Howard displaces Obama in Blair House
by quill - ABC Wednesday, Jan 7 2009, 7:58pm
international / social/political / commentary

Australia’s Obama-bashing, racist, conservative former PM, John ‘deputy sheriff’ Howard, is currently occupying the traditional premises of the President Elect prior to inauguration, the historic Blair House in Washington. Obama and family have been forced to play second fiddle to Howard who is in Washington to receive an award from Bush. Forcing the President Elect to defer to a former leader of an insignificant little, servile nation of cringing cowards and lackeys is a disgrace – skin colour continues to matter in America it seems! The displacement was clearly intentional; self-confessed racist, John Howard, is well-pleased at the 'honour' accorded him by his partner in crime, G W Bush. However, the shame associated with this despicable act is all America's!

Lackey, coward and war criminal, John Howard

Australians and the world remember Howard most for his unflinching servility to Bush and his degrading and untrue comments levelled at Barack Obama in the early stages of the presidential race, "If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats," stated Howard in 2007! Howard’s extremely misguided comments made in support of his partner in crime G W Bush, reverberated around the globe, earning Oz more demerits and etching our ignorant, parochial, racist status even deeper into international consciousness!

Howard continues to occupy the traditional residence of the President Elect while the Obama family is forced to stay in a hotel; shame on America! I guess there is some truth in the expression, ‘as thick as thieves!’

The following report is adapted from a report by Michael Rowland from the ABC:

US media jumps on Howard's Obama bump

Former prime minister John Howard and his wife are coming in for a bit of stick in the United States for their role in bumping President-elect Barack Obama and his family from the presidential guesthouse in Washington.

Mr Howard accepted an invitation to stay at historic Blair House on the night before he receives the presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W Bush.

Mr Howard says he had no idea he was going to displace Mr Obama when he accepted a White House invitation to stay at Blair House some months ago.

But in doing so he has inadvertently denied the Obamas from using the palatial guest house, the place where incoming presidents usually stay before their inauguration.

Mr Obama asked to stay at Blair House but was told no, so he and his young family are now living at the luxury Hay-Adams hotel, just around the corner.

The President-elect wanted to move in at the start of the year so his daughters could get settled and start at their new school.

But now the Obamas will not be able to move into the official guest house until after the Howards leave.

One lucky Australian

The affair has caused a minor stir in the US. The Washington Post is running a story with photos of Blair House and John Howard below the headline: "119 rooms, 70,000 square feet and one lucky Australian".

Washington talk radio show Bill Press has also expressed his astonishment.

"I have to say with all due respect to our friends in Australia that I think our future leader far outranks, or should far outrank your former leader," he said.

"I think it's an insult to the American people. I think it's an insult to Barack Obama and I think it is George Bush just paying off one of his old pals.

"There are a lot of hotels in Washington that John Howard can go rent a hotel room. Rent a Holiday Inn, rent a Hilton inn. Get a room at the Hilton inn. Sleep in the park. But to put him in the Blair House over Barack Obama I just think is outrageous."

Mr Howard's stay at Blair House was also the subject of an on-air chat between the veteran political columnist Margaret Carlson and MSNBC presenter Keith Olbermann.

"It would have been a small thing for the Bushes to say yes. They still have control over Blair House and they decided to say no," Ms Carlson said.

Mr Olbermann responded: "There's one caveat here. Given how unpopular John Howard is in Australia at the moment, it's possible that he's coming here to seek political asylum so he might need the whole place."

"Right, and that no hotel would take him," Ms Carlson added.

Mr Howard and Barack Obama have a bit of history, of course.

They clashed swords in early 2007 over Mr Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq - which would have made sharing Blair House more than a bit awkward for both men.

Blair House