Mood:
energeticTopic: big media
In the Latham Diaries on p254 big Mark cries over attacks on his Mum ('by his ex wife on the radio') in a meeting with Kevin Rudd over policy. That’s some trust to cry in front of a colleague.
In the same Diaries at page 364-5 Latham brutally insults Rudd for crying over the death of his mother (the day before federal election Oct 8th 2004) allegedly while lobbying him for a job in the shadow ministry.
Again that’s some trust. Latham almost certainly misinterprets the grief as callous ambition when the potential demise of a golden son’s career is surely exactly the main concern of every great mother. Hence the intertwined psychology of career with child-parent solidarity and tears: Endeavour to glorify their mother or conversely failure causing dishonour, at least in their minds.
Our view Latham and Rudd might have a bit more in common on the emotional level than either want to admit. Indeed Latham describes Rudd as “a crazy bastard” at p256, an epithet since directed at himself by the Big Media.
But the Big Media have some psychological vulnerabilities of their own to ponder this last week.
Insightful media analyst Margaret Simmons on Crikey yesterday asks where is the story really in a strip club visit 4 years ago …. led by the nose there by one notorious yet powerful sink pisser Col Allan, formerly editor of cartoon book Sydney Daily Telegraph?
The seeds of Rudd at sleazy Scores story surely arises like a rusty sword out of the waters of Lake Burley Griffin, or the Waters Edge restaurant to be exact, another warty story itself 2 years old.
3 power journos Daley, Brissenden, Wright, and by definition not Milne or Ramsey are treated to a lengthy chat on/off the record by Treasurer Costello. Ramsey illustrates how cosy it all is with Mrs Wright owning the place, Mrs Brissenden (Taylor) corroborating etc etc.
But Ramsey makes it quite clear his pique at not being invited with terms like “all that journalistic chest hair”, “Oh please”, “bored by the story” “dreadfully incestuous hothouse of huge, clashing egos” and deliciously “Don’t ever think it’s just the politicians”.
Well sure Alan but you still weren’t there, and just as well otherwise we might not have got such a cracking article Not-so-meaty returns, never mind happy - Opinion - smh.com.au last Saturday. Nor Glen Milne who got his equaliser next day with Kevin Rudd hits a strip club | The Daily Telegraph
That’s envy, and relevance deprivation syndrome within the Canberra Press Gallery.
We suspect as an indulgence to pop psychology that Rudd’s desperate attempt to unwind and lapse of judgement in New York 2003 relates in some Freudian way to the impending loss of the first, most profound woman in his life – his mother. A big adjustment in anyone’s life. The male id and all that.
But all we get from Big Politics and Big Media is the increasingly naked reputations of all the power players – envious journos, grasping leaders (some pictured present and past) of major duopoly parties, and probably this wannabe blogger here.
Meanwhile Morris Iemma is busy grandstanding on police water cannon to steal oxygen from this story of a nakedly corrupt meeting with a Macau gambling gangster as here or cancer causing ventilation stacks from another multi $billion corrupt tollway tunnel.
Naked power money mum and sex. What else is there?
Well as Akerman cunningly identifies with a recent piece on the scandalous Heiner affair back to 1990 - the fact that the famously effective Fitgerald Inquiry was shut down before it got to do over the ALP .... like it did over Joh's corrupt National Party. Lawyers picnic, or essential house cleaning of the ship of state? Almost certainly the latter - just ask Morris and his Macau mate, or his senior staffer Mike Kaiser ex Qld ALP and convicted electoral fraudster.
Or maybe this very real national security concern, and it's not APEC from the Sydney Daily Telegraph a month or two ago (date tbc):
Postscript #1 22nd August 2007
A. And the so called strip club front page shrieker last Sunday has turned to dust with references in the big media business (eg Sky News on abc radio) that its a 'one day wonder' (after 48 hours it might be noted). Indeed The World Today has direct interview with the boss of Scores 'Gentelman's Club' who was present 4 years back, saying Rudd didn't want to be there, didn't finish his beer and as soon as he realised the kind of place said "this won't do", but also the others Aussies "were fawning over him". That's quite a vindication for Rudd, and quite a devastating blow to the credibility of the story promoters overt and covert. There will be quite a deal of political accounting for this pathetic beat up - one can judge by the huge election spend flagged by Howard within 36 hours (since reinforced on 7.30 here) of Rudd meeting the challenge in his face to face with Laurie Oakes on Ch9 Sunday talkies. Gutsy effort Kevin. Which timing by the way suggests a certain tag team choreography and intent over who promoted the strip club story - the political equivalent of a punch to the solar plexis and then right cross on the chin of the increasingly rock jawed alternative prime minister Rudd.
B. The other intriguing political echo is our reflection in the main story above of corrupt tendencies of the Iemma ALP govt re Stanley Ho/2nd casino (as per SMH), and polluting tunnel agendas, which just might have caused this blow for improved integrity of governance via Justice Paul Stein (a heroic environemntal lawyer) via Minister Koperberg - about 10 years late but still thank heaven for small mercies.
C. And lastly, Iemma should have a little think about whether he is for or against the Iraq war as lame duck Bush attends Sydney's APEC and citizens protest agaisnt him .... not least the former senior army officer, Olympic security chief, and now theological type who condemns choice of Sydney as the venue yesterday on ABC radio, and notes 1/2 million deaths in Iraq since the invasion in 2003:
Security expert and author Adrian D'Hage [21/08/2007]
Adrian D'Hage is a man of many parts. First, there's the military man: Adrian was a platoon commander in Vietnam where he was awarded the Military Cross. He became a Brigadier, but doesn't believe he was every a very conventional member of the military. [ more ]
