The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

It's official: Howard faces the fight of his life
Michael Gordon
February 12, 2007/the AGE

JOHN Howard won't be surprised by Kevin Rudd's stunning numbers in today's ACNielsen/Age poll. Repeatedly, Howard has predicted that the Labor leader's honeymoon has some distance to run.

But he will be taken aback by the number of reasons voters say they are satisfied with Rudd's performance, and by the fact that they seem ready to install a Labor government.

Not only are they mightily dissatisfied with Howard and his government on multiple fronts, from David Hicks to climate change, they appear to be genuinely interested in Rudd and the alternative vision.

It is too early to conclude it, but the results suggest that the Coalition's great strength at the last election - its experience - is giving way to the notion that it is time for a change to a new leader who projects optimism and new ideas.

Even after committing $10 billion to what was trumpeted as the most visionary policy in Australian history on water, just one in three voters say they prefer the Coalition's approach to that of Rudd. ... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/its-official-howard-faces-the-fight-of-his-life/2007/02/11/1171128812935.html

Labor soars with Mr 65 per cent
Michelle Grattan
February 12, 2007/the AGE



OPPOSITION Leader Kevin Rudd has hit a record-breaking 65 per cent approval rating and Labor has surged to a 58-42 two-party lead over the Coalition, according to the latest ACNielsen/ Age poll.

Mr Rudd has also become the first Labor leader in six years to open a lead over John Howard as preferred prime minister.

And, despite the Government's $10 billion water package, Labor is well in front (48 to 34 per cent) as the best party to handle the water issue, in the nationwide poll of 1412 taken from Thursday to Saturday.

The poll, which will send fresh jitters through the Coalition, comes after a bad parliamentary week for the Government, when Mr Howard had to correct an answer on climate change.

Mr Rudd is on the highest approval for an opposition leader in the 35 years of the ACNielsen poll ?- one point ahead of Malcolm Fraser in July 1975, and seven points above Mark Latham's peak of May 2004.

Labor's primary vote is 46 per cent ?- up five points since the last poll, taken in December just before Kim Beazley's overthrow. This is Labor's highest primary vote since April 2001. The Coalition is down three points to 36 per cent, the lowest since May 2001. Labor's two-party-preferred lead is up two points since December.

The only good news for Mr Howard is that the Coalition remains decisively in front (56 to 33 per cent) as the best party to manage the economy. Labor has gone backwards: in August, after a series of interest rate rises, the Opposition narrowed the gap to 11 points but it has now widened to 23 points. ... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/labor-soars-with-mr-65/2007/02/11/1171128813763.html?page=fullpage

JH talks tough to Obama.
I'll bet that has him quaking in his shoes! :wink: :

US presidential hopeful gets a broadside from AustraliaSarah Smiles, Canberra
February 12, 2007/the AGE

JOHN Howard has come under criticism for attacking a pledge by US presidential candidate Barack Obama to withdraw US troops from Iraq by March next year.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd accused the Prime Minister of allowing his personal relationship with Republican President George Bush to cloud his concern for the future US-Australia alliance, describing his "partisan attack on (Senator) Obama and the Democratic Party" as short-sighted and irresponsible.

The senator launched his election campaign in Springfield, Illinois, at the weekend with a pledge to end US involvement in the unpopular war, telling cheering crowds: "America, it's time to start bringing our troops home."

Mr Howard criticised the pledge as a harbinger to a US defeat in the war on terror, saying there was no way Iraq would be stable by March 2008.

He said an early withdrawal could destabilise the Middle East and threaten Australia's security by emboldening terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda. Mr Howard told Channel Nine: "If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/howard-attacks-us-presidential-hopeful/2007/02/11/1171128813766.html

Now before any of you US folk express your outrage (!) at this pip-squeak from the other side of the planet having the nerve to interfere in US domestic politics, just keep in mind that it's usually the other way around! Take the 2004 Oz election, for example & these comment of the US ambassador to Oz ... Sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it? :wink: :

" ....The United States has urged Opposition Leader Mark Latham (then opposition leader) to reverse his plan to pull Australian troops out of Iraq, calling it short-sighted and an invitation to more terrorist attacks.

US Ambassador Tom Schieffer told The Age that Mr Latham's comments "could have very serious consequences beyond Australia". Such a move risked damaging the US alliance and could assist terrorists accomplishing larger goals, he said.

"Just to summarily say we are going to pull Australians out of Iraq I think would be very short-sighted and very troubling," he said.

Mr Schieffer's comments indicate the depth of alarm within the Bush Administration, which is struggling to hold the coalition of the willing together in Iraq in the face of Spain's threatened withdrawal.

His language is stronger than comments that sparked a diplomatic storm and allegations of improper interference last year, when Mr Schieffer said Labor criticism of President Bush during the Iraq debate was "of some concern" and "not very helpful" to the relationship. .... "

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/24/1079939717516.html

[quote="msolga


The only good news for Mr Howard is that the Coalition remains decisively in front (56 to 33 per cent) as the best party to manage the economy. Labor has gone backwards: in August, after a series of interest rate rises, the Opposition narrowed the gap to 11 points but it has now widened to 23 points.
/quote]

Doesn't the ecomomy trump everything else?

One thing you can say for JH is that he's consistent! GWB & "the alliance" has been his great passion throughout his "leadership"! GWB can count on JH! Where GWB goes, JH will follow! Sometimes it makes some of us wonder exactly which country it is we're living in.

