Hard News: The Spiral of Events
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"Do you think that John Key's endless virtuous comments might come to haunt him?"
Yes, but virtue in politics is surely a plus. If he gets roasted one day because of 'virtue' then let it be.
For "virtuous", read "self-righteous".
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I don't mind having a lie in, but I'd rather not spend it in the company of Peters and Plunket.
sounds like a cautionary tale about nappies.
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Winston sounded like he was on the ropes and almost out this morning. Even his cliches were coming out mangled and the bite was definitely toothless (excuse the mixed metaphors).
But then Plunket let him off the hook! He moved from trying to get the details of what was said between Sir Bob and NZ First and their relative positions vis a vis the books and payments - and then he changed tack and asked about whether he should stand down! Damn - he almost had him.
It was such a shame - Peters did a great job on the Winebox but turned the whole media attack thing into a perceived conspiracy from the powers behind the veil which he's fed off for years. Now he's been exposed as a hypocrite and he's hiding behind the semantics of the law. Shame on him.
Actually, a pox on all their houses. It's hard to not become increasingly cynical about the whole beltway thing and how it operates.
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But then Plunket let him off the hook!
This is a big judgment to make, I know, but I had the distinct impression that he took pity on Peters.
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The square root of pi is 1.7724538090.
1.772453851, call me picky? you would have been OK if you had left off the last zero. Otherwise....good one. ;-)
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__No, I don't buy that at all. There is legitimate public interest in these matters, and it's Peters who has raised the stakes by calling everyone around him corrupt and a liar.__
Russell, I thought you'd be the last one sucked in by this beatup.
It's not a beatup. Look upthread at that NZF press release this morning: he's accusing the Serious Fraud Office of targeting him to shut him down as a critic. That's so not trivial. A MInister of the Crown who accuses a statutory body of corruption because it investigates him had better have bloody extraordinary proof.
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Actually, a pox on all their houses. It's hard to not become increasingly cynical about the whole beltway thing and how it operates.
Great, the beltway term I was castigated for using in some quarters yesterday is really catching on! ;-)
Doesn't look like he'll be gone by lunchtime ... any picks on whether he'll still be a Minister by the time Checkpoint comes on tonight?
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Doesn't look like he'll be gone by lunchtime ... any picks on whether he'll still be a Minister by the time Checkpoint comes on tonight?
I say he'll be singing Daisy, Daisy come three pm.
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Doncha just hate it when you cant prove the truth? If I were in Winstons position I would have walked away long ago, when they're out to get you yopu're gonna get got.
Someone said to me last night "In politics truth is subjective but perception is set in concrete" And that may be true but it sure as hell don't make it right. -
"wow, the media has decided it's time to finish Winston Peters."
Winston Peters decided to finish Winston Peters at the time he's alleged to have decided to do exactly the kind of thing he's made hug political capital out of in the past - shady deals with wealthy New Zealand businessmen.
If turned out Fay or Richwhite had dropped a hundred grand on John Key in questionable circumstances and Winnie got wind of it, he'd be riding it to the next election.
(Not, I should add, that I wish to insult Mr Glenn quote that grossly by comparing him to those two scumbags,but you get the idea...)
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(Also: Is Helen now regretting going with Peters instead of the Greens? Inquiring minds want to know...)
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If turned out Fay or Richwhite had dropped a hundred grand on John Key...
There's more than a few MPs I'd like to drop a hundred grand on, provided it was dollar coins dropped from a great height.
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If turned out Fay or Richwhite had dropped a hundred grand on John Key
Maybe they have, maybe they haven't, we will never know. They have "better" systems than NZ First.
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What doesn't seem to be being considered, is that there wasn't actually a terribly compelling reason for Winston to lie so blatantly about the Owen donation. If he'd come clean it would be a dead issue by now. But with this while 'no sign' fiasco it's completely blown up in his face.
Would have really have been naive for people in the govt. to actually believe Winston on this one with such an emphatic denial over an issue which isn't actually that serious?? Yes, HC could have gone rooting about asking for evidence and such forth, but can you imagine Winston's reaction to that? He would have brought down the government first.
Anyway, it occurs to me that Winston's vigerous denials may have been as much about making a show to HC, as much as anything.
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Also: Is Helen now regretting going with Peters instead of the Greens? Inquiring minds want to know...)
Helen had no choice if she wanted to form the government. Dunne refused to go into coalition with the Greens, and NZ1 & UF had more votes combined than the Greens could muster.
I've said it before. Labour didn't screw the Greens in 2005. The Greens were unable to deliver Labour a majority in the House.
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Ouch... my bad. Sorry about that, because I get rather pissy when people FUBAR my name and it's nice to repay the courtesy.
Are you high?
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I'm stuck for a metaphor for Sean Plunket's extraordinary, impromptu interview with Winston Peters this morning.
I found myself thinking "Now I know what the sound of a man digging his own grave is like."
This has all been very messy for Labour, but at least Clark has reached out for the big needle and is about to lance the boil.
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Great, the beltway term I was castigated for using in some quarters yesterday is really catching on! ;-)
And rightly so too.
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Oops, and by rightly so, I meant the castigation bit.
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I've said it before. Labour didn't screw the Greens in 2005. The Greens were unable to deliver Labour a majority in the House.
What if the Maori Party hadn't been the last cab off the rank?
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Oops, and by rightly so, I meant the castigation bit.
Oh for Chrissakes...
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I think my one qualm about the fairness of the whole business is wondering how it would play out if the media demanded every other party prove their anonymous donations went to the right place.
It's annoying because that's interfering with my personal sense of satisfaction.
OTOH, Winston probably wouldn't have ended up here if he'd blustered less (but if he did that, he wouldn't be Winston, so I guess that point is moot).
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What if the Maori Party hadn't been the last cab off the rank?
To be fair, I would think Labour were last cab off the rank or Tariana at the time too.
Who knows? Perhaps if the Greens had brought the Maori Party onside (all things remaining equal) she would have jumped with them. To contradict my statement above, it's impossible to separate the personalities in such circumstances.
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Beltway? pahhh. You'll be telling us that Helen works out of the Whitehouse next.
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Nope, any more than a funny hat or snobby relations does.
I don't see your point I/S. You don't think the democratic process counts for anything?
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