Yep, I agree with all posters so far.

Crikey, when are those silly Liberal drongos just going to let it go? Smirkstello hasn’t got anything going for him. There is no way that he is going to be elected PM, no matter what Rudd might do to offend the electorate!

He is literally the LAST person that they should be thinking of. What they really need is someone who can introduce something new to the whole political scene, that will appeal to the electorate, like …… um ….. focussing on achieving a genuinely sustainable society within a decade.

Costello would be about the last person on the planet to do this. And yet this is the most important thing of all.

Ok. You're all probably right in your summations
of Costello. But what I don't understand is, how
come there seems to be so much support for him
from within his own party? And where were these
people when Costello needed them?

I wouldn't write him off just yet. There must be
a reason he's hanging around. And, by the way, he
was offered a very lucrative overseas post some
time ago - I remember reading about it at the time
and - thinking why doens't he take it? But sorry,
I can't remember what it was or where. All I do
recall is that he turned it down. My question still
remains - for what purpose? I can't image a man
who's held a top job for so many years - being content
to stick around on the backbench - it just doesn't
add up. And, look at all the publicity he's currently
getting (instead of Turnbull). Costello is quite happy
to go on TV shows suddenly - why?

I want to also mention, we went and saw the newly released
film, "W," a few days ago. It's mind-boggling - how on
earth could a person like that get elected US President?
Gee Whiz - scary! As they say, "Only in America?"
Right? I highly recommend the film for anyone who's
interested in the real reasons we got involved in the Iraq
War - and the Middle East problems. Cheney will be a
real eye-opener - as well.

cont'd

I forgot to add that from watching 'Q and A,'
it definitely appears that Costello is pro
'Workchoices,' and as another member of the
Panel that evening pointed out - 'Workchoices,'
are still there - they haven't been chucked
out yet ... Which is a worry.

While I said in the thread Costello and Turnbull, Costello would never lead he is making a move.
And perhaps shackled by the need to please his party not the voters Turnbull is in trouble.
That last line, please the party not the voters, that is Costello, if he ever leads he will truly fail.
He never can change his public persona, that sneer is imprinted on our minds.
Right now, jobs sliding away, greater pain to come workchoices is the last thing conservatives need, a concrete block instead of a raft.
It is worth noting unions and workers know EBA s in place before workchoices run out soon, wage rises asked for will be far less than conservative fear machines say.
As conservatives seem bound for self destruction who leads if not Turnbull or Costello?
The cupboard is bare I stay with Turnbull, Costello like his profile with voters only has some of his party,a number never to be enough, he will leave the Parliament within 12 months.

Belly , Workchoices wasn't our enemy , it was the enemy of Militant Irresponsible Unionism

Actually, the watered down toothless version of workchoices is with us.
Shaz, give up the union-boogeyman speech. Everybody's sick of it and they've been so emasculated in recent years, nobody still regards they're such a big threat. That's why Howard's attempts to whip up hysteria around them failed so miserably.

I hope Turnbull sticks around. He's the best hope the Libs have, and regardless of the fact I'm unlikely to be voting for the coalition anytime soon, I do like to see a strong opposition. At the moment, they're useless.

Costello's dithered for far too long. Any challenge he mounts will fail and further weaken the party.