Sense from Ralston

Bill Ralston fires at multiple targets, and hard to disagree with him too much:

Ok, you can argue, like Obama, Key is not part of the political establishment but anyone more politically experienced would know you get your staff to run quietly around the gallery comparing you to Obama and then, hopefully, some hack short of a line or two for their column will make the comparison for you.

By doing it yourself you merely look vain and immediately open yourself to ridicule and sneering from Clark and Cullen and, believe me, no-one can curl their upper lip and mock like those two. Which they duly did, in a schoolyard “nah, nah, nan, nah, nah” fashion.

Indeed they did, and Key took the ribbing in good humour in the House today.

There was a big backfire with Clark’s attempted counter-attack on Key’s refusal to work with Winston Peters, Clark first saying he must have been tipped-off about the Serious Fraud Office Inquiry by the SFO then, when the SFO strongly denied it, she said it must be the Police or the Crown Law Office who told him.

So much for her sad attempt to undercut John Key’s long awaited sudden growth of a political spine. He didn’t need a tip-off. I suspect he simply came to the conclusion most of us have already – Winston Peters is completely untrustworthy and a liability to any cabinet he serves in. Three Prime Ministers now have come to that same conclusion (even if Helen had that conclusion forced upon her).

Exactly. The Owen Glenn affair was proof enough.

The Prime Minister just looks desperate, she is guessing (wildly and I believe wrongly), she has just slandered her own public service and she has implied that she is facing some kind of internal revolt by her own top public servants. For someone who has always appeared so in control, so well grounded in maintaining constitutional proprieties, sternly retaining discipline over those who serve her government, Helen Clark has now given us the impression that she is weak, beset by traitors and reactionary forces plotting to bring her down.

Slandered her own public service. Indeed.

By the way, is it only me or are you too immensely amused by Labour aligned commentators and politicians trying to play their violins for Winston Peters?

I know several blogs have been sniggering at poor old Chris Trotter’s convulsions as he tries to extract some sympathy for the NZ First Leader, accusing the media of “pack raping” Winston. Aside from the ghastly imagery involved in that metaphor, dear old Chris seems to have forgotten Winston spent the last 25 years building his career on getting the media to “pack rape” other individuals and institutions he had targeted with the odd leaked document and claims of impropriety.

Those who live by the allegation, die by the allegation.

Touche.