PM acts to spread the blame for his failure.

You have to hand it to PM, John Howard. He is a cunning rat.

Tonight he has come out and said that he will retire during the next term of Parliament if he is elected. And that he would expect to hand over to Peter Costello. Well, that's hardly a surprise. The Labor Party has been predicting that for ages.

"I would probably certainly form the view, well into my term, that it makes sense for me to retire and in those circumstances I would expect - although it would be a matter for the party to determine - that Peter would take over," Mr Howard said.

"Now that's the honest position."

Source: ABC News Website

Whether or not that statement is "honest", it is not just a statement to be taken at face value. So, what is he really saying?

As I see it, this means he is taking Costello at his word, that he and Howard are a "team" (right? - NOT). So, if the poll results - as predicted - come true, then Howard can say that it was not just he who lost the election, but Howard and Costello, and that the people have rejected them both.

All the polling shows that the public like Costello as Treasurer, but do not want Costello as leader. So that's what Howard is explicitly promising us.

It an amazing strategy. He is really prepared to wreck the entire party to spite Costello's faltering leadership ambitions.

US "Surge" failure

Despite what General Petraeus might have told the US Congress, the BBC tells us that the "Surge" has failed. (We are talking about the boost of troops which George W sent to Iraq - to try and improve their chances of getting a result.)

Their survey results are extraordinary - just look at the top line. Something like 90% of the people surveyed (Iraqis - how novel is that?) say that the Americans ought leave NOW.
The General was quoted (by Dennis Shanahan, from "The Australian") as saying that "there had been a 75 per cent reduction in religious and ethnic killings in the capital between December last year and this month."

That article by Shanahan was taken to task by the ABC's Media Watch this week, as a complete overstatement. Despite the fact that there was apparently a correction made later, the original statement is still up on the web.

The ABC's Tony Jones has a much more sceptical report, based upon the views of a retired US Air Force Colonel, Sam Gardiner.

"Clap - if you believe in Fairies"

In the final scene from the musical version of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell is in danger of dying. So the audience - usually kids who are in tears at this stage, are asked to: "Clap - if you believe in fairies".
Of course they do clap and Tink is rescued from the brink of oblivion.

There are so many parallels with the present situation in Australia.

Firstly, there is Howard as "Tinkerbell". With polls plummeting ever lower, his ability to keep flapping his gossamer wings is doubtful. He looks likely to expire at any moment.

Then there is the APEC charade: $350 million to produce what, exactly.....?

"I don't want to overstate it, but it is a big step forward to get China, Russia and the United States, the major polluters to agree on the need for an aspirational goal (to cut emissions by 2050)." Source: Fairfax Digital

Its like half the leaders of the world all hold hands, close their eyes, and say: "Yes, I believe in fairies too" - maybe something wonderful will happen and the world will survive without Global Warming. OK, can we go home now???"

The Americans don't believe in global warming, and carbon emission limits. They refuse to sign up for the Kyoto Protocol. India and China didn't sign up. Australia didn't sign up.
But its all right folks, we have a self imposed "Aspirational Goal" --- to do "something".

That's right boys. Hold hands, "Clap - if you believe in fairies"

Tinkerbell is still waving her little flimsy wings just a bit. Maybe Howard can survive the week. Maybe.

There, that was worth $350 million, wasn't it?
Sydney's reputation as a tourist magnet is in tatters.

Late news has it that Turnbull and Downer have decided that Howard has to go, (according to an ABC interview a few minutes ago, with a Sky News representative - David Speers). ABC 702 radio - 9:40am.
Read the story here.

What cost to the nation, to stoke the ego of a fading politician?
I don't think it was worth it, do you?
But then, to be honest, I never did.

"The Final Cut" scenario?

Paul Kelly wrote a long opinion piece several days ago, and word has that if it were not for AP*ec, Howard would have been "tapped on the shoulder" by now. The article concludes:

"Howard’s response to the Newspoll was illuminating: he pledged to work harder. It was well intentioned but inadequate.

Howard can work as hard as he likes, but the problem transcends diligence and capability.

Howard’s formula is that he would stay leader only as long as his party wanted him.

The party is not going to depose Howard and Peter Costello is not going to challenge him. Howard’s leadership lies in his own hands.

For 12 years he has stayed Liberal leader because he judged correctly that he was the party’s best election winner. That was true in 1995 and it was true in 2006. But is it still true in September 2007?

What is the real message of the polls? Is it for Howard to bring on the election? Or is it that the public has closed its mind against him?

Howard has no intention of walking away from this battle because for him that would be an act of panic and cowardice.

But if the Liberal Party really believes the election is lost, then Howard must consider his responsibility as leader. He needs, at least, to re-examine his position and decide whether its logic remains valid.

---

Effectively Paul Kelly is doing the tapping on the shoulder himself (and he is not alone - someone in Crikey did much the same a few days ago, but I think that was Richard Farmer, who is an old buddy of Hawkie's, so Howard would take no notice). Paul Kelly is different.

Watch out for a resignation in the next week. My Blogging colleague, Miss Eagle has stated publicly that she wants Howard to stay on and face the people's judgement. If Paul Kelly's instinct is right, Howard might resign to "spend more time with his family" very soon (what a nasty thought!***) for while the Party is unlikely to challenge (how gutless are they?), Howard might be persuaded - after all, he said yesterday he was "listening to the people" (more or less), and he has always said he would stay as long as his Party needed him.

