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Open Thread

A Tale of Two Cities

On the 12 June 2009 a presidential election was held that would mark the beginning of an unravelling of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Just sixteen days later events were unfolding that would trigger a constitutional crisis in Honduras. As events unfolded in Iran, the world discovered a nation of people, educated, smart, brave, scared, and perhaps most of all – human. Across an ocean a South American head of state was removed from office in what has been cited as a democratic coup involving a supreme court, a congress, and a standing army.

Tehran and Tegucigalpa are the two cities in question. In Tehran we witnessed a popular uprising against an election result that announced a landslide victory to the incumbent president, a brutal suppression, and the beginning of a political power struggle that will possibly continue for a number of years. Tegucigalpa in contrast was much more a political/industrial action to maintain a status quo, a pre-emptive action to circumvent what was perceived as a move by a rogue president to move the country to the far left.

Rahm Emanuel said [1] …

You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.

[1] YouTube: Rahm Emanuel on a serious crisis.

What he meant by that was that in crisis there is opportunity to do things you could not have done before. In Iran this principal translates into an opportunity for structural changes to the Islamic Republic of Iran, it’s relationships with the outside world, it’s position on human and moral rights, and the potential for the change to the ultimate power structure. But to be clear, the role of popular unrest in this scenario is just the trigger enabling a political opportunity. Over in Honduras the events unfolded with a pre-emptive political move, a reactive but unsuccessful counter-strike, the emergence of a mediation process, and a probably conclusion within which the exiled president will be returned to his position but stripped of any effective power, and the ultimate arbitrators will be the people of Honduras in a new election in November.

In the Honduras case, chances are that the people will get to vote in free and fair elections in just a few months from now. For Iran the situation is much less clear and projection much more uncertain.

What is common between Tehran and Tegucigalpa is that …

Crisis is the mother of political opportunity.

452 replies on “A Tale of Two Cities”

Ecky – I suspect you are not watching Malcolm’s tragic childhood and learning what a sweetheart he truly is.
So sad.

Oh well looks like his shit sanga could come out of the wrapper down the track a little.
Did notice that his press sec looks like he enjoys a few four and twentys on those cold Canberra days.
A dead set walking type 2 diabetes candidate.

GWV – true. But what about Lucy asking “how could you concoct an email?”
d’uh. like- type it.
what a bunch of tossers.

303
He thought it meant rootin Con the Fruiterer.
His missus didn’t either and she is his no 1 advisor.

Every time he stands up in parliament now the Ruddster’s side are going to ask him, Is that true Malcolm?
Did it fall of the back of a ute Malcolm?
He is now like the old victa!

paddy – you so misunderestimate me.
I am still wiping the tears away from hearing about Malc’s tragic childhood and the reasons why he had to become an utter bastard to win back the love of his mother. Am hoping my kiddies decide to be PM too – so am going to abandon them forthwith.
Least i can do for the country.

Oz Story? Nah missed it. Had Petit Mal’s speed from the gitgo. Great bullshiter, very bright, ruthless, but lacks political instinct.
Went to see George Megalogenis and Annabel Crabb at a forum at Cooroy Butter Factory on the w/e. John “Birmo” Birmingham has to be the most laid-back moderator this side of the black stump.

Anyway, neither George nor Annabel reckon Mal Baby’s got the goods either. They cited a couple of classic body language giveaways from his honeymoon in The House as Tory leader. Annabel told a very funny story which was most revealing about Julia Prole being briefed by Rudbot just before the “story” broke in the media about Ruddbot’s alleged behaviour at the New York strip club during the campaign.

Julia’s reaction was to burst into uncontrolllable laughter. After about a minute Kevvy said:

“Err, you can stop laughing now, Julia.”

Absolutely no doubt Julia Prole, especially with her remarkable makeover, is the annointed one. But it could be a lengthy wait. The two gun journo’s also agree that Rudd is probably a more consumate politician than El Rodente. Some call, but certainly see where they’re coming from.

George also spun an insightful vignette about The Member for Hotham, where George wrote in Rupe’s Rag during the time Peter was Fed Treas……..Costello was always the first one on the plane on Friday’s out of the Canberra fish bowl and home to his family.

