That was yesterday.

Today, Putin seeks to regain the influence Russia lost in previous years. He is skilfully playing the anti-America card across Europe while putting pressure on the Baltic states, a clear warning not to extend Nato any further.

In Ukraine, political forces resisting closer strategic links to the west have gained ground. And the Kremlin is aggressively portraying the planned establishment of a modest US missile defence installation in Poland and the Czech Republic as a threat to Russia's vital security interests.

‘The increasingly tyrannical Bush regime, when not arresting whistleblowers for warning citizens of their government's latest unconstitutional spying scheme, once again moved the 'surge' success metric goalpost.

‘The Howard Government repeatedly defended its anti-terror laws during the 25 days it detained Mohamed Haneef.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, for example, said: "The system is working as intended." In fact, key parts of the law did not operate as intended and, to the extent that they did, this only strengthens the case for reform.

‘Army personnel featured in a wild video in which one soldier appears dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit were only letting of a "bit of steam'', Prime Minister John Howard says.

The video, posted on the YouTube website, features soldiers at Darwin's Robertson Barracks taking part in drinking games and stunts, with one dressed in a KKK outfit.

Mr Howard today urged the public not to over-react.

"I have some understanding of the disposition of people in these situations to let off a bit of steam,'' he said.

Rattus says the states are putting upward pressure on interest rates by going into debt.

Rattus was speaking ahead of a decision on interest rates by the Reserve Bank of Australia next week, which analysts suggest could lead to a rate rise of one quarter of one per cent.

"At the present time, the federal government is not putting any upward pressure on interest rates because we don't run any deficits. We in fact, have a huge budget surplus, or a big budget surplus," he told reporters.

Having destroyed Iraq to save us from horrors that did not exist, bushit now wants to save us from Iran's future nukes by selling American weapons of mass destruction.

Over the next decade, the bushit crime family wants to give Israel $30 billion in military aid, a nearly 43 percent increase over what that nation received over the last 10 years …..

Iemma 'wouldn't trust' Govt hospital takeovers.…..

from the ABC

New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma says he would not trust any Federal Government offer to take over hospitals in his state.

Mr Iemma says there has been no progress on a proposal earlier this year by Health Minister Tony Abbott for a federal takeover of hospitals.

‘Two years ago, in an article entitled “It Can’t Happen Here,” Congressman Ron Paul cautioned, “We are not yet living in a total police state, but it is fast approaching.”

A lot can happen in two years.

In fact, a lot has happened over the past two years, most of it aimed at amassing greater power for the government while undermining the rights of American citizens. And I would venture to say that Rep. Paul’s fears may have come to pass.

govt's IR ad blitz backfiring …..

‘The Howard government's latest advertising blitz is reportedly reinforcing fears surrounding its Work Choices reforms rather than dispelling them.

A research firm has surveyed worker reactions to the series of ads that feature Workplace Authority director Barbara Bennett.

It found the images of workers talking about losing holiday entitlements and penalty rates, and fears surrounding job security and conditions for young workers, was having an unintended effect.

from Alan Ramsey …..

‘Be careful of your friends.

And watch out if you see Kevin Andrews coming.

John Howard's Australia four months before an election is an absurdly melancholy place to be.

To watch Howard take his bottomless bucket of money to Tasmania this week is to know how absurd. To read the transcripts of 13 radio and TV interviews the hapless Andrews gave on Tuesday and Wednesday is to know the Immigration Minister is only doing his Prime Minister's bidding, however clumsily he is doing it.

’The entire world was shocked beyond belief when the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon building were struck on 9/11 by US planes hijacked by Arab young men. There was sympathy for the victims and justifiable anger in America.

from Crikey

Winning in marginals: any pork in a storm

Christian Kerr, Lauren Parle & Jane Nethercote write:

“I can feel a dam coming on,” the legendary Bert Kelly used to say. But why stop at a dam?

Dow Jones & Co said on Thursday it did not know that one of the people named to protect its editorial independence after it becomes part of News Corp runs a foundation that received a donation pledge of $2.5 million (1.2 million pounds) from News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch's global media conglomerate selected Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nicholas Negroponte to be part of the five-member special committee that will oversee the editorial independence of Dow Jones's news operations including the Wall Street Journal.

Gordon Brown told George Bush this week that Britain has a "shared destiny" with the United States" founded on "shared values". Even as Brown spoke, the consequences of those "shared values" in Iraq were spelt out in horrific detail by a report from Oxfam and over 100 other NGOs.