The Political Fish

The Political Fish would like to thank George W. Bush for doing what was unpopular in the progressive leftist minds and boldly bringing freedom to the good people of Iraq. And a special thank you to the brave men and women of the United States Military for going and bravely executing the plan to bring these men and women the freedom they deserve. Those who have died in the fight will not have died for naught, even as I write this I am humbled to put these words out there.

Today, Iraqis celebrated that freedom by holding the largest election in the nations history, with over 3000 candidates on the ballot.

Brave Iraqi citizens turned out (the total number is still unclear) despite the threat of attacks from freedom hating terrorists, and despite 38 being killed in a series of bomb blasts designed to derail todays election.

Iraqi authorities said dozens of mortar and rocket attacks rattled Baghdad during the early hours of polling, although Defense Secretary Robert Gates said 80 percent of the explosions heard in the capital were believed to be noise bombs.

In the deadliest incident, 25 people were killed when an explosion destroyed a three-storey Baghdad apartment block. Rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble as a woman buried under debris screamed to be saved.

“It is terrible that lives have been lost, but it doesn’t change the course of the Iraqis,” said Ad Melkert, the U.N. special representative to Iraq. “There will be issues, but they are serious elections and many Iraqis have participated with great conviction.”

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission said only two polling stations had to be closed briefly for security reasons.

The Islamic State of Iraq, an al Qaeda affiliate, had warned Iraqis not to vote and vowed to attack those who defied them.

The 96,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq stayed in the background, underscoring the waning American role in Iraq, but U.S. helicopter gunships provided aerial support.

Aswat Aliraq reported via Gatewaypundit on todays historic election.

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Voting centers closed their doors at 05:00 p.m. on Sunday, capping the largest election ever in the history of Iraq, where nearly 19 million voters from the nation’s 18 provinces picked their favorites amongst 6200 candidates to occupy the new parliament’s 325 seats.

Nearly 10,000 voting centers comprising 52,000 stations closed their doors amidst acts of violence that claimed the lives of more than 24 Iraqis and wounded 10 others who have been casting their votes since 07:00 a.m. today (March 7).

The new parliament is comprised of 325 seats: 68 from Baghdad, 31 from Ninewa, 24 Basra, 18 Thi-Qar, 17 Sulaimaniya, 16 Babel, 14 Arbil, 14 Anbar, 13 Diala and 12 seats for each of Kirkuk, Salah al-Din and Najaf and 11 for Wassit and Diwaniya while Missan, Duhuk, Karbala and Missan will get 10 seats and Muthanna only 7.

An Iraqi refugee living in Jordan carries her son as she casts her ballot at a polling station in a government school in Amman March 5, 2010. Picture from Reuters

Young supporters of candidate Abid Khalaf of the Iraqi Accordance coalition are seen riding in the back of a truck in Ramadi, Anbar province, Iraq, Friday, March 5, 2010. Iraqis are due to go to the polls Sunday, March 7, 2010 for Iraq’s parliamentary elections. Via the AP

Talk about setting the tone right from the start.

This one phrase and snitty remark thrown out by the President really summed up the entire sham of a summit yesterday. Ironically, the President throughout the day kept accusing Republicans of grandstanding and playing politics, when in fact the entire excercise at Blair House was nothing more than a political grandstand for the President, throwing out some faux bipartisanship in order to slap down all GOP ideas and move forward anyways.

Roll the tape, and see if you can’t put your finger on the irritation and argumentative spirit that Obama came to the table with.

I love John McCains response “I am reminded of that every day Mr. President”

I wonder if it is the shocking deficits that act as a reminder for him??

Just a thought.

Guess what?  There are a scant 1000 days left before Election Day 2012.  Now is as good of a time as any to see whose name may be on the ballot opposing Mr. Obama.  I gathered most of the names on this list from Intrade.com and Wikipedia, plus tossed in a few of my own.  First, let’s take a look at the “not-a-chancers”.  I call this the “Dennis Kucinich Division”.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney – Aside from the obvious reasons, here’s one biggie: He turns 72 days after the 2012 inauguration.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford – Once considered a legitimate prospect for Vice President, Sanford all-but-destroyed his political career when he, ummm, went hiking on the Applachian Trail.

Nevada Senator John Ensign – See above.

Sorry, Newt. Thanks for trying.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich – While I can see him having some sort of hand in the political process (as an advisor or chairman of the Republican Party), I can’t see him as the Republican nomination.  If you think about it, he really combines the worst qualities of Sanford (the womanizer) and Cheney (the Darth Vader).

