Obama and little Johnny

John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, is about as popular there as GWB is here. Noting that Tony Blair was on the way out, he is obviously angling for the role of Bush's bestest li'l foreign buddy. (It should be noted that Howard's son actually worked for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004.) To wit:

Only days after saying Australia's alliance with the US was about more than his personal friendship with US President George W Bush, Mr Howard warned that an Obama victory would be a boost for the terrorists.

The man who wants to be the first black US president has pledged to withdraw US troops from Iraq by March 2008, a timetable Mr Howard believes is dangerous.

"I think that would just encourage those who wanted completely to destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for (an) Obama victory," Mr Howard told the Nine Network.

Labor spokesman Robert McLellan replied:

"It's the first time that I can recall that an Australian prime minister has engaged in US politics in such a partisan way... actually telling US citizens what side of politics they should vote for," he said.

"It's most inappropriate, it demeans the Australia-US alliance to suggest its a relationship between political parties rather than an enduring relationship between two people."

"If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats."

But the best response to Bush's new poodle came from Obama's camp. His spokeman, Robert Gibbs, said:

"If Prime Minister Howard truly believes what he says, perhaps his country should find its way to contribute more than just 1,400 troops so some American troops can come home. It's easy to talk tough when it's not your country or your troops making the sacrifices."

Or, in Bush's case, when it's not your friends, family or social class.