Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: Dirty Politics

2403 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 75 76 77 78 79 97 Newer→ Last

  • Alfie, in reply to Russell Brown,

    The same lot of reporting includes the claim that Lynton Crosby thinks Cameron is a prick ...

    I'll wager that the pig shares that attitude.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to izogi,

    That's probably fine if you trust what the PM says about what he's been doing

    Which is not the standard of oversight we should expect from any important public office - yet it is increasingly what we are getting from a variety of them.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • linger,

    They’re basically just accepting a pig in a poke, too...

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood, in reply to Alfie,

    but I can see a loose connection,

    Tories getting revenge via the media?

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Pork barrel politics.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    RE: Pig-gate, the real issue is that those pontificating about "Broken Britain" need to meet their own standards that they set for the lesser-born. Otherwise it comes across as "it's not illegal when President Nixon's doing it!"

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Alfie,

    ...he claims that conservative leader David Cameron stuck his willy in a pig’s mouth. He claims...

    Sounds like the old LBJ playbook -

    Legend has it that LBJ, in one of his early congressional campaigns, told one of his aides to spread the story that Johnson's opponent f*cked pigs. The aide responded "Christ, Lyndon, we can't call the guy a pigf*cker. It isn't true." To which LBJ supposedly replied "Of course it ain't true, but I want to make the son-of-a-bitch deny it."

    ...of course if it is true, pigheads beat pony tail tales...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Sounds like the old LBJ playbook

    Did that old sonofabitch ever deny being a necrophiliac?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    As expected, the official line so far has been "no comment". The PM's spokeswoman said they "do not intend to dignify the book by offering any comment." And "The Prime Minister is focused on getting on with the job of running the country.”

    But the job of running the country is made more difficult when the world is laughing at you. And it's not just the media. The Dewsbury Conservative Association announced they were cancelling a pig-racing event planned for next month. The official UK Pizza Hut Twitter account posted, "Don't worry @David_Cameron we all go through peaks and troughs #piggate." Even Time Magazine is asking, "So did Cameron go the whole hog, so to speak?"

    Crosby Textor's usual tactic of using distraction doesn't seem to be working in this case. As one Guardian poster said, 'The problem with the "Look, over there!" tactic is that it doesn't work when the Prime Minister is over there fucking a pig.'

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Katharine Moody,

    Boy oh boy - this is big news;

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11535858

    BTW Simon Power moved from Government Minister to Westpac Banking Corporation;

    http://www.westpac.co.nz/who-we-are/about-westpac-new-zealand/our-executive-team/simon-power/

    Wellington • Since Sep 2014 • 798 posts Report Reply

  • izogi,

    I doubt this has any direct links to the original DP story, but seems vaguely related given the tobacco threads of it.

    Yesterday I noticed that the author of this book, or someone claiming to be him, has for some reason jumped into a localised NZ-based Stuff comment thread (who knows why!) to argue against smoking bans and basically say that smoking's not unhealthy. Or something like that.

    Has anyone heard of this chap and has he had a presence in New Zealand before?

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

  • Angela Hart, in reply to izogi,

    Never heard of him but he certainly has an odd and extreme point of view. Trollish.

    Christchurch • Since Apr 2014 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to izogi,

    Has anyone heard of this chap and has he had a presence in New Zealand before?

    He seems to be a profuse poster on all matters related to tobacco. His LinkedIn profile claims he does "not work for big tobacco", has an "Uncompleted Ph.D" and worked as an "animal lab technician" for nine years. Sort of like working at Mickey D's but with rats.

    Around 2002 he scores a role with the grandly-named Citizens Freedom Alliance. That organisation's rather homebuilt website provides this background.

    Originally founded in 1994 as The Smoker's Club, Inc., is now the organization: Citizens Freedom Alliance and The Smoker's Club. It has evolved into the leading online Newsletter for Smokers Rights, Property Rights, and other issues.

    So basically he's a pro-tobacco certified nutter.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Angela Hart,

    Christchurch • Since Apr 2014 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • Rosemary McDonald, in reply to izogi,

    Has anyone heard of this chap and has he had a presence in New Zealand before?

    Popped up here....http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/07/04/lets-be-honest-on-why-we-banned-prisoners-from-smoking/

    Strange chap.

    Waikato, or on the road • Since Apr 2014 • 1346 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to Angela Hart,

    more dirty politics

    Toby Manhire looks at how the latest revelations might develop.

    Craig expected to pursue legal action against Craig following Craig’s revelation about Craig.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Interesting to note another piece of Dirty Politics (in the global sense) yet again get thrown into the daylight - remains to be seen for how long...

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/73813227/Australian-banker-on-the-run-for-35-years-revealed-as-CIA-agent-in-US

    imagine my surprise
    be nice to clear up some of those mysteries from the '70s ....

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Angela Hart, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    That's very interesting Ian, and synergises with the Real Balance Sheet post as well.

    Christchurch • Since Apr 2014 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Angela Hart,

    That’s very interesting Ian, and synergises...

    The full OTT explanation - and while perhaps not much can be proved at this remove, this is as good an explanation as any as to what went down behind closed doors...
    see:
    http://www.wakeupkiwi.com/the-opal-file.shtml
    can't wait for the movie...

    The Aussie paper Nation Review and The Ferret (no not the Auckland Metro one) ran many good investigative articles on this back at the time- haven't found them yet but will post if I do - probably more reliable - the gap between hearsay and heresy can be negligible...

    all related to the BCCI scandal too ...
    http://wolfwhistle.the-eleven.com/archives/stories/BCCI1.html

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    see:
    http://www.wakeupkiwi.com/the-opal-file.shtml
    can't wait for the movie...

    Reading around that site, I'm not encouraged. Basically, as always, it's the Jews who are to blame.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    Basically, as always, it's the Jews who are to blame.

    Ian's link appears to draw on this conspiracist school. While a few alleged evildoers of the Hebronic persuasion might well get tarred with the occasional stray allegation, the core claims are largely about the alleged power of the long-dead Aristotle Onassis, and the influence of the mafia on international politics.

    While all of that may appear a little quaint in the age of ISS and Rupert Murdoch, the discovery of a pivotal figure from that distant era who's very much alive promises to put a rather different spin on some aspects of conventional history. Unless, of course, he vanishes for good this time.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    mea culpa ...

    ...as always, it’s the Jews who are to blame.

    Yeah. No.
    Sorry about the company it keeps...
    ...and I admit I was just trying to show one extreme of what may have happened, in all its high octane, two-fisted hyperbolic glory.
    Having just read James Ellroy's Bloods a Rover - the follow on from American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand - and anything seems possible if someone wants things to happen, is connected and willing...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    a little quaint in the age of ISS and Rupert Murdoch

    Rupert Murdoch has moved his Lair to the International Space Station? Shades of Moonraker. Or Austin Powers?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    ...a rather different spin on some aspects of conventional history. Unless, of course, he vanishes for good this time.

    I'd imagine someone will grabbing a go-bag,
    a stash of cash & Ka-Bar knives
    and heading south...
    'till this whole thing cools off...
    again...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    a little quaint in the age of ISS and Rupert Murdoch

    Rupert Murdoch has moved his Lair to the International Space Station?

    Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Sunday Star-Times, SuperSonic Transport - you live long enough, the world runs out of acronyms and recycles them while they're still warm.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 75 76 77 78 79 97 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.