Bill Clinton says Barack Obama must 'kiss my ass' for his support

Bill Clinton always had a nice turn of phrase. His charisma and charm have got him far. Now he's not just a boy from Hope, Arkansas - he's a Rhodes Scholar with an admirable brain. University College, Oxford has helped shape this man. The rough edges have been rubbed off. But I guess not the arrogance.

Just as we thought this election was going to be a no brainer, up jumps Bill with his peevish remark. Bill is letting his bubba thoughts bubble up too much. He is convinced of two things. First, that Obama was a bit uppity in taking on the missus. Second, he is convinced that Obama can't win round voting groups, especially working-class whites, in the swing states. The Democratic insider, who told the Daily Telegraph all this, says "He (Bill Clinton) just doesn't think Obama will be able to connect with the voters he needs."

I think Bill's worrying about nothing at all. Look at the situation. John McCain is up against his own Jekyll and Hyde rhetoric. He's got Ron Paul supporters to worry about. Bob Barr is out as a third party candidate. All manner of independent voters are in this race wondering where to put their votes. And then there's the economy under Bush. Obama will mop up these people because they don't have anywhere else to go, except sit in front of a log fire come November.

Bill, you're a great guy, but peevish politicking is very unseemly. I'm sorry it happened!

Democratic Europe? You must be joking!

I got an email from my friends in Open Europe. Part of the missive quotes these delectable democrats and their level of contempt for Irish voters!

"They [the Irish] are bloody fools. They have been stuffing their faces at Europe's expense for years and now they dump us in the s***." - Nicolas Sarkozy, French President (Times, 20 June)

"The Lisbon Treaty is not dead... It is imperative that they vote again." - Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former French President and author of the EU Constitution (RTL, 19 June)

"I don't think you can say the treaty of Lisbon is dead even if the ratification process will be delayed." - Jean-Pierre Jouyet, French Europe Minister (Reuters, 16 June)

"I am convinced that we need this Treaty. Therefore we are sticking with our goal for it to come into force. The ratification process must continue." - Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister (Reuters, 14 June)

"Of course we have to take the Irish referendum seriously. But a few million Irish cannot decide on behalf of 495 million Europeans." - Wolfgang Schaeuble, German Interior Minister (Deutsche Welle, 15 June)

"We think it is a real cheek that the country that has benefited most from the EU should do this. There is no other Europe than this treaty. With all respect for the Irish vote, we cannot allow the huge majority of Europe to be duped by a minority of a minority of a minority." - Axel Schäfer, SPD leader in the German Bundestag (Irish Times, 14 June)

The Treaty "will be applied, albeit a few months late." - Lopez Garrido, Spanish Europe Minister (Forbes, 15 June)

"The Treaty is not dead. The Treaty is alive, and we will try to work to find a solution." - Jose Barroso, European Commission President (Press Conference, 14 June)

What is the difference between Sarkozy's rhetoric and that of Mugabe? Being charitable, I'd say just the tone. The end result is the same (without the bloodshed).

Change the words slightly for Mugabe. "They [the MDC] are bloody fools. They have been stuffing their faces at MY expense for years and now they dump me in the s***."

Not a lot of difference, is there?

Labour boat sinks at Henley's political regatta

New Labour is falling apart. Not before time, I'd say. The Henley by-election has given the Labour Party a drubbing. Put their supporters in the same room as Bananaman's lot and the ORMLP could claim to have done reasonably well by comparison. Labour nearly came below the 1,000 vote barrier, a pyschological electric fence. As it was they lost their deposit, trailing behind the Green Party and the BNP.

Gordon Brown is an MP who job shares with an MSP. He leads a government that only managed to secure 20% of the electorate's support at the last general election. Since then, things have got worse. So bad, in fact, that the ineffectual Yvette Cooper was unable to speak any sense last night on BBC Question Time. The Labour vote in Henley probably does represent current opinion in large swathes of England. No wonder they didn't put up a candidate in Haltemprice. Losing a deposit twice would look like recklessness!

The result as it happened - here.

