Irfan Yusuf simply documents the daily exigencies of politics. So what's new?

And I once knew one of these political hacks who's mother's friend's 2nd cousin's stepdaughter was a member of Opus Dei - evil person!

A good article which could just as easily be summarising the Liberal Party in WA. Here, a small group has total power and prefers to retain its stranglehold over the preselection process, endorsing dills and dunderheads, rather than risk having the wrong person enter the WA parliament and be capable of taking the opposition into government.
It is this type of takeover and control by small, often religious- or personality-based factions which is about to see Howard lose the next federal election.
As for stop&thinks childish post, he or she displays the typical 'couldn't care less' attitude of so many Australians. No wonder we always get the governments and politicians we deserve.

I have never voted for any party other than Liberal in both State and federal elections, except for the last state election. The way that the Liberal conservative faction treated John Brogden and other candidates was disgusting. Also, their close and very public alignment and backing from church groups indicates that they have extremely socialy conservative adgendas which they have never made public prior to the election.

I regard myself as a "political illiterate", however, I shall not forget the abominable treatment afforded to young Matt Birney in WA when he was leader of the Liberal Party in 2005.

Birney certainly needed reining in, due to his youthful enthusiasm and lack of experience but the strategies implemented by his colleagues, to topple their leader, reveals a bunch of subterranean rodents intent on eating their young.

And all that's left in the West is "Dad's Army" whose performance in the polls indicates a dismal future for the Liberal Party.

Bush's puppeteer, Howard, coupled with his toxic spin and procrastinations on climate issues, should also realise that the religious far-right zealots or divine intervention will not get him out of the hole he's now dug for himself.

Australians do not take kindly to a combination of politics, lies and religion!