Hi Amel, Sorry to post this again, but I think it is really important in trying to have more understanding of K Rudd. Don't know if you looked at this before.
I've never had much confidence in his mate, Daffy Duck either.
ForrestGump (thanks) Post #: 67773 In Reply to msg: #60474 IP: 121.44.xxx.xxx Views: 72
Subject: Latham on Dudd
Was Mark Latham really as mad as Labor now claims. Consider just some of what the former Opposition Leader wrote of his then foreign affairs spokesman in his Latham Diaries, and ask why so many commentators were so slow to see through Rudd, too:
Rudd is mentioned on no fewer than 40 occasions in his diaries and never finds one good thing to say about him. Here are just a few quotes from his book.
Rudd's Foreign Policy
Monday 24th March 2003, Page 217
"War in Iraq and Simon has got himself into a terrible tangle. The basic lesson: never listen to Rudd on foreign policy. If that guy is an expert then I'm Henry Kissinger."
Page 218
Today Rudd was even worse. At 9.15 am he played a role in drafting the troops resolution at Shadow Cabinet but at 5.00pm at the National Right Meeting after Robert Ray attacked the wording Rudd stood up and disowned it calling it hopeless. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief that it was the same person at both meetings. He's an incredible piece of work.
Rudd on Trust
Saturday, 22nd November 2003, Page 243
All the snakes are sliding around in the grass feeding their poison to Seccombe (SMH Journalist): Rudd, Swan, Albanese, Tanner and Comb-over.
Page 249
It is amazing that the journalist couldn't see through him. Two factors: they are lazy and dumb and Rudd is a fanatical media networker. He is addicted to it worse than Heroin.
Wednesday, 14 April 2004, Page 280
I've had a suspicion for some time now that Rudd has been feeding mat-erial to Oakes. Decided to set him up, telling Kevvie about our focus groups on Iraq. No such research exists-Gartrell says he's doing some quantita-tive polling but not focus groups. Today, right on cue, Jabba has written in the Bulletin: 'The Labor Party's polling firm has been busily running focus groups to test the public mood following Latham's 'troops -out' announce-ment. The most significant finding, I understand, is overwhelming support for the alliance with the United States'. Trapped him. Two weeks ago in New Zealand, I announced our inten-tion to have a Minister for the Pacific Islands. That's the job I'll give Rudd if we win. Joel thinks I'm joking, but I'm deadly serious. Rudd is a terrible piece of work: addicted to the media and leaking. A junior minister in Government, at best.
Rudd's Vanity
Saturday, 30th December 2003, Page 256
Kevvie wanted his title expanded to the more grandiose Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Security. No worries, but then he rang me last Sunday to say he objected to McClelland also having the word `Security' in his title. At first I thought it was some kind of joke, but the crazy bastard was serious: he had a long and absurd argument about the alleged overlap between the two jobs. I suggested he talk to McClelland, hoping to never hear from him again.
By the end of the day, Rudd was threatening to go to the backbench, over a question of semantics. I told him I was willing to accept his resigna-tion and he went away to think about it. The ideal contingency plan was McMullan to Foreign Affairs and then I could save face with Coxie in Finance. Rudd called at about 11 p.m. and backed down, allowing the announcement to go ahead the next day.
Friday 22nd October 2004, Page 364
Another slice of Caucus chaos: Kevin Rudd. On Wednesday, ' The Australian ' carried a front-page story saying that if Rudd didn't became Shadow Treasurer he would go to the backbench. My thoughts went back to December last year and his tantrum over his title. He's such a prima donna
Rudd came around to see me yesterday morning, lobbying to be Shadow Treasurer. He went into a long explanation of why he's so wonderful. When he finished I put my cards on the table: that I regard him as disloyal and unreli-able, and he only holds his frontbench position because of his media profile and public standing among people who have never actually met him. I also told him that if the newspaper report was true, he should get ready for the backbench, as there was no way I could give him the Shadow Treasury.
He appeared surprised, protested his innocence and then broke down badly, sobbing over the recent death of his mother, just before polling day. I told him to leave work and go back to Brisbane to rest with his family. But he wouldn't give up. Even though he was crying, he kept on lobbying to be Shadow Treasurer. It was becoming quite sad. Then he said words that I will never forget: 'I swear on my mother's grave that The Australian story is wrong, totally wrong, and that I've been loyal to you and will continue to be loyal to your leadership'.
I don't mind people bullshitting to me in politics, but not like this. Last week he rang around Caucus to gauge the mood after our loss, and told Trish Crossin that my leadership was on notice: I had until the Budget Reply speech next May to prove myself. He's always bagging me to journal-ists and that's not going to change any time soon. I don't trust him, no matter what he says
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How can anyone have any faith or trust in the Rudd squad, when their past performance has nearly bankrupted our country, going from a healthy surplus to owing $58 Billion ??
How can anyone have faith/trust in a govt that can't run simple projects, ie., insulation, school buildings, solar projects, etc., etc.
How can Rudd and co. make such a huge change to, what has been up to now a successful system concerning the mining industry, where I would think it would be much more complicated compared to the govts other failed projects, ... with nothing much to show for them.
This govt must be desperate to get some money back into its coffers, but I feel they are in the process of setting us up for our own GFC.
