While the US media stays focused on those representing a minority of Representatives, it - and Salon - have missed the parallel-tracked sales pitch that both VP Cheney and an Iraqi representative named Mowaffak al-Rubaie have been simultaneously pulling in each of our respective halls of congress/parliament.

Oddly in both cases it now appears that there is much going on below the surface that smells. In the case of Mr. al-Rubaie, foreign media [and a very few US outlets] have reported the AP wire story that Mr. al-Rubaie submitted [was forced to submit?] a petition to the leader of Iraq's parliament signed by a majority of the Iraqi parliament -144 signatures - calling for a vote to set a timetable ending the US occupation. It appears Mr al-Rubaie forgot [!!] to tell Congress this interesting fact regarding this petition, however, and NO media in the states have picked up on his dual role in pressing for longer occupation while having to submit a request toend the occupation. Moreover, it also appears [reading an Intl Herald Trib article] that there are moves afoot in Iraq to quash the vote.

I am truly tired of reading about our minority representatives' new-found strength and would love to see some investigative reporting about our countries' parallel majorities and the parallel attempt by our countries' recalcitrant leaders to quash that voice and/or sell an occupation that both majorities oppose.

Your Q on democratic consequences/appearance of a puppet gov seems to be: As with the US, even the THRESHOLD level of Iraqi leadership's answerability to their own representative body appears non-existent for Iraq's PM and triumvirate of Pres/ 2Veeps. To wit: at the same time that the Iraqi 144-signature parliamentary petition was presented requesting a vote on a withdrawal timetable - since PM Maliki has refused to allow a vote until now - one of his reps [a certain Mr al-Rubaei] passed Mr Cheney in the sky as each gov leader sallied forth to press the other country's representative body for a LONGER occupation - with lots of press that seems to have missed the dual irony because our US press ignored the AP story for 2 days on the iraqi parliamentary majority move. [the Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel, Think Progress, and a few others finding this story were also roundly ignored in the MSN]

Curious as to WaPo's lack of curiosity about majorities being ignored in both countries with no consequences to their leaders - whose "stay longer" views were by contrast were getting TONS of press in the US, I sent a Q to Dan Balz's live WaPo 11 am session on Thurs May 10. Sent it in the early a.m. in fact. Never got Printed.

So the next day [Fri 5/11] I sent another Q on puppets, also noting WaPo's 'catch-up' press converage of the Iraqi parliament's frustratino with al-Maliki: funny - my Q on puppetry got a "be glad to" response. But no matter how hard I look - I cant' seem to find any comment on puppets from WaPos' Weisman. He DOES manage a snide remark about anti-war activists and death squads... I think you'll enjoy our Friday 5/11 Q&A:

Warren, N.J.: Yesterday I wrote asking Mr. Balz to comment on the curious parallel situation where both a majority of Iraqi lawmakers and a majority of U.S. lawmakers were being stymied by their respective heads of government. This question was never printed. Today an article relegated to page A12 finally covers the AP wire story from a few days ago about the Iraqi Parliament, noting "the development was a sign of a growing division between Iraq's legislators and prime minister that mirrors the widening gulf between the Bush administration and its critics in Congress."

My question today: Will you comment on whether the parallel efforts by Mr al-Rubaei and Mr. Cheney, traveling to shore-up support in the face of growing opposition, indicate that Mr. Maliki seems more and more to be a puppet?

washingtonpost.com: Iraqi Lawmakers Back Bill on U.S. Withdrawal (Post, May 11)

Jonathan Weisman: I would be glad to. I also note that while the story ran inside the paper, it was flagged on the front page with what we call a tagline. That's the next best thing really. It is significant, but I must say the petition drive was organized by Moqtada al-Sadr's wing in Parliament. Yes, he speaks for a large number of Iraqi Shi'ites. But it's a little scary when anti-war activists in the United States latch on to the death squad organizers in Baghdad.

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St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Jonathan -- t

- in the "I loved it" camp - and would always love to see more Jane - not the movie Jane but the live speaking Jane.

Love seeing Fonda, hearing Fonda, watching our beloved Cobert blush with Fonda [even tho, sure, the gist of it was likely planned, the blush was real and lent even more to the 'layers of deconstruction' available regarding his send up of male-oriented right-wing talk show hosts]

And Rebecca's article was so enlivening that I even read the links.