The result in detail -

John Howell - Conservatives, 19,796 (56.95% +3.46%)
Stephen Kearney - Liberal Democrats, 9,680 (27.85% +1.84%)
Mark Stevenson - Greens, 1,321 (3.80% +0.54%)
Timothy Rait - British National Party 1,243 (3.58%)
Richard McKenzie - Labour, 1,066 (3.07% -11.68%)
Chris Adams - UK Independence Party, 843 (2.43%, -0.07%)
Bananaman Owen - Monster Raving Loony Party 242 (0.70%)
Derek Allpass - English Democrats 157 (0.45%)
Amanda Harrington - Independent (Miss Great Britain Party) 128 (0.37%)
Dick Rodgers - The Common Good 121 (0.35%)
Louise Cole - Independent (Miss Great Britain Party) 91 (0.26%)
Harry Bear - The Fur Play Party 73 (0.21%)

Although there was a small swing from LibDems to Conservatives, it was Labour's loss of nearly 12% of the vote that was the significant point. Conservatives, LibDems and Greens can see positive movement. Labour and to a small extent UKIP can see negative movement. I think this is a reasonable mirror image for the next general election.

The Ron Paul ultimatum - drop out and you can speak!

Apparently word has got out that the GOP high command are going to do a deal with the Ron Paul supporters. If their candidate publicly declares that he will be dropping out of the race and that he supports the presumptive nominee, John McCain, then he can speak at the convention.

That all supposes that the speaking spot will be worth it. What is Ron Paul to say? "I stand here today to declare that humble pie is now my favourite dessert!" Shudder the thought. At one time, these conventions were debating assemblies, where policy was thrashed out. Not anymore. It's a coronation circus with the acts firmly following a designated script.

Ron Paul wants to address the convention delegates with his own words. Otherwise it will be nothing more than a ventriloquist's act. Why is it so hard for a proper debate to be held?

Shock victory for LibDems in Henley?

Could the Liberal Democrats pull off another by-election shocker? I don't know but many journalists from the Daily Telegraph to the Guardian think this might be so. The votes are now being ferried to the count as I type this out. One thing I do know is that the Conservatives have a couple of things going against them. First, the people of Henley have lost a popular well-known MP who has decided to plough a different furrow. This does have some reflection on Henley and the surrounding villages, as being of lesser interest politically to the effervescent Boris. Then there is the rumbling of minor sleeze, odd bouts of disunity, unclarity over policy, which have added to the gossip that the Conservative candidate may not do so well. I hope he does well, but echoes of Bromley are sounding in my ears. Ugh!!

David Davis in 24 to 1 - A new game show's in town!

A record number of candidates. David Davis is up against Ronnie Carroll and David Icke amongst others. Roses are not red in Howden and neither are they in New Labour. A rosy shade of pink hangs over this contest.

I am all in favour of David Davis' campaign against the creeping control freakery of New Labour, or tarnished Labour as it now is. But I am getting the feeling that this won't help much. The only real contest here is between the minor parties and who can save their deposit first.

The English Democrats are joined in the fray by the Green Party, Socialist Equality Party, Monster Raving Loony Party, National Front (still trundling along), the New Party (new as in New Forest), the Christian Party, and the Church of the Militant Elvis Party. Ronnie Carroll is standing for making politicians history. Kind of self-defeating if he gets elected. Oh, and the Generalist Party didn't make the numbers.

These are the serious candidates -

David Davis - Conservative
David Pinder - New Party
Shan Oakes - Green Party
Joanne Robinson - English Democrats

The wild cards (for getting a decent vote!) are David Icke, Jill Saward, Walter Sweeney (former Tory MP) and Mad Cow Girl.

This by-election will put all other elections in the shade!

A Generalist approach to EU life!

The candidates list in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election is due out soon. The Generalist Party is standing. They have some things to say which may be of interest. However, their information on the European Union is pithy and to the point.

The section designated for the EU simply says -

The European Union!
UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON!

That seems to be what the Irish understood. They more or less know that they will have to check back soon.

John Leslie fingered again!

John Leslie, the former Blue Peter presenter and daytime chat host, has described an allegation of rape made against him as "totally untrue". He has gone public over leaks to the press.

