October 08, 2004

RAGE MAINTAINED

One of the Great Known Truths of this universe -- besides that Dwight Yoakam’s version of "I Want You to Want Me" is the best cover of a Cheap Trick song -- is that Mark Latham has a crazy temper. Many expected it to manifest itself damagingly during the campaign, but Latham has kept himself under control.

Mostly. There was yesterday’s outburst about immigration, and his microphone moment, and the railing about sweet baby Oliver and "leave my family out of it!". Then there was the Battle of Brisbane, in which Latham is said to have torn into a staffer during rehearsals for his campaign launch.

Bruno Bouchet ran an item on this a couple of days ago on Queensland ABC radio. I’ve since contacted two people who were present. Apparently Latham was reading his speech when he noticed some changes had been made without his knowledge; the printed copy in front of him was different, in some small ways, to the version he was reading on autocue.

The Labor leader previously hasn’t had a problem with rewrites, even allowing Simon Crean to censor Latham's mother in a speech at the Labor national conference. But this time Latham was angry. Much shouting and swearing, by all accounts, followed by Latham storming out. His parting words: "Let's get out of here, Janine!"

Latham isn’t great under pressure, as we’ve seen, but I’d have thought him more intelligent than to allow Bad Mark to surface in a situation where he was surrounded by microphones and television cameras. No tape has emerged; if Latham did in fact flick the switch to "berko", he’s gotten away with it.

Well, who knows? Maybe it would have worked in his favour. Anything would be better than ease the squeeze.

Posted by Tim Blair at October 8, 2004 02:22 PM
Comments

Wouldn't surprise me. I used to be in Young Labor with Mark Latham (before I grew up and got a brain..). He used to go RIGHT OFF. True

Posted by: Col at October 8, 2004 at 02:29 PM

"Apparently Latham was reading his speech when he noticed some changes had been made without his knowledge; the printed copy in front of him was different, in some small ways, to the version he was reading on autocue."

It's called spell-checker Mark !

Posted by: Will S at October 8, 2004 at 02:35 PM

What is that quote from The Incredible Hulk again?

"Don't get me angry. You don't want to see me angry!"

Posted by: Richard at October 8, 2004 at 02:37 PM

Latham didn't start to turn green and grow some serious muscles, did he?

Posted by: Richard at October 8, 2004 at 02:38 PM

First there was the RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

then the THRILLA IN MAINLLA

now Mark's here to lay the SMACK DOWN IN BRIZ-TOWN!

Posted by: Richard at October 8, 2004 at 02:39 PM

If he does that to his staffers for such minor errors, imagine what he would do to Jemaah Islamia - not.

Posted by: George at October 8, 2004 at 02:39 PM

It's Mark Headroom, and he's gonna "ease-ease-ease the squeeze".

Posted by: Richard at October 8, 2004 at 02:44 PM

Dwight also did an awesome cover of Suspicious Minds.

Posted by: Pete at October 8, 2004 at 03:24 PM

Sounds like he attended the Gareth Evans School of Comportment.

Posted by: Hanyu at October 8, 2004 at 03:40 PM

Sorry to get off the topic.

Election Night:

Channel nine's pissing me off at the moment, is it just me or does anyone else hate the election night crap they put on as much as I do? Because I'm sorry, but when I turn on the TV and it's just a bunch of clowns sitting there speaking it, like for hours and Ray Martin says "Well it just doesn't get much more exciting than this." I beg to differ, I'm sorry, I just do...Mark Latham's interviewed halfway through the tally and Ray says to him, "Election night Mark, what do you reckon?" "Well I tell ya, election night, it's a pretty big day." Well thanks for that Mark. Cheque's in the mail. Very nicely done."

Apologies to Tony Martin for fake but true copying of his work.

