Howard's Gamble

For several months, Australian polls have shown PM John Howard lagging well behind the new opposition leader, Mark Latham. The War in Iraq is a central divisive issue and Howard, the master of wedge politics, thinks it could be a winner. His Anzac Day trip to visit troops in Iraq is a sign that Howard, like Blair and Bush, is a true believer in the mad logic of this illegal escapade. It is also a sign of desperation.

Consider this: in Iraq on the same day as Howard, the Bulgarian President's motorcade came under fire. And "a planned visit by the Prime Minister to the Australian Frigate, HMAS Stuart was cancelled after the ship became involved in a rescue operation after a suicide attack."

Maybe it's lucky Howard wasn't killed. Can you imagine? The media would have treated him as a hero, withdrawal from Iraq would have become unthinkable, and Howard's anachronistic politics would be cemented in place for another decade. Such is the power of our media-driven politics...