Democracy in the Heart of the Middle East

"Iraqis have gone to the polls today and we're starting to get some responses from the Iraqi bloggers. Sami (Skies) writes (Return of the Violet Fingers):

In the voting room I saw very beautiful women. They were all smiling. They were very very kind as if from heaven. I voted. They said: "Thank you". I said: "thank you" with a smile and went walking. I saw many families walking happy. The father's and mother's index fingers are colored by that ink. I saw him coming. We greeted each other with kisses like Iraqis usually do. I went back with him waiting while he voted. He didn't ask me for whom I voted. Nor I did ask him. We are Iraqis with different views and this is our way to show respect to each other. We went back walking slowly and talking about memories of how our quarter was so beautiful before hoping that it will regain its charm while we were proud of our violet fingers.

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Salam Pax, using Twitter, has given us updates throughout the day. Here is a selection from earlier today:"
IBC ~ Jeffrey

Praise Obama!

His bad cop act seems to have worked wonders