| Last week's political assassination of Prime Minister | | | | They were united, focused and ruthless in pursuing |
| Kevin Rudd epitomizes the new Labor way. They are | | | | their political agenda. They ruled from the mandate of |
| now governing for themselves, their factional warlords | | | | self-interest rather than national interest. When one of |
| and their union mates. Rudd may well have been a | | | | their pet projects became unpopular they ditched it. |
| public nerd and a private tyrant but he deserved a | | | | Grocery watch, fuel watch and whale watch were |
| more dignified departure from the Prime Ministership. | | | | early casualties. |
| Labor would not be in government today if it was not | | | | These were nothing compared to 'the greatest moral |
| for Kevin Rudd. Kevin 07 was a marketing | | | | issue' of our time at Copenhagen. Kev was exposed |
| master-stroke. He would do everything John Howard | | | | as a minnow on the world stage and he returned |
| was doing. He would be an economic conservative, he | | | | empty-handed. The 'gang of four' were in crisis mode |
| would tow the boats back out to sea and he would | | | | as they discussed their options. Lindsay Tanner stayed |
| keep our troops in Afghanistan. He appealed to the | | | | true to his values and argued vehemently in favour of |
| inner-city chattering class by promising to say sorry | | | | staying true to their commitment to fighting climate |
| and avowing to be a world leader in climate change. | | | | change. Rudd, Gillard and Swan voted to dump it. The |
| Younger voters and the guilt ridden middle class simply | | | | rot had started. Kev would get the blame for the |
| swooned and he went on to become the most | | | | unforgiveable backflip and Gillard and Swan would fulfill |
| popular Prime Minister of all time. | | | | their political ambitions. |
| While Kev continued to surf the tidal wave of political | | | | The 'gang of four' went from one political blunder to |
| popularity his Labor colleagues locked in behind him. | | | | the next as they plundered the funds bequeathed to |
| Those who dared challenge his authority were met | | | | them by the Howard Government. As the polls |
| with the full forces of his dark side. | | | | plummeted the 'gang of four' began to leak. Julia's grin |
| He surrounded himself with a small group of 'trusted' | | | | is a good indicator of the most likely source. |
| lieutenants, Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Lindsay | | | | Her reason for assassinating Rudd was because the |
| Tanner, who effectively ran the country as 'the gang | | | | government had lost its way. But wasn't she the |
| of four'. Nothing happened without their imprimatur. | | | | co-pilot? |