Tuesday 11 September 2007

He said, she said (4)

He said:
'"I don't feel tired."
He said the public was not angry with him like they had been with former prime minister Paul Keating in 1996.
"I think they are wanting a different song from us. I think they're wanting us to talk more about the future," Mr Howard said.' [John Howard in www.news.com.au,"PM says family told him to go on",10 September 2007].

She said:
Mr. Howard may not feel tired or think that the public is not angry with him, however the Internet and print media tell a different story.
In the Clarence Valley many residents appear to be angry with him for other reasons besides his attempt to steal fresh water resources.
Local letters to the editor still take him to task over the never-ever GST, SIEV-X, Children Overboard, lack of ministerial responsibility, Truth Overboard, cost-shifting to the States, Saddam's supposed WMDs, the war in Iraq, AWB bribery scandal, new sedition laws, loss of civil liberties, Work Choices, rising interest rates, NT intervention with suspension of native title applications and that land grab, weakened quarantine regulations, unequal free trade agreements, inaction on climate change, nuclear power proposals, APEC security overkill, as well as overspending on both Federal Government advertising and his own prime ministerial lifestyle.
But most of all - many of the letters allude to the Howard Government's reputation for telling lies. Big lies and little lies, lies to Parliament and lies in the media, lies to escape scrutiny or lies to avoid scandal and, lies to win an election.
A significant number of the Howard jokes doing the rounds in the Valley have a hook referring to his demise or imminent demise. Indeed, one rumour circulates that some are putting a naked flame to his photo in the hope he comes down with a high fever, while others are freezing his image in the ice cube tray hoping that he will catch a bad chill.
I have never heard of this with any other Australian Prime Minister. Nor have I heard of a prime minister with so many derogatory nicknames - Prime Minature, Slime Minister, King Rat, Ratty, Bush's A**ehole, Bonsai Howard, Mein Herr, Jackboot Johnny - the list goes on.
Angry, Mr. Howard? I rather think that maybe more than one or two people are.

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