Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Of course it's about the book

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  • dc_red,

    Re: contraception. It seems to display a bit too much rat-like cunning to be McCully. How about John Banks?

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    Russell gets the banana there.. people who are not neocons who Don Brash did meet....

    Since someone is raising collins..

    Who said...

    "I thought the health presentation at caucus was awful, and I am trold Judith's family presentation was worse. I am not one the caucus complains to, except for today. so it must have been pretty bad. There are a few lessons here..." Judith Collins had been pushed by the strategy team "as a star" but she was a second year MP "pushed beyond her capacity into a hard portfolio with apparent backing from the top." She has "spent too much time cultivating the media herself and beleiving the resulting publicity. She will find it hard to recover her credibility in caucus where she has been a tough critic of her colleagues behind the scenes and they know it."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    BTW what's up with DPF's blog.

    it's ground to a halt with all the moaning and groaning...

    poor folk.

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    And if anyone want's a home grown Kramer.

    Dave Witherall in his attack on Meridian's central otago wind farm had some choice words about - misguided government allowing foreigners to flood the ghettos of Auckaland. Not even sure how it fitted into the debate, but he snuck it in there.

    Now why isn't that man on stage double billing with the once great Kramer.

    ODT tomorrow should be fun

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    "I am not one the caucus complains to..."


    Brian Connell...

    Actually this is tough cos I struggle to name more than about ten of the Nats caucus.

    Maybe Williamson?

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    ... yeah contraception one too easy.... is brash

    On the same speech..

    National should find "a few real people" to pop up supporting the speech "when the critics pounce.... I would be grateful if you shifted the text across to a page of your own and "owned" it from this point on. I'd rather not be linked with any form of authorship."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    This guesswork is making me bitter. Damn that Whitcoulls, looks like I won't be breaking my rule of never buying another printed word after all, if all the good bits are going to be public knowledge before the release. But this dripfeed is frustrating!

    Perhaps I could just make a donation to Hager directly and cut them out of the loop and profits.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Bol,

    Based on Bill's press conference, it's him trashing Collins. Oops. Guess I was wrong about the English-Collins ticket - but why have both Collins and Brownlee said they want to be deputy?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 32 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    @Compie
    I suspect he's turned off comments, which he has done before during the suppression debacle. Perhaps he doesn't want anything defamatory posted ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    aha.. collins quote is causing some consteration... no banana there yet.

    Here's a goodie...

    "Can we stop Don from giving speeches? Today's speech is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The speech delivery is too long, monotonous, slow paced, and he is having far too many stumbles."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    Regarding supplies of the book...

    From what I hear all 3000 copies of the book are already pre-sold. So unless you have had a purchase order accepted by a retailer who is expecting some incoming books then you are not getting a copy on monday.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    Bugger.. too many hints... I will have to make this harder. Richard gets the chocie fish for the collins quote.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    Is it Lockwood?

    I am thinking of someone outside the strategy team, but with a bit of seniority. Plus I can imagine people prob don't talk to him much.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    My closing thought for today is that all this really couldn't be happening to a nicer party.

    Now home for a beer,TV3 news, and then whatever the night brings!

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    "Can we stop Don from giving speeches? Today's speech is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The speech delivery is too long, monotonous, slow paced, and he is having far too many stumbles."

    I smell Gerry Brownlee on this one...

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Kevin Moar,

    Well, I fired off an email to the publishers and to Whitcoulls asking why the book was embargoed.

    Whitcoulls phoned back, and in a slightly agressive conversation (perhaps justifiably), they assured me that Whitcoulls had the books, wanted to sell them, and they were being prevented from doing so the publisher could distribute to independent booksellers for monday. They were sick of getting beat up just because they were the big guys, and wanted to set things straight.

    The Managing Director and Publisher at Craig Potton replied to my email. According to him, Whitcoulls have demanded nothing, the books are (all?) in Nelson still, and there's nothing that can be done.

    I am, of course, prepared to accept their assurances unreservedly, and apologise if I've hurt their feelings, etc.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    Not lockwood... and not Gerry....

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    Ok one more.. two outstanding quotes.... Don's speech and the person who doesn't want to take credit for Orewa Welfare speech....

    And this one....

    "The reason I didn't go to the Nats party last night is that I couldn't have coped with socialising with such horrible, unprincipled homophobes. Your caucus is despicable, and your own recent conduct - a disgrace to your late farther - is little better. You have succumbed to McCullyism adn there is nothing more dispicable in politics than that.... You'll all go down, which is what you all deserve. In sorrow and anger..."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

  • Jen Hay,

    wow, you've stumped me there. The mind boggles...

    Since we're allowed to ask you questions: any update on the 'prominent media personality' who allegedly provided media training to Brash??

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 43 posts Report Reply

  • Sarah Wedde,

    Katherine Rich not wanting credit for the welfare speech?

    Lower Hutt • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    Not lockwood... and not Gerry....

    Bugger -- that quote sounded so very Gerry.

    Could it be Katherine Rich?

    Put us out of our misery, I beg you...

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Kevin Moar,

    Te Heu Heu?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    James Dolman wrote:
    Thats exactly the point here Craig, we have accusations winging around I would think even National party supporters will want to get to the bottom of it.

    To be honest, I really think some of the stuff I've been reading so far is about as worth 'getting to the bottom' of as the rabid right wing-nuts on Kiwiblog I've taken a lot of s**t from for suggesting not everything Helen Clark does is part of some eeevil conspiracy. Personally, I'd love to see how close Helen Clark's public statements conform to her e-mails, Cabinet and caucus minutes and off the record chats with people who were in the room at the time. And I'd certainly love to get the truth about who really knew what, and when, about that damn pledge card.

    I expect there will be a considerable gap, which proves nothing more than a level of medacity most of us would be guilty of... if we were half way honest with ourselves.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Oh, and I also get a lot of c**p for suggesting that Investigate and its editor aren't exactly the most reliable or disinterested sources of information about Miss Clark and the Labour Party. Pretty uncontentious notion to me... but there you go.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Thompson,

    Hi Craig,

    Speaking of investigate.. has anyone else seen his latest scoop. Tis a wild wild one......

    And while there is some truth to the politics=mendacity meme there are levels of mendacity and there is also getting caught with your pants around your ankles.

    Ok... since its friday night....

    ---- Not wanting Brash to speak = Bryan Sinclair
    ---- Not wanting credit for welfare speech = Michael Basset

    & I will leave the homophobic party one for now.

    The media personality was Paul Holmes.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 220 posts Report Reply

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