"POLITICS"

[2020hindsight]

You hear the fed politicians complaining about the odd Friday they have to work. I mean , today you'd think you'd asked them to work a month of Sundays for chrissake. Here is a list of sitting days for 2008 .

 

[noirua]

Ralph Nader has announced he will run at the 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections. He ran in 2000 and 2004, "Nader announces run for president": http://news.aol.co.uk/nader-announces-run-for-president/article/20080224111009990001
"Ralph Nader enters Presidential race": http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/24/nader.politics/index.html

 

[noirua]

Barack Obama has just been reported to have won Vermont - Democrats. Obama 53% Clinton 45%.
McCain wins Vermont - Republicans. McCain 72% Huckabee 15% Paul 3%.

 

[noirua]

McCain predicted to win Ohio. Democrats remain too close to call.

 

[noirua]

Exit polls predict that Hillary Clinton will win Texas very narrowly - Clinton doing better than expected on high turnout.
Exit polls prediction too close to call. Voting considered very tight indeed as Clinton may have made a late run. Early results show Clinton 56% Obama 42% but only 4% of votes counted.

 

[noirua]

Prediction that Hillary Clinton will win Rhode Island.
Prediction that Hillary Clinton will win Ohio - all polls now closed.
Prediction that Hillary Clinton may have made a late run and will take Texas very narrowly - some polling stations have stayed open later.

 

[noirua]

Latest prediction is that Hillary Clinton may have pulled well ahead in Ohio and will win Texas by a narrow margin.

Clinton seen to have won a debate over Canada and Mexico. 15 polls extended in Ohio due to shortage of ballot papers.

Reports that large numbers of Republicans have chosen to vote on the Democratic side for Hillary Clinton. This seems certain to have swung the vote in Clinton's favour.

 

[noirua]

Exit polls now predict that Hillary Clinton has narrowly won Texas. Ohio, 10% of vote counted Clinton 60% Obama 38%, Clinton now projected to win Ohio.
Hillary Clinton predicted to win Rhode Island. 18% of vote counted Clinton 53% Obama 46%.

Mike Huckabee bows out of the Republican race. McCain has now won enough delegates to be nominated the Republican candidate.

 

[numbercruncher]

I see Johnny Howard just received the Irving Kristol award in the US ( the award is named after the father of neoconservatism)

 

[2020hindsight]

You hear the fed politicians complaining about the odd Friday they have to work. I mean , today you'd think you'd asked them to work a month of Sundays for chrissake. Here is a list of sitting days for 2008 .

All this - over having to work 14 Fridays (ok - 13 more Fridays) in a year.
o boy - are these pollies allergic to work or what.
(refer back to post #81)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/07/2183865.htm?section=justin

Govt scrapping of Friday sittings humiliating: Opposition
Posted 1 hour 23 minutes ago

The Federal Opposition says the Government has made a humiliating backdown by scrapping Friday sittings of Parliament after just one day.

The Government made the announcement earlier today, blaming the Coalition's bad behaviour on the only Friday that there has been Parliament this year.

The Opposition complained there was no Question Time and brought in a cardboard cut-out of Kevin Rudd to protest against the Prime Minister's absence.

Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne says the behaviour of Opposition MPs is not the reason the Government has done away with Friday sittings.

"Labor is cancelling Friday sittings because they were unconstitutional under section 39 of the constitution," he said.

"They've suspended quorum requirements on a Friday and there's no parliamentary privilege attaching.

"They're in breach of the constitution and they've made a complete hash of it because of their inexperience and their arrogance and bombast."

The manager of Government business in the house, Anthony Albanese, insists the Friday sittings are not unconstitutional.

"There are no questions over that except in the fantasies of some members of the Opposition," he said.

"These questions were raised of the Speaker of the Parliament and he gave an answer to the Parliament.

"We received advice from the Australian Government solicitor prior to these standing orders being changed."

Instead, he blames the coalition's behaviour.

"A disgraceful performance from an Opposition searching for relevance," he said.

The manager of Opposition business in the house, Joe Hockey, has defended the Coalition's behaviour during the only Friday sitting.

"We make no apologies whatsoever for demanding proper accountability from this Government and now we've seen 14 days of Parliament abolished with the flick of a pen by the Rudd Government," he said.

Of course there was no decrease in the accountability.
of course they're not in breach of the constitution.
what a load of bs lol.
they just don't like work !

 

[2020hindsight]

gee - how precarious is stability in Malaysia (or is it just manipulion maybe?) - they get a swing in the election, and the Govt want to send fear messages through the people.

Looks like Anwar Ibrahim might get back into politics at least (when he's eventually allowed to stand) in a by-election - a seat his wife might have been keeping warm for him by the looks.

Police ... banned victory processions after the results

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/09/2184264.htm

Malaysia's ruling coalition suffers upset
By South East Asia Correspondent Karen Percy and wire

Posted 2 hours 0 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 46 minutes ago
Malaysia's ruling party is facing its biggest electoral debacle after the opposition claimed wins in five of 13 states in yesterday's poll, putting the Prime Minister's political future at risk.

The multi-racial National Front coalition did get at least a simple majority in parliament, the elections commission announced, and will form the government at the federal level. But the two-thirds majority in parliament it has held for most of its five-decade-long rule was in doubt.

Analysts say the results reveal the biggest threat yet to the government after almost five decades of virtual one-party rule.

The opposition parties worked closely together in this election under the guidance of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, despite the fact that he is banned from politics.

His eldest daughter Nurul Izza Anwar ousted a sitting minister in an inner-city seat in the capital, while his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail maintained her seat in Penang.

There is speculation that Mrs Azizah will step down in the coming months to allow her husband to run in a by-election.

