Quagmire?

Omar and Mohammed, the Iraqi bloggers at Iraq The Model, are interviewed by Howard Kurtz. An impressive figure by Omar:

"Under Hussein, says Omar Fadhil, who works for a government clinic, he made the equivalent of $1.25 a month. Now, in the same job, he earns about $160 a month."

Link via the Blogfather. Update: Chrenkoff gives us another update on the good news from Iraq.

"More beanie babies were collected by students from St. Martin's Lutheran School in Annapolis. And cheerleaders from Saguaro and Horizon high schools and from the Desert Storm Elite gym in Scottsdale, Arizona, have also participated in the "Beanies for Baghdad" action. 800 teddybears, meanwhile, have arrived from North Dakota to the Forward Operating Base Speicher, with thousands more to come."

That's so heartwarming; ordinary Americans giving strangers comfort out of the goodness of their hearts.