BAGHDAD – A Muslim cleric who once used a militia to resist the American positioned himself as a big winner in Iraq's monthslong political deadlock Friday when his party threw its support behind the beleaguered prime minister.The hard-line Shiite group led by Muqtadaal-Sadr called it the start of its ascent to nationwide power — a specter sure to spook the United States.Washington considers the cleric a threat to Iraq's shaky security and has long refused to consider his movement a legitimate political entity. But Prime Nouri al-Maliki may be unable to govern without him.March elections failed to produce a clear winner and left the nation in turmoil — a power vacuum that U.S. military officials say has encouraged a spike in attacks by Sunni insurgents.Final agreement on how to form the new government could still be weeks if not months away, but "the Sadrist acceptance of al-Maliki as prime minister could begin to break the logjam," said Iraq expert Daniel Serwer of the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington.

WASHINGTON – Appointed Sen. Michael Bennet won the Democratic nomination to a full term in Colorado Tuesday night, overcoming a fierce primary challenge at home and an outbreak of anti-establishment fever nationwide. In Connecticut, Linda McMahon easily captured the Republican Senate primary to join the slate of outsider-candidates who will carry the GOP banner this fall.

Bennet will face prosecutor Ken Buck, the winner of a tight GOP primary, in a race that Republicans need to win this fall if they are to challenge Democrats for control of the Senate.

McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, will begin the general election campaign as an underdog in her race with Democratic attorney general Richard Blumenthal.

In Colorado, Bennet was gaining 54 percent of the vote compared with 46 percent for Andrew Romanoff, the former speaker of the state House, as he defied a trend that has dealt defeat to a half-dozen U.S. Senate and House incumbents in other states. In a year in which voters are reluctant to reward experience, he was quick to say he had little. "This election is the first time my name has ever been on a ballot," he told supporters.

Bennet was appointed to his seat nearly two years ago when Ken Salazar resigned to become Interior secretary in the Obama administration. Romanoff had hoped for the appointment, and he spurned entreaties from senior party officials to skip the race with Bennet, but he swiftly endorsed the winner after the outcome was clear.

A trader rubs his eyes on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange before the closing bell Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down nearly 140 points for the day and 600 points for the week (Mario Tama / Getty Images / May 7, 2010)

So much for the biggest, safest, most liquid securities market in the world.

Of course we're talking about the U.S. equities market, which used to be described in those glowing terms. But now, after Thursday's trading debacle, the market looks more like a casino — and not just any casino, but one of those smelly joints with sawdust on the floor, ripped felt on the blackjack tables and loaded dice.

I've been inside casinos like that. I wouldn't think of laying a 10-cent bet with the dealer. So why would I buy stock on an exchange emitting the same odor of rancid beer?

The market's friends, including executives of the various exchanges and some traders with access to turbocharged equipment, would like us to think that the system worked Thursday. This is based on the idea that things could have been a lot worse.

As the Lib-Dems agonise over which way to jump, a fascinating development this afternoon might make them think even harder about accepting David Cameron's offer.

Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, has urged the Lib-Dems to join in a progressive alliance with Labour, the SNP and Plaid Cymru to bring in electoral reform. This may seem strange, since on Friday Alex Salmond was telling the BBC's Election programme that he was not going to be part of any coalition. But what Salmond has now realised is that the numbers are just about there to bring in PR, if all those who want it get together.

Salmond is still not suggesting a formal coalition. But his intervention gives the lie to one of the most persuasive arguments for the Lib-Dems to join with the Conservative: the maths. Supporters of a Lib-Dem/Conservative deal argue that the maths don't add up for anything else. Labour and the Lib-Dems together would only muster 315 seats, still short of the magic 326 needed for a Commons majority.

Now that Salmond is offering SNP and Plaid Cymru support – even if it is only to bring in PR – that's another 9 MPs, bringing the numbers to 324. Caroline Lucas, the sole Green MP could be expected to join them too – 325. Then there are 3 SDLP MPs, or the 1 Alliance MP from Northern Ireland who may lend support and bingo – the once in a lifetime chance to change the electoral system.

As Nick Clegg is discovering today, his party members are far more reluctant to embrace a deal with the Conservatives than he and some of his colleagues. Interestingly, some Conservatives too are starting to voice their concern about the odd marriage of convenience. Alex Salmond's intervention could be critical at this stage – giving Clegg the reason he needs to reject the Tory offer, and to give his party the chance of electoral reform that has been the holy grail for so many years.

He was president of Romania between 1996 and 2000. With legal studies and a career started, waive and walk reprofilează of geology. Follows a consistent teaching and pedagogical career, through all the academic degrees. Professor full specializing in mineralogy, rector of the University of Bucharest, is one of the iconic figures of the political life after 1989.

Founder of Civic Alliance-represented and active civil society, unable to unify the democratic opposition forces in the Democratic Convention of Romania, whose support will become president of Romania. Moment of bliss and delusion to a whole world and not believed in the values of a multilaterally developed NSF offers extremely active and aggressive. Constantinescu is a saying with sadness and resignation, failure to test the country's democratization.

Beyond the events that marked his presidential mandate, and the CDR efforts were not enough to put Romania on a path of democracy.

CDR struggles within and between the ambitions of many politicians have reached the crest of the wave that Constantinescu's presidential mandate to end in failure. Affairs, willingly or not, visible or hidden sabotaged, went increasingly worse. To the disappointment of voters who had great illusions, to the delight of many other interest groups that are mounted on the situation today.

Professor Emil Constantinescu has sufficient ability to twist and twirl in city affairs and politicians and ended up sacrificing has run for a second term. It was a difficult and unexpected time has given grist to the mill neoconservative forces with democratic leftists frill, to return to the forefront of political life that the forces of right. What followed all know well, not very comfortably endure today. Not quite all. Return to the PSD's force and then the birth of a hybrid such as PDL confirmed, unfortunately, not very optimistic visions of Silviu Brucan the birth of democracy in Romania.

Constantinescu's name remains, especially for those who really lived life intensely political earthquakes in the '90s, related to victory and then defeat and dissolution of the CDR. Everything that followed were steps backward, not forward. We do not know exactly how and what can be done Constantinescu during his tenure, but some remained in the middle of the road. Otherwise, an austere intellectual and talk too long, in a country where neseriozitatea pasty is a virtue and it brings more votes than the wise.

Today only present stage of political debate, more or less television, Constantinescu can not influence the Romanian public opinion, set to other than strictly moral coordinates. Live it well or not, but enough. That seems at least.