Big election today. It may have been easy to forget about it. It hasn't really been on the news, at least not in America. Approximately a thousand people are in Pakistan to monitor the elections. Europe has sent 112 Union obseververs to monitor the elections. America is being represented as well, by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Sen. Joseph Biden, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Chuck Hagel. Sadly, one would think that after sending more than 10 billion dollars in Aid to fight the Waronterra™, we would have more than 4 representatives from America. Even that almost did not happen.

In just the past week, there have been some voter intimidation issues...
And yes, Bhutto's assassination was the ultimate in Voter intimidation.

Will Musharaff Play fair? Will the Administration do anything about it if he doesn't? These are very important questions that must be asked. We here in America ask the very same question every primary or caucus nowadays. It may not have been widely reported at the time, but the day that Benazir Bhutto was murdered, she was set to announce that she had proof of election rigging.

America has done little to nothing to prevent a rigged election (here OR abroad). It simply does not benefit this administration's foriegn policy. That is a sad indictment of America. As we march around the world touting Freedom and Democracy, we show it little or nothing more than lip service.

So, there will be no watching the returns tonite on American TV, there will be no talk of Pakistani superdelegates. We won't be hearing about precinct returns. There will be no fancy studios, with pundits trading barbs. But, I for one, will be praying that the will of the people of Pakistan get the freedom and democracy that they truly deserve. I pray thay have clean & fair elections.

They have given so much in their fight for freedom from dictatorship. If they win, we win and Musharaff's stranglehold on a country can be released. I do not like America enabling a dictator. It is antithetical to everything we as a nation should be standing for. Freedom can be achieved, I still believe that.

:peace: and