Iranians Vote in Droves. Mousavi Ally Claims Lead. Amazing photo of women waiting in line.

[flpoljunkie]

Iranian women stand in line to cast their votes in the presidential election, at the Masoumeh shrine in Qum, about 120 kms south of Tehran, Friday, June 12, 2009. The election follows a hotly contested campaign pitting current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against leading challenger and reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, amongst others. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Sadegh Kharazi, an ally of the former prime minister, told Reuters that surveys made by reformers showed Mousavi was getting enough votes to win outright in the first round.

"I can say that based on our surveys ... Mousavi is getting 58-60 pct of the vote and we are the winner," he said.

Long queues formed at voting centers and the Interior Ministry said it expected a turnout of more than 70 percent, approaching the record of nearly 80 percent when reformist Mohammad Khatami swept the 1997 presidential election.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/06/iranians_vote_in_droves_mousavi_ally_claims_lead.php?ref=fpa

[Jennicut]

1. I am really, really hoping this is true.

The high turnout points to Mousavi possibly winning.

[bdamomma]

4. me too, this would be grand win for all of us.

[Aristus]

2. Wow. Women voting in a conservative Muslim country.

I thought that only happened if we invaded their country and killed a million of them. How about that?

[leftynyc]

3. It's a beautiful thing

however, I can't get past the irritation that they are all dressed in those hideous shrouds.

[vaberella]

5. People have skewed views of Islam...it's unfortunate.

You should hear the rules for Transexuals----it's the best in the world. You'd want to be a Transexual in Iran.

[bicentennial_baby]

9. Er, actually

The provision of gender reassignment surgery in Iran is mainly so that they can not have gays. If you're gay, and get gender reassignment, you're good to go. If not, you get executed. Errrr...

[vaberella]

12. This I know. But they still get rights.

In many states here we don't recognize Transexuals at all. They're even allowed name changes and gender changes.

[DCBob]

6. Incredible picture. Gives me chills.

But I dearly hope they are not voting in vain.

[vaberella]

8. One never votes in vain....NEVER! n/t

[flpoljunkie]

11. BBC reports that the ballots will be counted at the polls. Results will come in about 12 hours.

There are monitors for the candidates inside the polls.

[grantcart]

7. great picture

[flpoljunkie]

10. Voting hours extended for third time. Polls will now close at 12:30 ET.

[DCBob]

13. Here's another good one...

[DrToast]

14. Jessica Alba just voted...

Okay, not really, but it kinda looks like her.

[quantass]

19. Jessica's got sexy Bee-Stung Lips [PIC]

Yummy



But of course no one beats the ultimate bee-stung dessert

[janx]

22. Yeah, this really helps the cause...n/t

[janx]

21. What are you talking about? n/t

[ItNerd4life]

15. Is this a female only voting location?

That's the only thing I can think of. I wonder if they have male only and female only voting areas.

However, it would be nice to see someone new ruling Iran.

[flpoljunkie]

20. Separate lines, but I don't think separate polling places. More photos from an Iranian poster.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28146872@N06/


Looks like both men and women are in line to vote at this mosque.
People are standing in lines for voting(10 AM) حسينيه ارشاد

[Mass]

16. People forget that Iran is one of the most vibrant democracy in the Middle East.

[Kaleva]

26. That not really saying much

[Cha]

17. Rec'd~ This deserves Greatest Page

Status.

Just WOW!

[DCBob]

18. Neocons are rooting for Ahmadinejad -- I kid you not.

If there was any doubt the neocons are complete scum this is it:

U.S. Neocons Favor Ahmadinejad in Iranian Election
June 12, 2009, 12:54PM

As Iranians go to the polls to elect a president, American neoconservatives are openly rooting not for moderate reform candidate and former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi but for anti-U.S. hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This is an obvious sign both of the neocons' preference for conflict over peace between the U.S. and Iran and of the generally bankrupt state of conservatism in America, reduced now to banking on failure for the Obama administration (see Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow).

Should the reformist Mousavi win the Iranian election and become president, it would likely signal a new and more positive direction for U.S.-Iranian relations as well as providing support for the "Obama Doctrine" of engagement with Iran and other adversaries. Such a development would at the same time undercut the neocon attitude of hostility and suspicion toward Iran, as well as undercutting the right-wing Israeli government's aggressive stance toward Iran. Indeed it is likely that right-wingers in Israel as well as America see nothing good for themselves in any warming of relations between the U.S. and Iran.

The unpleasant fellow you see pictured here is Daniel Pipes of the right-wing Middle East Forum, a raging neocon who said in a speech this week at the Heritage Foundation that he would vote for Ahmadinejad if he were allowed to vote in Iran (video). The American Enterprise Institute's Michael Rubin likewise told Kathryn Jean Lopez at the National Review that it could be better for Ahmadinejad to win, because a Mousavi win might give Obama the impression that diplomacy was working. Painting Iran as inherently and hopelessly evil, Rubin said of the Iranian election that "should someone more soft-spoken and less defiant -- someone like former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi -- win, it would be easier for Obama to believe that Iran really was figuratively unclenching a fist when, in fact, it had it had its other hand hidden under its cloak, grasping a dagger."

more: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/eades/2009/06/us-neocons-favor-ahmadinejad-i.php?ref=reccafe

[Cha]

23. We got so much

ugly right here in the United States.

[invictus]

24. Good post. nt

[Kaleva]

25. Appears that rampant election fraud took place