Costello made sure that one of his staffers let George know that he thought it was a fair observation and that Peter took it as a compliment to his “family values”.

Megalogenisis’s connotation , he told us, was that Cossie thought he was above all the scrapping and back-slapping that aspirarant leaders traditionally engaged in to keep the tory lesser lights sweet. As far as Costello was concerned at that stage, Rat Features had promised him the top job and that was good enough. But after 9/11, Bennelong John thought he was bulletprooof and welched on his word to P.C.

Missed question time due to a prior commitment but it was wonderful to see these two jounalists with wit and insight yarn untinterrupted by imbeciles like Tugger Bolt or Piers Ackerman or the Poisoned Dwarf.

Very enjoyable hour and a half.

Jen, did mummy take Mal’s teddy bear away from him too early orwot?

310
Jen Oh you callous woman.
I’ll just bet they were tears of laughter. 👿
I’ve had to open a new box of kleenex to wipe the wine off the keyboard here. 😆

311
Sheesh Ecky, I’m as jealous as shit about you seeing those two in tandem.
Intelligent discourse by adults for adults…..Bliss.

Such a nice change from the dire rubbish that gets ladled out on the box. I woke up on Sunday morning and was confronted by the Bolter on Insiders.
(I couldn’t find the remote quick enough to turn the bloody box off!)

Jen, have you tried glad-wrapping your keyboard while you’re in blog and glug mode?

Poor Malcs. Few single parents I know are forced to send their kiddies off to the best boarding schools, and let them fend for themselves in the jungle that is the private school system .
Most of them have the unwashed little bastards attending the local state school where they have little hope of passing year 10 woodwork (like mine). So thank god for the inspiration that Malcolm provides us all with.
If only I could hope to have my spawn reach the heights that those hard-luck kiddies such as Malcolm represent.
And now I’m off to cleanse the puke from yet another keyboard.

Yeah, soldier, was a treat indeed. Diggin’ MoonDoggy to the max, btw. Reading anything decent? Just got hold of Malouf’s “Ransom”.
Masterful.

322
😆
You bastard GWV!!
All this sprayed wine is costing more than the kleenex. 🙂

319

Reading anything decent?

I’ve just finished “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy and so now I’ve got every other word he’s written on order from the library.
Sheesh…What a book!!!

Ah, paddy, delighted you dug it. Just finished Blood Meridian for the second time. Got a lot of loose ends tied up and being familiar with the plot took the opportunity to savour the magnificence of McCormac’s writing and the aptness of his allegory. Can only get the hardcover from Sepsville, but well worth it because it’s one of those books, like 1984 and The Brothers Karamazov, I’ll embrace as old friends every couple of years till the Big Adios.

Another delight from Guy Rundle in Crikey today.
LOL Particularly topical considering tonight’s revelations of Malcontent’s “tough love” upbringing. 👿

Guy Rundle writes:

“Turnbull!”

“Yessir.”

“What is this?”

“It’s my essay sir.”

“Turnbull — what is an essay?”

“It’s a piece of non-fiction arguing a core proposition that considers the evidence for and against, drawing in a wider series of reflections and speculations about the world, the whole piece often but not always illustrative of a broader more comprehensive world view.”

“What have you given me?”

“A series of disconnected sledges of Rudd minor’s essay, sir.”

“And what is your excuse?!!!”

“Sir, please sir, we live in a flat sir.”

:mrgreen:

Paddy –
discussing The Road at bookclub tonight. Found it utterly depressing personally. Will let you know the general view of my learned friends later.

Jen, look forward to your report.
I found it deeply depressing myself, but the sheer *quality* of the writing made it bearable to read.

All TV stations will be crossing to a Kevin Rudd press conference about the arrest of a number of alleged bomb plot terrorists in Melbourne this morning.

Kenyan Birth Certificate: Obama Birthers Latch On To Forgery. continued in The Huffington Post
Just to continue on with the loonies issue. Its full of inaccuracies. This cannot be helping the Republicans credibility. Did they have any in the first place?

Jen, the News programs will have a high viewership due to the arrest of the alleged terror suspects. The next story should be the Godwin Gretch story as Harry Potter sorry Kevin Rudd fights with the evil doers.

