From Holden:

I know this gaggle excerpt is way too long, but it’s worth reading. Watch as Little Scottie squirms away from any guarantee that every Iraqi will be able in January. Kerry needs to hit them HARD on this:

Q Is the President at all worried — is he worried at all about the legitimacy of the election that’s going to be held in January in Iraq?

[snip]

Q That doesn’t completely answer the question. The question is, is the President concerned at all about the legitimacy of the results of a January election?

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, everybody is confident that Iraq will hold free and fair elections by the end of January. [Blah, blah – Iraqi people rising to the challenges, blah.]

Q I’m not asking whether they’re going to be held or not — I’m not asking whether they’re going to be held or not.

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s why I said there are going to be free and fair elections, I answered your question.

Q The question is the result —

MR. McCLELLAN: It will be free and fair elections, yes.

Q Is there any question — is there any question that the President has about the legitimacy of the result of that election?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, he is confident that they will have free and fair elections by the end of January.

Q Scott, what about Don Rumsfeld? Does the President agree with Rumsfeld’s assertion that even if you only had elections in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country it would be better than no elections?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think, one, Secretary Rumsfeld talked about that yesterday and he talked about it and he said it’s a hypothetical. [Blah, blah – Rummy said nothing different today, blah.] So he has reiterated what we’ve all said, which is that everybody is committed to free and fair elections for the Iraqi people.

Q So you don’t agree that elections that were in only three-quarters or four-fifths of the country —

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let’s point out what Prime Minister Allawi said yesterday. I believe it was 15 of 18 provinces, he said, could hold elections today. And there continues to be steady progress in places like Najaf, in Kufa, in Samaraa, to bring stability to those areas. And he’s working to address those other areas so there can be free and fair elections.

Q But let me try this again, though. Do you agree with Rumsfeld that if it were only in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country it would still be better than no elections at all?

MR. McCLELLAN: He said yesterday he was talking about a hypothetical situation. We’re confident that there will be free and fair elections for the Iraqi people. And that goes back to Deb’s question —

Q But you’re not confident they’ll be free, fair and universal?

MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, Secretary Rumsfeld said today that — talked about how — the importance of every Iraqi have the right to vote. So —

Q You’re saying the right to vote —

Q The question is not —

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s a hypothetical, and you know I don’t do that.

Q The question is not whether they have the right to vote, Scott, the question is whether they’re afraid to go to the polls or not, and if the vote at the end reflects only —

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s not the question you asked. The question you asked — that’s not the question you asked. That’s why I said that there has been steady progress to address the ongoing security challenges. [Blah, blah – Najaf and Samaraa are really safe now, blah.]

Q But are all Iraqis going to vote in January?

MR. McCLELLAN: We’re confident that there will be free and fair elections. That’s what —

Q All Iraqis, everywhere?

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s what Secretary Rumsfeld talked about today, as well.

Q No, he’s talking about — it’s a difference between a right to vote and the ability to vote. Are you saying —

MR. McCLELLAN: Free and fair elections, meaning — is referring to that very topic you’re bringing up. Everybody said there will be free and fair elections. That’s what Prime Minister Allawi talked about yesterday.

Q In the whole of the country, right?

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s what Prime Minister Allawi talked about yesterday.

[snip]

Q Let me try this one more time. Is the President confident that the people of Iraqi will view the election in January as a legitimate election?

MR. McCLELLAN: Deb, yes. I said — I don’t know how many times I can answer your question. You’ve asked it five times. You said, does he think that they — what was your first time, and I said no, and I said he believes there will be free and fair elections. Yes, he believes there will be — he’s confident that there will be free and fair elections. I answered it, like, five times for you.

Q But is a partial election a legitimate election?

Q That’s the question.

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s not — no, it will be —

Q That’s my question.

MR. McCLELLAN: But that’s not what anybody is talking about. They’re talking about free and fair elections for the Iraqi people.

Q But three provinces short of a full deck is still three provinces short of a full deck.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, no, you’re getting into hypotheticals now. That’s not what Prime Minister Allawi said. He said that, already today, that many provinces could hold elections; most of Iraq could hold elections today. He talked about his strategy for continuing to address the other areas where they need to improve the security situation so that there could be free and fair elections for all the Iraqi people.