My concern with this is that it has all the hallmarks of opportunist cash-making. I believe Mr.Leslie is being "framed". Strong words, but there is an element of the dog with a bone here. It is all too easy for certain accusers to think that money will come their way. The tabloid press see no harm in raking over the coals. If Mr.Leslie gets burned, what of that to them. If they can get a "story" it's certainly money for them.

There needs to be a complete overhaul of our social attitudes. Rape victims need to know that they will be given a fair hearing with proper justice. However, we should be equally vigilant against the opportunist money-makers who think a well-known person will make an easy "victim".

Society has muddied the waters between decency and decadency. New Labour has promoted a climate in which sexual morality is a blurred concept. No wonder people have mixed emotions, ranging from petty revenge to clumsy cupboard love. What's in between would make a kaleidoscope blush.

John Leslie's statement

What's in a name?

Over the past few months Barack Obama's name has been the subject of much talk. How is it pronounced is one question. Burr Ark - that's how some Americans say it. "We've got a brand new vessel, Mr. Noah! It's the latest thing in flood protection!" Then there are the Barrack disciples. Sounds like an Army hut on its own. And then there's Beer Rack, a shelving system for Budweiser.

He should come out and declare which one is appropriate for a would-be president. Colin Powell did. Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army tried, in vain mostly, to get Captain Square to stop saying Main Waring. "It's Mannering!" he'd say, peevishly. Part of my antecedence is through the Burnett family. A great aunt used to admonish anyone who would not follow her advice. "I say wrap it up and throw it on the fire and BURN IT!" No Burr Nett for her! My grandmother spent most of her days in Yorkshire being labelled "Mrs Bayonet", which may not have been that inappropriate.

Names are very important. They are who we are. Get them wrong and we feel diminished in some way. I well remember being asked to chair a meeting and the tables had been arranged to form a square. I took the rash step of introducing about 25 names. An eager adviser came up afterwards, "I saw you struggling," he said, in a rather machievellian way. "You should have got them to say their own names". I learnt a lesson. Get a name wrong, and offence may be taken. I managed OK, but never again.

My mother was born in Lincolnshire. So was Margaret Thatcher. The link about stops there. However, Mrs T would talk fondly of Grantham and her father's shop. She put the town back on the map. My mother wondered not so much about Mr. Roberts and his grocery dispensing but if there was anyone left who did not say GRAN THUMB!

Anglican woes

The Anglican Communion is probably at an impasse that has taken it to the wall of schism. Whether we want to break it down, like the walls of Jericho, I do not know. All I do know is that via media is seemingly no longer possible without some kind of realignment.

The Episcopal Church in the USA thinks that going over the boundaries and then claiming new territury of thinking is OK. They think the church is a democracy. In a limited way it should be such as individual church ordering, but the Faith itself is not open to democratic whims. It is surely a received truth or it is nothing.

In many ways, the hierachy of the Episcopal Church can be seen as revisionists. They are papalbly opposed to anything other than their interpretation of the Faith. Anything or anyone else must either kow-tow or be marginalised. It is interesting that the media in general succumbs to the blandishments of the liberal thinkers rather than engage with the traditionalists. In many ways the traditionalists have truth on their side. The Latin word traho means I hand down. In Christian terms it means handing down the faith as received. It does not mean adding new doctrines to suit the World's ways. Within that Tradition should be tolerance, understanding, and compassion.

Katherine Jefferts Schori is the former Roman Catholic now leading the Episcopal Church. She has ongoing issues with traditional Catholic teaching. Her vehemence against it colours her beliefs, to such an extent that she issues dictacts and denouncements of those Episcopalians (still in the church that is) who feel uncomfortable with the new ideas. Mrs.Schori wants traditionalists to accept her as the Presiding Bishop. If, in conscience they can't, she wishes them gone. OK for those that turn a blind eye in the hope of being left alone, but the new ascendency demands new loyalties. This is half the problem with regards to Anglican unity.

Traditionalists are often accused of wanting to have a church-within-a-church. The accusers don't seem to see that a ruddy great cuckoo has landed in the nest and is kicking out the original chicks!

