By Peter Nicholson

Australia’s Labor leader Kevin Rudd, a Mandarin speaking former diplomat, swept into power at national elections on Saturday on a wave of support for generational change, ending 11 years of conservative rule…

Rudd, 50, presented himself as a new generation leader by promising to pull Australian combat troops out of Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, further isolating Washington on both issues…

The surge to Labor left conservative Prime Minister John Howard struggling to win even his own parliamentary seat, which he has held since 1974, putting him in danger of becoming the first prime minister since 1929 to lose his constituency…

Rudd is expected to forge closer ties with China and other Asian nations and has said he wants a more independent voice in foreign policy, but on Saturday again promised Australia would retain its close alliance with the United States.

Presuming the United States eventually makes it into the 21st Century.



  1. Phillep says:

    Well, the news media wins another one.

    What’s so great about the 21st century if it means the crooks in charge of the UN can loot the advanced countries? That’s what Kyoto is all about, putting money in the Swiss bank accounts of the crooks.

  2. Mister Mustard says:

    >>That’s what Kyoto is all about, putting
    >>money in the Swiss bank accounts of the
    >>crooks.

    Fuckin’ A! That’s downright un-American! We should be putting money in the American bank accounts of Heart Attack Cheney and his cronies. They’re even worse crooks than the “crooks”, but at least they’re ‘Murricans.

    Yee haw! Squeal like a pig, everybody!

  3. moss says:

    It is droll to see a neocon nutball whining about Swiss bank accounts. Since the Swiss lowered their standards enough to cooperate with the US guv – most of the oil thugs stopped putting their spare drachmas there a decade or so ago.

    But, then, you wouldn’t expect a Bush war-lover to know anymore about commerce than politics.

    Cripes – since Howard couldn’t even get re-elected in his own backyard, maybe Bush will make him attendant in charge of crayolas at his presidential library?

  4. Gasbag says:

    Time to put up the under new management sign again

  5. ArianeB says:

    Among World leaders, John Howard was Bush’s biggest fanboy, and I am sure that is a major factor in his defeat. Expect Australia to pull any Iraq troops they have left, just like Poland is doing since they elected a new PM.

    America stands alone in Iraq.

  6. bill says:

    You ain’t seen nothing yet, wait till the US Election.
    If you can wait THAT LONG!!
    This should get very interesting!

  7. Greg Allen says:

    How many world leaders have had their careers (and/or reputations) ruined by hitching their wagons to George Bush bungling train wreck of an administration?

    Just off the top of my head, I think I can count:

    José María Aznar, of Spain;
    Silvio Berlusconi of Italy;
    Tony Blair of GB;
    John Howard of Australia;
    and it seem like Nicolas Sarkozy of France may get his butt kicked back to Budapest (or wherevertheheck he considers home).

    Politically, Bush is like a huge dose of anthrax.

    Good riddance GOP. You’re next. Don’t like the door hit you in your butts on the way out.

  8. MikeN says:

    Sarkozy and Merkel got elected because their predecessors hitched aboard the anti-Bush bandwagon. By the way that French trial for Rumsfeld you were so giddy about a few weeks ago, it’s dissolved.

  9. MikeN says:

    Australia has already signed the Kyoto Treaty, just like the US.

  10. wombat says:

    The Ozzies have woken up and are now in the process of taking their bat and getting the hell out of Iraq. Will the last ones out turn off the lights so that the poor blighters can get some rest. Please keep your politicians out of Australia or else we will have to fine you for illegal dumping of rubbish

  11. Greg Allen says:

    MikeN said,

    >> Sarkozy and Merkel got elected because their predecessors hitched aboard the anti-Bush bandwagon.

    They got elected because their countries didn’t get mired down in the Iraq war? Ha! That’s spin worthy of O’Reilly!

    By the way that French trial for Rumsfeld you were so giddy about a few weeks ago, it’s dissolved.

    Who was giddy? I think I heard it reported once or twice (max) on progressive radio and almost nowhere in the MSN.

    Still, I think it’s about time that Rumsfeld and those other US con scoundrels respect the law — even if it isn’t our own. BTW, I take no satisfaction — at all — that the leaders of my beloved America are accused war criminals.

    I’ll take your word that the French lawsuit is settled but — as far as I know — there are still criminal lawsuits working their way through Italy http://tinyurl.com/2qgxh8 and Germany http://tinyurl.com/37zjca .

  12. Phillep says:

    I bet the people here calling people “neocon” cannot agree on what the word means, other than “someone I disagree with and want to insult”. It’s just more childishness, like saying “You meany” or “fascist”.

    So the Swiss banks have bent over for the US fedgov? So what? Are the 3rd world dictators paying US income tax or something so they should care what the US government can discover?


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