Prime Minister Gillard assures Obama of support in war

[depakid]

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has assured US President Barack Obama of her full support for the military campaign in Afghanistan.

Ms Gillard said she had a lengthy phone conversation with Mr Obama this morning and told him Australian efforts in Afghanistan were expected to continue. She said she told the President Australia's approach to the NATO-led coalition's campaign would be the same as it was under her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, who stood down yesterday.

She also invited Mr Obama to visit Australia. "He would be very, very welcome indeed," Ms Gillard said. "I would imagine a visit by President Obama would be greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm by Australians." She also said Mr Obama told her he would "very much like to travel to Australia" and had fond memories of Sydney from his trip here at the age of eight.

Ms Gillard said she told her American counterpart "any time he chooses to travel to Australia he'd be very welcome". Ms Gillard said she also apologised to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for not going to the planned G20 meeting in Toronto, Canada. Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan leaves for the meeting today.

(Wayne Swan was the Treasurer, holds a PhD in economics and along with Kevin Rudd, was the architect of the aggressive and well targeted stimulus policies that kept Australia out of the great recession).

More: http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-assures-obama-of-support-in--war-20100625-z5sv.html?autostart=1

[izquierdista]

1. Well, fuck her then.....

Another sycophant supporting misguided policies.

[depakid]

2. For the time being, she doesn't really have a lot of choice in the matter

If and when she's elected in her own right, things might change a bit.

The US saved Australia's ass in WW II, when the British would have let us fall. A lot of Australians still remember that, and so tend to support America's misadventures. To a point.

[izquierdista]

3. They could save our ass now

By talking some sense.

[depakid]

4. Rudd and Swan did that during the economic meltdown

Big time- and got international acclaim for it. Rudd only ended up being rolled because backed away from one too many policies and campaign promises- and relied too much on an insular kitchen cabinet. His constituencies and the electorate in general began to seriously question what, if anything he stood for, and lost their trust.

That combined with an overly cool, technocratic style meant that he could no longer connect with the people.

Julia Gillard on the other hand is a far more cunning operator who has cultivated and practices quite naturally the things we see researchers like George Lakoff and Drew Westen exhorting the Democrats to do.