ex-Marine's letter to Australian PM about Barak Obama

[Swagman]

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
February 13th, 2007

Dear Mr Howard, I have been a registered Republican since 1964 and I am not a supporter of Barack Obama. However, you have gone way over the diplomatic line in your statements about him, and you offend our core values with your comments. My father fought on Guadalcanal defending our principles and your country. I served in the Marine Corps and was willing to pay the ultimate price for our values.

I grew up believing in our strong alliance with Australia. It irks me that you are not risking Australian lives today in Iraq (directly in the fighting) yet you believe you have a right to tell me who to vote for in my country.

Who we elect is our decision and we will base it on what we believe is best for us. If you want to apply for citizenship and you are willing and acceptable to become an American, I may listen to you; if not, butt out. You have not earned the right to tell me what to do.

I still have a deep respect for Australians; I do not respect you.

Michael Harris Norco (US)

http://www.smh.com.au/letters/

and more:

John Howard has finally managed to achieve his dream. What years of sycophancy to George Bush couldn't achieve, he has achieved through his intemperate remarks about Senator Obama. The dream is, of course, to get Americans to talk about him and maybe even know his name. Congratulations, Prime Minister.

Deepak Rao San Francisco (US)
**********
Your Prime Minister loves the war so much he sent a piddling 1600 or so Aussie troops. To use an American expression, you all don't put your money where your mouth is.

Nick Werle Colorado Springs (US)

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[CJCRANE]

1. "With Mr Howard and Mr Bush watching

over me, I go to sleep every night like a baby. Too bad I wake up every morning crying like one."

[marions ghost]

2. John Howard is a very negative entity

and I agree with Obama that this is "empty rhetoric" and posturing...coming from Howard.

--but I do think it's entirely appropriate for Australians to comment on American elections.

After all, as a close partner and ally Australia is quite directly affected by what happens in the States. Australians SHOULD have an opinion about American politics, and Americans should know about and have opinions about Aussie politics.

[badgerpup]

3. Apparently our elections are a source of fascination for Al Qaeda...

...the Sunni, Kurds, Shia, Baath and everyone else.

To hear the MSM tell it, they monitor our elections with the same passion that we reserve for football.

:sarcasm:

[CJCRANE]

5. Yes, have you seen C-Span lately...?

Iraqis are so interested in American politics that Washington Journal has added Sunni, Shia and Kurd phonelines in addition to the traditional Republican, Democrat and Indepedant ones.

:silly:

[Lasher]

4. I'm with you, marions.

I mean, how much have we discussed Mexican and Canadian elections? And I don't buy the assertion that Australians are to be ignored because they weren't stupid enough to contribute more money and soldiers to the Iraq occupation.

[oscarmitre]

6. Howard went along with a symbolic commitment.

He knew a line of bodybags coming back from Iraq would destroy him in a moment, politically speaking. He has used our minimal involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan to bolster himself with his big mate Dubya and to make him look tough back home. But I'm hoping we're awake to his chicanery.

[Lasher]

7. Seems to be the usual accommodation

Junior mostly wanted countries to put on his 'coalition of the willing' list for propaganda purposes. He doesn't seem to care how much support is actually provided. Going it relatively alone makes it easier to exercise control when it's time to hand out money to all those US contractors.