PM fights Obama outrage

[cal04]

JOHN Howard weathered a storm of protest from both sides of the Pacific yesterday as his attack on US presidential contender Barack Obama triggered accusations he had endangered the US alliance.

However, in Australia the outrage over the Prime Minister's criticism of the Iraq policies of the US Democratic Party and Senator Obama shifted election-year debate away from climate change and back to the Coalition's strength of national security.

(snip)
Mr Howard's outburst surprised some Liberal MPs, already worried over loss of electoral support. But senior Liberal figures were confident Mr Howard had succeeded in drawing the political debate back on to the Coalition's flagship issue of national security, and away from climate change.

(snip)
Buoyed by a surge in public support - which has Labor leading the Coalition by 58 per cent to 42 per cent in the latest AC Nielsen poll - Mr Rudd accused Mr Howard of a "grave error" of judgment.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21216694-601,00.html

[GainesT1958]

1. I've heard from people who've visited Australia recently...

That there is a popular three-word phrase there for describing him:

"Short little s---!"

Sounds like another one of Dub's war-mongering cronies is about to go down the tubes!

B-)

[BeyondGeography]

2. Now that we have even more of a rooting interest than usual

Australia's election looks like it will happen toward the end of this year.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200702091125/australian_federal_election_probably_around_end_of_2007_howard