An encouraging poll from Iraq revealing how determined most Iraqis still are to vote in the elections. Money quote:
“I think people will be shocked,” said an official of another international organization deeply involved in preparing Iraq’s nascent political class for the ballot. The official, who insisted that neither he nor his organization could be identified because of security concerns, said most Iraqis remain intent on exercising their right to elect a government after decades of dictatorships. “I think the real story of this election is what’s gone on beneath the radar,” the official said. “They may not know what they’re voting for. But I think they recognize it’s something called democracy.”
There are many reasons to be worried about Iraq – the dangers of a civil war, the remaining lack of reconstruction, the persistence of the insurgency, the failure to train a sufficient number of Iraqi troops, etc etc. Just read Juan Cole if you want to get the smart pessimist’s view. I’m not one to dismiss the problems, as some supporters of the war are. But I do believe one thing: given a chance, people vote for a sane future. The elections have the potential to be a catalyst for broader change. We have lost windows of opportunity before. Let’s not lose this one.
DOMA SAILS THROUGH: Here’s a significant legal development in the marriage battle. The Defense of Marriage Act easily survived its first Constitutional test. Money quote:
US District Judge James S. Moody disagreed. Moody, an appointee of former president Bill Clinton, sided with outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft, who had argued in court filings that the government has a legitimate interest in permitting states to ban same-sex marriages, namely to encourage “stable relationships” to raise children with both biological parents. Moody ruled that the law was not discriminatory because it treats men and women equally, and that the government had argued compellingly in favor of allowing marriages to form only between men and women. Moody said he could not declare marriage a “fundamental right,” as lawyers for the women had urged him to do. Moody cited past legal cases as establishing states’ rights to regulate marriages. “The legislatures of individual states may decide to overturn its precedent and strike down” the law, Moody wrote. “But, until then, this court is constrained to hold [the law] and the Florida statutes . . . constitutionally valid.”
It’s the right decision. Civil marriage law should be left to the states, where it belongs. And the attempt by some gay activists to push this further and demand immediate national recognition of marriage rights is as strained constitutionally as it is foolish politically. What we need to do now is win the political and legislative fight in Massachusetts so that equality in marriage there can be seen as a democratic choice as much as a judicial decision. And we have to keep up the educational task of explaining why this reform makes sense. You can read a PDF of the judge’s decision here. (Meanwhile, Brazil also makes a move toward equal marriage rights. This truly is a global movement.)
HOW TO BEAT A CAR BOMBER: Volkswagon fights terror – with advertizing.
A BLOGGER ON HIS OWN: Here’s a profile of the ornery, independent, and often vicious blogger, Bob Somerby. I’m glad people like Somerby still exist. They are what the blogosphere is for.
The Dish 