John Kerry talks about Social Security and Judge Scalia with Tim Russert

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via Atrios The Queen of All Iraq Speaks II

"We now are told, according to my sources, that the administration has been reaching out to Mr. Chalabi, to offer him expressions of cooperation and support and according to one report he was even offered a chance to be an interior minister in the new government."

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Appeared with George Stephanopoulos on This Week

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Andrew Sullivan is not a left winger.

Malkin.:With the exception of Sullivan, the top bloggers on the left side of the blogosphere have decided to mark this historic day by hiding under their bedcovers.

I'll give you a little tip to figure out who is on the right and who is on the left, since obviously you don't have a clue. Ready.... Blog Rule #1. If a blog runs the ad "Michael Moore Hates America" that blogger is on the right. That's all you really need to know. However, If a little more help is required. Blog Rule #2. If a blogger quotes Dick Cheney in a positive fashion, something like"Freedom means freedom for everyone" then that blog is on the right. Clear on it now? Great, I knew you would.

By the way, if you were to look at the Daou Report, you would see many left leaning sites blogging on the Iraqi vote. I'm just saying.

Audit: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq

WASHINGTON - The U.S. occupation authority in Iraq was unable to keep track of nearly $9 billion it transferred to government ministries, which lacked financial controls, security, communications and adequate staff, an inspector general has found.

The U.S. officials relied on Iraqi audit agencies to account for the funds but those offices were not even functioning when the funds were transferred between October 2003 and June 2004, according to an audit by a special U.S. inspector general.

Click here to download or view WMP

via MediaBistro

At least Geraldo doesn't pretend to be objective. Johnny Dollar has transcribed some of Rivera's comments:

They are casting their ballot for the first time. It was so inspiring. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my entire life. It really is like the Berlin Wall going down in 1989. It really is like the beginning, like the dawn of the civil rights era, when black people could vote for the first time. It is the most amazing sight. Only a hard-bitten cynic, only a person with absolutely no upside to their feeling of optimism, could look askance at what is happening, truly happening today.

Some takes from the right:

Roger Simon: Fox is not as good as CNN at location coverage. Murdoch doesn't seem to care. Too bad. This leaves a real hole in American television journalism. Maybe the blogosphere will fill it some day.

Powerline: "By the way, this has got to be Geraldo Rivera's finest hour...Geraldo may not quite be a real journalist, but today it seemed to me that he was something more."

Captain's Quarters: "Geraldo's emotions have overcome him, and he's not alone."

The Great Nick Ball's Weblog "His comparisons to this event like the 'falling of the Berlin Wall' are right on."

I agreed with Simon. CNN has the infrastructure to provide much better coverage for world events. I thought Rivera was over the top and taking away from the broadcast. Obviously the right likes it's cheerleaders. I thought the tenor of all the cable networks was very positive to the election by and large.

NY Times: Iraqi Voters Turn Out in High Numbers
Despite Attacks Intended to Deter Them

WaPo: Millions Turn Out for Historic Iraqi Vote

LATimes: Iraqi Voters Turn Out in Large Numbers

While staying up till 1:30 am and fliping throught the T.V. I was frustrated for not really being able to see what was going on at Iraqi polling locations. You had Geraldo Rivera jumping up and down like a twit(was he a cheerleader in college)calling this the "greatest day in his life" on top of a building with 4 armed U.S. troops glued to his ass. Then they switched back to the FOX studios where a reporter(I missed his name) said that there were 12 Iraqi deaths so far from the violence, but "NO" American soldiers. I wondered how many Iraqi's had to die to make this giddy- fest become a bit more realistic. Over at CNN, they were interviewing Middle East journalists who talked with fondess and optimism about the election. They also talked about the legitimacy of the election if the Sunni's didn't vote. Cut to Iraqi's outside the country: England had a joyous turnout; but this type of coverage bothers me because they faced none of the hardships that the Iraqi's back in Bahgdad face. MSNBC did about the same thing. Many were ecstatic that people were voting. Hopefully this election will bring our troops home sooner. The real concern were the Sunni's. Would they show up? So far the answer is no. Cut back to Geraldo: He was talking to Chalabi and blowing kisses to him on the phone.

via Talk Left

Journalist Chris Allbritton writes on his blog, Back to Iraq:

9:34:37 AM So far, not as much violence as everybody feared. The question is why? Is the insurgency taking a pass on this one? (It's possible. Our sources in the insurgency say the election will make no difference to them, so why expend a lot of energy?) Is the insurgency much weaker than previously thought? Or is the level of security sufficient to keep it in check? If that's the case, then that is discouraging, too, because the measures that have kept today safe (so far) are truly draconian. No driving, dusk to dawn curfews, states of emergency. If that's what it takes to provide security in Iraq, why erase one police state only to replace it with another?

Update from other Iraqi blogs:

Today in Iraq

Democracy in Iraq

Back to Iraq

I've been trying to come up with pictures of polling stations from the tube, but so far I only found this on FOX.

Let's hope the people that come will be safe.

Update from: Today in Iraq

Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed by small arms fire in Baghdad ambush.

Bring ‘em on: Three Iraqi soldiers killed, four wounded in rocket attack near Duluiyah.

Bring ‘em on: Three Iraqi soldiers, five civilians killed by suicide bomber near Khanaqin.

Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers killed, one wounded by roadside bomb in Baghdad.

Bring ‘em on: Five Iraqis killed by car bomb at Baghdad power plant.

Bring ‘em on Six Iraqi soldiers killed in Ramadi ambush.

Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, three wounded by roadside bomb in Baghdad.

Bring ‘em on: Heavy fighting reported in Samarra.

Bring ‘em on: One Iraqi policeman killed in multiple attacks on Kirkuk polling stations.

Bring ‘em on: Mosul election center heavily damaged by car bomb.

Where's the outrage over Dan Rather being in Iraq? Where's the MSM bias that he brings in his Ratherbiased view? How could CBS even think of bringing him to Iraq? I guess Hugh Hewitt likes him just fine now.

"I am tired of hearing the crap, the whole, well, 'We are barely hanging on, we're losing, the insurgency is growing.' All that. We are doing fine. It's just a small, a small amount of people out there causing the problems. I mean, it is a small number, and we’re killing them."

-- Marine Sgt Kevin Lewis , to Dan Rather during his recent visit to Iraq

via Hugh Hewit From Mudville Gazette