After Several Baby Steps, a Leap!

Tomorrow, the balloting for the Iraq Parliament begins. It shouldn't matter what your political color (Red, Blue, or Purple) is, I hope you are all with me in full support of a successful election and the installation of the new Iraqi Parliament. CNN has more:

Iraqis started the year with a transitional assembly election. They voted for a constitution in October. And on Thursday they will cap their tumultuous year when many are expected to vote for a full four-year parliament.

On a main road in Sunni Aadhamiya, teenagers broke away from a soccer game to voice support for former interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a Shi'ite, Reuters reported.

"Ayad Allawi. Ayad Allawi. Ayad Allawi. We want Allawi," Reuters quoted Ahmed Khaled as saying. "He is a hero, and I am a wrestling champion."

Iraq is evolving into a much better neighbor and global citizen. We can argue whether or not the President lied us into this conflict (I like to think of it as a self fulfilled prophecy). He has much to answer to regarding the intelligence that did not support his claims of WMD's, his primary argument for militaristic intervention. But I don't think any objective mind can ignore the fact that the Arab peninsula is better off with a Democratic Iraq, rather then a dictatorial regime that brutalized it's on people into conformity.

Cheers to the Iraqi people for their transition in taking a lead roll in their own future. Cheers to the administration for staying the course and doing what is necessary to ensure successful elections, and cheers to the political opposition for keeping the administration in check.

Flash