Today's media is full of the story of Kevin Rudd visiting strip club Score's in New York, led by Glenn Milne's reporting in one of News Ltd's Sunday papers. Milne is a long-time fan of Prime Minister John Howard, and it would be difficult to think other than that this story was fed to him. {Readers will recall that it was Milne, in a drunken state, that pushed Stephen Mayne, from crikey.com, off stage while he was presenting an award in 2006}
Rudd confesses it happened; that he called his wife the day after; and that he'd had too much to drink with others who accompanied him.
By any measure, Rudd's visit to such a club was politically stupid. Yet Australians have often forgiven those in public office who breached the usual bounds of decency: Malcolm Fraser wndering hotel corridor without his trousers, and Bob Hawke's prediliction for swearing come to mind. John Howard was absent from Media interviews today, but many feel sure he would have supported Mr Rudd, having supported Australian soldiers "letting off steam" just a few weeks ago. Both leaders cultivate their image: this will almost certainly hurt Kevin Rudd and the ALP in this week's NewsPoll survey. The reult will allow John Howard to tell the media, voters, and especially the party room that he will be 'good for' the election - although he won't publicly phrase it that way.
John
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