Could it get any better for the Democrats? I would be looking seriously at getting some very strong Latino candidates (Florida senate) into winnable seats. Just to give the Democrats even more credibility. Do they need any more? 😈
—————————————————–
McCain To Oppose Sotomayor For Supreme Court.
more in The Huffington Post

I have absolutely no doubt the 2010 elections will have very high Latino and African American turn out, thanks to the encouragement of the Republicans.

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Chris B
😆
I guess that’s really the number of only half the beast CB.
The lunatics are truly loose in the asylum both here and across the pond. 🙂

Oh yes BTW
Happy birthday Baz!!! :mrgreen:

342
Cat, it’s always good to see Keith in full flight.
I’d love to see him debating the issue with Bill O’Reilly. 🙂

However, I see he’s not been prepared to roll over on the story that he’s been gagged by management.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/08/olbermann-dismisses-idea-of-playing-nice-with-oreilly-and-news-corp.html

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond….
Firstdog does his own investigation of an Australian hospital.
[Note to Jen: Gladwrap the keyboard before opening.] :mrgreen:
http://media.crikey.com.au/Media/images/090804-GrechEmail2-730f9ea7-2537-4482-b7a4-5a8976bc1045.jpg

Turnbull has shot his political bolt. It’s all over for pussy slayer. He’s dead meat in the noonday sun.
No wonder People Skills has been scrabbling to present himself as an “acceptable” right wing candidate for tory leadership honours. Fucken weasel.
Can’t see the women voters of Oz EVER supporting Monky in sufficient numbers to elect him P.M. Pourquoi?

Because of Tony’s tightness with AGW denialist and systematic oppressor of women, Big George Pell, and his global outfit of faith-based spiritual pickpockets.
At least we’ll have our self-interviewing P.M, The Charisma Kid, to wowser us into political torpor until the next campaign gets exciting.

Meantime, the tories proceed with Rabelaisian frenzy in their orgy of ritualistic self-disembowelment and Moon Doggy seems determined to keep us all laughing our guts out too. On a good day, The Dog is deadset neo-Swiftian. What next….Opposition Suicide Watch with Harry Kiri and Clive James?
————————

Aug 4:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/doonesbury;_ylt=AjM0TiREsIDOX8PbtcHAEYPX.sgF

Aug 4: It’s a Gusher!
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/tomtoles;_ylt=AohXwIWjsniOYo3hjaBqrzYXvTYC

346
Ecky, I particularly enjoyed Guy Rundle in today’s Crikey.
Sadly subs only.

The bell tolls for Turnbull, and the party may as well make it quick and decisive. The fact that both he and the Mad Monk are out of consideration by any sane strategist actually helps the one other contender, Jolly Joe Hockey. True, he wasn’t in consideration months ago, he’s a big boofy man, retaining more fluid than the Canberra aquifer, a human beanbag who assumes the shape of the last person who sat on him.

Would not be dead for quids.
Captain Bligh gave Go4broke till 5 pm today to come clean on the doctored email that said the peasants would have to pay for his new billboards.
Have heard a whisper that his press secretary is alleged to have doctored it.
Thats SA, Fed and Qld all with fake emails from the libtards in the space of a couple of months.

FFS they are really desperate to get some traction somewhere.

Guy’s good orright, paddy.
Here’s piece from a few days back an email pal from Sydney forwarded.

“Expect plenty of mongrel

BLUES captain Mal Turnbull and his team have had a run of bad luck lately.

However, it is often said that in this game you make your own luck.

The major problem has been with Turnbull leading from the front yet fatally missing the tackles that mattered and turning over the ball to the opposition.

This is a terminal failing in a lock forward, because it has allowed the opposing no. 07 and skipper, Kevvie Rudd, to run all over the park and score points at will.

In their latest skirmish, Turnbull admits his side couldn’t take a trick.

“Yeah, mate, they pretty much had the jump on us. We didn’t get much possession in the end,” he said.

The Blues’ feisty hooker Joey Hockey is the team’s go-to man and is being talked about as the next captain, should the proverbial bus of fans and commentators’ opinion – as well as the Blues’ backers at the big end of town – run over Turnbull.

“Yeah, mate, we gotta do the job up front,” Hockey said.

