home

Deadline Schmedline

By TChris, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Thu Aug 25, 2005 at 04:31:37 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

by TChris

Up against (and a bit beyond) another extended deadline, the Iraqi National Assembly is unlikely to vote on a draft constitution. The newly improvised plan: skip the vote and send the draft to the people in a referendum.

The decision by the Shiite leadership to bypass the Sunni Arabs provoked threats from the Sunnis that they would call on their people to reject the constitution when it goes before the voters in October.

This isn't the plan the Bush administration has been hawking.

Barring some last-minute deal, the decision by the Shiites to move ahead without the Sunni Arabs would mark a huge blow to efforts by the Bush administration to bring the leaders of the Sunni community into the negotiations over the Iraqi constitution.

What happened to the "do-over" plan?

Under the rules that were agreed to last year, the National Assembly is obliged to dissolve itself and hold new elections if it is unable to reach agreement on the interim constitution.

It was always a little fuzzy whether the Aug. 15 date set by the interim constitution could be extended. The extensions haven't produced an agreement, and it's even fuzzier whether the National Assembly can remain in power in its absence. Not to worry, says speaker Hajim al-Hassani.

Al-Hassani agreed that no parliamentary vote was required since the assembly fulfilled its legal obligations by accepting the Shiite and Kurdish-approved draft on Monday. "If we will not be able to reach agreements in the end, this constitution is going to be presented to the Iraqis in an Oct. 15 referendum," al-Hassani said. "Legally we do not need the parliament to vote on the draft, but we need only a consensus so that all the Iraqis will say yes to the constitution."

All Iraqis will say yes only if Diebold provides the voting machines.

< Sex Offender Hysteria | John Bolton's Private Reception >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Deadline Schmedline | 21 comments (21 topical)
    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:45 PM EST
    I've been thinking about our losses in recent elections. It seems as though the dimwits out there who make up the electorate do not realize that we liberals are much smarter than they are, and that they need us to take control of more of their miserable little lives, due to the aforementioned dimwittedness. I'm going to go ahead and state what all my fellow liberals really think; The electoral process is not working for us, so we need to find a way to make an end run around the process, to take power away from the evil Republicans. What we really would like (let's admit it) is for all the Republicans and Conservatives to just die. It is too much for us to try to steal elections anymore: They are onto us. So if the death rate for Republicans were to increase by a small amount each year, while at the same time the death rate for we liberals were to stay the same, by the year 2040, there is a slim chance we could win an election or two; It won't matter anymore that most Americans think we are kooks. How can we accomplish this feat? Let's turn Joe Camel loose in National Review. If we can get all the Republicans smoking, that will take an average of 11 years off each of their little lives. Thats two or three Presidential Elections they will not vote in. Figure how that will turn the vote in Florida. No longer will we have to rig the vote in Palm Beach County!

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#2)
    by Steven Sanderson on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:45 PM EST
    After the Shia and the Kurds receive a quick tutorial from the GOP on voter disenfranchisement there will be no Sunni vote to worry about.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimcee on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:45 PM EST
    The Bushies have been forced into a rather short timetable by the opposition to the Iraq incursion, namely the MSM and thier minions on the Left. I would assume that the only reason that the Leftist chorus wants the US to fail in Iraq is because they hate George Bush. The Iraqi people deserve better than to be left out to hang because certain preceincts on the American Left want to make Bush look bad. If the US can make a better country of Iraq than Saddam did and if it takes a little longer than the optimistic plans the Bushies had said does that make Saddam's torture and rape-rooms any more palatable to the opposition? The Sunnis need to grasp at the federalist straws that have been handed to it and stop whining. Federalism is the answer to the power question. Ask Sen Leahy from Vermont. Tiny state and lots of pull. If the Shi'ites and the Kurds have a problem with the Sunnis quite frankly it is understandable. Whom tormented/gassed/tortured who? If you are on the side of Saddam's tribe and enablers then you are in favour of the aforementioned rape/torture rooms. Orwell put it so well when he asked if you are not against totalitarianism how can you be indifferent to it without giving your tacit approval of it? So whose side are you on? Fascist dictator or a chance at democracy?