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson – Oh, come on.  I’m spending more time writing about why Thompson wouldn’t be the 2012 nominee than he spent working on his 2008 campaign.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani - Not going to happen.  Besides, if I had to choose which New York City mayor would be the most likely to be a 2012 contender, I’d choose Rudy’s successor.

General David Petraeus – I think he would be an excellent Secretary of Defense or even a Vice Presidential candidate, but I don’t see him as a legitimate Presidential contender.  At least at this early stage of the game.

Former Virginia Governor George Allen – No, and here’s why.  He’s done with politics.  In a little-known fact (my former boss is good friends with Allen), Allen had a falling-out with the Republican party back in 2006 when he was running for re-election.  Allen lost a lot of points in the “macaca flap”, but the Republicans wouldn’t give him money for his campaign.  Instead, they gave money to Sen. Rick Santorum’s futile bid to hold on to his Senate seat.  Allen lost by a slim margin.

General Colin Powell – I can’t see him currying much favor with the party bosses after his endorsement of Barack Obama in 2008 pretty much was the nail-in-the-coffin of John McCain’s bid.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour – I’m sorry, but this guy just seems like he’s out of central casting for “old, crusty, Southern Republican”.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush – Ummmm… we may need to way a little bit before trotting out someone with the “Bush” name.  In a related note: when was the last time the Republicans won the White House without having “Bush” or “Nixon” on the Presidential ticket?  Answer: coming at the end.

Texas Representative Ron Paul – He’s probably a stronger candidate now than he was in 2008 because of the economic collapse, but I think that his isolationist foreign policy beliefs have turned off enough Republicans to the point where he cannot be considered a serious candidate.  That being said, I think his son, Rand Paul, a contender for a Senate seat in Kentucky, could be someone Republicans need to keep their eye on in the future.

Former New York Senator Hillary Clinton – No, but wouldn’t it be hilarious if she tried?  How poor would Obama have to do in order to have a serious challenge mounted against him?  Well, unfortunately, really, really bad.  As in, not even Jimmy Carter lost his party’s nomination in 1980.  I’m all for seeing Clinton try, though.

Second category.  These are the guys that will / may give it the ole’ college try and will probably pick up some marginal support, but will fall short.  I call this the “Bill Richardson Division”.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels – Daniels is quite popular in a state that, surprisingly, went for Obama in 2008.  His experience on the federal level came as President Bush’s Director of the Office of Budget Management.  In short, he was the guy who presided over a $236 billion surplus, that dwindled into a $400 billion deficit.  In 2012, barring anything unforeseen, the voters will take a keen eye towards fiscal responsibility.  This guy ain’t it.

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn – See below.

Former Tennessee Senator Bill Frist – Both men are strong conservatives.  Frist seems to be done with politics; Coburn is running for re-election and hasn’t hinted if he wants to seek higher office.  Both men are known for their work as doctors on the side.  With the Health Care debate at a fevered pitch (what?  cliche?  Sorry.), I can see both men getting some support because of their expertise.  I can also see one, maybe both, accepting a Cabinet position in a Republican administration.  I don’t see either of them garnering significant support, though.  If I had to choose one, though, I would say Frist has the better shot.  Speaking of Tennessee Senators…

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker – A strong conservative, and he’s facing re-election in 2012.  I can imagine he’d choose to concentrate on that seat, at a time when the Republicans are fighting for control of the Senate, instead of mounting a run for the White House.

Former Ohio Congressman John Kasich – Can you imagine the furor if a former Foxnews host won the White House (and it wasn’t Alan Colmes)?  I’d cast a vote for this guy just to see if it’d cause Moveon.org to explode.  Kasich is an attractive candidate, especially if he wins the race for Ohio’s Governor this November.  And since Ohio will be a major swing state in 2012, I can bet the Republicans will be calling on him for help.  Is he Presidential-material?  Well, just to stick it to George Soros… I say, yeah, sure.

Former New York Governor George Pataki – Pataki’s a dark horse.  It really depends on the mood of the GOP in 2012.  If they want to try to put a fiscal conservative / social moderate up for election and try to win independent voters, Pataki could make a serious run at the Presidency.  If the Republicans say they tried that in 2008, well, Pataki won’t make it out of Iowa.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie – After seeing him squeak by the unpopular Jon Corzine in November’s race for Governor (after seeing him whizz away a double-digit lead), I have no faith in his ability to run a major campaign.  But hey, as long as he cleans up my home state, I’m happy.