I don't want to see schism, but I can't go along with all the wants and desires of the liberals. We have impaired communion at best. Full communion is there only in name. Fractured communion has happened. If the Anglican Communion is to survive it must create structures across the world that can accommodate as many diverse opinions as to what Anglicanism is. Otherwise there will be two parallel communions. Not a disaster, but neither would it be helpful to the cause of unity.

Holland goes hup and out!

Oh well, it was good while it lasted. The general consensus in our house was that the Russians were the better team. It could have been different, but then that's the stuff of football. The Dutch scored one goal, giving us an extra half hour for the equaliser, but it was the second half of extra time that clinched it. Maybe the Russians can go all the way. It's not a foregone conclusion who may yet win the final game.

The Dutch did OK on the whole, but were not quite on top form tonight. It's hup and out and back home. They can be pleased the got to qualify, to get ten goals in the tournament, and to colour the place orange! Bravo!

Tories get legalistic in Henley

Is it a case of David Cameron huffing and puffing and trying to blow down the LibDems' house in Henley? In most by-elections where the Conservatives are defending a seat, the LibDems come up with all kinds of poetic licence. Falsehoods are par for the course. This time they have suggested two things. First that Boris Johnson, now succumbed in the penthouse suite of the Greater London Assembly as Mayor of the Metropolis, has a penchant for the LibDem policies and is keen on their candidate! Far-fetched, I'd say.

Second, they claim the Conservative candidate is less than supportive about community hospitals. The Tories are angry about claims in a Lib Dem leaflet that the Tory candidate John Howell watched the campaign to save Townlands community hospital in Henley "from the sidelines," when they say he was involved in it. That's one thing. They should have said he supported it and left it there. However threatening to sue the LibDems makes the whole issue far bigger than it ought to be.

Electorate's do not like sour grapes or bad losers. The Conservatives should have just countered the claim as is usual in a by-election. This has made the LibDems out to be the campaigners rather than the Tories.

Own goal with golden boots on, I'm afraid! They'd be far better off talking up the Real Opposition, the two young women from Beauties for Britain Party. Now Boris could have meant them!

Suggesting a serving suggestion?

It amuses me that all grocery items with a picture on the packaging have to have the words "Serving Suggestion" stuck on as well, close to the picture. This seems to serve (no pun intended!) two purposes. One is to protect the retailer/producer from unscrupulous customers who complain at the drop of a hat. "I thought a TV came with this pizza" and such. The second is that it is a lot shorter than putting "This is what it could look like if you take it out of the tub, spread it on a piece of bread and top it with a spidery-looking lettuce leaf, the sort you can't buy in the store!".

Serving Suggestion is a lot shorter. However, tagging every picture with this euphemism is not without stupidity. Sainsbury's has a pate which has a neat serving suggestion. A pile of spice and some celery leaves. Looks nice but the pate is not in the picture. Somebody just went ahead as usual and stuck it on.

It never occurred to Cerebos to put "Serving Suggestion" on their tins!

Cheesed off with the brown sauce!

It seems every trade and profession these days has its own business-speak. The catering industry is no exception. I'm a great fan of cookery programmes on TV. Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is my latest interest! It's made by the same company that does Nigela Lawson's shows. Thankfully, St. Vitas doesn't operate the cameras!

A lot of these cooks and chefs have developed the habit of saying that everything is "off" this and "off" that. Nothing is ever cooked properly in a word sense. It is baked off, boiled off, or sweated off. Sounds ghastly. Fanny Cradock only ever managed to sweat off Johnny. The one that really gets me is "pan-fried". Nothing is just fried these days. It is PAN FRIED!

One menu item is pan-fried sea bass. This popped up in the early 80's. I remember a time when it was just called bass. "I've got a nice piece of bass, madam!" as my mother looked over the Macfisheries slab. She never thought of pan frying it.

Do we ever ask for our eggs done this way? Americans are great at asking how we like our eggs at breakfast. They'd think I was some kind of plonker if I said "I'll have mine pan-fried!"

It is a kind of distancing. By using words to imply some form of complicated process, those not necessarily in the know think it is more important or possesses deeper meaning than it does. I have to say though that Pan-fried Sea Bass sounds far more exotic and appetising than just Fried Bass.

