Alexander Ingrate
Now that I have managed to remain unsullied by paediatric vomit for 48 hours, I have read all those ghastly "google alerts" about Alexander Downer that smirked primly from my inbox.
Obviously, the big (stale) news is that the American government is even more stupid that we thought. How anyone would headhunt Alexander Downer to run the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency is beyond me.
But the manners! The US government decides you're enough of a patsy to cop trying to topple an international diplomat considered pretty fair by - oh, everyone but the Bush administration and friends - and you turn them down and don't even issue a comment saying you're flattered but unshakeably committed and thanking them for the thought. (Rats, make a liar of me - but check the enthusiasm: "I've not taken up the opportunity to demonstrate a great deal of interest in this job".
More can be found at Rowen's and Suki's, Surfdom,and don't miss Red Interior and Saint.
As an interesting aside, Crikey noted just before this came out that "former Tasmanian governor Richard Butler gave his first interview since his controversial sacking and payout". Crikey identifies doing the interview - with Jana Wendt on ABC Classic FM, and with no mention of his $650 000 - as an essential air clearing exercise if he wanted to keep sticking his beak in it on a world wide basis.
The VERY NEXT DAY, Butler was out there giving us his two cents on Downer and the IAEA:
"I imagine he may be a little uncomfortable that he's been fingered like that (as someone who will toe the US line)," he said. (Beautiful, isn't it, that elegant language of international diplomacy. Perhaps Ms Fits had a - ahem - hand in it?)
And to all those who thought that getting rid of Alexander Downer would be enough, think again. Someone has to be the Foreign Minister. Perhaps as soon as a cabinet reshuffle following the new Senate mid 2006. Someone. It doesn't bear thinking about.
Can you imagine this woman at a State dinner? See what I mean?
Obviously, the big (stale) news is that the American government is even more stupid that we thought. How anyone would headhunt Alexander Downer to run the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency is beyond me.
But the manners! The US government decides you're enough of a patsy to cop trying to topple an international diplomat considered pretty fair by - oh, everyone but the Bush administration and friends - and you turn them down and don't even issue a comment saying you're flattered but unshakeably committed and thanking them for the thought. (Rats, make a liar of me - but check the enthusiasm: "I've not taken up the opportunity to demonstrate a great deal of interest in this job".
More can be found at Rowen's and Suki's, Surfdom,and don't miss Red Interior and Saint.
As an interesting aside, Crikey noted just before this came out that "former Tasmanian governor Richard Butler gave his first interview since his controversial sacking and payout". Crikey identifies doing the interview - with Jana Wendt on ABC Classic FM, and with no mention of his $650 000 - as an essential air clearing exercise if he wanted to keep sticking his beak in it on a world wide basis.
The VERY NEXT DAY, Butler was out there giving us his two cents on Downer and the IAEA:
"I imagine he may be a little uncomfortable that he's been fingered like that (as someone who will toe the US line)," he said. (Beautiful, isn't it, that elegant language of international diplomacy. Perhaps Ms Fits had a - ahem - hand in it?)
And to all those who thought that getting rid of Alexander Downer would be enough, think again. Someone has to be the Foreign Minister. Perhaps as soon as a cabinet reshuffle following the new Senate mid 2006. Someone. It doesn't bear thinking about.
Can you imagine this woman at a State dinner? See what I mean?
posted by Zoe at 2:01 pm
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