Iowa Representative Steve King – I’m pretty sure the last time (and only time) a Congressman went from the House of Representatives into the White House was in 1880, President James A. Garfield.  And look how well that turned out! (what?  Too soon?  How long before I can joke about that?)

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson – All you really need to know about Gary Johnson is he’s being called “the next Ron Paul”.

Third category – These are the young up-and-comers of the Republican party.  Maybe in a few years they’ll be the Presidential front-runners.  Maybe the next Vice President will come from this category (which is completely likely).  I call this “Not-Quite-Ready-For-Prime-Time” category the “John Edwards Division”

Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno – Fortuno, a 49-year-old Governor, has only been in office for one year.  He seems like the kind of guy that the Republicans will trot out from time-to-time to show the voters how much they care about Hispanics.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal – Jindal unfortunately bombed his “coming-out” party last year when he gave the Republican response to Obama’s first address to Congress.  Oh well.  But before anyone launches a “what are you talking about? Jindal is awesome!” tirade against me, let me say this: Jindal is awesome.  But, he is only 38 years old.  He’s barely old enough to be eligible for President.  His time will come.  Just not yet.

Florida State Representative Marco Rubio – A rising star in the Republican party, Rubio, like Jindal, is just 38-years-old.  He’s a strong conservative, and thanks to grassroots support, is leading Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the Republican primary for Senate.  He’s too young for 2012, but keep an eye on him.  Especially if he beats Crist.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell – Not yet.  If the Republicans lose in 2012, put McDonnell at the top of the 2016 list.

Former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt – Blunt declined to run for a second term in 2008, because he, like every other Republican on the planet, was looking at a substantial butt-whupping.  As it turns out, the Democrat candidate wound up capturing 58% of the vote in Missouri, so Blunt was wise not to run and sacrifice his political future.  He’s a young guy, 39, and the son of Roy Blunt, a prominent congressman.  Matt has shown no signs of being interested in a Presidential run.  But I hardly doubt his career in politics is over yet.

Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown – Brown, 50, garnered a lot of buzz after knocking off Martha Coaxley in the so-called “Miracle in Massachusetts” and won Ted Kennedy’s old seat.  While Brown is an attractive candidate (I say that in a political sense, not in the “he posed practically nude for Cosmo magazine” sense), he really needs to garner some experience before launching a Presidential run.  I know Obama did it like, 45 minutes after being sworn in, but we saw how that turned out, right?

Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock – Has gained popularity from the TMZ circuit for his washboard abs.  Why he won’t be President?  Well, for starters, he’s my age (28).  That means he’s Constitutionally-ineligible to be the President (or Vice President).  See you in 2032, buddy.

Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann – Bachmann’s framed herself as a Sarah Palin clone, without the crowd appeal (and at the same time, without the “I can see Russia from my backyard!”).  She has already ruled herself out of the Presidential race, citing a lack of experience (she was elected in 2006).

Virginia Representative Eric Cantor – Cantor’s name was pretty established during the last Presidential cycle, and was floated as a potential Vice President selection.  While he seems like a long-shot now, take this into account: by the time 2012 rolls around, he will be one of the leading Congressional voices of the Republican opposition.  At the very least, Cantor has to be considered for the short-list of Republican Vice Presidential hopefuls: he’s young, he’s Jewish, he represents a key swing state, and he’s experienced.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina – She’s running for Senate, and, if she can win, I can see her name being brought up as a Presidential dark horse.  One thing I can’t see is how she would have a chance at winning the White House if she puts out laughably bad ads like this one.

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman – Whitman, like Fiorina, is running for statewide office in California (Whitman has her eyes set on the Governor’s chair).  She’s a tremendous businesswoman and has a great record; John McCain mentioned her name when he talked about potential Treasury Secretary nominees.  If Meg Whitman wins in November, I will easily move her into category four.

Category Four: Contenders.  These are the guys, who, if things break the right way, will be the Republican nominee (even though they have an uphill battle).  I call this the “John Kerry Division”.

Indiana Representative Mike Pence – Pence, like Cantor, will be one of the leading voices of the opposition by 2012.  I just don’t think he has the name-recognition or the charisma to vault him into the top tier of candidates.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist – If Crist can fend off Rubio and win a seat in the Senate, he will be in good position for a Presidential run.  If the general mood of the country is favorable to the moderates, Crist will be in great shape.  If it swings towards the tea-partiers, well, not-so-much.  One thing I would add: a Crist loss to Rubio does not mean the end of his Presidential chances.

