. Voting mostly went off quickly and smoothly for citizens.

The much maligned, newly trained Iraqi security forces put in charge of basic polling place protection performed far beyond general expectations.

U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, put in command of Iraqi training last year, deserves special credit for this.

Most of the credit, however, should go to the Iraqi troops themselves. They are a long way from being ready to take over security for the country as a whole, but they did a good job under extremely difficult conditions Election Day.

American soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors once again delivered -- big time -- in hundreds of ways, large and small. From lowest privates to command headquarters, they did everything from aggressive patrolling to helping Iraqis get to the right polling places.

U.S. Army Gen. George Casey is in overall command of all coalition forces in Iraq and he had all working superbly.

The insurgency failed to pull off a single "spectacular" on Election Day. There was not one cataclysmic event. More than 44 people died in attacks of various kinds, but there was not nearly as much violence as had been anticipated.

The insurgency isn’t over by a long shot, but it is clearly off-balance and reeling. Whether it stays that way or not in post-election days remains to be seen.

But no one should be mistaken: the guerrilla war fighters suffered substantial loss in the election, both in fact and in perception.

The momentum shifted in favor of the U.S. military and Iraqi forces a few months ago, and has accelerated in their direction with the election.

Before the election, it was widely believed that the turnout would be a major test of President Bush’s goal of establishing a democratic government in the midst of the Middle East, and for hopes of stabilizing Iraq and eventually bringing home the 170,000 U.S. troops here.

The tests were passed. In the first hours after the election, the voting appears to be the best moment for America’s mission in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad and the subsequent capture of Saddam Hussein.

Is it the tipping point for the whole effort? It may well be. There is, however, still much to be done.

The Bush administration’s exit strategy is often stated as getting Iraqi security forces to the point where they can take over internal and external protection of the country.

But any exit strategy that does not also take seriously the problems of electricity, sewage, garbage and fuel -- and show concrete progress toward solving them -- runs high risk of failure.

Next to security, the number one concern among ordinary Iraqis is getting regular, predictable electric service.

Close behind is doing something about the long lines for gasoline in a country with perhaps the largest oil reserves in the world.

There is danger that U.S. authorities and newly elected Iraqi political entities will not act swiftly and decisively in dealing with these problems.

Overwhelmingly, most Iraqis simply cannot understand how the United States has failed to help in these areas for so long.

Another danger is how the Sunni minority deals with the reality of the Shiites' strong showing at the polls.

Do the Sunnis now throw themselves into a renewed effort at what amounts to civil war, or do they try now to deal themselves a hand -- as best they can -- in the new democratic government? Also, what is the Shiites attitude toward this? Do they allow and encourage the Sunnis to have a significant role, despite the Sunnis low vote turnout?

Even with the good news of Sunday’s election, nobody said the way ahead will be easy. And nobody is right.

By Dan Rather
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[Schadow]

If you really want to realize how effective today's election was, you should read this yahoo in one of the cesspools of lib screed. (I've had to edit some of the words to make it more presentable.) I am ambivalent about reproducing this in our forum, but it doesn't hurt to remind ourselves of the visceral hate that's out there.

Our forum apparently doesn't allow linking to the original site.

**********************

(Deleted by Admin)

Admin note: Nor do we encourage reproduction of their content. Please refrain from dignifying it with repetition in this forum. PM schadow for a link if your curiousity is piqued.

Thanks

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He had to turn off CNN? Wow. We must be making headway

Schadow
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Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54

[kate]

~~scrubbed~


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.
one of..... We The People

[susanlprince]

Iraq Election Slideshow with accompaniament music provided by Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man". It's quite moving.

Found via Gary Peterson's blog Country Keepers link to Instapundit.

[manelly]

A great day for the Iraqi people! History has been made and the Iraqi's are celebrating by dancing in the streets and wearing a Purple stained finger as a badge of honor....

.... and all CNN can talk about is dead U.S. Soldiers and inocent dead Iraqi children and civilians. Even allow Iraq Veterans Against the War spokesman to continue to press the line that the U.S. military is Not part of the solution and is part of the problem. CNN is a SICK, SICK excuse for a news network.
I'm sorry for my Mother who's only cable news network that is provided is CNN (Al Jazeera West).
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Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.
- Thomas Jefferson

[LewWaters]

Blather credits:

[Me#1You#10]

Hugh Hewitt throttles the LA Times...excellent piece...

[PhantomSgt]

I would like to put a little perspective on how great our forces performed during the Iraqi Elections with a death toll of 44 (eight were terrorist suicide bombers).

During the 2004 Presidential elections in the Philippines over 100 people died.

The 2004 Presidential election in Indonesia saw over 200 deaths related to election violence.

The total of Iraqi deaths was outpaced by deaths in democratic elections around the world. I would say that more than 36 American people died in traffic accidents trying to get to the polls or from heart attacks when they heard the results last November 2nd.

Eight million voted and thirty six died, I like them odds.

A big Air Force salute goes out to the Army and Marines.


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Retired AF E-8

Independent that leans right of center.