Iraqis Lack Faith in Leaders by Meagan Stack

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mood22may22,1,715492,full.story

Iraqis Lack Faith in Leaders By Megan K. Stack

Across this country, Iraqis of all backgrounds struggle to gin up enthusiasm for their long-awaited government, which was approved by parliament Saturday after five months of political haggling. As Prime Minister Nouri Maliki took up his new duties Sunday amid continuing violence, the voices of Iraqis were a window into the steep challenges that lie before him — and a harsh illustration of the divide between the high-flown rhetoric of Iraq's ruling elite and the depression, anger and vengeance on the streets. After three years of war and uncertainty, many Iraqis are too busy to lend much emotional energy to the political process. They are exhausted from bloodshed, distrustful of their neighbors, grappling with questions of identity and sectarian violence. They are also keenly aware that most of their political leaders spend their days locked in the heavily fortified Green Zone, shielded from the rest of the country by foreign soldiers and strict checkpoints.

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1. Funny thing about the name Megan Stack

My grandmother, when I was younger, babysat for a fairly prominant family named Stack. The father of the family was president of a local remanufacturing company so sucessful that he wrote a book on how to run a business. And they were democrats, right there in big bad RW SW Missouri. They had a daughter named Megan. I wonder if this is her?