“At halftime we sat in the sheds and they were always gonna play some footy on us, we knew that.”

Another contender for the top job with the Blues if Turnbull loses his captaincy is the evasive front rower Tony “the Monk” Abbott, who has sledging down to a fine art but is also, on occasions, a deft player of the ball.

Asked about his team’s chances at the business end of the season he was as pugnacious as he is on the park: “Grow a brain, mate! It’s a game of two halves. You don’t win a grand final in July. We’ll just have to put in and grind that win out. But, ah, sure, we have to fix our D fence.”

The Reds captain was upbeat about his team’s recent performance.

“The boys put in 110 per cent. Swanny has been fantastic. They said he couldn’t kick but I tell you what, he can drop it on a five cent piece. He’s much underrated.

“Gun players like Wayney, Julia and Albo do the job all day and they stepped up when it mattered.”

What are Rudd’s plans for the finals?

“Whoa, we can only play one policy at a time. But yeah, mate, I can tell you from now on the only way is up and we’re keen to put them away. They are a disorganised rabble.”

Rudd was referring to one-time enforcer now permanently benched prop Willie “Ironbar” Tuckey, who has been openly critical of Turnbull, not caring who hears it.

“Yeah, mate, the issue of the arrogance and inexperience of our captain has to be addressed,” the gnarled, cauliflower-eared forward croaked.

The media commentators say the Red machine is going to steamroll the Blues this season and some Blues players have privately already given up on the Treasury Shield in the upcoming clash, pencilled in for February.

Turnbull, a stellar performer in another code, has come onto the paddock with big raps on him. But it seems he has not made a successful changeover, just like the Reds’ gangly Peter “Oils” Garrett, who looks awkward and out of place in this type of fast-moving game.

But whereas Oils was a buy-in to simply boost the gate, Turnbull entered the code with captaincy foremost on his mind. Now it appears he is unlikely to survive to play another season if the Blues fall over.

But the Blues’ three-premierships-on-the-trot-winning captain, Johnny Howard, has seen it all before.

“The ancient Greeks had a name for it, mate: hubris,” he told the Daily.

“It means you’re up yourself and don’t even know it, and Kevvie’s full of it. Nobody is irreplaceable, but you can’t tell them when they’ve had a few wins under their belt.”

“The Blues now need to get up in their faces and take them out of their comfort zone. They just need to be patient.” “

Well Barry may not want to look back but he does not have to look back at this one. Hope it gains traction.
Turdblossom may have spouted prematurely.

“He violated the congressional investigation by talking to the newspapers. The statute is clear . . . I think we have a bingo. Mr Rove ran his mouth and should be charged and sentenced to five years. . . . By releasing what he said, he has put all who may testify on notice to doctor their testimony (accordingly). That is why his testimony was supposed to be secret. Shame on Karl. But he has committed a crime; now time will tell what they do with it. Also it is clearly an intentional act.”…………………………….

“Obama can say he won’t look backwards to the past administration. But this obstruction occurred . . . during his administration, so it is the present not the past. That argument won’t work.”

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Rove-s-Spin-Lands-Him-in-C-by-Roger-Shuler-090803-502.html

Meanwhile in Seppos best state California, Big Arnie is changing it’s name to “Punchupsareus”.
He has cut 100% of funding for all domestic violence programs to help keep Punchupsareus afloat.

Schwarzenegger cuts funding for all California Domestic Violence Programs-you don’t need to be a psychic to predict an;

Unbelievable though it may sound, our dear beloved Californian Governor Schwarzenegger, has taken his pen and axed 100% of the funding for domestic violence programs as part of his $489 million in budget cuts.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Schwarzenegger-cuts-fundin-by-Joan-Hangarter-090801-277.html

One thing about the Grech/Turnbull affair that i’m surprised hasn’t been looked into and spoken about further is the Howard parting gift to Grech’s beloved Western Bulldogs Football Club.

It seems clear by this stage that Godwin Grech was a longtime Liberal Party rat inside Treasury, groomed by Howard and passed on to Nelson then Malbull.

There seems to be conjecture “over the fence” why Grech would go this far to ingratiate himself to the Libs. To my logic, it seems that Howard’s parting gift of a (i think) $20million grant to Grech’s beloved Western Bulldogs Football Club was a thanks to Grech and a bribe for future co-operation. Apparently Grech lives for his job and his 2 football clubs, Western Bulldogs and Canberra Raiders.

