As Donald Rumsfeld said not too long ago, "Democracy is messy."

Original Photo Caption: Palestinian supporters of Islamic Hamas wave flags during a rally in support of candidates for the Palestinian parliamentary elections in the West Bank town of Hebron in this Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 file photo. Despite no immediate public displays of celebration, Hamas on Thursday claimed victory in Wednesday's election, saying that based on partial results it won a solid majority of seats, a dramatic upset confirmed by senior officials in the rival Fatah Party. Israel and the United States have said they would not deal with a Hamas-led Palestinian government. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said he would step down if he could no longer pursue his peace agenda with Israel. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)