Constitutional

Iraq's draft Constitution apparently got a thumbs up this weekend. Iraqis are overjoyed--as are free peoples everywhere:

The polling went off without a hitch. Security was maintained. Sunni participation went up.

Indeed, as Strategy Page noted, the anti-democracy terrorists were unable to disrupt the process:

The government is getting better at running national elections under the threat of terrorist attacks. The legislative elections last January had fewer than ten million people voting (69 percent of those registered), and over 40 people killed by terrorists opposed to the elections. This vote, on the new constitution, brought out over ten million, and left fewer than ten dead.

So everybody's happy, right? Wrong--much of the MSM predicted otherwise; now they're grumpy:

• Sameer Yacoub, Associated Press Writer:

  Iraq's constitution seemed assured of passage Sunday, despite strong opposition from Sunni Arabs who voted in surprisingly high numbers in an effort to stop it. The U.S. military announced that five American soldiers were killed by a bomb blast on referendum day. . .
  
  Now the question is whether Sunnis will accept the passage of a constitution despite a significant "no" vote from their community. While moderates could take a more active role in politics, hard-liners could turn to the insurgency, deciding that violence is the only hope for retaining influence.

• Dexter Filkins and John Burns in the NY Times:

  Turnout Is Mixed as Iraqis Cast Votes on Constitution
  BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 15 - Millions of Iraqis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote on a new constitution, joined by what appeared to be strong turnouts of Sunni voters in some parts of the country.
  
  But the Sunni turnout - high in some cities like Mosul, low in others like Ramadi - appeared to be insufficient to defeat the new charter, and Iraqi officials predicted that it would pass.

No wonder Blue-State liberals are so intractable: those who read only one paper (Sunday Washington Post headline: "On the Streets of Iraq, Scenes of Joy and Determination"), specifically the NY Times, and assume the Times still employs fact-checkers don't have an f-ing clue.

(via Instapundit and LGF)