Hi Geoff – to make the above into quotes just copy and paste the line under 'Quote' to the left of the 'Post a reply' window. delete the word 'text' and copy in the paragraph you are referring to.

Many thanks, Bob. Will see if this works.

I thought we'd all concluded that the published material came from the defense side, not the police side. Or was the one published on the internet different from the one the Dom used?

Graeme: Distinction noted. Kyle: Buggered if I know, but IMO anyone who thinks the Police don't routinely…

Hi Geoff – to make the above into quotes just copy and paste the line under 'Quote' to the left of the 'Post a reply' window. delete the word 'text' and…

However, there was an acknowledged winner of…

Both Democrat candidates beat McCain. Obama beats him by a little bit more.

With the Resko trial just getting started, there is plenty of time for this stuff to come out before the Dem convention in Denver.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/obamas_iraqi_oil_for_food_conn.html

The media do appear…

Andrew--I was involved with the Wgtn Film Soc…

I thought we'd all concluded that the published material came from the defense side, not the police side. Or was the one published on the internet different from the one the Dom used?

The internet one was definitely from the defence side, it's unclear who provided the Dom Post's copy.…

If they're 'charged' with contempt, then the S-G is effectively admitting that it is impossible for Te Qaeda members to get a fair trial, and that all the firearms charges should be permanently stayed.

I think I can see why he wants to avoid conceding that point.

You're the lawyer…

re: Soccer, it was one of the things I left the UK to get away from.

Plus soccer viewing is by no means as universal an interest as people make out. In my office of 20 people, we had one person who followed the game enough to…

At first glance it looks like John Key has had a word with Martin Simons, head of APN, and, it seems, another member of our wannebe oligarchy. And it seems…

Andrew: you may be confusing me with someone else as I don't remember doing this.

Ooh sorry, I assumed you'd be the same Geoff Lealand who was editor of the Wgtn Film Soc's magazine in the 80s & who was a media studies lecturer at, I think, Massey for a while.…

Andrew: you may be confusing me with someone else as I don't remember doing this. I was arts editor for the UoC student newspaper for a year or…

This guy could be our prime…

Because it is the best league in the number one sport in the world perhaps? Other…

I think I can see why he wants to avoid conceding that point.

So can I, but can see the S-G is eventually going to have get a spine implant and assert that suppression orders exist for damn good reasons and hacks (and the Police officers who love leaking to…

I'm still wondering why the Dominion Post hasn't been charged with contempt over the publication of the so-called 'terrorism files'

If they're 'charged' with contempt, then the S-G is effectively admitting that it is impossible for Te Qaeda members to get a fair trial, and that all the firearms charges…

but anyone who has been to a Football match in the UK ... will understand that spectator sport in this country can seem a bit passionless at times

Agreed – although my experiences were primarily at the Shed end of Stamford Bridge.

He could have been clearer, couldn't he?

I'd personally like Cullen to stop being so fraking cute, and tell us exactly what the Government considers "strategic infrastructure".

Talking of political management, I see APN is curtailing freedom of speech of one of its publications.

And cute link to Colin Espiner,…

A popular vote that included many Republican and independent voters that turned up on the day to vote for Obama. That's the rules and Obama benefits from that particular anomaly.

What data I've seen pretty clearly suggests that in Texas the Republicans and independents split fairly evenly — and I…

Plus soccer viewing is by no means as universal an interest as people make out. In my office of 20 people, we had one person who followed the game enough to own a season…

On the Auckland airport thing, is there something in people thinking it is OK to sell off assets to Canada but not Dubai?

But...but... it's a pension fund! How can you deny some old people a few meagre dollars to support their subsistence living?

No doubt DPF and his freedom loving buddies have a picture of Joe Stalin ready to go alongside the names of the perpetrators of this "retraction".

But these are national polls that don't indicate how the electoral college might go. The popular vote as we all know is not the determiner. It's who can win in states like Ohio and Florida.

They're also polls in March and February, not November. I suspect Clinton will argue that…

I don't agree with English on a lot of things, but at least you always know where he stands. With Key you simply do not.

Agreed and agreed.

In between those two there was Brash. On the one hand, you knew where he stood on most things. He could articulate…

Key's performance in the media just demonstrates how woefully ill-equipped for the job he really is. Challenge a position or question the detail and he falls to pieces – every time.

