The first cracks in Howard's armour of invincibility?

[Matilda]

Or is it wishful thinking on my part?

He was forced to pull the migration bill this week because it was headed for certain defeat. Whether
because too many people just found it morally objectionable or whether it was because it was seen
as allowing Indonesia to dictate policy, the result was a slap in the face for Howard. Strike
number one.

Now he has been forced to allow a conscience vote on stem cell research. Howard himself has always
been firmly opposed, and he wouldn't have bent this far unless he knew there was strong opposition
from his own party. Strike number two.

And an announcement yesterday from the iceman himself, Phillip Ruddock, that unless the US can
charge David Hicks with something tangible by the end of the year, the Government will move to
repatriate him to Australia - knowing that they can charge him with nothing here. It can't be
coincidental that this follows the publicity generated by Major Michael Mori on his visit here.
I watched Andrew Denton's interview with him and he was very impressive. Behind the cheerful smile
and the folksy demeanour is a very sharp brain, and he managed to bucket Howard and the government
without uttering one word of criticism. He's done a great job for Hicks, and made Howard look like
the crawling toad that he really is. Strike number three.

Howard may find that he's stayed too long at the fair.

[no safe haven]

1. Hopefully not wishful thinking

Howard has been too long at the fair since 1996, AFAIC. But his change of heart is curious. He’s not been the same since the attempted Costello tilt. I think the writing is on the wall, considering the shift in public opinion over the IR laws. He’s got to give a little before the shift in consensus swings too far to the left and the Libs lose government in 2007. Call me cynical, but his new-found “liberalism” and actually making concessions in the public interest is just political manoeuvring and not an actual seachange in his world view. He’s still the mean, vain, pompous, arrogant, puffed up toady he always was.

I thought Mori was very impressive on Denton, and also on ABC 702 radio interview with Trioli. He's not afraid of taking swipes not only at Howard and Ruddock but at Rumsfeld and the civilian arm of the military that has set up the illegal commissions. Good call: Mori couldn’t understand why Howard/Ruddock chose to ignore overwhelming international legal opinion that the Guantanamo military commissions were a breach of the Geneva Conventions.

The timing of Ruddock's announcement, in the wake of Mori's public dressing down of our government, indicates that Howard has taken a step away from the Washington line. Added to that, Johnny says he's not going to make an official policy and follow the US and UK baggage restrictions, but will leave that decision to the individual carriers. Howard has been such a cheer leader for GW's "war on everything". Is the love affair between Johnny and Georgie over?

[foreigncorrespondent]

2. Due to work...

...I missed Mori on Denton and forgot to tape it. :(

But since the swing of the immigration bill, I began thinking exactly as you have. And the other stuff which has been coming out since is only making me believe it even more.

So I hope it isn't wishful thinking either. If it isn't then we all need to get together for some drinks to celebrate. :)

[Djinn]

7. You can listen to the interview

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/audio/ep116/MAJORMICHAELMORI.mp3

[Sapphocrat]

3. OT, sort of: Howard and stem cells.

Doesn't Little Johnny's wife have some sort of chronic/terminal condition/illness? Or did I imagine this?

[Matilda]

5. Janette had breast cancer,

some time ago, before he became PM.

You can bet, if she stood to gain by it, he'd be all for stem cell
research.

[Sapphocrat]

6. Ah, that was it.

Too bad there's no conection between STR and cancer research (as far as I know).

Well, I wouldn't wish neurological disease on anyone, but I expect Johnny will have his regrets the day his life is impacted by Alzheimer's... or Parkinson's... or diabetes... or ALS... or...

And too bad that's what it takes.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. I wish it wasn't wishful thinking...

With the migration bill, while it sailed through the House of Reps, Howard discovered that his total domination of the Senate isn't as total as what he thought. It's really going to have no effect on him other than possibly showing that he does have to listen to voices within his own party and that coalition Senators can easily cross the floor...

[Matilda]

8. And now Telstra.

I'm opposed to the sale of Telstra and have been since the beginning, but if you are going to sell
it off, it's clearly not in the interests of the shareholders (us taxpayers) to sell when the
shares have dropped to an all-time low. I've been puzzling over why Howard is hell-bent on doing
it.

Ross Gittins has something to say about it in today's Herald:

"What was that about the Howard Government being a great economic manager? It has stuffed up the
sale of Telstra from the beginning and there's probably more disarray and disaffection to come."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/howards-crossed-line-on-telstra/2006/08/29/1156816898375.html


A letter-writer to the Herald yesterday had another take on it: that Howard is determined to sell
off Telstra now to make it impossible for a future Labor government to reverse the sale. Not that
I think Labor would necessarily follow that course, but the hypothesis makes a lot of sense. In
other words, pure bastardry on Howard's part.

Whatever the reason, it just looks plain bloody dumb.

[PinkUnicorn]

9. Pretty much

There's no way the vindictive little toad would let someone else have the money.

Which is why I was unsurprised when Howard stomped on the proposed sell off of the Snowy Scheme. Not because of any altruism on his part, but because most of the $$ would have gone to Labor (via the states). OF course if it had been Liberals trying to sell it off it would have been done in a second. It would also raise questions and about Trujillo and his past history of screwing companies (US West, Orange, Graviton) if there was any significant delay. Besides - its starting to get to the point where pork barrels have to be built up - and with petrol and interest rates yo need a lot of pork to keep the masses in their coma.

As for the stem cell legislation, the only reason it became a 'conscience vote' is because Jackboot would have faced an out and out revolt - a curious phenomena where liberal backbenchers appear to find their spines. It would have also put him in a difficult position with sucking up to the Family First fundy party - so by throwing it open he allows back door arm twisting, creation of phony reports and the like.

But now we have the brainless idiot Alexander Conehead once again repeating "I don't read anything, No one tells me anything, I don't do anything" with the mention of Dr Gees reports. What on Earth does this cretin do - he's meant to be the highest level of Foreign Affairs and yet by his own words he does jack?