The PM’s popularity is
at a four-year low according to The
Oz though one suspects this morning’s anti-terror raids will turn the slide on
its head. We will wait and see what impact the raids will have however Mr
Howard couldn’t possibly be faring as badly as el Presidente over here. George
Dubya seems suddenly on the nose a bit here with even the loyal Fox network
acknowledging that he is in trouble (John Howard of course still has the
ABC).

One question is which
single issue we would label as the hook to hang the demise of Dubya’s
administration on, (assuming it has a demise of course). On balance, it would
have to be Iraq, but there are bucketloads of
other issues being bandied about over here that commentators and punters seem
genuinely browned off about. The (lack of) response to Katrina, the price of
gasoline, a very fragile housing market (not unlike our own at the present
time), the ever present (but importantly for Dubya – undiminished) threat of
terrorism and claims of dirty tricks and all sorts of skullduggery around the
upper echelons of the Republican party.

In a new development, all White House
staff have reportedly been signed up for refresher courses on ethics and “How to
Handle Classified Documents 101,” and some real cracks are starting to
appear.

Read Henry’s first
impressions on the current state of US politics here, including the re-emergence
of John “not conservative enough” McCain.