Kennedy Sees a Herd, Iraqis a Pack

Free Iraqi’s report from Radio Sawa:

Citizens of Al Mudiryiah were subjected to an attack by several militants today who were trying to punish the residents of this small town for voting in the election last Sunday.

The citizens responded and managed to stop the attack, kill 5 of the attackers, wounded 8 and burned their cars.

3 citizens were injured during the fire exchange. The Shiekh of the tribe to whom the 3 wounded citizens belong demanded more efforts from the government to stop who he described as “Salafis”. [via Instapundit via Gay Patriot.]

This was a heartening juxtaposition with the news tonight, which showed Teddy Kennedy berating defense officials, raving that no Iraqis were fighting and only Americans were shedding blood. And this story is also more heartening than other current stories that make him look foolish, such as this one, which describes the twelve police recruits killed as a “lesson” to any Iraqis who might want to taint their country with the rule of law & democracy.

Both the soldiers represented by those men defending their policies in that committee room and those Iraqis who braved threats to vote are examples of courage we don’t expect to see in a Senate hearing room, a courage I doubt I could command. But I do understand what that courage serves: the vote, the open mike in that committee room where our representatives–people owing their place to our vote–can grill representatives of the army, big business, the administration. That courage serves the causes those partisan hacks abuse. But the expression of that tired and absurd anger (if not the anger itself) represents much that is bigger than Teddy. I’m just surprised that someone whose family has gained its fame and power from the votes others cast for them would not see the importance of those purple fingers and the reason those recruits were willing to take on that challenge and risk that death.