I'll be thinking today when in the kitchen what I want "fried off". Sausages might be an idea.

Hup! Holland! Hup! (Part 2)

The Euro 2008 shindig is hotting up. Turkey giving the Croats some pain. The French are out. Tonight it is Holland, as the footballing world call the Netherlands, probably because there are fewer syllables in it. The Dutch have done very well indeed. Nine goals - nine points. That's a winning formula. I shouldn't speak to soon. The opposition is Russian. Not a team to be underestimated. They will have "chances" no doubt.

Watching on television I will have to hope the commentators don't gabble too much. When they say something or give an opinion, the complete opposite happens next. John Motson is a prime example - indubitably!

One thing they haven't mastered yet is the pronunciation of the Dutch surnames of the players. My wife winces at the speech patterns. She tries it out on me. "Say Guus", she'll go. I try my best non-Sun attempt.

The sting in the tail in all this is that the coach of the Russian team is Guus Hiddink, described as a coaching genius. Van Basten will need all the wily skills to promote cohesion in the newly-found family friendly Dutch team. Wow!

I've got my Amstel bier cooling down and am ready to go.

EU Chief disdains democracy!

True to form the EU President gives a two-fingered salute to the Irish. Stuff their democratic decision. They got it wrong. They have to resit the exam! It's all like some Dickensian school with rogue teachers.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the EU chief, said, "The No vote in Ireland has not solved the problems which the Lisbon treaty is designed to solve... The European Commission believes that the remaining ratifications should continue to take their course." All of which have been kept far away from the electorates of these countries. Of course, the UK, France, Netherlands would vote NO if they could. So too would Germany. And probably the majority.

The EU is fast becoming a bad joke. Run by people who prefer snouts in money troughs, they are driven by the desire to get their hands on more lucre as the days go by. A joint statement came from the French and German governments who agreed, "We take note of the democratic decision of the Irish citizens with all due respect, even though we regret it." All due respect? How about the respect they show to their own people? Scant in the extreme!

Democracy is not what we think it is. The powerful will be led kicking and screaming to the edge before they give into to proper democracy. John Major described politics as a greasy pole. I think that's changed. It's now a bit like a Rubix cube. The players are all manipulated into position until the right result is achieved.

Well, Mr. Barroso! We have you rumbled, old chum! Your days are surely numbered.

Hup Holland hup!

Voorwaarts voor de Nederlanders. Het was een geweldige wedstrijd, vol oranje geest en vastberaden heid. Geen probleem dat Engeland niet van de partij is, het Nederlandse team zorgt voor alle nodige opwinding. Ik had nooit gedacht dat een Europacup zo geslaagd kon zijn. Het helpt natuurlijk, dat ik een Nederlandse vrouw heb....

Vanavond is ons huis oranje!

The Irish show how democracy works!

If it were up to the EU high command, voting would only be allowed when the answer was in their favour. A kind of benign Mugabeism. However, the Irish constitution has shown us all that democracy is a good thing. In all this, there is a vast difference between democracy and free speech. The EU let's us sound off about the outfit, but woe betide us getting a vote. The Irish were the only ones in the whole of the European Union to decide on whether they wanted this new-fangled version of the Constitution. According to the tally counters early indications show the No Campaign have won.

The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels says EU leaders are bracing for defeat in the Irish vote but are expected to press on with the treaty, which is meant to streamline decision-making in the now expanded EU. "Expected to press on with the treaty"? Steamrollers come to mind. No amount of voting will ever get through the thick heads of these Brussels-based bureaucrats that the European people don't trust their leaders in the direction that they are taking us. Jose Manuel Barroso, the EU President, just carries on regardless. Some democrat! Some European!

So now the Irish say NO. The Dutch and French said NO the last time they voted, although this time they were denied the right. I would hazard a guess that almost every country would vote NO. But Barroso, being the steamrolling type, doesn't trust the people. The Americans have the motto "In God we Trust". The EU has turned this into something like "In the People we do NOT Trust!".

