Senators Expect Iraqi Give-And-Take

[cal04]

A political give-and-take to form a coalition is expected now that election results show no Iraqi group won the votes needed to form a new government on its own, lawmakers said Sunday. "That's really part of that democracy that we're all so happy that they're moving toward," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said on "Fox News Sunday."

The slate of Shiite Muslims for the 275-member National Assembly received just under half of the votes cast in the Jan. 30 elections, the first since Saddam Hussein was ousted as president in 2003. A two-thirds majority of the assembly chooses the president and two vice presidents, which could push the Shiites to form a coalition with other political groups. "They're brand new at this and it really depends on how they reach out," Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox.

The candidate list dominated by Kurds came in second while the slate put together by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi finished third. Sunni Muslims, who generally stayed home during the elections and cast just 2 percent of votes, still must be involved politically for the Iraqi system to have legitimacy, Biden said. "They're going to have to see more Sunnis brought into the constitution writing if there's going to be any legitimacy at the end of the day, and I think we'll see that," Biden said.


Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said the results were good news and that the election itself was good "by Republican standards." But he questioned whether American think it was worth the U.S. and Iraqi casualties. "We went into Iraq not for elections," Rangel said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "We went there to knock off Saddam Hussein, but the American people thought it was connected with 9/11, there was weapons of mass destruction, there were connections with al-Qaida. It was all a fraud," he said.

(good for you Rangel, this isn't why we went to Iraq. Repub standards,we all know what they are)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050213/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq

[LinuxInsurgent]

1. hahaha...hypocrites

"That's really part of that democracy that we're all so happy that they're moving toward," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said on "Fox News Sunday."

Yeah...in PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS. In our system of "democracy", when is there a "give and take" process of sharing government...with different factions having different cabinet portfolios?

Bill Frist wouldn't know democracy if it bit him in the ass...

[neweurope]

2. How I hate that STUPID ARROGANCE!

"They're brand new at this and it really depends on how they reach out," Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden... said"

They had big politics in old BABYLON while our ancestors were still sitting on TREES by all that's holy! They don't need a US-boy to f* tell them what a coalition is!

:grr: :grr: :grr:

-----------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[cal04]

3. Transcript

Guests: Sen. Chuck Grassley, Rep. Charlie Rangel, Natan Sharansky and Patrick Buchanan
What's your sense of what happened in Iraq?

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY, (R-IA): Well, obviously, it's a continuing step to turn over to the Iraqi people their own destiny. It started on June the 30 last year and continuing this year through the election. And I think that there's a movement towards freedom that people are naturally born free, they want to be free, and you don't impose democracy. Democracy is natural. You can only impose dictatorship.

MR. RUSSERT: Good news?

REP. CHARLES RANGEL, (D-NY): Well, of course it's good news, but I guess by Republican standards that you could call it a good election. But I don't believe that the American people think that it was worth the lives of 1,200 Americans and 25,000 men and women in the armed services wounded, tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead. We talk about when do we leave. Well, in July of 1950, I went into combat in Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division, and guess what? The division is still there in Korea.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/6954712/

[rodeodance]

5. hey Rangel, its close to 1500 US dead--not 1200

[Supersedeas]

10. at least someone is making the point about the rationale--not good news

for Republicans

[rodeodance]

4. Rangel, te he (election itself was good "by Republican standards." )

[Ilsa]

6. Russert acted surprised Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11.

Aside from the 1200 remark, Rangel did a great job this morning.

[LynnTheDem]

7. "It was all a FRAUD."

*standing ovation*

[cliss]

8. Give and take.....

Iraqis GIVE

The Americans TAKE

[leesa]

9. Once again, the Republicans stole an election.

[Massachusetts]

11. Clueless in D.C.

[Redstone]

12. Give and take...

The Iraqis will give out IEDs and ambushes...we'll take casualties.

How much longer, oh Lord?

Redstone