from Crikey ….. 

We have been searching our minds to try to figure out why John Howard and Peter Costello refuse to criminalise cartels and send their perpetrators to jail. Here are 10 possible reasons for their inaction: 

Howard denying all responsibility for inflation: Rudd 

Labor leader Kevin Rudd says he is stunned that Prime Minister John Howard can say he believes inflation is unavoidable. 

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s political camp struck back on Saturday against rivals who were attacking her as overly secretive, circulating legal arguments from a Clinton ally asserting that the Clintons are not blocking the release of presidential papers about their discussions in the White House in the 1990s. 

The debate over climate change in Australia could be seen as evidence of the existence of parallel universes.  

It is as if Australia and 191 other countries, including China and India, never signed and ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, as if the new Howard Government never signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. In this universe, Australia is a leader on climate change. 

world war III; the spectre of lenin, hitler, communists, fascists….. 

What is bushit thinking? 

Today he spoke to the Heritage Foundation & attacked Democrats in Congress for being responsible for everything but hair lice. He is fighting evil - why don’t Democrats understand that? 

from Crikey  

"Me Too" gibes still not hurting Rudd 

Minister for Vocational and Further Education Andrew Robb knows a thing or two about losing unlosable elections. He was at the helm of the John Hewson Liberal Party campaign when Paul Keating came from behind for Labor's "sweetest victory of all."

White 'not interested' as Jones firms for Wallabies 

Former Australia coach Alan Jones has formally applied for the vacant Wallabies post, but South Africa's World Cup-winning boss Jake White is a non-starter. 

Candidates 'should declare sexual preference' 

Critics Turn Out To Protest Media Consolidation 

from Crikey .....

Alex Mitchell writes

Liberal federal Cabinet ministers, backbenchers and hard-heads in the Liberal Party organisation were dismayed and annoyed by the pathetic performance of Treasurer Peter Costello in yesterday's live debate with Labor’s shadow Treasurer Wayne Swan.  

Apologise to asbestos campaigner, Abbott told 

The Federal Opposition is demanding that Health Minister Tony Abbott publicly apologise for not meeting with noted asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton yesterday. 

In what world do these people live?  

True, there'll be no public executions outside Buckingham Palace when His Royal Highness rides in stately formation down The Mall. We gave up capital punishment about half a century ago. There won't even be a backhander – or will there? – which is the Saudi way of doing business.  

from four corners 

"If you think about all the planes that are available as being puppies in a litter, the Super Hornet is the runt." US aviation analyst James Stevenson. 

For more than 30 years Australia has rested its security on the seemingly ageless wings of its F-111 fighter fleet. 

Labor commits to new global warming deal 

The Federal Opposition says it is willing to commit to a new international greenhouse gas emissions target, even if big polluters like China and the United States do not sign up.