Changin' Of The Guard... Again

Kim's Out, Kev's In
Kevin Rudd made a putsch for the job of Leader of the Opposition and managed to displace Kim Beazley.
Beazley, a.k.a. 'Potamus', and Bomber, took it on the chin.

"This is my last press conference as leader of the Labor Party, I suppose.

My commission is terminated, and caucus, as you know, decided to change leadership to Kevin Rudd.

I said to the caucus today that the Labor Party needed to get in behind Kevin Rudd and give him the best chance he possibly can of becoming the next prime minister of this country.

Kevin is a very able man, a very intelligent man, with a very wide base of knowledge and an absolute determination to do the right thing for the Australian people. He will be a very good leader of the Australian Labor Party. He will take us to victory at the next election.

I wanted to stay and finish the job, but that was not to be. We will win the next election.

Echoes of Bill Hayden, methinks. I hate to break it to you, but I won't miss you Kim, you lug. Kim Beazley also lost a family member over-night and seemed quite overwhelemd when he came out to concede defeat to the press.

Now, Kevin Rudd is one of those psycho-Christian types so I don't have any high-hopes for him either; and his partner in crime Julia Gillard looks like the worst kind of careerist politico on the prowl. I never liked Kim Beazley's stance on many issues so maybe I should feel relieved that he is gone.

By winning the poll by the emphatic margin of 49 votes to 39 in a swift and efficient campaign that lasted only four days, Rudd has taken the leadership in about the best manner possible.

The electorate had switched off to Kim Beazley, except to laugh at him.

Rudd and his deputy, Julia Gillard, have the priceless gift of a freshly attentive national audience.

That audience, crucially, includes a small army of former Labor voters, progressives who had drifted off to the Greens and other minor parties. They had no intention of voting for Beazley Labor.

Julia Gillard is issuing crocodile tears statements.

"Politics is obviously a tough business and Mr Beazley today has added a personal tragedy to what would have been a difficult day in politics in any event,'' Ms Gillard told Macquarie Radio.

"My heart does go out to Mr Beazley and his family.''

Err, yeah, right Julia. "Friend Australians, lend me your ears..." She comes not to bury Beazley... *Ugh* What a soap opera. I'm wretching with disgust already.
Walk-Off HBP has already coined suitably light nicknames for the duo, "K-Rudd" and "J-Gill".

Staggering Towards A Draw
Was watching the 4th day of the Adelaide Test and it struck me that this pitch really was unlikely to produce a result. It took me 3 and a half days more than "Darrell" who told me on the first day about an hour in to the match, that he thought it was headed for a draw, just looking at the pitch. Michael Clarke's century was probably the best bit in a day that seemed to just drag on. Gilchrist kind of gave away his wicket, which was really bad.

At stumps, England were 97 runs ahead, finishing day 4 at 1/59.