Democracy on the march in Iraq?

More like a three legged sack race:

While publicly stressing the need for Iraqis to control their own destiny, the Bush administration is working behind the scenes to coax its closest Iraqi allies into a coalition that could dominate elections scheduled for January.

U.S. authorities in Washington and Iraqi politicians confirmed that top White House officials have told leaders of the six major parties that were on the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council that it would be in the groups' common interest to present a unified electoral slate.

The U.S. effort to influence the parliamentary elections is highly sensitive, coming at a time when President Bush daily expresses his desire to bring liberty and democracy to a nation that for decades has known only authoritarian rule. But the White House move stems from concerns that neighboring Iran is using its money and influence to try to sway the elections in its favor.

One U.S. official in Washington said the administration now believes Iraq needs a "negotiated resolution - a scaled-back democratic process."

Or, "democracy is not as important as getting what we want in Iraq."

When Bush loses the election in November here, maybe he could head to Iraq and run for President there. If the people love his freedom as much as he says they do, he should win by a landslide. And if they don't, then I'm sure Rove and company could fix the election in a fledgling democracy with relative ease. He can rule in his preferred style.