Junichiro Koizumi: Election Master

Whooo! Following up on this post, watch as Junichiro Koizumi goes for the jugular!

(CNN) -- The Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has set September 11 as the date for a snap election after Parliament rejected a proposal to privatize the country's postal system.

The Cabinet also said campaigning for the vote would begin September 4, the Reuters news agency reported.

Koizumi has staked his political future on an aggressive reform agenda that would have seen Japan Post split into four units and the eventual creation of the world's largest private bank.

"I see the rejection of the postal privatization bills as a rejection of the Koizumi Cabinet and the Koizumi reforms," the prime minister told a news conference.

"I want to ask the Japanese people whether they say 'Yes' or 'No' to my reform agenda," he said.

I really hope the Japanese people go for this. Not only is it in their own best interest (and surprising from a Lib Dem like Koizumi), but Koizumi has been an outstanding ally in the War on Terror. It would be unfortunate to lose his leadership, and risk a Japanese pullout from Iraq.