Labour is rooted...

[Finn]

A rare skill to say so much in one sentance. So different from Finn whos says so little in so few words.

Skyryder

That not true.

[onearmedbandit]

Didn't Wayne say that up until yesterday(?) it wasn't comfirmed to him who he was working for?

[Finn]

More spin from the He Bitch.

After calling Don Brash "corrosive and cancerous" Helen Clark then tried to claim this was not a personal attack because she did not mean Don personally, but the "Don Brash brand".

She has obviously been spending too much time with Alistair Campbell.

This did not impress The Press, their editorial quoted below:

The personalised attack by the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, on the Leader of the Opposition, Don Brash, is something quite extraordinary in New Zealand politics.

For a serving Prime Minister to attack her chief political adversary as a "corrosive and cancerous" person and as "not fit to be a leader in New Zealand" is probably unprecedented. Not even in the rancid days of Robert Muldoon was such bitter, venomous language used by a politician in public discourse. That it should be possible to make a comparison with Muldoon – a model in personalised politics no-one should wish to follow – shows how lamentable the Prime Minister's attack is. Despite Clark's promises to raise the tone after the descent into the gutter in the last couple of weeks, she has regrettably only succeeded in lowering it.

Caucus, and ultimately, voters to decide. By wading in with her two-cents worth, Clark clearly hopes to divert attention from herself and her own party's misdeeds.

In the end, it all comes back to Labour's profound discomfiture over its election mis-spending. In addition to assailing Brash, Clark this week again launched into the Auditor-General, Kevin Brady. More lies. It is very hard to see how this can be anything but an attempt to put public pressure on the Auditor-General at a time when he is considering his final report on the matter, with the aim of discrediting it in advance. It is a disquieting manoeuvre and further evidence of how far Clark has become unnerved.


Moving on, barely a day after Helen renounced personal attacks, and distanced herself from Trevor Mallard, she has let lose today with this to say about Don Brash:

"Labour regards Dr Brash as a corrosive and cancerous person within the New Zealand political system,"

"From the time he became National Party leader he started his polarizing, extreme attacks and behaviour."

"He was not fit to be leader"

At the very time people are saying the debate should be on issues and policies, not people, Clark calls Brash "cancerous".

I'm sorry but is the He Bitch serious? Can she not even see the hypocrisy of accusing Brash of "extreme attacks" in the same interview as she calls him cancerous.

Can anyone read that and tell me they honestly believe Clark did not authorise Mallard's attacks on Brash?

And it was just the other day that she accussed the Auditor-General of smearing her and Labour. So Dr Brash is cancerous and the Auditor-General smears people. A bit of a pattern here about how she describes people who are a threat to her.

So is that better SkyRyder? Oh and here's a nice little picture of your mentor for you.

[WINJA]

The Only Thing That Suprises Me Is You Cunts Didnt Figure Out Peter Was Gay Sooner , After All Marrying Helen Is Really A Homosexual Relationship By Proxy

[Indoo]

Can anyone read that and tell me they honestly believe Clark did not authorise Mallard's attacks on Brash?

Just like how she didn't ask her motorcade to speed to get her to a Rugby game on time, and didn't even notice that the vehicle she was in was going 180kmh because she was so wrapped up in her study.

Don Brash deceived one person in his private life, Helen Clark stood up and lied to 4 million people in her public life and didn't even bat an overly hairy eyelash.

[WINJA]

Just like how she didn't ask her motorcade to speed to get her to a Rugby game on time, and didn't even notice that the vehicle she was in was going 180kmh because she was so wrapped up in her study.

Don Brash deceived one person in his private life, Helen Clark stood up and lied to 4 million people in her public life and didn't even bat an overly hairy eyelash.

IF YOU SAW FAIRGO THE OTHER DAY A PIG HANDED A FINE OUT TO A 15 YO GIRL FOR SITTING IN A CAR BEING DRIVEN DANGEROUSLY , THE PIGS SHOLUDA GIVEN HELEN THE SAME TICKET , WHY DIDNT THEY, AND ITS NOT TOO LATE EITHER THEY CAN STILL GIVE HER THAT TICKET

[Skyryder]

This did not impress The Press, their editorial quoted below:

The personalised attack by the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, on the Leader of the Opposition, Don Brash, is something quite extraordinary in New Zealand politics.

For a serving Prime Minister to attack her chief political adversary as a "corrosive and cancerous" person and as "not fit to be a leader in New Zealand" is probably unprecedented. Not even in the rancid days of Robert Muldoon was such bitter, venomous language used by a politician in public discourse. That it should be possible to make a comparison with Muldoon – a model in personalised politics no-one should wish to follow – shows how lamentable the Prime Minister's attack is. Despite Clark's promises to raise the tone after the descent into the gutter in the last couple of weeks, she has regrettably only succeeded in lowering it.



So is that better SkyRyder? Oh and here's a nice little picture of your mentor for you.

Well I see you have strung together a considerably lengthy post. However most is copy of the Press editorial so you can not take as much credit as you would like.

As one who has lived in Christchurch most of my life I am well acquainted with the 'Conservative' editorials of the Press. That they have aligned themselves on this issue with National comes as no surprise.

There is much in Labour that I do not like. Issues such as election spending, the ministerial motorcade are two that readily spring to mind.

Where we differ is not so much the political ideology, but in the appreciation of the strategies that are involved in politics. There is no doubt in my mind that Helen Clark is in the political battle of her life. What I find interesting, are the political strategies she is employing. Two of which I will mention.

