The company one keeps ..

Now that I have your attention with a gratuitous and irrelevant pic of a scantily clad “babe”.
(That, apparently, is an image of the “live in” lover of John Howard's eldest son, Tim.)

Locally .. “Letters to the Editor from deep within the political parties are in full swing ..” writes one columnist in the recent Adelaide Advertiser, suggesting that the spate of letters to editors of the various newspapers around the country expressing absolute disgust at the vitriolic smear campaign conducted against Kevin Rudd by Abbot and Costello .. ( Real names of senior Ministers – not some comedy duo, but that could be debated and let's not forget the real “Downer”.. heh.) - are some sort of “campaign” conducted by Labor Party staffers.

Declaration: Dunno about any of the other letters, but I have never been a member of the Labor party – or any political party; wouldn't know a Party member if I fell over them, an not employed by, or been contacted by, been paid by, or received any remuneration or benefit – real or implied – from ANY political party.

I too, am absolutely disgusted by the tactics employed by the Howard government in its attacks on the personal integrity of Kevin Rudd, suggesting that he is “..not fit to become Prime Minister”.

For what?? A meeting with Brian Burke .. at a restaurant .. in public .. in 2005?? OK, three meetings - before he became leader of the opposition - and Brian Burke doesn't seem to be the most savoury character on the periphery of Australian politics to have a meal with.

So, let's backtrack a bit. Who consistently uses "core promises and non-core promises"? Who promised faithfully .. “No GST” .. before doing a complete flip-flop some years later? Who LIED about refugees “..throwing their children overboard”? Who LIED to the Australian people about “..the clear and present danger of WMD's in Iraq” .. and attached himself (and us) to the coat-tails of a neurotic (possibly psychotic) American Administration and led us into the disaster in the Middle East?

Whose government “turned a blind eye” when AWB was busy propping up the regime of Saddam Hussein with $300 million or so? That little debacle cost us major credibility and a fortune in future wheat contracts. Why were Alexander Downer (Foreign Affairs) and Mark Vaile (Trade) not SACKED for complicit complacency or, at the very least, INCOMPETENCE?

After creating a completely dysfunctional Department of Immigration, Phillip Ruddock is PROMOTED to Attorney General .. sheesh!

After ten years, John Howard has a Damascan conversion and is suddenly interested in climate change.

The list goes on .. and on ... and John Howard would have us believe that Kevin Rudd is not suitable to be Prime Minister.

[for another, better written, view of this saga see "The Bartlett Diaries".]

(Who was it that said “.. who will rid me of this troublesome p .. pr.. pri .. err, prime minister.”)

Dunno about you lot, but from my point of view Kevin Rudd has acquitted himself well, still appears to be genuine, honest .. and caring (slightly rattled by the gratuitous and vicious recent attacks mind you), and I would still happily vote for him.