Condi charges election fraud in Iran

[jmcon007]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/international/middleeast/26iran.html?hp&ex=1119758400&en=96a42d4135d9f98a&ei=5094&partner=homepage

The Iranian Vote (NY Times)
Voters went to the polls on Friday in a second round runoff between two candidates with very different visions for the country: a former two term president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, 70, who promised social reforms, privatization and better relations with the United States; and Mr. Ahmadinejad, 49, who focused almost exclusively on the nation's economic needs and appealed to Iranians' national pride.
Mr. Ahmadinejad won 17.2 million votes compared to just over 10 million for Mr. Rafsanjani, according to the final figures. The Ministry of the Interior said about 28 million voters went to the polls, for a turnout of about 60 percent, about the same as in the first round.

(SCORE ONE FOR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS!!!
What’s that Mr. Bush? You’re not happy?)

The White House, responding to Mr. Ahmadinejad's victory, repeated concerns expressed by President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the legitimacy of voting in Iran, noting that "over 1,000 candidates were disqualified from running and there were many allegations of election fraud and interference."

(Election fraud? I doubt even Diebold could shuffle 7.2 million votes without someone noticing.)

"We continue to stand by those who call for greater freedom for the Iranian people," said Maria Tamburri, a White House spokeswoman.

(But, of course you do.)

Assadolah Athari, a political analyst with close ties to the reform movement, which is now in disarray, said Iranians were "just frustrated with the bad economy and high prices."
"They are frustrated with a small group that is in power and is filthy rich," he said. "Part of the vote was also a protest vote for the founders of the revolution. They wanted to vote for somebody else to get rid of the older leaders."

(Does anything sound familiar here, Porgy?)

[BattyDem]

1. Well, if anyone knows election fraud ...

it's BushCo! :eyes:

[youthere]

13. LOL

that's the first thought that popped into my head when I read the thread title!

[Bleacher Creature]

2. Yes!!! I get to be the first to say . . .

Pot, meet my friend Mr. Kettle.

[indepat]

3. Could Madame Secretary please check out Ohio 2004 and Florida 2000

before casting stones at others?

[Independent_Liberal]

4. WTF???!!!

Condi cries fraud???!!!

[acmavm]

5. This is just so Twilight Zone. Rod Serling is somewhere looking at

this country and laughing his ass off.

[lenidog]

6. How does she know did Diebold supply the macines?

[justinsb]

7. No one else (in international media) reporting this

No one at CBC, BBC, Australian Broadcasting, or Al-Jazeera (that I've seen) has anything negative to say about the election or how it was conducted. Iranians so far do not seem to be upset either. Condy is just making things up.

[Double T]

8. The Iranian Candidate the Bushco supported didn't win so......

it has got to be election fraud, there can't be any other REASONABLE explanation.

[tmooses]

9. Condoleezza must be the only other word I know besides "pizza"

that has 2 "z"'s. Bad economy, high prices, power hungry rich people in power-sounds like they know us too well. Condi is such a bald-faced liar.

[Uncle Joe]

10. WTF!!?

Did Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris move to Iran? Well I always thought she would look good in a Burqa.

[Patty Diana]

11. I think she keeps calling election fraud_mainly to piss us liberals off

like rubbing our noses in it again!! Pouring salt into the wound!!! what a bunch of fuckers!!

[tsuki]

12. Have these people no common decency? eom

[ailsagirl]

17. Apparently "common decency" has become an oxymoron

No, they don't. Never have, never will.
:puke:

[Opusnone]

14. Here comes more of the BS

Watch the papers and talking heads scale up the anti Iran political hay over the next weeks.

No to the Neocons
War on Error

[Zhade]

15. WOW, DUers really called this one!

I recall reading posts speculating about the b*s* klan using the Iranian elections as an excuse to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Seems you guys were on the right track.

Man, I wish you were wrong. Please be wrong starting......NOW (bombing Iran would be a very, very bad move).

[Deere_John]

16. Hypothetical Daily Show Excerpt:

Jon Stewart: And here with a report on the elections in Iran, is our very own Rob Corddry. Rob:

Rob Corddry: Hello Jon. Iran watchers in the Bush administration are very disappointed in the fatally flawed elections held here recently. They had hoped to see democracy advance here in Iran, but now see a major setback.

JS: Rob, what was the problem with the election? Were people prevented from voting?

RC: Nah, looks like pretty much everybody that wanted to vote got to.

JS: There were problems with counting the votes?

RC: Doesn't look like it John. The losers are complaining about all sorts of things, but nobody's said the votes weren't counted.

JS: Was it then, that the winner got in by such a tiny margin that he had no real mandate?

RC: Nope. Won by more then 7 million votes.

JS: Uhhhhh.... Rob, where's the problem?

RC: Jon, in the 21st century we've stopped obsessing over process and focused on what counts: the outcome. And the Bush people here think this outcome blows dog.

Besides, you can't believe how primitive the election process is here. There are no exit polls that make "bad" predictions. No sophisticated electronic voting machines with secret software made by shadowy companies no one seems to know much about. And, no voters left standing in line for hours on end. All they do here is make marks on slips of paper, stuff them into a box, and at the end of the day, count up the marks and just hand the office to the clown that gets the biggest count. Sheesh!

JS: So, basically our guys are unhappy that some guy they don't like went and got a bunch more votes, is that it?

RC: Yup. Looks like Iranians have an awwwwwwful lot to learn about democracy. Back to you Jon.

[jmcon007]

18. perfect....

[KingFlorez]

19. If it wasn't for fraud

She'd be out of a job right now.