A Few More Thoughts on John Howard

Jazz shared his thoughts on the defeat of Australia's John Howard yesterday and I left it up to Aussie blogger Big Gav to explain what it all meant. There are several more reactions today.

• Steve Clemons thinks it...

  ...may signal a major shift ahead in America's political order.

• Jonathan Schwarz reminds us that Howard had one thing in common with George W. Bush, he was a pathological liar when it came to Iraq from the very beginning.


• John Cole makes the following observation:

  Is Greater Wingnuttia that upset about Howard losing simply because of his occasional rhetorical support of Bush? It certainly is not because of Australia’s (and again, not to demean their help) contribution to the force make-up. Is this what the Bush dead-enders are left with- clinging to the rhetoric of a foreign leader? I realize, I think the Republican party and right-wing are such losers and so wrong on many issues I left the party and joined a party I don’t feel wholly comfortable with, but are they really THIS pathetic that all they have left are Bush, Cheney, and Australia’s Howard to worship, and now just Bush and Cheney? Is that really it?
  
  How the mighty have fallen.

• And Steve Soto wonders why the Democratic candidates aren't paying more attention to the agenda that put the Australian Labor Party back into power.

  After eleven years of espousing opposition to Kyoto, support for tax cuts to solve every problem, and lockstep support for George W. Bush's foreign policy, Australia's John Howard led his wrongly-named Liberal Party to a crashing defeat this morning. The opposition Labor Party is expected to now have a clear majority in parliament after running on an agenda calling for Australia to fully support Kyoto and making Australia a leader to stop global warming; getting out of Iraq; and ensuring that the government serves all Australians, not just the wealthy and privileged.
  
  In other words, Kevin Rudd used the Democratic agenda here in the United States to destroy the conservatives in Australia. Are Hillary, Obama and the rest of our candidates paying attention?