That's our John Howard: the hobgoblin who sits on your shoulder and whispers nasty things about other people. Like the hideous and intimidating beasts residing atop cathedrals, Howard inspires fear and intolerance in the electorate. And Bill Heffernan is his gunsel. Whenever a member of the opposition needs to be insulted or his or her character slandered, the Hobgoblin sends out his Big Bad Stand-over man to do the whacking.
Listen to Heffernan's apology to Julia Gillard for calling her unfit to govern because she has chosen to be deliberately barren (starts roughly 2:42 minutes in) and note the tone of voice in his last line, "So, there you go." It speaks volumes of cold-bludded thuggery:
We all noticed the shift in the Hobgoblin's reaction as the day progressed. At first he thought the Gunsel could get away with it. Kevin Rudd stepped in to remind Australians of the duo's utter lack of character:
…when first quizzed on the comments yesterday, Mr Howard refused to say whether Senator Heffernan should apologise to Ms Gillard. Later in the day Mr Howard was much more strident. "I don't approve of those sort of remarks and I've made that very clear," Mr Howard said in Tasmania.
Today, Mr Rudd said the change in attitude marked Mr Howard poorly. "I think the challenge lies with Mr Howard to do the right thing here," Mr Rudd told ABC Radio. "Mr Howard has the habit, in the past, of when these comments are made by various people on his frontbench or his backbench, just to say: 'Well, that's them, they've got their right to express their point of view, don't let it come crashing across my shores'.
"But I noticed yesterday, when he was first put this proposition about Bill Heffernan, there wasn't much action then. "It was only when people across the country reacted with one voice and said: 'This is unacceptable'.
"I actually see this as much more of a referendum on Mr Howard's character and how he handles these sorts of questions."
The Code of Ethical Turpitude under which the Howard Government operates only allows for ministers to be sacked if in doing so the Coalition can wedge Labor. Witness the risible sacrifice of the hapless Ian Campbell because he shared a glass of mineral water with Brian Burke. Campbell was executed in the transparent attempt to make Kevin Rudd look really awful.
But never, ever would the Minister for Misogyny, Bill Heffernan, be sacked. After all, he represents the lowest ideals of the party that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, the party that wouldn't know democracy from a bucket of shit, the party of Masters and its electorate of Servants.
Nothing less than an almost total rout of the John Howard Party at the election can hope to undo the damage done to Australia's reputation as a democracy. I say, "almost total rout" because there are still a handful of genuine Liberals languishing on the backbenches.
-- Tommy Pendejo
Listening to the update on the TV last night, I formed the unbecoming view that this had been done on purpose. They'd been going hammer and tongs on Rudd without any identifiable effect on the polls. You know, those polls that Howard doesn't pay any attention to. So, let's test the electorate's view of the deputy, eh?
There will be a proportion of the electorate who would agree with 'Senator' Heffernan. Howard and his party of immoral thugs would want to know that proportion. So Howard sends Heffernan out with a test message. He has form, it's only a repeat of an earlier statement, no-one would know the difference.
There's no depth to which Howard won't stoop. You know it makes sense.
Posted by phil on May 3, 2007
Kevin rudd caught lying
http://www.kevinruddsucks.com/viewforum.php?f=1
Posted by frank on May 3, 2007
Phil, I too have no doubt that Hobgoblin John instructed Gunsel Bill to go forth and vilify. Nothing this government does or says is by chance. Too bad the gits who listen and nod their empty heads are too stupid to read or understand the Holy Bible of such chicanery, Machiavelli's The Prince. Though old Nicolo might be turning in his grave at the extent to which Howard has replaced the concept of Princeliness with that of a used car salesman.
Frank, thanks for the link. beaut layout. There used to be a John Howard Lies.com, but someone (guess who?) took it down. However, bits of it are preserved by Pandora Archives. You can rest assured that KevinSucks will suffer no such treatment. This is a democracy, after all. just ask Little Johnny.
Posted by Tomás El ("Pinche") Pendejo on May 4, 2007