Entries for December 15, 2005

Here is a link to the Pajamas Media blog coverage of the election in Iraq, where polls are closing as I write.

For a look at how the voting went in Mosul, my U.S. News colleague Julian E. Barnes has an on-the-ground report.

Here's some more coverage from the Washington Post and the Daily Telegraph. It appears that turnout was high—higher than in the January 30 and October 15 elections—and violence low—lower than in January and October.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean may think that victory in Iraq is impossible, but the people of Iraq seem to take a different view. I continue to find it fascinating that so many on the American left are rooting for the failure of democracy and freedom in Iraq. And that many on the left here and abroad agree with Michael Moore that the terrorists are the Minutemen and that they will win. People on the left like to believe that they are the vanguard of history and that they stand for freedom and democracy. On Iraq, because of their hatred of George W. Bush and their disdain for the assertion of American power, they seem to stand on the other side.

Two more excellent speeches this week by George W. Bush. Once again, Bush admits that mistakes were made and tells how tactics were changed in response. Once again, he argues that he has followed a consistent strategy throughout.

The four speeches he has made on this subject over the past two weeks have clearly moved American public opinion his way. Bush's job approval is up to 42 percent in the www.realclearpolitics.com average, up from 36 percent a few weeks ago.