“The Americans say that what has happened in California cannot possibly happen here,” said Abdul al-Shibli, a council representative from Mosul. “But we are not prepared to take that risk.”
Interim Iraqi administrator L. Paul Bremer III had attempted a blackout of news from the Golden State, arguing that coverage of California’s election would “not be helpful” at this sensitive stage in the evolution of Iraqi democracy.
But much to Mr. Bremer’s dismay, the Al-Jazeera television network beamed reports about the California race into Iraq late Friday, stirring fresh fears about democracy as a viable form of government in this war-torn country. “Saddam Hussein was a brutal madman, but at least he was qualified,” said Mr. al-Shibli, in an apparent reference to California’s motley field of candidates.
Gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, campaigning on Sunday in Carmel, Calif., seemed not to hear reporters’ shouted questions about the Iraqi controversy, saying only, “I’ll be back.”
It was the 900th time Mr. Schwarzenegger had said “I’ll be back” in his six-day-old campaign, a spokesman for Mr. Schwarzenegger admitted.
In other California election news, actor Ben Affleck today became the latest Hollywood celebrity to file for candidacy in the gubernatorial race.
According to observers who have seen Mr. Affleck’s most recent film, “Gigli,” Mr. Affleck had already given up acting.
