Hope?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad looks to have been thwarted from keeping his ultra-conservative allies in control of key offices despite efforts to “cook the books” in weekend elections, the State Department said. The elections for municipal councils and a powerful religious assembly saw Ahmadinejad loyalists suffer setbacks at the hands of more moderate candidates in a number of key races, including for seats on the Tehran city council. “It would seem that they are not the results that President Ahmadinejad would have hoped for,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said when asked to comment on the vote.”I think, despite the regime’s efforts to cook the books in terms of an outcome, they seem to have been thwarted in that regard,” he said.While noting the high voter turnout in Friday’s election, McCormack said there had been “some fundamental flaws” in the polls, “in which there were numerous candidates that were excluded from even running.”

“So the people didn’t have that choice to make,” he said.

Amazing that even when Ahmadinejad rigged the election, the Iranians still wouldn’t have him. Of course, someone more moderate than Ahmadinejad is still capable of being a scary madman by our standards, but I’ll still take hope where I can find it. Read more here.

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