Letter: Partial election cannot be valid

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Monday, Oct. 4, 2004 | 9:12 a.m.

Prime Minister Ayad Allawi was in Washington to put a happy face on Iraq and just perhaps to give a boost to the Bush campaign. Even though Iraqis do not have enough clean water, electricity or jobs, Dr. Allawi figures his people really want elections, so they will go on with them in January no matter what.

Allawi says the elections "may not be perfect" because of all the violence and no-go zones. And Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it's possible elections will be held only in parts of Iraq.

If part of the country can hold elections for the rest of Iraq, that idea might work for the United States. I suggest that New York and California take on the burden of electing our president in November. That might not make everyone happy, as those states will probably go to the Democrats. But as Rumsfeld says about the partial election in Iraq, "Nothing's perfect in life."

JERRY BITTS