Texas Governor Rick Perry – I don’t know, I just think America needs a little bit more time before electing another Texas Governor.  Nothing against Perry, just, you know… too soon.

Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan – I wavered between putting him in the “rising star” category.  This is probably too high for him.  However, his “Roadmap for America’s Future 2.0” has been getting a ton of attention recently.  If the Republicans go with someone younger than President Obama, Ryan might be the guy.

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. – Huntsman ran one of the best-managed states in America, and his name was floated as  one of the early dark horses for the 2012 Election.  Rumor has it that Obama feared running against this guy so much he gave him a diplomat’s position; currently, Huntsman is the United States’ Ambassador to China.

Tomorrow: The top five candidates, the “Hillary Clinton” Division… and I will reveal my Presidential pick.  Stay tuned to ThePoliticalFish.com for more.

Trivia answer: The last time the GOP won without Bush or Nixon on the ticket?  1928, the Herbert Hoover / Charles Curtis ticket.

Planet Iran and the Azarmehr blog today reported more sad news coming out of the increasingly hostile and tyrannical Iranian regime. Arash Rahmanipour was a 19 year old student arrested during the uprising in Iran following the fraudulent elections this summer. He was later lumped into a group of pro-democracy demonstrators who stood in front of the Iranian kangaroo courts and were convicted.

Thursday, Rahmanipour was hanged by the despotic regime for his role in the Ashoura protests just a few months ago. Mind you, he was in jail at the time so the prosecutor concluded that he must have played a role in the massive Ashura protests from his cell.

Rahmanipour and the other man Mohammed Reza Ali Zamani said back in August that they were officially convicted of trying to “topple the Islamic establishment” and for belonging to armed opposition groups that were the enemies of Allah.

Arash Rahmanipours father told the Al-Jazeera news network that he was not informed of his sons hanging until after it had taken place.

He also stated he would not accept condolence, only congratulations for his son being martyred for the cause of freedom. Beautiful strength.

CNN also reported on the hangings and the inconsistency of the Iranian regime. It seems like an arbitrary process of executing its political prisoners is the rule of the day for the despots in Tehran.

UPDATE:

During the Friday prayers, Iranian hardline cleric Ayatollah Ahmadd Jannati declared that more of the opposition protesters should be executed, to show the strength of the Islamic regime.

Speaking in a Friday prayer sermon, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said the wave of street demonstrations sparked by the disputed June presidential election would not have lasted until now if protesters had been executed early on.

“Whatever we suffered was because of our weakness. How many did the judiciary execute on July 9?” he said, referring to one of the particularly large protest days.

“We showed weakness, so then we had Ashoura,” he said, referring to a major protest on Dec. 27. “If you show weakness now, the future will be worse … There is no room for Islamic mercy.”

Iran’s judiciary is stepping up death sentences as the leadership intensifies its campaign to eliminate the challenge from the pro-reform opposition movement. Authorities announced Thursday that nine people accused of involvement in protests have been sentenced to death — including five who allegedly had a role in the Dec. 27 protests, which saw a particularly violent clampdown.

Iran’s top prosecutor said a new group of protesters and others would soon be brought to trial.

The two men executed Thursday were arrested before the June 12 election on charges of belonging to an armed group aiming to topple the government. But authorities lumped them in with opposition activists arrested during the postelection crackdown.

In his sermon, aired live on state radio, Jannati thanked Iran’s judiciary chief, Sadeq Larijani, for Thursday’s executions and urged more, saying: “Stand up courageously for the sake of God, the same way you executed these two persons very quickly.”

One of the reasons why our Founding Fathers opposed term limits was because they wanted the Representatives to always be accountable to the people.  They argued that a “lame-duck” Congressman would act in his own best interests, and not those of his constituents, while he waited for his term to expire.  Now, I am in favor of term limits, but I see the point the Founding Fathers were trying to make.

That being said, I was a little disappointed to see that two Democrat Senators, Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) and Byron Dorgan (D- North Dakota) have decided that they do not want to face the wrath of the voters in 2010.  Pity.

