Choking on Costello
John Howard: [visibly tense, eyes swivelling] “The Liberal Party of course will need to choose a new leader. I wish that person whoever it is and I’ve indicated very clearly from my earlier remarks who I believe it should be, I believe the future of our party does lie very much with people – erm, with Peter Costello – and others who will come in behind him.”
Alexander Downer [on Costello]: “I think he’ll be a very – hrm, [cough cough] – excuse me – a very formidable leader.”
And Costello himself is choking over his pledge to not run for party leader, in his news conference as I write. Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio.
Categories: culture wars, Politics
Elections #AusPol 2019 Thread 
Media Circus: Parliament Resumes Edition 
So today I learnt a new acronym 
Hoyden About Town 
Most of the papers are saying that Rudd has at best nine years – three terms – before the electoral cycle changes again and the Coalition comes back.
I wonder who the sacrifical lamb for 2010 will be – i think it’s down to between Turnbull and Abbot – Abbot might win because of the right-wing grip on the Libs – but he’s not photogenic and a lot of people actively dislike him.
Turnbull’s problem for conservatives is his involvement in the ARM and 1999 and that he has a reputation amongst the right-wingers as a silvertail and a LINO (Liberal In Name Only).
Howard was a bit cranky during his morning walk.
Read this exclusive interview with the ex-PM John Howard
Heh. Ken L nails it at The Road To Surfdom: