Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to ScottY,
F**king Friday the 13th!
As you were.
I've added the link now.
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Meanwhile, Don Brash's open letter to John key might be the most socially divisive rant I've ever seen from a New Zealand political leader. Winston Peters included.
It's bizarre.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Policy is on Labour’s side, and Key is increasingly a sitting duck. But their PR has been patchy since Mike Munro departed. And Goff comes across as a first-rate captain and a second-rate general – like Mike Moore in the 1990-1993 term.
Whatever charisma Goff had -- and it wasn't a lot -- seems to drain away daily. 3 News had quite a nice little story about old Clyde dam workers outraged by the idea that the dam might be privatised.
It was clearly a story supplied by Labour, and Goff was there on location -- but every time he was on camera it was like the lights went out. I think it's a real problem for them.
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Hard News: Doing battle alone, in reply to johnno,
My understanding was that execs at TV3 were very reluctant to pay the previously-agreed price for the latest 60 Minutes story - and it took the lobbying of Mike McRoberts to convince said bosses that it was an important story, and that they had an obligation to Stephenson. Thank god they saw the light.
Yes, I think Mike McRoberts deserves real credit for holding the line there.
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Hard News: Doing battle alone, in reply to Jimmy D,
Well, Steve, that's your opinion of course and I assert my right to dismiss it. I can wheel on dozens of other commenters with conflicting opinions that are equally valid. I bet you believe in Global Warming too ;-)
Don Brash says he has a mate who reckons that whole climate change thing is bunk.
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Needless to say, I won't be reading the thread. I know how that one goes already.
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Hard News: The witless on the pitiless, in reply to DexterX,
I responded in Bomber’s blog about some of the things he is saying re the Hobbitt and RB which I know to be wrong – and as it so happens these responses along with those of others remain hidden.
That’s a bit unfortunate. I think what I wrote, citing Paul L, was in the spirit of vigorous debate. But it seems the Hobbit thing is catching on. It seems a bit unfair, given that I’ve discussed those issues quite fairly with protagonists from either side, on stage or on camera, and asked pretty pointed questions of the producers’ side in the same context. Basically, it’s odd that I’m good with Robyn Malcolm and Peter Elliot but still a class traitor to the Standardistas.
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Up Front: First, Come to Your Conclusion, in reply to Tamara,
Starting with Shelley Bridgman hopefully.
It has occurred to me that there's a reason other than her witless opinions to think unkindly about Shelley Bridgeman.
She's the kind of daft hobbyist who is driving down both standards and rates of pay in freelance journalism.
Grrrr.
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Hard News: The witless on the pitiless, in reply to AndrewH,
WTF has the depradations of Al Queda in Iraq to do with Bin Laden? The linked Wiki article on AII mentions Bin Laden exactly twice, and it seems to me fantastical to suggest he was in some way personally directing it's activities.
You're not kidding, are you?
Okay, this, from 2008:
Osama bin Laden has called on Iraqis to unite under Al-Qaeda (AFP)
In a 56-minute audio statement released on the Internet on December 29,
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden issued his most vocal criticism to date
of Iraqi nationalist insurgent groups.Bin Laden said the failure of Sunni Arab insurgents to align with Al-Qaeda in Iraq is hurting the global jihadist effort and will ultimately impede the establishment of an Islamic state in Iraq. He also criticized Sunni Arab tribal leaders in Iraq who have joined the fight against Al-Qaeda, saying they were weak-hearted and misled, and he took aim at Shi'ite leaders, including Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim and Muqtada al-Sadr, saying they are quislings of the United States and Iran.
And this from this week:
Al-Qaeda's offshoot in Iraq on Monday claimed a suicide car bombing that killed 24 policemen south of Baghdad last week and vowed revenge attacks in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death.
And this:
The Iraq affiliate of Al Qaeda has pledged allegiance to Ayman Al Zawahiri to fill in the vacant position of the network’s top leadership after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Al Arabiya TV reported on Monday.
These people don't exactly carry membership cards, but to suggest that Bin Laden had no connection to Al Qaeda in Iraq is unsustainable, to put it mildly.
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Hard News: The witless on the pitiless, in reply to Simon Grigg,
They did however, a short while back, issue a fatwa on women riding alone in cabs – apparently the male drivers might be tempted to stray. It was, however, up to the woman to curb the desires by obeying the ruling.
I propose sending over Emma Hart to knock some heads together.