What you’re seeing in Iran are hundreds of thousands of people who believe their voices were not heard and who are peacefully protesting and seeking justice.  And the world is watching.  And we stand behind those who are seeking justice in a peaceful way.  Already we’ve seen violence out there.  I’ve said this throughout the week, I want to repeat it, that we stand with those who would look to peaceful resolution of conflict and we believe that the voices of people have to be heard, that that’s a universal value that the American people stand for and this administration stands for.

He goes on…

But the last point I want to make on this — this is not an issue of the United States or the West versus Iran; this is an issue of the Iranian people.  The fact that they are on the streets, under pretty severe duress, at great risk to themselves, is a sign that there’s something in that society that wants to open up.  And, you know, we respect Iran’s sovereignty and we respect the fact that ultimately the Iranian people have to make these decisions. But I hope that the world understands that this is not something that has to do with the outside world; this has to do with what’s happening in Iran.  And I think ultimately the Iranian people will obtain justice.

I stand in agreement, with a qualifier. If tommorow we see the mullahocracy crush this movement with brutal tactics and violence on a large scale, I believe at that point something more than vague statements must be done. That all remains to be seen, for now…the American government has done all that it should.

The White House today endorsed the House of Representatives, who passed the resolution HR560, the resolution condemning the crackdown in Iran, and voicing the United States support of the Iranian people.

“I think the president has been clear on what he believes ,” he said. “And I will say, as the president has said, we’re not going to be used as political foils and political footballs in a debate that is happening in Iran. There are many people in the leadership that would love us to get involved and would love to trot out the same old foils they’ve used for years. That’s what they would love to do.”

Nevertheless, he said that “obviously, we welcome the resolution.”

A clear sign from the United States government that while we do not want to get heavily involved in the turmoil in Iran, we as a people and a country support the movement for freedom of the Iranians.

I might even be proud of my government today…

Today the United States House of Representatives introduced  H. Resolution 560 in support of the Iranian people.  Text below

HRES 560 IH

 

111th CONGRESS 

1st SessionExpressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes.

 

June 18, 2009

Mr. BERMAN (for himself and Mr. PENCE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

---

Expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes. 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

 

•  
  (1) expresses its support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law;

 

•  
  (2) condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators by the Government of Iran and pro-government militias, as well as the ongoing government suppression of independent electronic communication through interference with the Internet and cellphones; and

 

•  
  (3) affirms the universality of individual rights and the importance of democratic and fair elections.

RESOLUTION

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H. RES. 560

Co-sponsor of the bill Mike Pence (R-IN) issued these closing thoughts before the vote was taken.

Today, the Supreme Leader of Iran Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke to a large demonstration at the University of Tehran. He called on the crowds to come for Friday prayers, and he would lead. He took the opportunity to address the crowd. It was telling that only one of the disputed presidential candidates was there. Ahmadinejad was reported to be sitting in the front row.

Khamenei demanded an end to the protests which have now gone on for 6 days. He strongly rejected the idea that the vote was fixed asking sarcastically “how can one rig 11 million votes?” He is pressing the idea that it is inconcievable that the Islamic Republic and its ruling heirarchy would do such a thing.
Khamenei proceeded to go on with the normal Iranian government rhetoric that the outside world was to blame once again for stoking the fires of this Revolution. He obviously hasn’t been paying very much attention, as the US in particular has only issued incredibly restrained statements, getting into no specifics. Khamenei targetted in particular the UK government calling them “the most evil of them.”

“Some of our enemies in different parts of the world intended to depict this absolute victory, this definitive victory, as a doubtful victory,”

His words signal in the coming days a harsh crackdown on the protests. He stated that he would hold the leaders of the protests responsible for the violence that may ensue.

Today, he basically put down the line in the sand. In his mind, the Supreme leader has spoken and thats the end of it. Its worrisome to think about where this might go, but if the Iranian people who have shown up en masse to these protests are serious, I expect the truly difficult challenges are waiting around the corner.

The world is watching, and we are with you.

Iranians around the world are joining with the Iranian people in solidarity. Check out www.wheresimyvote.org . Here is the official statement released by this group.

We in the Iranian Diaspora reject the ‘official’ results put forth by the current Ministry of Interior and demand that this election be canceled and held again.
We ask the governments as well as the mainstream news outlets around the world to refrain from recognizing the ‘official’ results of this fraudulent election and stand with the Iranian people in demanding their true votes. Iranians have been protesting the ‘official’ results with massive demonstrations in major cities throughout the country which are being violently cracked down by the riot police. Various forms of communication are being restricted including mobile phones, satellite TV, internet, news websites, which have been an important means of communication in the current situation. We ask that the voice of Iranians living everywhere around the world is heard loud and clear. WE CONDEMN THIS FRAUDULENT ELECTION AND DEMAND THAT A NEW ELECTION IS HELD WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURACY.