They've been shown up for the shoddy shower that they are. Oh, and Mr. Barroso - perhaps now is the time to get your accounts in order, otherwise you'll never get us to believe you're running the EU properly!

Murdoch's Man versus Freedom & Liberty?

Whatever else Rupert Murdoch is he certainly isn't a man who likes to take his hand off the control button. He is the control freak's control freak. Kelvin Mackenzie, "former editor of the Sun", is one of his bagmen and apologist-in-chief. Mackenzie says he will stand against David Davis in the forthcoming by-election in Haltemprice and Howden if Labour bottle out. Let him! He's a mouthy type, who doesn't care much for others' liberties. Mackenzie, who backs Labour on 42 days, says he is "90%" likely to stand on behalf of the Sun. "I have been associated with The Sun for 30 years. The Sun is very, very hostile to David Davis because of his 28 day stance and The Sun has always been very up for 42 days and perhaps even 420 days." 420 days! Really? The man is an utter gutter-type attracter. I doubt he got bothered in the slightest over the Forest Gate cock-up. He probably thinks Guantanamo Bay is a great place for "terrorists". And let him not imply that those of us campaigning against this anti-freedom policy are soft on terrorism. No way. This attack on freedom only plays into the hands of terrorists and it also weakens us. If we are not free, who is the winner? Us or Alky Ada (the Prime Minister's new replacement for Prudence)?

On the radio this morning Mackenzie was leading the "if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to worry about" brigade with gusto. These types are just so intellectually challenged. How many times over the last 10 years, under the Blair regime and now under this Brown sauce collective, have we seen a total mismanagement of freedoms and liberty? Has Mackenzie ever heard of identity theft? Of the police knocking on the wrong door? With so many computer discs going astray from government offices, the day he gets woken up at 6am, to be told he knocked over somebody in Tesco, is fast approaching!!!

Gordon Brown is running a government that has only 20% support from the total electorate. That means a whopping 80% either voted for other parties or stayed away from the polls last time.Yes, 80% did not give their support to New Labour. Yet the obnoxious McNulty, that Home Office minister, seems to think his anti-libertarian stance has the backing of the public. McNulty says Davis is off-beam. I'd give David Davis high marks for integrity. With McNulty, I'd show him the door of the Spinners' and Deceivers' room!

Yes this will be an extraordinary by-election. It will be all those in favour of freedom and civil liberty pitted against the control freaks. History doesn't change much, but as David Davis says, I too don't want to live in a country where anyone can be just pulled of the street and flung into jail without blinking an eyelid!

Dominic Grieve to be new Shadow Home Secretary

David Cameron has appointed Dominic Grieve as shadow Home Secretary now that David Davis is off to fight a by-election. I've got all the political time for Grieve. He's never far from the truth. In fact, if there was a possibility of turning him into Tony Blair, like a version of the classic Vice Versa, he'd have several fits a day trying not to spin and deceive! Dominic Grieve has spotted the baloney in Brown's logic over 42 days. I hope he takes apart the hapless Jacqui Smith and shows her up to be the terror of liberty that she really is.

New Labour! All spin and no substance.

The Henley By-election line-up

Today was closing day for nominations in the Henley By-election. Boris has gone, make way for, well, one of these!

In alphabetical order -

Chris Adams - UK Independence Party
Derek Allpass - English Democrats
Louise Cole - Independent (Miss Great Britain Party)
Amanda Harrington - Independent (Miss Great Britain Party)
John Howell - Conservatives
Stephen Kearney - Liberal Democrats
Richard McKenzie - Labour
Bananaman Owen - Monster Raving Loony Party
Timothy Rait - British National Party
Dick Rodgers - The Common Good
Mark Stevenson - Green Party
Harry Bear - The Fur Play Party

The Fur Play Party? Sounds like Cilla Black's needed!

David Davis on the highwire!

A shock move at Westminster means that there will be yet another by-election. Just when we thought there wouldn't be any, three come along at once. A bit like London buses (and the No.6 in Birmingham!). David Davis has resigned as an MP. He feels he ought to fight a by-election to prove a point. The point being that Gordon Brown's government is busily eroding our freedoms.

