Obama won't call Rudd

From the Melbourne Herald-Sun's Columnist Andrew Bolt.

Welcome back, Andrew, we missed you!!

I’m sure it’s simply because Barack Obama is too busy. And yet it will hurt Kevin Rudd not to have the access to him that John Howard once earned with George Bush:

BARACK Obama began his presidency last week with telephone calls to leaders in the Middle East. He has since placed calls to the prime ministers and presidents of Britain, Russia, France, Germany and Canada.

But almost a week after his inauguration, the new president is yet to pick up the phone to Kevin Rudd, the leader of America’s most steadfast ally…

The talks came amid the fall-out from The Australian’s publication of an account of a telephone conversation between Mr Rudd and then president George W Bush. US officials denied Mr Rudd’s account of the conversation.

Rudd’s problem, of course, is that Obama will not need Rudd as Bush needed Howard.
For a start, he is a multilateralist, and in that game we’re small beer.
What’s more, Obama does not stand short of (largely fair-weather) friends at the moment, so we’re at the back of a long queue.
Third, of course, is Rudd’s chronic leaking of private calls.

A Quiet Farewell and Warm Reception

From the Wall Street Journal:
"President George W. Bush ....... returned to a warm public welcome in Midland, the West Texas oil town he's always called home. Mr. Bush offered a sometimes-emotional accounting of himself in speaking to an enthusiastic crowd in Midland Tuesday evening. "I gave it my all," Mr. Bush said, his voice growing husky. "Sometimes what I did wasn't popular, but that's OK. I always did what I thought was right."

George Bush, as usual, made a gracious and dignified exit!

The Bushes were accompanied on the trip (home to Texas)by a core group of aides who helped Mr. Bush narrowly win two terms as president and achieve some notable policy successes – but also (sucessfully)lead the nation through some of America's toughest times in recent decades, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, two wars, recessions, a financial meltdown and a devastating hurricane.

We all should remember that the Sub-Prime Policy of the Democrats, initially by President Jimmy Carter and standards later lowered by Bill Clinton and again later backed by Senate leader Nancy Pelosi, was the major cause of the financial meltdown.

Will Obama turn his back on this long-standing Democrat Policy or will it still be there as a threat to the world's financial future?

History will show George W Bush was right

From Telegraph UK - by Andrew Roberts:

"The decisions taken by Mr Bush in the immediate aftermath of that ghastly moment (9/11) will be pored over by historians for the rest of our lifetimes. One thing they will doubtless conclude is that the measures he took to lock down America's borders, scrutinise travellers to and from the United States, eavesdrop upon terrorist suspects, work closely with international intelligence agencies and take the war to the enemy has foiled dozens, perhaps scores of would-be murderous attacks on America.   .... the obvious fact that there was a good case for invading Iraq based on 14 spurned UN resolutions, massive human rights abuses and unfinished business following the interrupted invasion of 1991 will be recalled.

Similarly, the cold light of history will absolve Bush (and John Howard - tb) of the worst conspiracy theory accusation: that he knew there were no WMDs in Iraq. History will show that, in common with the rest of his administration, the British Government, Saddam's own generals, the French,Chinese, Israeli and Russian intelligence agencies  ... " 

(and Kevin747Rudd 'Are there weapons of mass destructions - Of Course!'  and also our own home grown weapons Inspector and failed state Governor Richard Butler who said he knew where they were -tb)