Posts by Stanley Pointen
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Craig, really. Comparing JK to Lange, and to Lincoln? More like Warren Harding!
It's sad to see that your political masters have lost all sense of history and honour in their headlong rush to regain the power so cruelly kept from them by the people. They should remember that they tarnish the memory of Ngata and Pomare when they run this populist 'abolish the Maori seats' nonsense.
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Holly, and here's another from the Herald of 28 June 2008: "PM's blocking of disabled carpark 'unacceptable', says pensioner." Did the PM block a carpark? No. Was the PM aware of what her security detail were doing with the cars outside the venue? No. Does the PM drive herself? No. Did the police apologies? Yes. Does the headline imply the the PM has little regard for the little people, like crippled pensioners? Yes. Is this quality journalism? Over to you.
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So Craig, it's a lie and you're done with it? Sadly, those deprived of power for almost 9 years, unable to cope with the natural order of things being so disordered, will do absolutely anthing to right the wrong. They proved it last time (although I was in the US for months and had to rely on web coverage of the campaign) and will prove it again this time. Time to head back to the US me-thinks? It's 40 degrees in Texas.
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Craig, I followed your link to the story about the Prime Minister opening the Queenstown Winter Festival. This seems to me to be an entirely legitimate undertaking for the Prime Minister. The festival is a major international tourist draw card. Prime Ministers have been involved in promoting New Zealand, both here and overseas, for years. There are politicians, on the other hand, who travel overseas to bad mouth our country.
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Deborah, thanks for the link. As a first timer to The Standard, I listened to the audio clip and can only agree with you. A guy who wants to be the Prime Minister of New Zealand can't remember who is advising him? Not credible.
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Craig, calm yourself down. I enjoy your blogging and would hate to feel partly responsible for your melt down. The truth about Mr Key and his Hollow Men connections will out eventually, and he will suffer the fate of all politicians who seek the slippery path to power. You've still got Bill English.
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Craig, you really are running out of ideas. It is widely reported in the US exactly which DC lobby firms John McCain is using, and the external advisers around both the Clinton and Obama campaigns are regularly on Larry King and elsewhere. It's called openness. Again, all the Leader of the Opposition need do is tell us 'yes' or 'no' in relation to C/T. Will he? Not likely. He would then have to explain what bits are his and what bits are theirs.
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Craig, the difference is that the Hodgson revelations were made in the open, clearly sourced, and backed up, just as the attempts to label Mr Key as 'slippery', however hamfisted, were. The issue here is the claim by Hagar that there is a sophisticated underground campaign, executed by 'third parties' and fellow travellers, aimed at blowing the dog-whistle on Clark personally and on the government generally. Hooten's virulent attack on Hagar and Haare gives the game away. It would be easily cleared by the Leader of the Opposition simply denying the claim. Why won't he?
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Russell, I fear the dark arts are a feature of all political parties, even the organic Greens, to some extent. However, using Crosby/Textor tactics, the masters of the dog-whistle, is dangerous to our democracy. It is pretty clear to even a casual observer that the National Party's key messages around Clark not having any kids, and the nanny state stuff, and the alleged abundance of bureaucrats, even the 'cheesy' Budget attack line, which run not only in the House and the media but on blogs and talkback, is part of a sophisticated, well co-ordinated and well resourced attack campaign. But what really puzzles me is the lazy, superficial media coverage of a party that has been between 10 and 20 points ahead in the polls for over a year now. This government in waiting, even maybe 4 months out from a general election, is still able to have its attack lines run, especially on One News, and slide off providing any solutions. The recent 'law and order' coverage was appalling. Mr Key was recently shown in the House reciting a purile mantra of 'more police, longer sentences' yet as PM in waiting was never asked how many more police or how longer the sentences and for what offences and will these be manditory sentences beyond judicial discretion, and so on. No, the mantra ran and the audience would have been satisfied with the quick fix sound bite. My hope is that come the actual election campaign, the rules of fairness, accuracy and balance will kick in and the electorate may just get some objective coverage to inform their decision?
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I would like the inquiry to throw some light on why, according to media reports today, petrol has gone up 35 percent in the last year whereas diesel has gone up 80 percent. Given that more people are buying diesel passenger cars, is this just another trick by the oil conglomerates to future proof themselves and their mega profits?