Lynne Cheney Offers Democracy Lesson (compares Iraq to US)

[sabra]

http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/news-00111255.html

Lynne Cheney Offers Democracy Lesson

WASHINGTON - Lynne Cheney had a history lesson for elementary school children Tuesday, likening this week‘s parliamentary elections in Iraq to America‘s own early struggle for democracy.

"Two hundred and seventeen years ago, we held our first vote under our Constitution," Vice President Dick Cheney ‘s wife said. "We started then on the path the Iraqis are walking now."

Cheney said it was important to talk to school children about Thursday‘s elections, in which Iraqis are electing a 275-member National Assembly, which will legislate in the coming four years and choose the first fully constitutional government in Iraq since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in the U.S.-led war which started in early 2003.

"We did much the same thing in terms of our Constitution," Cheney said in an interview on CNN. "Many were reluctant to ratify (it) until they were told there would be amendments. ... So there are indeed many parallels and I look forward to talking with kids about it."