Iraq war hurts Australian premier's election chances

[dArKeR]

REUTERS , CANBERRA
Wednesday, May 26, 2004,Page 5

A backlash against the US-led Iraq war is damaging Australian Prime Minister John Howard's re-election chances in a ballot expected within months, with opposition Labor snaring a firm lead in a new opinion poll.

"We are in the fight of our political lives and all energy must be focused on that," Howard told a meeting of party colleagues yesterday. "The odds are very much against us."

Howard, a close US ally who sent 2,000 military personnel to the US-led invasion last March, said his government had been damaged by the negative publicity out of Iraq such as photographs of US troops abusing Iraqi prisoners.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/05/26/2003156999

Go to jail!

[calimary]

1. Holy Mother of Pearl - bush really does turn anything he touches into shit

including John Howard's career. He's screwed up everybody around him, from Tony Blair to Colin Powell. It's like they'll be walking around for the rest of their lives wearing a scarlet letter - "w" I supppose. The Modern-day Mark of Cain.

[soaky]

4. 8 years too long

Sadly bush can't take credit for all of howard's failures - he did a fine job screwing things up before bush was selected.

[Djinn]

6. still have a scary feeling

that there's enough ignoramus in this country to give him/Costello one more turn...something to be said for limiting a PM/Pres to two terms!

[anakie]

7. I share your fears of him being re elected

and when he is the little egomaniac will declare that he will serve the full term; sending Costello to the backbench or out of parliament thus paving the way for Abbot and Nelson to take control of the Liberals.

As an aside he is meeting with the Governor of California on his way to meet with Georgie next week. I am already cringing in embarrassment.

[Djinn]

8. Abbot and Nelson ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHH

Tony "women have too many abortions - it'd be better if they just abandoned their bastard like I did" Abbott would be just too too far -a move to New Zealand would definetly be on the cards!

[Matilda]

9. You can never underestimate the rat-cunning of John Howard.

Nor can you underestimate the apathy of most of the Australian
electorate. Or the inherent racisim - after all, Howard has all
those evil boat people safely behind bars where they can't bother
decent Australians.

[Djinn]

11. Queue jumpers Matilda

or just plain terrorists will do! not that they need to be ehre anymore because Iraq and Afghanistan are safe stable places these days dontcha know! :crazy:

[daleo]

2. Amazing when you think of how many western leaders gambled their jobs

And reputations on BFEE's folly. Were they really that stupid, or is there a juicy payoff in the corporate world awaiting them?

[kskiska]

3. Oh well, he did get a nice ranch vacation out of it

as one of the chosen few invited to Crawford, Texas, pig farm.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Paging Paul Wolfowitz

Seems he was onto something about a dominoe theory...

I doubt though he meant the theory to work this way.

:-)

Howard enjoy your vacation, perchance a nice trip to the Hague?
The weather is nice this time of the year

[Pert_UK]

10. John Howard is an ignorant, arrogant wanker....

anything that helps get him out of power is to be welcomed.

I just spent a year in Australia and it was frankly astonishing how rude, off-hand, abusive, bigotted and petty a little man could be and still remain Prime Minister. Unlike Bush, the man actually has to face live questions from opponents in Parliament, but his replies always seemed to be ad hominem abuse.

On top of everything else, EVERY SINGLE AUSTRALIAN I met was gracious and complimentary about England's victory over Australia in the rugby World Cup........so how come the Prime Minister acts like a petulant little shit during the award ceremony?

Tosser. He let his country down after a magnificent international event.

P.

[Djinn]

12. that's an easy one

"so how come the Prime Minister acts like a petulant little shit during the award ceremony?"

Because he is a petulant little shit - our Prime Miniature does something a lot of boring Australians do - ie uses sport as an alternative to a personality and therefore these things get to him

[Matilda]

13. You beat me to it.

He is the most mean-spirited p.m. in my living memory, and I am so
embarrassed that he represents us abroad as a symbol of who we are.

[saigon68]

14. looks like he's going down too

too bad so sad

[struggle4progress]

15. Well, when you supped with the devil, John, ....

you should have brought a long spoon.