Anyone but Jaafari

The Bush administration has very publicly called for another prime ministerial candidate from the Shias to lead a future Iraq, but is this not worse than just letting Jaafari take the chair?

Let's just presuppose that the Bush administration gets their wish and another candidate is put up instead of Jaafari, how much legitimacy will that candidate have? At a time when Iraq inarguably needs a very strong leader, the US is creating a situation where any candidate besides Jaafari will be hamstrung by charges of being in complicity with the US.

Jaafari has the support of Sadr and his militias which are the most influential force in Iraq right now, is it really wise to set up a new Prime Minister to whom this group will be immediately opposed?

Another foreign policy masterpiece by Condi Rice.