In this day and age of Bush bashing and gnashing of teeth over Iraq, two items came out over the last few days sure to interest the politically leaning folks on either side and those balancing in the middle. Of course, you didn’t see either one in the network news much but I knew you could all use just another tip from … no that one is taken, sorry.
Hope all had a Merry Christmas and you have a great 2008 in the greatest country in the world!
1. Iraqi Christians pack churches -
Whether you agree with Bush and/or the war in Iraq (not to mention the methods of the war – of course there were those who vocally disagreed with General Sherman as well, but I digress) – facts show that the situation has improved dramatically in Iraq. In fact, most news agencies as well as the Democratic presidential candidates seemed to have dropped the gloom and doom pulpit in the face of better times.
Along with these improvements and just in time for Christmas, USATODAY ran the following article on packed Christian churches in Iraq on Christmas day – unheard of only a few years ago. I only cut/pasted a short first section but put in the link for those of you who might want to read the whole article. And it is fairly balanced (for USATODAY) as it does go into the fact there are still problems with violence and fear in Iraq. Heck, we have violence and fear in this country!
2. Gallup poll names Bush as “Most Admired Man of 2007” as determined by U.S. population.
SMuncey, before you get too excited, Billary was the most admired Woman. But I believe this does show that Bush is not perceived as the devil by the majority of the U.S. population, much to the chagrin of NBC and liberals.
Iraqi Christians pack churches for Christmas Mass despite violence.USATODAY http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-12-25-iraq-christmas_N.htm BAGHDAD (AP) —
Thousands of Iraqi Christians picked their way through checkpoints and along dusty streets lined with concrete blast walls, packing churches in Baghdad on Tuesday for Christmas Mass.Death is never far in Iraq — a suicide car bomb in the northern city of Beiji killed at least 22 people and another suicide bomber killed four people at a funeral northeast of Baghdad in mid-morning.
But the number of attacks has fallen dramatically in the past few months — the U.S. military says by 60% since June — and the country's small Christian community took advantage of the lower violence to turn out in numbers unthinkable a year ago."We did not celebrate last year, but this year we have security and we feel better," said Rasha Ghaban, one of many women at the small Church of the Holy Family in Karradah, a mainly Shiite district in downtown Baghdad where many Christians live. "We hope our future will be better, God willing.
"Families streamed into the church's courtyard, wrapped in heavy winter jackets to protect them from the early morning chill. Young children with neatly combed hair held their parents' hands, and women stopped by the front door to pick through a basket of small lacy headscarves, placing them over their hair before walking in.