First and foremost is the 'affair' issue that was alluded too by Mallard. This issue came to attention of the media via National and Clark has diverted attention from the ‘overspending’ issue with it. National via Brash have tried to regain the initive on this but at this point have failed. So up until the present time this strategy of Clark’s has been effective.

The second key move is when Clark called for Brashes resignation. This as you recall was when the National Party was considering this issue in an informal manner. Clark’s call for Brashes resignation effectively stalled that as National could not be seen to be influenced by Clarks call. This ploy has prevented National to counter attack on the overspending issue. With a new party leader they would have been possible and at the same time go to Brashes defence. This would have left Labour defending itself on two fronts: overspending and their personal attack of Brash. In other words Finn if National had acted sooner and dumped Brash not only would they have been on the moral high ground the battle would have been won and they could have continued attacking Labour on the overspending issue. The Nats have lost the first round. For those of us who have an unbiased opinion of the current state of play what I have written is obvious. Only the bias against Labour believe otherwise.

While I admit to, shall we say a cooperative ideology as against a competitive one, I am not a supporter of Helen Clark as you think. But since you do not seem to understand the finer points of the ‘real politick’ this mistake on your part is not surprising.


Skyryder

[paturoa]

....the battle would have been won .....

I'm thinking that the only battle here, after all of this is done and dusted, will be the one for the swing voters.

But just to kill my own argument, what will be the attention span of the NZ swing voter when Cullen gives out more lollie closer to the election??

[Dafe]

There is much in Labour that I do not like. Issues such as election spending, the ministerial motorcade are two that readily spring to mind.


Skyryder

Issues such as Election Overspending? Motorcades?

I'm more concerned about:

The all time high murder rates we now have.
The neglecting of health care to our working class citizens
The growth rate of beneficiarie's and especially refugees.
The huge influx of unskilled/non-working immigrants arriving daily into the country.
The forgotten but continuing Brain Drain issue.
The corruption of the Labour GOVT, writing laws to suit themselves.
The nationwide reduction in prisoner sentencing time and the governments raising of a crimes seriousness required to qualify for prison.
with more home detentions being favoured.

And overall - The steady decline of New Zealands rating in the OECD.
Fast becoming a third world nation.

[Finn]

But since you do not seem to understand the finer points of the ‘real politick’ this mistake on your part is not surprising.

You're right, I don't have a full understanding of the academics of politics. I'm just not interested. I'd rather focus on outcomes and clearly Labour have failed us all.

Academics like you are the reason our government and country is failing. Full of theory and absolutely no practical understanding or experience. They often find that they are unemployable in the commercial environment and end up having to work in the government sector where they become institutionalised. So what do you do for a job?

Speaking of mistakes, with all the brands of bikes on the market, you end up with a Guzzi?

[Jamezo]

My faith in the intelligence of the New Zealand populace plumbs new lows. It seems that for many, political bias has elevated 'suspension of disbelief' to an art form; instead of recognising scurrilous attack journalism for what it is, they are only too eager to run with it and grant it a veneer of credibility in what must be a brutal exercise in intellectual dishonesty. Shame on them and all others involved in disseminating this utter pap.

I'm not quite prepared to recognise any unified political strategy in Labour's actions with regard to recent events; in my humble analysis they have been forced into a path of reaction rather than action just as much as National has been.

[Swoop]

...what will be the attention span of the NZ swing voter when Cullen gives out more lollie closer to the election??

Cullen is giving the taxpayer ANOTHER packet of chewing gum... "in 3 years time"???

The attention span of the kiwi voter is about the same as a slug. All they care about is what "baubles" are waved under their nose at election time without thought as to how the incumbents have fared over the past three years.

[Skyryder]

You're right, I don't have a full understanding of the academics of politics. I'm just not interested. I'd rather focus on outcomes and clearly Labour have failed us all.

Academics like you are the reason our government and country is failing. Full of theory and absolutely no practical understanding or experience. They often find that they are unemployable in the commercial environment and end up having to work in the government sector where they become institutionalised. So what do you do for a job?

Speaking of mistakes, with all the brands of bikes on the market, you end up with a Guzzi?

I worked for the UN but they fired me. They said I was over qualified.

Skyryder

[Skyryder]

My faith in the intelligence of the New Zealand populace plumbs new lows. It seems that for many, political bias has elevated 'suspension of disbelief' to an art form; instead of recognising scurrilous attack journalism for what it is, they are only too eager to run with it and grant it a veneer of credibility in what must be a brutal exercise in intellectual dishonesty. Shame on them and all others involved in disseminating this utter pap.

I'm not quite prepared to recognise any unified political strategy in Labour's actions with regard to recent events; in my humble analysis they have been forced into a path of reaction rather than action just as much as National has been.

It's the reason why gossip mags do so well. People like to read about the things that they most disaprove of.

Can't say that I generaly disagree with you. But the fact is Labour 'have' diverted attention away from the overspending issue.

From a pragmatic view it makes sound political sense to do so. Where they made a mistake is that this affair could have been justified in the fact the Brash's 'affair' was with the Vice Chairman of a political lobby group with a close assosiation to National. Labour did not empahasise this and as such have lost the moral high ground.


Skyryder

[Jamezo]

Perhaps I am being cynical, but going on the record about the 'incestousness' (tragically apt turn of phrase) of right-wing politics and big business would seem to break some unspoken taboo on the subject within acceptable NZ political discourse.

Smearing the private lives of private citizens? Why Not? Endless artificial scandal? For sure! Daring to acknowledge the relationships that hold sway over our political system? GODS NO! That's 'radical politics'!

Labour will not go that far. It is still a capitalist party, after all.