February 14, 2004
HOWARD DOOMED
The Sydney Morning Herald’s Alan Ramsey demonstrates his usual calm reserve:
John Howard lost it two days ago. His cool, his direction, his command of his party, his control of national politics, his image as the "man of steel". All in just, what, two months? Much less, when you think about it. Mark Latham became Opposition Leader on Tuesday, December 2. Tuesday this week was only his fourth day in Parliament as Labor's alternative to Howard. That was the day Latham announced his assault on MPs' superannuation. By week's end he had all but killed off Howard's prime ministership.
You think that an absurd rush to judgement?
Yes, I do!
Think again.
Okay!
What we saw two nights ago could not have been a more humiliating, more devastating political white flag for any prime minister. Howard's surrender to Latham is that catastrophic.
Speaking of rushes to judgment, Al, how much time did you spend researching that plastic Christmas turkey column?
The amount of times Howard's premiership has been allegedly "killed off", but then been walking around two weeks later is truly amazing. Its like Night of the Walking Dead.
Posted by: Quentin George at February 14, 2004 at 07:54 AMNice to see you squirm, bloghead... still blathering on about the turkey... blather away. You and your sheep got a whole year of flip-flopping, back-tracking, hedging, diverting, blathering and squirming ahead... before it all comes crashing down.
Posted by: Miranda Divide at February 14, 2004 at 09:02 AMBooming economy
Record low jobless rates
Sustained low interest rate
Tough on illegal immigrants
A few more hurdles need to be overcome before you can start counting the chickens Miranda.
Posted by: Gilly at February 14, 2004 at 09:52 AMSo the sheep are Tim's now? I thought we were being controlled by the giant Neo-Con-Zionist-Oil-Haliburton-Plastic Turkey-Illuminati conspiracy, turns out we are all puppets of a middle-aged Australian journalist.
My bad.
Posted by: Quentin George at February 14, 2004 at 11:09 AMMiranda, you forgot to mention how Tim will be drinking expensive wine at lunch when "it all comes crashing down"
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 14, 2004 at 12:40 PMWasn't it Miranda who so correctly warned us in the US that Mondale would replace Reagan in 1984 and *then* we'd get what-for? Probably. Sounds about as accurate as her above prediction.
Posted by: JorgXMcKie at February 14, 2004 at 12:42 PMbefore it all comes crashing down.
Miranda was talking about Latham's credibility, I think. He's been flip-floppin' like nobody's business.
Posted by: Quentin George at February 14, 2004 at 01:24 PMThis Miranda fellow : you want i should punch him in the neck?
Posted by: Drago Milovechek at February 14, 2004 at 07:07 PMI would not be so quick to dismiss the change of heart over super. I normally agree with Tim's column and do not like Latham, I think he is a smarmy prick, BUT, in the eyes of the average battler, I think he has just received a huge boost.
One other, now that super is on the way out(only for new pollies so all the old ones will vote it) I predict pretty interesting increases in salary! Mind you for the crap they get slung there way, I don't think they are overpaid personally.
cheers
grubber