The dying days of the Fourth Reich: it's the 2007 AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION

Dolly Downer said he's not interested. I reckon he'll just leave.

In fact now that the top three people in the Coalition are officially stepping down, an exodus will follow. The party needs a broom anyway.

Keating says Bishop should lead.

who cares?

Keating wrote a fantastic piece in the smh today, about Howard being a toxic force in Australia and dividing the country socially and racially. Very well worded piece. I wish I could find it now.

I mean I was never a fan of Keating, but this particular article is bang on.

Here's that article:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/21/1195321864420.html?page=fullpage

http://www.liberal.org.au/images/JH_ThankYou2.jpg

Christ! -this image from liberal.org.au. Photoshopped much? He looks even creepier than usual!!

Brilliant, thanks moley.

Jesus that's a scary picture. The website designer's probably glad to see the back of him too.

lol, that photo. Johnny has such smooth skin. He looks a little bit like a gremlin, too.

Eh, it just looks like it's been caught mid-merge with Rudd's baby smooth features (who, let's be honest, look a bit like a younger Howard anyway).

http://www.crikey.com.au/Media/images/071120-PMcossie1-4ad6d886-df96-423b-985e-a4dd99ef3d2a.jpg

Does he have falsies?

Er, possible unfortunate xpost.

What is The Rodent thanking us for? Voting him out? No worries, Johnny!

My mum was all "oh wasnt Howard's speech so dignified and statesmanlike! Rudd was all cliches"

OK she was right about Rudd, he was a bit soundbitey, but yeesh.

Howard would've had more dignity if he'd gone out 'on top' 18 months ago. Instead, his insatiable lust for power means that history will see him only as the greedy little megalomaniac that he is.

I went to the pub with a bunch of non-believers on Saturday night. I didn't write myself off too badly but I definitely have some memories of slurring 'YOU BACKED A LOSER hahahahahaha' at people. I'm sure they found it very endearing.

One of the editorials today talked about Howard destroying the Liberal party with his own inflated vanity. I thought it sounded very plausible. I think I found it on Crikey's list of editorials, can't remember which rag it was though.

RIP Matt Price. So sad to read of his passing.

Actually it was Glenn Milne in the Oz as extracted by Haitch above, probably trying to cover up his embarrasing total misprediction about Costello's new leadership on Sunday

embarrasSing

It's ironic that Howard wanted to be the next Menzies, yet he only served to destroy the party that Menzies established.

Abbott's pushing hard to be the next leader. "I have reasonably good people skills."

Here it is again:

"I have reasonably good people skills."

And again:

"I have reasonably good people skills."

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200409/r30860_76850.jpg

"I have reasonably good people skills."

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200409/r30860_76850.jpg

GUESS WHO DIED THIS MORNING.

...

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200409/r30860_76850.jpg

"I have reasonably good people skills."

Heh.

jesus. Of all the complete fuckwits in the Liberal party I would have said his 'people skills' were among the shabbiest. Talk about delusional.

I'd almost like to see Abbott get it just so he can run that party completely into the ground.

To be honest, I did think Howard's concession speech was surprisingly dignified, considering the bullshit he'd been flinging around for years beforehand. Thrilled to see that bastard lose his seat. Go Maxine!

Turnbull's probably the best bet for Liberal leadership. I used to like him when he headed the Republican movement, then stopped liking him when he sold out and went to work for Howard, the man he described as having broken the nation's heart. When I worked at the ABC in a fairly lowly role (Supertext captioner) I had access to the scripts for all of the obituaries, and that line by Turnball was set to head the Howard obit if he suddenly dropped dead in office.

rip bernie, no one should ever have to die such a horrible death for doing their fucking job.

RIP Bernie indeed :(

Hey JM, when and where were you at the ABC? Melb or Syd? I have several friends who work there is all.

Yeah I don't really want them to run the party into the ground. Even though I'm a through and through ALP supporter, I don't think it does Parliament or an incoming govt any favours to have a weak or powerless opposition. Policy initiatives benefit from being tested and examined in Parliament. I also think Turnbull would be the best of the choices they have... but if he leads now, the likelihood is he won't lead to the next election since they're likely to be out for two terms. I think it would be better to have an 'interim' leader and groom him a bit more, he's pretty inexperienced as MPs go.

I was at the Adelaide ABC for a few years until early '05.

i would like to see ILX's abbott assume the party leadership.

Y U hurt his haert?

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/11/26/Peter_Costello_wideweb__470x305,0.jpg

oh ned, he doesn't have one.

Oh okay then.

his sense of entitlement is aching.

And he worked so hard for your money. Um, for you.

he's only just realised he's run out of toys to toss out of his pram

There needs to be a formidable opposition to keep the leader in line. Rudd will fuck up and someone will need to point it out. I'm all for the Liberals reforming (with a small L agenda, obv) and being a force in Aus politics.

I think he's aged about 15 years since Saturday night.

xpost

i think i can see where all the fat missing from howard and vaile's thin baggy lips has ended up, mystery solved.

Costello looks like he had a failed botox job there.

Is Costello the one all up in the Hillsong hood?

ja

He never seemed the type to drag his religious values kicking and screaming into politics though.

i have detested abbott and costello ever since they took that sanctimonious court action against bob ellis for besmirching the chastity of one of their wives, it was truly pathetic.

lol, getting sued by abbott and costello

You know what I think's fucking pathetic? People using Bernie Banton's death to make a point about how crap Tony Abbott is.

Yesterday Abbott claimed to have "reasonably good people skills," and today the dying man he sledged in October is dead. I think that's relevant.