Oh for the love of...
PM on defensive over phone chat with Bush
KEVIN RUDD insists only he and a staffer were in the study at Kirribilli House when George Bush rang, but the Prime Minister has refused to say whether others outside the room could have overheard the phone call to the US President, a detailed account of which appeared in a newspaper.
A report in The Australian alleged that during the conversation on October 10, Mr Bush had asked Mr Rudd what the G20 was.
As the Opposition continued to demand that Mr Rudd explain how the account of the conversation was published, a source told the Herald the United States ambassador had complained directly to the Prime Minister.
The Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, plans to pursue the matter in Parliament next week. He said "we all know" the newspaper story "came from him or from somebody speaking with his authority".
Mr Turnbull said that the winner of the US presidential election would be wary of Mr Rudd.
"The version of events that was put out there was designed to make Mr Rudd look like a diplomatic encyclopedia and make Mr Bush look stupid," he said.
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Turnbull, if the Parliament was the Internet, 90% of it would tell you "STFU nOOb!"
(And I thought Howard as the Liberal leader was bad!)
EDIT: And I have to add, "...and make Mr Bush look stupid"? Isn't that like shooting fish in a (pork) barrel?
KEVIN RUDD insists only he and a staffer were in the study at Kirribilli House when George Bush rang, but the Prime Minister has refused to say whether others outside the room could have overheard the phone call to the US President, a detailed account of which appeared in a newspaper.
A report in The Australian alleged that during the conversation on October 10, Mr Bush had asked Mr Rudd what the G20 was.
As the Opposition continued to demand that Mr Rudd explain how the account of the conversation was published, a source told the Herald the United States ambassador had complained directly to the Prime Minister.
The Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, plans to pursue the matter in Parliament next week. He said "we all know" the newspaper story "came from him or from somebody speaking with his authority".
Mr Turnbull said that the winner of the US presidential election would be wary of Mr Rudd.
"The version of events that was put out there was designed to make Mr Rudd look like a diplomatic encyclopedia and make Mr Bush look stupid," he said.
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Turnbull, if the Parliament was the Internet, 90% of it would tell you "STFU nOOb!"
(And I thought Howard as the Liberal leader was bad!)
EDIT: And I have to add, "...and make Mr Bush look stupid"? Isn't that like shooting fish in a (pork) barrel?