It always struck me as beyond wierd why John Howard delivered that grant in the extremely safe Labour western suburbs of Melbourne just before the election.

The AFP report into Grech and his longtime tenure as Head mole at Treasury will be very interesting…that is if Grech ever leaves the psychiatric Centre to finish his questioning.

Oh…and Abetz has to be dead meat. He clearly lied in the Senate Hearing. Bob Brown will get the satisfaction of winning this little long running fued.

This is a good look at it Jen.

Explosion in Alaska! Family Values Tumble Into The Sea!

No less than three members of the man’s family including one by sworn affidavit have claimed that Sarah Palin engaged in an extramarital affair with hus­band Todd’s former business partner, Brad Hanson.
“Todd found out about the affair and was so mad he broke up their partnership at the snowmobile dealership”
– says a close friend

http://www.opednews.com/populum/diarypage.php?did=13971

Actually Harry…..There’s a huge secret conspiracy at play here.
Fact: Godwin Grech, Julia Gillard *AND* Firstdogon the moon are all fanatical Footscray supporters.
It’s a plot!!!!

355
Sheesh gaffy, next you’ll be telling us that Sarah Palin baracks for Footscray and has been seen hanging out with Tony Abbott. 🙂

You’re certainly right about one thing.
It’s a great day not to be dead. :mrgreen:

Yeah HarryH that is so true.
Maybe that stuff will come out in the wash.
It could be classed as just a good pork barrell but $20m in a safe labor seat sure has an odious stench to it.
But as you say it could well have been a reward for what he has done and will do.
So sad and i have just watched the Monk on Red Kerry squirming in his chair as Kerry tied him in a running bowline and two half hitches as he tried to protect Mal and Erica. LOL

gaffers@351
OMG- I knew “Chromeplated ToddMeister” on RSVP had a strange accent….
what have i done??

As for The Monk on 7:30 Report
– dontcha just love it when he utters the kiss of death –
“We are supporting Malcolm to remian as the leader of the party for as long as he sees fit….”
ROTFLMFA.
Malcs is toast.
😎

(as for ‘Godwin’ on RSVP- I assumed that was an alias for a liberal party mole.
Antennae!!).

362
Jen, we’re a forgiving lot around here.
Since it’s the chosen one’s birthday, you are hereby forgiven for all of you carnal mistakes. (Even though it was a difficult decision when the name ToddMeister appeared on our screens.) 😆

Just seek out Brother Abbott on RSVP for counselling tomorrow and all will be well. 👿

oh paddy – not the counselling with Tony Abbott !!!
pleeeeease …finger nails , bamboo shoots, gelnails with catrina, lunch with Sophie… fanta instead of wine.
Anything but that. 😈

Good to see you, Harry. Reckon Godwin is gonna take a long stint in the Health Institution. His handlers sure don’t want him testifying under oath about anything. Goddy knows too much to be cut loose from his cubby hole. Besides, the paparazzi would shred him in minutes. On one level(human, I guess) I’ve some sympathy him, but he fed inside info to the tories for years. Whatever the psychological components of his decision to do so were, the bastard deserves to take the rap for violating his oath of Public Service.

Petit Mal erred furthur today when he tried to shovel all the blame onto the gnarled little footy-loving gnome. Not a good look is it for a pompous bully to bash a mentally disturbed person? Downright un-bloody-Australian I reckon.

gaffy, the best thing about the whole shemozzle apart from the tories showing how unfit they are to govern is…… that sneering fascist, Senator Eric Arbetz, has a lot of serious questions to answer.
Thought Red Kez could have gone in a little harder on Monky tonight, but he definitely scored with a lot of jabs. It suits Monky to present himself as a likely lad, not a Brutus. Monky wants Mal to keep the Liberal Potemkin Village lookin’ good until Messiah Monk has to “challenge uhhh, for the uhhh, leadership for the uhhh, good of the Party going forward as a uhhh whole” etc….

Monky is smart yet electorally unloved, Shreck is relatively stupid and voter-cuddly.