My view is that Davis is wrong in his calculations. The British public have never liked unnecessary by-elections. He will win big, because this attack on the Government's illiberal activities appears to be a joint venture with the LibDems. However, it is risky. If it is a low poll it will give the part-time MP job-sharing with an MSP, who also doubles up as the Prime Minister, every reason to gloat. As I have mentioned before, Wilson tried to force an election in Leyton in 1965 and got the two-finger treatment. Later, in Mitcham & Morden, Bruce Douglas-Mann resigned, on a point of principle, and lost. He'd joined the SDP and felt his constituents needed a vote. The one case where it turned out OK was Dick Taverne's by-election in Lincoln in 1973, when he stood as Democratic Labour. In the main, however, it is always a risky policy. The electorate won't be voting on the 42 day proposal but on whatever takes their fancy on the day.

I hope he doesn't come a cropper. I think Davis is a principled man. Not so the woman from Redditch, who needs a whopping great Redditch needle to prick her conscience!

New Labour is a bad joke. Yesterday Brown said that the Home Secretary could come to the Commons with a letter describing the need for 42 days if she was told there was a threat. Of course, the pending case could not be discussed. So the House of Commons would have to take her at her word. She'd be flapping about like Neville Chamberlain. If I were there, I just couldn't believe her. Sorry, but it would be true. They all have a track record of out-talking the smartest weasel alive!

So, Haltemprice and Howden By-election here we come!

Murdoch says "I shape the agenda!"

Rupert Murdoch is a man who doesn't often fail in getting his own way. An Australian masquerading as an American, with a penchant for having a bash at Brits he despises "You British can be such...." and so on. He may be OK with his friends, but the rest of us have to make do with him manipulating his own media so that he can, in his own words, SHAPE THE AGENDA. He's shaped it big time with Fox News. He freely admits he followed the Bush policy detail. Even though he acknowledges that some are against the War in Iraq, I bet it doesn't bother him that much.

This little video shows he's still keen on manipulation. Shaping the agenda, indeed!!

Paul supporters gear up for GOP Texas meeting

Ron Paul's campaign now boils down to "Let him speak!". It a fairly simple message, but one that the GOP bigwigs seem desperate to avoid, especially at national level. Supporters of Ron Paul want to make the most of his Texas home turf to promote his message before thousands of GOP activists attending the state convention in Houston.

The Texas GOP is sounding reasonable when it comes to freedom of expression. "Grassroots leaders from across Texas will have the opportunity as they do at every state convention to organize, energize and vocalize their views," said state party spokesman Hans Klingler. This should be a fantastic opportunity then to get the Ron Paul message across. Republican Party leaders say they expect a variety of opinions at the huge convention, which runs Thursday through Saturday and typically attracts about 14,000 participants. Of those, about 6,500 are delegates and 6,500 are alternates. Let's hope Mr. Klinger is a man of his word! It would be even better if Ron Paul was able to speak for himself, but it appears the messenger may have to make way for the message deliverers. A kind of Ron Paul postal service with several deliveries!

UKIP in Henley

I've just had a message about the UKIP candidate in the Henley by-election on 26th June. His name is Chris Adams and he's got a very good website for his election campaign. One issue that will or should be high up on the list is the closure of rural post offices. As ever, it's the EU behind it for most of the way. Plus you've got to make up the shortfall when the boss of the Post Office is sunning himself in far flung regions having pocketed a £3 million bonus topped wage packet.


The Real Reason for closures. Listen to Mr.Adams. “It’s outrageous that the people here have not been told the real reason why their post office is closing. There are people here who simply can’t travel miles to another branch and nor should they have to. But the fact is that this decision was made last year by the government and the EU and the consultation process was simply a smokescreen”.

“The simple truth is that post offices are closing because Tories, Labour and Lib Dems voted in Brussels to strip the Royal Mail of hundreds of thousands of pounds, and people in this constituency should remember that when they come to vote.”

I hope the BBC gets the message too, so they can tell it as it is. As I say on my blog heading - I'm a staunch opponent of political spin and deception. Seems the Royal Mail has it by the mail sack!

