Jim vs Mike
Like an ageing Rocky, Jim Anderton has jumped into the fray to defend Helen against Mike Moore. Anderton, who obviously still has unresolved issues from the 80s, exhaled:
“One reason Labour failed so badly in the Moore era was that they were poll-driven fruitcakes who believed coups were some sort of management plan for a political party. Now he wants to start another coup.”
Mr Anderton said all Mr Moore every wanted was the limelight and he was a bitter failure.
Yes Helen of course is famous for taking no interest in the polls. And Helen has never been involved in coups, except the last two. What Anderton is actually referring to is the Lange/Rowling coup – he still isn’t over it 25 years later.
Moore responds with:
He said Mr Anderton was the failure and cited his own achievements including heading the World Trade Organisation, getting closer economic relations with Australia and exporting education.
Mr Anderton was creating a diversion; “as for failing how many seats has he got in Parliament? I took us within a couple of seats of Government once.”
He wrote a book that went to three editions; “when was the last time Jim Anderton had an idea that wasn’t forgotten in 1950?… there is one thing I do envy him and that’s his hair.”
Mr Moore said he was a more staunch supporter of Labour than Mr Anderton every was and had always voted for the party.
Meanwhile in a break from the fun, Audrey Young looks at why Moore spoke out after so many years of diplomatic silence. One theory is:
It is possible he was sickened by the recent Labour attacks on John Key – and Clark’s “plausible denability” over them.
Indeed. Or:
Moore’s breach of his own rigidly enforced discipline is not a joke gone wrong. It is part of a longer-term game.
It makes the Opposition’s criticism of Clark more credible and it makes internal criticism of Clark a little easier to raise – when Goff’s time comes.
So Moore spoke out either because (a) he was genuinely disgusted with Clark’s behaviour, or because (b) he is trying to help Phil Goff roll Clark. My God, what a choice.
I choose (c) – both of the above!
August 29th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Doesn’t Anderton wear a toupee?
August 29th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
moore was furiously backpedalling on national radio this aft..
it was all a joke’..ha-ha..!
he’s the feckin’ joke..
he is almost a les patterson-lite..
phil(whoar.co.nz
August 29th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
It is mainly B. The coup is underway.
August 29th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Hobson’s choice.
August 29th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Oh dear oh dear, you know you’re in the shit when Anderton (why does my spell-checker suggest “undertow”) comes to your rescue. Got your Gold Card Jim, there is 2% off zimmer frames, you geriatric waste of space?
August 29th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
What pdq said.
Jolly Jim to the rescue, the filthy rich socialist defends highly paid dear leader while the workers loose their jobs as business goes off shore at the same time as mortgage rates rise.. Good one Jim, got ya priorities right as usual….
August 29th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
G’nite ‘elen, ‘nite Jim boy…
Mornin’ JOHN BOY!
August 29th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Are there people out there that take notice of what Jim Anderton says? – Bizzarre.
Moore is obviously firmly still and the right wing labour camp though judging by his comments. Disappointing given that he’s about the only one round with half a brain.
August 30th, 2007 at 12:10 am
Jim Anderton (undertow) sticks in my mind as the man throwing insults & laughing at Dr Brash during a ‘05 leadership debate. He really annoyed me because he obviously wasn’t there to promote his lame party or a particular view but to add another voice to back up Helen.
What has Jim Undertow achieved over his long, undistinguished political career.
Now.. as for the Goff coup. I really hope it doesn’t happen because Goff has the potential to revitalise his party…. & people will take another look @ Labour. So that can’t be good for National. I’d rather see Helen annihilated at the polls.
August 30th, 2007 at 12:21 am
moore was furiously backpedalling on national radio this aft..
Was he, Phil? I was more entranced by the sound of Chris Trotter getting very sceptic indeed at having his ‘courageous corruption’ line read back to him by Moore; followed by the suggestion that an apologist for electoral corruption has nothing to teach him about anything.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:16 am
so..anderton vs moore vs trotter..
three old past-their-use-by-date pollies..all of them ‘yesterdays’ men’…have ineffectual gummy-bites at each other..
who really gives a fuck..?
phil(whoar.co.nz
August 30th, 2007 at 7:21 am
He was not setting about to help Helen Clark – who has never polled more than 40% for Labour. She is there because of some crafty deals she has done with minor parties. This is something she is very good at having negotiated her way through the many white water rapids that are in the Labour Party.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:30 am
What seems curious to me is that thoughtful commentators, such as Michael Bassett, warned of this in his piece “Robert Muldoon is Back” some weeks ago.
It’s interesting that the media never picked up on that. Perhaps they believe the nonsense in Hagers book about him being a constant advisor for National.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Jesus, Phil, what were you listening to? Trotersky was on the verge of blubbing.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Moore on Anderton today:
“when was the last time Jim Anderton had an idea that wasn’t forgotten in 1950? … there is one thing I do envy him and that’s his hair.”
And:
‘He had “teased” other political leaders in the article as well, Mr Moore said, but he forgot about Mr Anderton because “I thought he was dead”.’
Ouch!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10460641
August 30th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
“Poll driven fruitcakes”? Anderton’s so bereft of original thought he has to recycle a Lange line as if it’s his own. Says it all, really.