As we’ve all been saying (faarrk! we’re a hivemind) the tories are well positioned for another lengthy stint of Wilderness Years.
Going forward.

cheers ecky. As well as Abbott and Hockey both being wholly unelectable, The Libs “young guns” like Plod Dutton and Who Keenan look like getting the Brough treatment at the next election…and someone like Hunt will never stand a chance until the Whacko Wing is soundly defeated.

Where to go for the Libs?????…..Robb…bahaha.

All this enjoyment lies ahead.

Sophie will begin a decade long mourning process when Abetz gets skewered Jen.

Unfortunately that will rob us of the chance of Prime Minister Mirabella.

Dad passed away at 10pm. At 86 he had a good innings. The Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s caught up with him. Goodnight.

My how things have progressed.

Borrowed from elsewhere.

New Maths!

1. Teaching Maths in 1970
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.
What is his profit?
2. Teaching Maths In 1980
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100.
His cost of production is 80% of the price.
What is his profit?
3. Teaching Maths In 1990
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100.
His cost of production is $80.
How much was his profit?
4. Teaching Maths In 2000
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100.
His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20.
Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Maths In 2005
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habit of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. Your assignment: Discuss how the birds and squirrels might feel as the logger cut down their homes just for a measly profit of $20.

6. Teaching Maths In 2009
A logger is arrested for trying to cut down a tree in case it may be offensive to Muslims or other religious groups not consulted in the felling licence. He is also fined a $100 as his chainsaw is in breach of Health and Safety legislation as it deemed too dangerous and could cut something. He has used the chainsaw for over 20 years without incident however he does not have the correct certificate of competence and is therefore considered to be a recidivist and habitual criminal. His DNA is sampled and his details circulated throughout all government agencies. He protests and is taken to court and fined another $100 because he is such an easy target. When he is released he returns to find Gypsies have cut down half his wood to build a camp on his land. He tries to throw them off but is arrested, prosecuted for harassing an ethnic minority, imprisoned and fined a further $100. While he is in jail the Gypsies cut down the rest of his wood and sell it on the black market for $100 cash. They also have a leaving barbecue of squirrel and pheasant and depart leaving behind several tonnes of rubbish and asbestos sheeting. The forester, upon release, is warned that failure to clear the fly-tipped rubbish immediately at his own cost is an offence. He complains and is arrested for environmental pollution, breach of the peace and invoiced $12,000 plus GST for safe disposal costs by a regulated government contractor.

Your assignment: How many times is the logger going to have to be arrested and fined before he realises that he is never going to make $20 profit by hard work, give up, sign onto the dole and live off the state for the rest of his life?
7. Teaching Maths In 2010
A logger doesn’t sell a lorry load of timber because he can’t get a loan to buy a new lorry because his bank has spent all his and their money on a derivative of securitised debt related to sub- prime mortgages in Alabama and lost the lot with only some government money left to pay a few million dollar bonuses to their senior directors and the traders who made the biggest losses.
The logger struggles to pay the $1,200 road tax on his old lorry however, as it was built in the 1970s, it no longer meets the emissions regulations and he is forced to scrap it.
Some Bulgarian loggers buy the lorry from the scrap merchant and put it back on the road. They undercut everyone on price for haulage and send their cash back home, while claiming unemployment for themselves and their relatives. If questioned they speak no English and it is easier to deport them at the government’s expense. Following their holiday back home they return to Australia with different names and fresh girls and start again. The logger protests, is accused of being a bigoted racist, and as his name is on the side of his old lorry he is forced to pay $1,500 registration fees as a gang master.
The Government borrows more money to pay more to the bankers as bonuses are not cheap. The parliamentarians feel they are missing out and claim the difference on expenses and allowances.
You do the maths.
8. Teaching Maths In 2017
? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ??? 100 ?????. ???? ????? ??????? ??
?????. ?? ?? ????? ???

I agree with the various assessments above that Malcolm is dead in the water. There’s still much more than could come out – I’m not satisfied at all that Turnbull didn’t know the email was faked. At the very least, when Godwin visted Lucy Turnbull’s Sydney office to take the email back, it would have been clear to two very smart people (Mr and Mrs Turnbull) that there was a problem with the email. And that’s being charitable, I think.
I think I heard on The Insiders that Joe Hockey’s seat of North Sydney (my former electorate) is increasingly marginal because of demographic change. As plenty have pointed out, the Monk is unelectable. The Libs are well and truly rooted.

