This account from the NYT about how the final few minutes of the constitutional debate in Iraq went yesterday really paints a picture.  Clearly, democracy in Iraq is taking on the character of the Bush administration.  Don't worry about the substance, just maintain the appearances.

I am almost surprised they didn't fly a banner of the National Assembly with a banner declaring: Mission Accomplished.

The political drama began at 11:20 p.m., when the Assembly members began filing into their chambers inside the protected Green Zone here. As midnight approached with all its momentous implications - including the possible dissolution of the Assembly - a series of cryptic events took place with a dreamlike slowness.

At about 11:45, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, in his front-row seat, scribbled something, possibly his signature, on a large sheet of paper and handed it to Hussain al-Shahristani, the deputy speaker, who was standing over him. Mr. Shahristani turned around and gave the paper to Hachem al-Hassani, the Assembly speaker, who was seated at the center of the podium in front of the Assembly.

Mr. Hassani took the paper, left the room for a few minutes and returned. At that point, contrary to all expectations, there was no vote of any kind.

"Today we received the draft of the constitution," Mr. Hassani said into his microphone at approximately 11:55. "But there are some undecided points."

"So these points will be dealt with in the forthcoming three days," he added.

Then the meeting hastily broke up. The Assembly members streamed out, nearly all of them without a copy of the constitution in hand.