Author unknown. Posted on twitter today.

Reform in Iran looks like this. Campaign adds for Karoubi, for the skeptics who say there would be no difference whether Ahmadinejad was elected or not. Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan . Make sure to check out the work he has done covering the Green Revolution, it has been amazing.

Translation in English:
1 (Girl in street): Defending civil rights
2 (Boy next to old man): Counterbalancing poverty/deprivation
3 (Boy pushing away donation box): Nationalizing oil income
4 (Man standing on rooftop): Reducing tension in international affairs
5 (Boy sitting next to satellite dishes): Free access to information
6 (Girl sitting besides her mother): Supporting single mothers
7 (Girl with cast): Knock down violence against women
8 (Boy): Education for all
9 (Boy infront of man locking car): Increasing public safety
10 (Girl on rooftop): Ethnic and religious minority rights
11 (Man on rooftop): Supporting NGOs
12 (Girl in front of wall): Public involvement
13 (Boy and girl): We have come for change
14: Change for Iran

Sounds quite a bit different from the constant inflammatory rhetoric of Ahmadinejad. Also much different from the reality on the ground.

Than to check out the Al-Jazeera website for their take on the situation in Iran. Its blatantly obvious that the writer of this article is in favor of the fascist control of the Mullahs and the ruling theocrats.

In conclusion, a more prudent politician would try to utilize the millions of votes cast on his behalf into bargaining chips for influence and even policy input in the next administration, instead of wearing the hat of a martyristic hero and thus basking in the glow of regime-bashing, a regime that has done much to empower the ordinary Iranians and enhance Iran’s power in the international arena.

Classic idiocy spewing from the Islamo-fascist realm of the Middle East.  Wake up al-Jazeera, the Iranian people want better than the mullahs and Ahmadinejad can provide. Millions of them are showing it now from the streets of Tehran.

Police have been ordered to fire upon protesters at the mass demonstration today in Tehran.  Also, reports have apparently been leaked from the Interior Ministry showing that Mousavi did in fact with the election, according the Telegraph. The leaked reports show that Ahmadinejad actually placed third behind Mir Hussein Mousavi as well as Mehdi Karoubi, another reformist candidate. 

The statistics, circulated on Iranian blogs and websites, claimed Mr Mousavi had won 19.1 million votes while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won only 5.7 million.

The two other candidates, reformist Mehdi Karoubi and hardliner Mohsen Rezai, won 13.4 million and 3.7 million respectively. The authenticity of the leaked figures could not be confirmed.

According to the Telegraph, Mousavi warned his supporters against going to the rally that he organized today, once they were alerted to the intentions of the Iranian forces and police. Reports coming out of Tehran via twitter indicate that demostrations went forward regardless of the threat of violence, with Mousavi himself appearing for the first time publicly since the election.

 

These people have decided to stare down gun barrels in their drive for freedom. Those of us in the USA should realize that the problems we have here pale in comparison. We do not have to worry about the threat of getting beaten or shot just because we want to stand up and demonstrate. These people are showing bravery and courage that we can use as an example. The hunger for freedom is insatiable. We should stand up and take notice of their courage.  They are an inspiration to freedom loving people around the world!

Late into the night, Iran will not sleep. The people have had enough. Have the people risen up to start the Green Revolution? It appears that may be the case. To the Iranian people, fight for what you believe…go after the freedom you deserve.

sadenshi: RT @iamien: VIDEO: “I will fight, I will die, I will get back my vote.” http://bit.ly/TY4cA #IranElection less than 10 seconds ago from Power Twitter

The government has shut down many of the news bureaus coming  out of Iran, by jamming their satelites. One of the sites I was following today, www.tehranbureau.com has been disabled. The Iranian people have spoken, and their government does not want to hear them.  We as free people here in the United States need to stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends in Iran who seek the same type of freedom. The repression of the theocratic, heavy- handed rule in Iran has held these people down. Some of the twitter feeds being followed today (btw, twitter is amazing I realized that today) have spoken of the brutal suppression of this freedom movement. Let’s not turn a blind eye to this treatment. These people deserve better.

This last post by @persiankiwi says it all, as they move forward into what tommorow brings.

have no more news from uni dorm. i must go to pray now. today we will need god. #Iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web