John Bolton demonstrates (yet again) what an appalling choice he was as a “so called” ambassador to the UN.

Clinton’s Unwise Trip to North Korea
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080401486.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

The sheer level of snark that these failed neocon wankers continue to exhibit, defies belief. 🙁
Having trashed the USA’s brand in every town and village on the planet, they’re now thrashing around, squealing like stuck pigs. Claiming those “naive democrats” are putting the country at risk.

It would be funny if they didn’t still wield significant power behind the scenes.

paddy

John Bolton…shakes head lol

Some of the NeoCons are intelligent yet evil beings. But Bolton…Bolton is a stark raving mad psychopath and a dolt to boot.

I rarely watch Q&A. I invariably find myself getting cross when ridiculous claims made by people on the panel go untested. But I’ve just found out that Julia Gillard and Malcolm Turnbull are scheduled to be on tonight. How frikkin delicious! Part of me thinks Malcolm won’t show, but part of me thinks he can’t afford not to show up. Sounds like an evening of excruciatingly entertaining viewing.

Sorry to hear about your dad, Chris. Condolences from us cyber-mob to you, my friend, and your family.

Clinton, 2 journalists depart NKorea for US

SEOUL, South Korea — Former President Bill Clinton brought two freed U.S. journalists out of North Korea early Wednesday following rare talks with reclusive leader Kim Jong Il, who pardoned the women sentenced to hard labor for entering the country illegally.
Euna Lee and Laura Ling were heading back to the U.S. with Clinton, his spokesman Matt McKenna said, less than 24 hours after the former U.S. leader landed in the North Korean capital on a private, humanitarian trip to secure their release.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/north-korea-welcomes-bill_n_250682.html

By Post Author

Until the other day when those drifters were picked up in Batman and Fawkner’s hideaway there had been a remarkable drop in the terrorism area.
It has now been revealed! 😈

Since English singer Susan Boyle has been on TV there’s been a marked drop in suicide bombing.

Apparently, a lot of the terrorists didn’t realise what a virgin looks like.

i am waiting for Gouldie to give us the heads up as to whether Utegate was a conspiracy or just a bit of incompetence.

Yay go Helen.

Happy birthday Helen President Obama celebrated his own birthday today by leading the White House press corps in singing Happy Birthday to veteran reporter Helen Thomas. Obama is 48 today; Thomas turns 89. Obama carried cupcakes into the briefing room, and told Thomas: “I will leave it up to you, Helen, how you want to distribute the cupcakes.” Obama sat beside Thomas for a picture after she blew out one candle, and said she told him her birthday wishes were “world peace and a real health care reform bill.” — Newser

http://www.newser.com/story/66090/on-shared-birthday-obama-surprises-reporter-thomas.html

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I’m with you Katielou. I normally find Q&A unbearable and daren’t watch it for fear of being seized by an irresistible urge to throw bricks at the TV.
However, the thought of the Red Fox Julia Vs Stumblebum Malbull is really too delicious to resist. Duelling lawyers at 10 paces!! 🙂

Big Red has already set the scene for Q&A.
She said today that Mal could be conned by anyone with a business card and a black and white printer. 👿

Speaking of conspiracies…..That bastard Ken Henry has no shame.
He’s clearly hijacked The 7.30 Report and let loose the hairy-nosed wombat lobby. 🙂

I have just listened to Tip sticking the dagger in to Mal and Erica and i have now come to the conclusion that Mal and the Glibs are just waiting for Humungous Joe to roll down Killamanjaro and return home. Tony the mad Monk does not want the chalice till after the next election according to tip so as soon as Joe gets back Mal will quit politics and Joe will be the new leader.

Absolutely nobody with an ego like Mal with that amount of money is going to sit in the opposition benches to be ridiculed to high heaven day in and day out.
At least Abetz has appologised to Kevie but Mal is still in denial.

It would be beneath his dignity to appologise to Kevie, he would rather look down his nose at him.

Bye Mal your short stint as a politician has ended in disgrace.

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