Kelly is saying they need you to go.

As I write, Paul Kelly is speaking on ABC Radio 702, (Sydney local Radio) with Richard Glover, saying that Costello is too weak, and the Party does not have enough confidence in him to bring on a challenge, so he is predicting a Howard-Rudd election. Miss Eagle would be pleased to hear that view.

I wonder, though?

---

*** Does anyone else recall the BBC TV series "House of Cards"?
That trilogy ended with the third series "The Final Cut" where the wife of the PM had developed into a powerful figure "in the background". She arranged for his personal body guard ("Corder") to ass** ass ** inate the (fictional) P* m. She knew the Leader needed to go out a hero, but could not work out how to achieve it himself. I wonder if the AP* ecian Se** curity scenarios included the "Fi** rst La** dy" as the Number One Threat?

If you didn't see the series, or think I am dreaming, read the three précis stories in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Cards

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Play_the_King

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Cut_%281995%29

Is Janette up to the role completed by her counterpart (Elizabeth Urquhart) from the TV series?

For Lit** tle Joh** nnie's sake, he had better hope not!

*****

For a little light relief, let me add that there's more than enough "hardware" and "Hardheads" in Sydney right now.....
Mitre 10 is a large "ironmongers" store as one of my ancient uncles used say.
Hardhead is a common name for a species of Duck! (Aythya australis )

Howard is delusional.

"But I want the public to know that I haven't stopped listening to them,"
- thus speaks John Howard.
What?

When did that happen - I mean that John Howard ever started listening to us?


Was that on 26 May 2000, when more than 250,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge in a show of solidarity for reconciliation with the Aboriginal people of Australia?
Nope!
Was it when thousands marched against the imminent invasion of Iraq - proclaiming it to be an illegal invasion of a sovereign country? Walk against the War - 16 February 2003.
Nope!

Howard is delusional.
There is one cure for his condition - a resounding defeat in a Federal Election.

Bring it on!

How many schools or hospitals would AP*EC money buy?

With polling showing almost three-quarters of NSW residents believe the $300 million APEC bill is a waste of money (full story in today's APEC Survival Guide), the Prime Minister urged people to be more positive.

It was "the most important international meeting ever to be held in Australia", John Howard said, an opportunity for Australia to be paraded as a "modern, sophisticated, tolerant, multiracial society".

Mr Howard also announced $70 million worth of initiatives on climate change, an issue to feature prominently during the talks.

Source: SMH 3 September 2007.

*****

I simply ask how many schools and hospitals could be built with this money, or if you prefer, how many Doctors and teachers could have been employed, instead of uniformed thugs?

Think about it. Who makes a greater contribution to society - a doctor or nurse working in a child health clinic, or a polis-man driving a $600,000 water-cannon?

I'm too angry for this Blog

Tonight's posting might be the last until after Next Weekend when the men in silly shirts have gone home. Here's how I have sought to explain the preparations to a good Canadian friend of mine. And I am so angry about the extraordinary waste of money, and the potential civil disturbance which is about to be inflicted on Sydney and the political disaster which the Forces of Darkness are hoping will be unleashed on Australia. Forget the silly spellings, just read it all phonetically.

You might have seen mention that Da Shr*ub and his mates are coming to Sydney for AP*eC - one of those stupid "lets all wear silly shirts and hats" meetings - in Sydney this week.

You Cannuckistanis might not be invited, not sure (bits of your country are on the Pacific Rim, so your guy ought qualify as much as Da Shrub). Anyway, the Fe**deral Go*v*ernment is going hysterical. They are a conservative (right wing) client state Government, in bed with Da Shrub - even more than your people. Stupid thing is the State (i.e., Provincial) Government is Labor (supposedly left wing, and supposedly opposed to the Federal Govt), but they are the creatures of their own State Police Force, which has seized the opportunity to buy all this "terrific anti-t*rr*rist gear", such as a $600,000 water ca**nnon (which arms salesman saw these guys coming first?) and the harbour is full of guys on jet-skis, and Rub*ber Du**ckies, scooting around looking for b*mbs under the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge, etc. Jet planes are zooming around overhead, and half of the city has been divided by a huge metal fence (including the main harbour ferry terminal (Circular Quay) through which multi-000s of commuters travel every day).

It is a shambles, and worse is about to occur. The State Police are effectively taunting pro**testors saying we are ready for you, your nasty aggressive, violent demo**nstrators. But nobody has done anything (yet). The psychology of this is just terrible. The Bov-ver-Boys (in uniforms) are just itching for a fight. And with a conservative Government looking likely to lose the forthcoming election (due some time in the next 2 months) there is nothing the conservative press and conservative Govr't would love more than provoking "civil unrest". And the stupid lefties look like they're going to provide the camera footage the forces of darkness want (to use against them), in order to scare the population at large.

It is a self-fulfilling prophecy of disaster.

I hope to chrissake it does not eventuate, for that outcome looks like the only thing which could save Howard from electoral disaster, if he and Georg eW become the "victims" of "nasty com**mie lefty thugs", requiring the water-cannonistas to sweep the streets clean.

Buses have already been converted to mobile prisons, with shatter-proof glass, and steel cages inside. Extraordinary. The country's forces of darkness are itching for a civ**il whore! And we have spent an absolute fortune on all this equipment, which is just aching to be used, to justify its expenditure.

I hate everything about this sh**t.

Beam me up, Scotty. This planet is not worth wasting time on.