One would think, given that Iraq's January selection...er,
election has been held out as some sort of milestone/turning point/golden fleece, that Bush would have at least a rudimentary grasp of what offices are at stake. One would be mistaken.
Embarrassing quotes from the LA Times' "Confusion in White House on Aim of Iraq Election" follow.
On Wednesday, Bush was asked whether the participation of Sunni Muslims would be necessary to make the elections free and fair. His (non-)response:
"Well, I'm confident when people realize that there's a chance to vote on a president, they will participate."
Avoiding the issue is SOP, of course, but shouldn't he at least be aware that Iraqis will be voting for a 257-member National Assembly, not a president?
Lest you think he simply misspoke, Bush went on to reinforce his ignorance.
"As I reminded our citizens prior to the Afghanistan elections, there's a deep desire in every soul to vote and to be free, and to participate in the presidential elections."
Jaysus! He
still can't make a distinction between Afghanistan and Iraq.