The Googly Woogly Blues

I thought I'd be clever and change by blog settings. Part of the problem has been the recent choice of template. I thought it was OK but it didn't load up properly. Now I'm no techy geek, but I am not internet challenged either. When Blogger first set up, I joined. Now it's part of Google and I think that's quite fine. But it is a platform in its own image. It doesn't necessarily sit well with other stuff that has been "introduced". A lot of templates are rejected by Blogger, so getting one that fits seems to be part of the package.

This blogging business is all very much self taught for most of us. I remember going out and getting a moped years ago as a late teenager. When I first tried the thing I thought I would never get the hang of it. All too scary! Then bravado kicked in and I got used to it. A top speed of 30 mph suddenly became rather tame. I went at 4o downhill and the engine blew up. Taking it back to the shop, the guy said "You've caned it!". I never got so far as proper motor bikes, but I got a better, faster moped. It's all a bit like that with blogging. I started with fairly boring templates, then tried some fancy new ones. Trouble was I "caned" the last two because they were over-widgeted by me. Now, hoping, I've got a stable one that won't do it's own thing.

Hillary's last hoorah!

Hillary Clinton has less than 24 hours in which to concede victory to Barack Obama. With super delegates peeling off into the Obama camp, Jimmy Carter joining the rest of his extended family in backing the senator from Illinois, it seems for her it is over when it's over, as over is now. She did well. She was the first woman to break the mould so to speak. Bill may not be going to be First Gentleman, but he can console himself with the possibility of being the second gent on the block, if that's what the V-P's spouse will be.

Clinton has said she is "open" to becoming Obama's vice-presidential running mate. This comes as the US primary elections draw to a close, and she may well be wise to say such a thing. A bruising convention will do nobody any good. One that is more of a rally, well that will be what the Democratic party faithfull will want to see. With a ticket that has both on it, all parts of the party will be satisfied. Hillary should heed that great American saying "Well, you do the math!". As it stands, the arithmetic is not on her side.

Clinton campaign chief Terry McAuliffe said the reports of her V-P thoughts were "100%" incorrect.

"I can honestly say as chairman of this campaign that until someone has the numbers, this campaign carries on. The race goes on. We've got two important votes today and then tomorrow we've got to work the super-delegates and we believe we can persuade enough super-delegates to come over and support Senator Clinton." That is bold talk, but I think I will wake up tomorrow morning hearing that Obama is the nominee. What a year it's been for him!

Ron Paul says It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

Ron Paul's approach to politics is fairly simple. Keep to the message, be friendly to your opponents, and believe in the Constitution. The fact that a hell of lot of people think the same way has run through the present political establishment like a hot knife through butter. They are still keen to extinquish all this fervour if they can. Rubbish Ron on the TV, kick up a stink in the papers, and try to run rings round him in Congress. Poor deluded fools that they are! They are like King Canute sitting on the beach trying to hold back the waves.

This is the year that change will happen. The warmongers, the city spivs, the corrupt and the craved, all will be quaking in their boots come November - or at least they should be.

Ron Paul remains an official GOP candidate and has about $5 million in the bank, and a mighty band of fanatical followers. That should cause the GOP high command to think. Well, it does, actually. How can we stop this troublesome man? Seems history is repeating itself over and over. A bit like that record in the opening scenes of Al Pacino's 1989 film, Sea of Love - "Do you remember the sea of love"?

Speaking to Newsweek, Paul was as frank as ever. Ask a simple question and you get the simple truth. "What are your feelings toward Bob Barr?" Newsweek asks. "We're pretty friendly. We're allies, he's a good friend. He has called me a couple times recently, so it's very cordial." Newsweek sniffs a sensation coming! "Even though he has been targeting your supporters?" Sounds like they can't believe the answer. "I can't blame him. I'm sure that's his goal". And Ron Paul gives a little laugh.

We've had so much corruption, so much spin and deception, that journalists are primed to detect the smallest suggestion of devious behaviour. When given straight answers, they get all confused. How sad!

My gut feeling, and it's as cerebrally challenged as that, is that the largest constituency currently in American politics is the third party/independents group. The big question is - will they act as a cohesive block, or just go into several directions at once? Only time will tell.