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#4)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:45 PM EST
    Jimcee- you are delusional.
    "The Bushies have been forced?....MSM and minions on the left?...wants the US to fail in Iraq because they hate George Bush?....If the US can make a better country of Iraq?...So whose side are you on?"
    Bush is the one who has forced the rush to an illegal war. The right wing corporate MSM is largely uncritical of The Chimp King and they do not have minions on the left. The US has already failed in Iraq. It can not be put back together again even with all the king's horses and all the King's men. GW Bush is hated by the world over, not just the by the left in the US. The US is not good at making countries better, although great at making them worse. I am not your side. The ironic thing here is that the Fascist dictator you talk of is Bush and you do not even have a clue. Seems like you have mastered chapter six as well.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#5)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:45 PM EST
    If you are on the side of Saddam's tribe and enablers then you are in favour of the aforementioned rape/torture rooms.
    Yawn... where have I heard this before? Oh yes, from the wacky right "minions."

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#6)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:46 PM EST
    jimcee...news flash...we are currently running the rape/torture rooms. And I don't think the new constitution relinquishes our control of them, either.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#7)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    The news just announced that an agreement has been made. Let's hope they're right.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    sac-whatever 'agreement' has been made will be thrown out in October. There is way too much foreign influence now for anything to stick. al-Sadr had 100,000 people marching today against the constitution; the sunni are even registering to vote under threat of assination by al-Qaida for participating in an American puppet government. The sunni block can easily veto the constitution in october forcing the whole process to start over again with voting and then creating a new constitution. Bush desperately wants to show progress in his state building experiment. He even took time off from his busy five week vacation (and we all know by now what a sacrifice that must have been) to call some cleric up in Iraq (could it be his friend Hakim?) , begging for a stable Islamo fascist democracy.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    Again, we need to be honest: We, as liberals, do not want the situation to work out in Iraq. We want as much bedlam there as possible. Why? Because if it works out, as I'm afraid it will, it will make the Republicans look good. So we must be willing to pay whatever price necessary to avoid this. Of course, if it were the great Bill Clinton running the war, we would support it as a great humans rights cause. So let's hope for mangles bodies in the street, just so we can avoid the catastrophe that would be should freedom break out in the Middle East under a Republican president.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#10)
    by soccerdad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    Liberal_fool - the name says it all. You are an idiot, more likely some dumba@@ troll.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    No, soccerdad. I'm just your mainstream liberal.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    You see, soccerdad, as I liberal, I do believe in the Bill of Rights: However, like most liberals, I believe the Bill of Rights only applies to liberals. We must do whatever we can to squelch the free-speech rights of the evil conservatives. We have to find a way to hush Rush; And if possible, stop Sean. Free speech is dangerous in the hands of those who disagree with us. After all, we are better than they are; And smarter. After all, we are liberals.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    Libral_ Fool=Troll Alert

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    Hey squeaky...I'm new to this blogging stuff...would you please fill me in as to what a "troll" is?

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#15)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    Liberal_Fool=Troll Alert

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    What is a troll?

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#17)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    LF...the fact that you are being allowed to comment here kind of disproves your point, doesn't it? Just try posting something anti-wingnut at any freeper-type site and see how long it stays up or it takes you to be banned.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    I don't understand, Ernesto. I'm just a little guy in the Proletariat trying to extol the virtues of Marxism and Stalinism. They were great guys, weren't they? I work all day for a greedy corporation, and just want to spend a quiet evening thinking about what it would be like to live somewhere in a worker's paradise. Somewhere like Cuba, maybe. Maybe I'll get me a little raft and see if I can make it to Havana! After the hurricane, of course.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#19)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    Hey do you remember right after 9/11 when we weren't supposed to criticize Bush? I bet a lot of people miss those days a lot. Cuba probably has more freedom than a freeper-type "patriot" would allow, anyway. Sail on, my friend.

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:47 PM EST
    I hope they have broadband in Cuba......

    Re: Deadline Schmedline (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:50 PM EST
    LF must be Jim's alter ego. LF's middle name is God. He has L.O.V.E. tattoed on his righthand knuckles. The hilarity of ignorance continues.

    Deadline Schmedline | 21 comments (21 topical)