He is mediocre at taking a firm stance, isn't he? He probably does have his own personal views on…

But whatever the numbers say, I can see them battling this out until the convention, trading wins and losses all the way down the line. And that is something I'm not too keen on, because I think they need to be attacking McCain, not each other...

yeah the polls are…

...it's the only major sport we've got a change of beating them at. Hmm I suppose there's cricket too :)

And basketball.

NZ's rules were out of step:

1. Under the stapled security approach, NZ would have lost serious dollars overseas: it's designed as a "tax efficient" structure. That was the only value these guys were bringing to the table, and that's why it was…

– Cultural cringe? Nah, you'd never get anyone that *actually follows* it giving that any air. You could argue Rugby fans suffer from CC as well, and it's taken off here the way it has because it's the only major sport we've…

and Obama would do the same. I think the odds favour Obama but at present he's more likely to loose against McCain than she is and she's gone back to having the lead nationally.

As always, it depends on which polls you're looking at. Your link was to…

freakish about face is harsh. National made very clear when the suggestion of raising the age of full criminal responsibilty to 18 was raised that they were appalled at such a suggestion.

I guess so. I just read the speech as saying they'd expedite the passage of the measure he…

Turns out that if you voted in the Texas primaries, you're prohibited to sign a petition for an indy candidate.

That was just bizarre. It's not just that there are various levels of government in America that are anti-democratic.

It's that they're not even subtle about it.

God forbid that we should sell monopoly assets to foreigners. It is…

And on English football. I really can't get interested in it, even though I tried when we were living in Cardiff in 2004. It was interesting how…

A popular vote that included many Republican and independent voters that turned up on the day to vote for Obama. That's the rules and Obama benefits from that particular anomaly.

It's not an anomaly – I'm pretty sure republicans and independents get to vote in November :-)

You're right about…

Could someone tell me – and I am genuinely fascinated to hear a sensible answer – why so many people are obsessed with a foreign domestic competition on the other side of the world?

People follow all sorts of sport from all over the world. What's the problem?

Also, along…

He compared 2 party system to systematic capitalist oligopoly.

Turns out that if you voted in the Texas primaries, you're prohibited to sign a petition for an indy candidate.

In another state, you…

Less forgivable, in my view, is National's freakish about-face on support for Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Amendment Bill (No 6) — whose extension of youth sentences Key declared in his January State of the nation speech to be "long overdue"

freakish about face is harsh. National made very…

Yes, if Clinton loses the popular votes, scores fewer delegates and gets the nomination thanks to a clot of unelected and unaccountable party grandees...

A popular vote that included many Republican and independent voters that turned up on the day to vote for Obama. That's the rules and Obama benefits…

Last year, long-overdue legislation was tabled to allow these sentences to extend to six months. National supports this extension and in Government we will, as a matter of priority, pass the legislation to make it happen.

Saying that you'll implement an extension of youth sentences (along with a lot of…

So if it's about choosing a candidate who will win then those superdelegates might have a bit of thinking to do.

Neil:

Yes, if Clinton loses the popular votes, scores fewer delegates and gets the nomination thanks to a clot of unelected and unaccountable party grandees...

Well, I'll just say…

These are relatively small fits of indecision, but will have confirmed in Labour's mind that Key is prone to blurting when he can't phone a friend.

Lucky for him in politics, the 50/50 option is almost always available. Sell/don't sell. Smack/don't smack kids. Deadline for treaty negotiations/not... er almost, kinda…

A lot of Republicans won't vote this election because things havn't gone so well for their ideas recently. That'll make McCain's result lower than his…

Could someone tell me – and I am genuinely fascinated to hear a sensible answer – why so many people are obsessed with a foreign domestic competition on the other side of the world?

I am puzzled. Is it colonial cringe? Cultural cringe?…

If she plans to seek the nomination without winning the delegate count, then the floors of the Democratic convention will surely be quick with blood …

and Obama would do the same. I think the odds favour Obama but at present [[http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/general_election_match_up_history|he's more likely to loose against McCain than she…

But good news...Liverpool 4, West Ham 0

Offended!

Kick a man while he's down whydoncha!

Well that also depends on the fall out from the…

The sudden decision's political effectiveness was greatly enhanced by the fact that it actually put John Key on the spot, whereupon he looked some way short of decisive in reply.

Especially when I think he'd do us all a favour if he just told Duncan Garner to go fuck himself…