Just taking a moment today to note two things this blog might be tempted to ignore:

1) A very real and triumphant story of democracy in action in Iraq. There’s no hiding from it just because we don’t like the path we all had to take to get there. I wouldn’t go to vote if I thought I might die doing it. Therefore, I have no choice but to admire all those ordinary Iraqis who braved violence for what must surely remain an abstract idea in their lives. The link above is to a BBC election log full of real people saying real things, like this:
Though I believe strongly that force is never the way to bring about democracy, still I watched all the many, many Iraqis walking quietly – some for long, long distances – to cast their vote and I wept. I sincerely hope and pray that this will be the beginning of the end of the occupation and that all of you Iraqis will soon have better lives.
RM, Columbus, Ohio, USA

and b) the existence of intelligent, compassionate, conservative thinking in the United States. David Brooks waxes poetic on the Iraqi election… and it gets me. Nice work Mr. Brooks.