Konovalov
05-17-06, 12:10 PM
I hear often over here in the UK about the "special relationship" between the USA and the United Kingdom. Funnily enough from my viewpoint as an Australian I feel that Australia and the USA have an equal if not closer "special relationship". Both the USA and Australia have always fought in aid of nations in foreign wars far away from home not to mention on the same side be it WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War 1, and the current war in Iraq. We are both New World nations. We are both a nation of immigrants. We are both large continent nations. For me Bush and Howard think more alike than Blair and Bush. In short I think it is a good thing. I just hope that Labour doesn't win the next election and undo the good work of little Johnie as we like to call our PM. I was thinking about this after reading an article today in the Sydney Morning Herald online:
Bald, ugly, one hell of a guy: Bush on Howard
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/05/17/howard18506_wideweb__470x318,0.jpg
Geopolitical mates ... John Howard and George Bush take advantage of a lull in the day's pomp and ceremony to talk in private.
Photo: Andrew Taylor
By Phillip Coorey Political Correspondent in Washington
May 18, 2006
NORMALLY, when one world leader implies that another is bald and ugly, it would be safe to assume they do not get on so well.
Unless those leaders happen to be the US President, George Bush, and the Prime Minister, John Howard.
The feting of Mr Howard at the White House - a spectacular state welcome, a press conference in the grand East Room, then a gala black-tie dinner in the State Dining Room - cemented him and Mr Bush as the best geopolitical mates since Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
"Somebody said, 'You and John Howard appear to be so close, don't you have any differences?'," Mr Bush said when asked why they got on so well. "And I said 'Yes, he doesn't have any hair'." Even when Mr Bush tried to be serious about why he so admired Mr Howard, the jokes continued. "He may not be the prettiest person on the block but when he tells you something, you can take it to the bank," he said.
And if the Treasurer, Peter Costello, had been at the press conference, his heart would have been heavy because Mr Bush predicted Mr Howard would not be leaving office soon. "I suspect he's going to outlast me," said Mr Bush, whose presidency expires in January 2009.
Then again, had Mr Costello been at the dinner later on, he would have been buoyed by the comments of Rupert Murdoch, who said while he would like Mr Howard to stay, it would be a good idea if he went out while on top.
Tongues were also wagging when Mr Howard's son Richard, who is based in Washington, arrived at the dinner accompanied by a striking White House staffer, Kirsten Slaughter.
The dinner was the finale to Mr Howard's extraordinary day, which featured honour guards, 19-gun salutes, red carpets and marching bands.
Other guests at the dinner included the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney, the former politician Andrew Peacock and his wife, Penne, the Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy and the Liberal Party notables Brian Loughnane and Shane Stone.
Framed by a giant portrait of Abraham Lincoln, Mr Bush ladled it on during the toasts, saying the US had "no better friend than Australia and John Howard".
Mr Howard gushed back praise for his "staunch friend", saying anyone who wanted the US to reduce its role in world affairs was "foolish".
But the US media were not much interested in Mr Howard. "He's a strong ally, he's been here before," said one veteran reporter, who then set about his day's work of bashing Mr Bush over immigration and a phone-tapping scandal.
From here: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bald-ugly-one-hell-of-a-guy-bush-on-howard/2006/05/17/1147545393209.html
Bald, ugly, one hell of a guy: Bush on Howard
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/05/17/howard18506_wideweb__470x318,0.jpg
Geopolitical mates ... John Howard and George Bush take advantage of a lull in the day's pomp and ceremony to talk in private.
Photo: Andrew Taylor
By Phillip Coorey Political Correspondent in Washington
May 18, 2006
NORMALLY, when one world leader implies that another is bald and ugly, it would be safe to assume they do not get on so well.
Unless those leaders happen to be the US President, George Bush, and the Prime Minister, John Howard.
The feting of Mr Howard at the White House - a spectacular state welcome, a press conference in the grand East Room, then a gala black-tie dinner in the State Dining Room - cemented him and Mr Bush as the best geopolitical mates since Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
"Somebody said, 'You and John Howard appear to be so close, don't you have any differences?'," Mr Bush said when asked why they got on so well. "And I said 'Yes, he doesn't have any hair'." Even when Mr Bush tried to be serious about why he so admired Mr Howard, the jokes continued. "He may not be the prettiest person on the block but when he tells you something, you can take it to the bank," he said.
And if the Treasurer, Peter Costello, had been at the press conference, his heart would have been heavy because Mr Bush predicted Mr Howard would not be leaving office soon. "I suspect he's going to outlast me," said Mr Bush, whose presidency expires in January 2009.
Then again, had Mr Costello been at the dinner later on, he would have been buoyed by the comments of Rupert Murdoch, who said while he would like Mr Howard to stay, it would be a good idea if he went out while on top.
Tongues were also wagging when Mr Howard's son Richard, who is based in Washington, arrived at the dinner accompanied by a striking White House staffer, Kirsten Slaughter.
The dinner was the finale to Mr Howard's extraordinary day, which featured honour guards, 19-gun salutes, red carpets and marching bands.
Other guests at the dinner included the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney, the former politician Andrew Peacock and his wife, Penne, the Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy and the Liberal Party notables Brian Loughnane and Shane Stone.
Framed by a giant portrait of Abraham Lincoln, Mr Bush ladled it on during the toasts, saying the US had "no better friend than Australia and John Howard".
Mr Howard gushed back praise for his "staunch friend", saying anyone who wanted the US to reduce its role in world affairs was "foolish".
But the US media were not much interested in Mr Howard. "He's a strong ally, he's been here before," said one veteran reporter, who then set about his day's work of bashing Mr Bush over immigration and a phone-tapping scandal.
From here: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bald-ugly-one-hell-of-a-guy-bush-on-howard/2006/05/17/1147545393209.html