He promised, however, to come back when he had “the co-ordinates” for the position, whatever that may mean.
But a lack of “co-ordinates” for cricket commentary hasn’t stopped the applause for his handling of the nation’s top job from members of the Canberra press corps.
According to my colleague Steve Lewis, national political correspondent of The Daily Telegraph, “Those who experienced the Howard government’s cold-hearted approach are reporting a new spirit of co-operation in Canberra.”
This observation was based on the appearance of a “diminutive elder of the local Ngunnawal people” who delivered a welcome to a group Lewis described as “Labor’s new royalty” at “their new home, The Lodge”.
The only visible evidence of any new spirit of co-operation around Canberra appeared to be the willingness of the local police to ignore the Commonwealth car ! double-parked while Rudd did some shopping.
Even the most grizzled old Canberrans were impressed by that evidence of a new federalist relationship, truly Jeffersonian in its approach, which Rudd, a self-described Jeffersonian separatist in matters religious, would appreciate.
It may be that the Rudd honeymoon is taking place during the media silly season, or it may be that many regular commentators are on their well-earned breaks, but sweetness and light continues to flow from The Lodge.
For example, there hasn’t been a murmur about Rudd’s reversal on Iraq, the need to stray from the course that he once urged upon that “cold-hearted” Howard government.
Fortunately, Maxine McKew, now the Member for Bennelong, recorded Rudd’s position on Iraq in an interview for The Bulletin magazine in December 2003. In it, Rudd accused the Howard government of “trying to crab-walk away from its responsibilities”.
!
According to McKew’s account, Australia had “j! ust over 800 support personnel left in Iraq, with the overwhelming load of both reconstruction and the fight against a hydra-headed insurgency left to the American and British forces”.
Rudd, she wrote, explained that this meant “the Americans and Brits are privately pissed off with John Howard because he’s been quietly seeking to exit the field”.
Huh? Kevin Rudd said John Howard was quietly seeking to cut and run?
Given Rudd’s flying visit to Iraq to tell the Iraqis that this was his plan for the region, is this yet another example of his “me too” approach to politics?
Rudd wouldn’t tell McKew what he had been told by “senior coalitionists” about Australia’s post-war contribution, or the lack of it.
“I’m not in the business of betraying confidences. But I’m telling you it grates,” he said.
“Because the Brits and the Americans are in there wi! th their leadership intact but, from May 1 (2003), John Howard’s position on Iraq has been based not on a military exit strategy but on a political exit strategy.”
Which is surely news to those who claimed Howard had no exit strategy.
But, to top it all, Rudd - who has told the Americans and British that Australian combat troops will be withdrawn by the middle of next year - had the hide to tell McKew: “I think that’s going doggo.”
And, more strongly: “Frankly, it reflects political cowardice on Howard’s part.”
That’s pretty strong commentary from someone who lacks the “co-ordinates” to describe a Test, but it highlights the great flaw in the Rudd revolution: that the debate is never about principle, it’s about politics.
Four years ago, Rudd believed Australia should stay the course. He said everything in international law said we, as a member of the invading forc! es, had to help Iraqis restore order and rebuild.
Now ! he has a more nuanced policy (Australia has a responsibility for only some bits and pieces of the Iraq mess), while he has given an open-ended commitment to keep Australian troops in Afghanistan - where Australians have already died - for as long as it takes.
The coalition forces in Iraq, under the US, and in agreement with the UN, are winning.
In Afghanistan, the battle isn’t going as smoothly.
Our troops are doing more than their share of the heavy lifting, while some nations are keeping their units well away from the fighting.
When he believed in securing Iraq for the Iraqis, Rudd told McKew: “There’s an easy script on the centre-left of Australian politics to say, ‘Nah, nah, naaah!’
“The harder script is to say: ‘What do we now do about the 23 million Iraqis who find themselves in a comprehensive bucket of poo, and what do we do to help fix that?“‘
It would seem he hasn’t ! opted for the easy answer, or at least the answer that is easiest to sell to his clique of believers.
Hugh White, Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University, says Rudd went to Iraq to sell a “complex” message that Australia would be withdrawing some troops and keeping others there as support for our US allies.
“Complex” is not the word for it. The comprehensive bucket of poo is being cleaned up and Australia is clearing out at a critical time for clearly political purposes, even as the current strategy is bearing fruit.
Not that our US allies will hold it against Rudd; they’re rapidly appreciating his form.
Having successfully won a backdown from the Japanese over the killing of humpback whales in the Southern Ocean without receiving public acknowledgement from the Australian Government, our US friends are watching his honeymoon with great interest.
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William Winch is a Business Growth Specialist whose mission is helping people expand and explode their home-based businesses without breaking the bank. A former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, he mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in learning how to explode and expand your home-based business, you can contact William by visiting his website at www.thefreemlmpowerreport.com or by calling him directly at (585) 234-5283.
Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22989889-5007146,00.html
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