The leftist Chinese-backed Democratic Action Party (DAP) won Penang, a manufacturing hub that is home to many multinational firms.

The opposition Islamist party PAS claimed shock victories in the northern heartland states of Kedah and Perak, and crushed the ruling coalition in the northeastern state of Kelantan, a PAS stronghold. The opposition was also gaining in Selangor state surrounding Kuala Lumpur, the state news agency Bernama said.

The poll, called before it was due in May 2009, was widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's rule, and Malaysians took the opportunity to administer a stinging rebuke over price rises, religious disputes and concerns over corruption.

"Tomorrow we will start building a brighter future," opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters. "This is a new dawn for Malaysia."

The shock defeat in Penang stirred memories of the last time the ruling coalition failed to win a two-thirds majority, in 1969, when deadly race riots erupted between majority ethnic Malays and minority Chinese.

"This is the biggest defeat ever since our (party's) founding 40 years ago," Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon said. "I feel sad and surprised. I urge all National Front members to stay calm and not to take any action that could jeopardise peace and security in the state."

Police officials vowed to use tough internal security laws against anyone spreading rumours and banned victory processions after the results. A victory procession triggered the 1969 violence.

 

[Aussiejeff]

I see Johnny Howard just received the Irving Kristol award in the US ( the award is named after the father of neoconservatism)

Apparently, he is applying to have his name changed to Lil Johhny Hayseed, to better reflect his real allegiances.... I could be wrong, but didn't he just buy the "OK Ranch" next to his best buddy?


LOL



AJ

 

[2020hindsight]

Lol
I like the fact Johnny said he wouldn't be one of those exPMs who continued to give his opinion.
then again the memoirs are due for release in a month or three apparently.

Also notice how he was singing the praises of Iraq invasion (or rather the continuation)

when Andrew Robb said a few weeks back that he was going the same way as Rudd is now going (not that either are fully withdrawing).
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23269185-662,00.html

Howard was planning Iraq pull-out
Gerard McManus, February 25, 2008 12:00am
THE Howard government also intended to pull troops out of Iraq this year, it was claimed by the Liberals yesterday.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb said former prime minister John Howard had planned a withdrawal and had spoken to the US about it.

"We had already started discussions with the Americans on that front," Mr Robb said.

Throughout last year Mr Howard frequently said Australia's troops would stay in Iraq until the job was done.

He regularly warned that Labor's plan to "cut and run" would encourage terrorists.

The Coalition's move to fall into line with Labor's Iraq withdrawal came as the Federal Government confirmed more Australian Federal Police members would go to Afghanistan to train police.

The Rudd Government has said Australian troops will be pulled out of Iraq at the end of this six-month rotation -- about the middle of the year.

Last night Mr Robb released a transcript of an interview on October 21 to prove that Mr Howard had been clear in his intention to also withdraw from Iraq.

"When the rotation ends in about the middle of next year, I believe that (our) force will undertake an even greater training role to bring the Iraqi forces up to a situation where they can look after themselves," Mr Howard was quoted as saying.

"I can indicate that in two days' time, on the 23rd of October, our force commanders in Iraq will commence discussions with our coalition partners about the evolving role for those forces."

On Saturday Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith met US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to discuss Iraq.

Mr Smith said he concluded from the meetings that the US now "genuinely accepted" Labor's election promise.

"It's effectively taken as read," Mr Smith told Channel 9's Sunday program.

Mr Smith said the number of AFP officers would be significantly increased in Afghanistan from the current contingent of four.

He also said the Government was considering joining a limited US missile defence system to protect Australian troops in the field.

 

[2020hindsight]

....

 

[2020hindsight]

..... gotta feeling the early presidents wouldn't have thought too highly of the Bushes - or some of the recent trends in US politics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzHdPZ4pq4M

 

[noirua]

Post #95: They seemed to be proper Presidents in those days. Now they pretend to be one thing to get elected and then it's business as usual.
I liked to be Prime Minister, though, I would not make any speeches, just post dictatorial democratic decisions on ASF.

 

[nioka]

Read this today.
Political packaging:
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton's great, great uncle,Remus Rodham was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is the inscription, Remus Rodham, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana flyer six times, caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.
Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary's staff of professional image adjusters sent back the following biographical sketch.
Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include aquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883 he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887 he was a key player in a vital investigation by the renouned Pinkerton detective agency.
In 1889 Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when a platform upon which he was standing collapsed.

 

[noirua]

Taiwan's Presidential Election is this weekend and is probably a lot more important than the publicity that has been given: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=691044354&play=1

 

[2020hindsight]

Read this today.
Political packaging:
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton's great, great uncle,Remus Rodham was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is the inscription, Remus Rodham, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana flyer six times, caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.
Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary's staff of professional image adjusters sent back the following biographical sketch.
Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include aquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883 he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887 he was a key player in a vital investigation by the renouned Pinkerton detective agency.
In 1889 Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when a platform upon which he was standing collapsed.

noi
that has to be a joke , right? lol
(you don't give a link for starters )

 

[noirua]

Read this today.
Political packaging:
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton's great, great uncle,Remus Rodham was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is the inscription, Remus Rodham, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana flyer six times, caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.
Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary's staff of professional image adjusters sent back the following biographical sketch.
Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include aquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883 he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887 he was a key player in a vital investigation by the renouned Pinkerton detective agency.
In 1889 Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when a platform upon which he was standing collapsed.

You're right nioka, I saw some of this on TV and it is surprising how they get away with it sometimes. I do remember some relatives, before we all wanted a really bad convict in our genealogy, failing to mention a relative sent to Tasmania in 1854 for fire raising.
America is still a young country and should grow up a bit more, like Australia.