Pete

Give up on trying to discredit Rudd with irrelevant debating points, it will not work. Lots of people like him and all you do is look like a big grinning bully.

How about some policy, some real income tax reform, removing the disincentive for people to go from welfare to work.

Get back to your own portfolio, instead of writing workchoices. Do some hard work and fix the mess you have created for far too many in our SOCIETY.

Peter, Peter when will you realise that since the Liberals have been in power you have avoided the most important business principal of all when making Financial decision and that is you must produce a result which represents a win for the Nation, a win for Business and a win for the People. You go on and on about your Extra Large Surplus, year after year. Well Peter a surplus is good. But extra large surpluses such as you are producing clearly demonstrate that you have fail to invest in infrastructure in this country. You have set the example for all to follow, that it is good for the people to have a user pay system so that Politicans can spend money at election time in order to bribe their way back into government.

This is quite funny, Costello seems to be trying to imply that Rudd is a "Commie".

Rudd's statement "higher taxing regimes are punished, and the reverse are rewarded" is also taken out of context.
The full article is here: http://evatt.labor.net.au/publications/books/86.html
It doesn't mean he's "someone who wanted to raise taxes" as Costello suggests, he's talking about global market forces dictating national taxation policies, and redressing the "adverse impact" of this. That's the key point Costello left out to make it sound like Rudd is against tax reduction and reform.

The emotive button pushing that the Libs constantly pull on the public is getting old. How about a bit of level debate for a change, give us some credit for intelligence.

Perhaps Kevin Rudd is doing or saying anything he can to take the top spot in Aussie politics and maybe, as Peter Costello implies, he's pulling the wool over all our eyes, but guess what? I really don't care!

Like so many other voting Australian's, I'm sick to death of all the back-stabbing and political "bun fights" that we see displayed in the evening news each night when television turns it's sights to the political arena. Mr. Rudd may make the odd 'gaff' now and then, but at least he's a gentleman. No screaming and yelling, no howling down the opposition and no manic laughter from this man. Steady as she goes will see him past the post, but that to me is also a worry.

What happens if Labor wins the Federal election and the economy finally goes bust for whatever reason? I can just hear the Liberals screaming now...."See! We told you Labor can't run the economy!" In a way, I'd sooner see the Coalition returned to power because although the economy is going gang busters now in certain areas like coal and mining, it will collapse. History will repeat itself. I'd just as sooner it be on the Coalition's watch than Labor's, because if the economy fails while Labor holds the reins, they'll be crucified by the public as well as the Libs and be effectively banished to the wilderness for decades to come. Then we'll really feel the pinch as a very vengeful Liberal Party systematically destroys what's left of worker's rights and directs their anger even further against the unemployed and those on disability pensions. God help us all should that scenario take place.

Lee Yuan Yew once was a Fabian. Watch out Pete, Kevin might leap frog the Libs and become a Fascist. Besides, living offshore, as I do, I am always explaining to Americans "our" Liberals aren't Liberals at all, but Conservatives. Herein, methinks, Little J. still has a streak of Pig Iron Bob: Piglet Nuke Johnny?

No. Pigmaster Atomic Jonathon*: Now, that has testosterone!

My older Brother was once the president of a young libs group in the 1960s. He now votes Labor; odd spelling and all. He claims to have the same convictions, now, as then; only, the entire political process has moved to the Right, leaving him standing on the station looking at the ALP Express to wherever.

*"I saw George once, as he jogged-by: I will love Packers till the day I die. That did not work, I wonder, why?" - PAJ

Kevin Rudd should really be known as "Mr Flip-Flop" - he flips and flops in whatever direction he thinks the votes are...couple of interesting letters in our state newspaper today about the way that the ALP can no longer call themselves the compassionate and caring party. Wonder if he will suddenly find millions of dollars for those being talked about there - just pre-election of course, has to be a non-core promise.
Kevin Rudd is trying to be all things to all people. He is a weak leader who is unable to withstand bullying. It is unfortunate that the media are making so much of him...might give them plenty of copy when he gets into The Lodge but it is not going to be good for the country.