G'day. Dr Russell Darroch in Canberra is steamed up about the Howard regime's response to the unprecedented plea for truth in war and politics by 43 of Australia's most senior retired defence chiefs and diplomats (the text and signatories are at Webdiary):

'The behaviour today from Howard and co proves how out of touch and morally bankrupt they are as a group and as a government. How dare they, any of them, be so dismissive and disrespectful of senior Australians who have given so much for OUR country on the behalf of ALL Australians. How dare they not at least engage in the basics of common courtesy to which all 43 of these people are fully entitled, never mind treating their public statement of serious democratic issues with proper respect for honest discourse in a democratic society.

'In line with Margo