That's what the Liberals will be hoping, RJB.
Already a determined campaign has begun to discredit Rudd's economic credentials. Truth is, the Lib's record in this area is not that fantastic, anyway: We have a huge balance of trade deficit, massive personal/credit debt levels of ordinary Australians. The is much fear & apprehension of any possible rise of interest rates .... The best thing that the Liberals have had going to them is the minerals boom. The fact is, many folk are struggling with huge financial obligations in these "prosperous" times. But the Liberal mantra continues ... "you've never had it so good!"
Rudd's biggest challenge will be to establish his economic credentials.

... which further convinces me (not that I needed much convincing!) that Obama must be a good guy!

Go Obama!

Go Kev!

*Absolutely nothing to do with Oz politics:
[size=7]I just wanted to say, after being constantly exposed to his visage in our media today ... that Obama is very handsome indeed! [/size]

Doncha love it when he talks tough? Grrrrrufffffff! :

Last Update: Monday, February 12, 2007. 1:00pm (AEDT)

PM stands by Obama attack


Mr Howard says the suggestion he is interfering in US politics is absurd. (ABC TV)

Prime Minister John Howard has defended his comments about United States presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposed policies.

The spat erupted when Democrat Senator Obama said he would like US troops out of Iraq by March 2008.

Mr Howard responded by saying that if he ran Al Qaeda, he would put a circle around March next year and pray for Mr Obama to win. ...<cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1845603.htm

Ah, here it is. I knew you all would get to it before me. I was going to start a new thread, but now I don't need to! Thanks Ms Olga

I thought a bit about JH's words about Obama & Iraq & have come to the conclusion that this is one of the few times he's been 100% honest during his time as PM. He means this stuff. No more pussy-footing around, he totally identifies with US neo-con values. The thing is, though, he's prime minister of Australia. And most of us don't identify with those values! (The polls have told him that, again & again.) The other thing, when he talks of "not deserting an ally" he is not talking about an alliance between the US & Australia ... he's talking about a personal alliance between himself & GWB. He is totally out of step with what most people in the US & Australia actually think about the "coalition" adventure in Iraq. But that doesn't seem to matter to him. It's almost as if he's making some last stand for what he really believes in.
It really is time for him to go.

How Oz cartoonists saw it today:
# 1

# 2:

# 3:

# 4.

Years of lies & distortions, all coming home to roost! :

Tough talking from TinTin!:

You're gutless: Rudd accuses PM
February 14, 2007 - 9:51AM/Sydney Morning Herald

Leader Kevin Rudd has turned the attack on Iraq policy back on John Howard, accusing the Prime Minister of being gutless and without a plan for the future of Australian troops in the troubled country.

Mr Howard, who has been under fire for his attack on US presidential hopeful Barack Obama's Iraq policy, yesterday labelled Mr Rudd gutless for dodging questions about the consequences of an early US withdrawal from Iraq.

Mr Rudd, who has challenged Mr Howard to a televised debate on the issue, today reiterated that his policy would be a withdrawal of Australian forces, in consultation with the Americans at the end of a six-month troop rotation.

He said it was Mr Howard who did not have a plan.

"Mr Howard in this debate talks about guts and courage ... guts and courage doesn't involve sending the sons and daughters of Australian families to fight a war with no exit strategy in mind for them," Mr Rudd told ABC Radio.

"Guts and courage also lies in rising to the challenge of a nationally televised debate on his alternative plan for Iraq and mine."

Australia has no deadline for removing its 1,400 troops from Iraq.

"The alternative strategy, by the way, is a continuation of the current military strategy which, after four years, has failed," Mr Rudd said.

"I have a clear exit strategy for those Australian troops, Mr Howard has none and my challenge to him is: what is his alternative strategy (and) if he is a man of courage to tell the Australian people how he intends to win the war in Iraq." ... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/youre-gutless-rudd-accuses-pm/2007/02/14/1171405258525.html

So ... last night the prime minister was all over the media claiming that Rudd lacked courage (I'm putting that politely!) in fully explaining what his exit strategy for Iraq was. And explaining dismissively that he (Howard) had refused a televised debate with Kevin Rudd over Iraq because they could debate it any time in parliament.

So ... when Rudd actually proposed a parliamentary debate in parliament this morning, the government defeated the motion! (They have the numbers.) No parliamentary debate!

So, why not a televised debate between then? If the Libs & Labor's two environment representatives can do it, why not Howard & Rudd? I believe that the two industrial relations representative are to debate each other (tonight? on the 7:30 report) why, indeed, not Howard & Rudd?

It appears that the PM is not prepared to debate Kevin Rudd anywhere. Is he lacking nerve, as Rudd suggests?:

'Gutless' Howard gags debate
February 14, 2007 - 10:01AM/the AGE

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has accused John Howard of lacking courage as the Labor leader called for a debate on Iraq foreign policy.

Seconds after today's parliamentary sitting began, Mr Rudd moved to suspend the House of Representatives program for an hour so he could debate the prime minister on Australia's involvement in the war in Iraq.

But Veterans' Affairs Minister Bruce Billson immediately moved a motion to cut off Mr Rudd, which succeeded along party lines.

The government then used its numbers in the lower house to defeat Mr Rudd's motion 59 votes to 81.

Mr Rudd said he wanted to debate Mr Howard's false basis for the decision to go to war; his misuse of intelligence material to justify his decision; his failure to articulate a mission statement, exit strategy, and strategy to win the war; and his attack on the United States' Democrats.

"And ... the prime minister's lack of guts and courage in refusing to accept the leader of the opposition's challenge to a nationally televised debate on Labor's plan to bring our troops home and the prime minister's plan to leave our troops in Iraq indefinitely," he said. ... <cont>


http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/gutless-howard-gags-debate/2007/02/14/1171405258522.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1