I frequently find that Atrios's perspective on events is similar to mine, but I think he's a little off base with his latest take on the Allawi situation. This may be one time where dislike of the Bush administration is coloring his analysis.
Looking at the Washington Post article he cited, as well as some of the extensive reporting on the issue over at Talking Points, it seems clear from all accounts that Allawi was a main, if not the top, candidate for the PM slot. Since this was known to the UN, the US, and to the Iraqi Governing Council, it's not so surprising that the Governing Council would use this information in an attempt to look relevant and/or independant by naming Allawi.
In other words, it's not that nobody was at the helm. It's that the Iraqi Governing Council - possibly egged on by Allawi himself - decided to try steering.
Whether Allawi is a good choice, I am undecided. Some of the info coming out about him - like his tie to now-disproven memos about Saddam's WMD capability - is troubling. I'd like to see some more information before making up my mind though.