Posted by: Lofty at October 8, 2004 at 03:51 PM

You are forgetting the enormous pressure that Mark is under, and was under for the Campaign Launch. The error in the script would have been enough to throw him off in his delivery-it is not a small thing at all. Mark has performed admirably on every TV appearance,and his grace and humour at the public fora (avoided like the plague by Johnny babe) was commendable. Methinks I detect a wee bit of bias in the reporting. Howard, at his campaign launch came accoss as if he were struggling with a bilious attack.
Chalkie55

Posted by: john Briggs at October 8, 2004 at 04:26 PM

You are forgetting the enormous pressure that Mark is under

You must be kidding! It was only a speech.

If Latham lost it then he's only repeating a pattern, staying in character, being himself. He lacks self-discipline; not a good thing in a PM.

Posted by: Janice at October 8, 2004 at 05:13 PM

Yeah, Biff's no garden-variety thug. He's much commoner than that - this from the SMH just now:

"Waiting outside for his turn to be interviewed, Mr Howard was literally yanked forward by the Latham greeting.

"How are you Mark?" Mr Howard inquired as cameras flashed around the pair, whose paths have crossed rarely during this election campaign.

The taller Mr Latham then moved to within centimetres of the prime minister's face, eyeballing him as he replied:"OK". "

Howard now seeking X-rays to determine if arm is broken.

Posted by: Sweet sweet Bundy at October 8, 2004 at 05:59 PM

Autocue???? What's bovver boy need with an autoque?

John Howard wouldn't bee seen in the same room as one!!

Posted by: Kate at October 8, 2004 at 06:40 PM

Dwight's version of "Ring of Fire" always makes me crank up the volume.

Posted by: Donnah at October 9, 2004 at 12:42 AM

I agree that Johnny babe prides himself on extempore speeches, and he always has had a prodigious memory. However, he would benefit from the skills of a speechwriter and the use of an autocue when he is giving set speeches on memorable occasions. I think it was Laurie Oakes who stated that his Campaign Speech had long boring bits in it, and I can not recall a single speech that Johnny babe has made that resonated as fine oratory. Compare that with Paul Keating who use fine speechwriters such as Don Watson to craft brilliant speeches such asd the Redfern speech, the Kokoda speech and the Unknown soldire speech which have been anthologised and studied in school curricula.
Chalkie 55

Posted by: john Briggs at October 9, 2004 at 11:28 AM

I too thought the confrontation outside the studio door hilarious. It was real "eyeball to eyeball" stuff redolent of images of the boxing ring. I think it was the best shot of the campaign. And the arm-wrestle! Hilarious. I've noticed lately that Johnny babe loves to strut around like some unhinged fighting rooster, probably in imitation of the cowboy swagger of Dubbyah. I think that visit to the Tayxus rayunch got to him. Next he'll be wrestling dogies!
Chalkie55

Posted by: john Briggs at October 9, 2004 at 11:33 AM

I too thought the confrontation outside the studio door hilarious. It was real "eyeball to eyeball" stuff redolent of images of the boxing ring. I think it was the best shot of the campaign. And the arm-wrestle! Hilarious. I've noticed lately that Johnny babe loves to strut around like some unhinged fighting rooster, probably in imitation of the cowboy swagger of Dubbyah. I think that visit to the Tayxus rayunch got to him. Next he'll be wrestling dogies!
Chalkie55

Posted by: john Briggs at October 9, 2004 at 11:34 AM

That's very clever of you to link nicholas carvans' blog to yours in an pro-Liberal rant, when nicholas writes a very anti-Liberal/John Howard blog.

Did i say clever? i meant completely retarded.

Posted by: bree at October 9, 2004 at 04:03 PM

I must disagree with you on one point, but I forgive you since it was something you wouldn't know: the best cover of any song ever done in history was that of Love and Rockets doing the Trogg's "Wild Thing." The event occurred in November 1987 on the stage of a now defunct club on Miami Beach whose name the intervening years have erased from my memory. The lead singer, Daniel Ash, was obviously high on... something (this was Miami in the Eighties). Several women in the audience around me spontaneously became pregnant that night.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at October 10, 2004 at 04:08 AM