Gleaned from the Sydney Morning Herald letters

A wrong 'un

Loved the picture of John Howard and his two cronies watching the soccer ("You little beauty", June 24-25) - hilarious, the PM in his neatly pressed jumpsuit, the very image of ebullient yet manly joy, nobly framed by his constipated bookends so aware of the duty of lesser ranks to rein in their own overflowing emotions so as not to detract from the climactic eclat of their leader's grand moment.
Come on fellers, where are the pizza boxes, the empty tinnies, the cushions hurled in alternating triumph and despair? And where are all your mates? Surely you could have had a few neighbours and their kids around, not just two old farts from the party room?

You're watching this explosion of drama, this great moment in the life of the nation, from what appears to be an undertaker's antechamber. The image of a man in a big empty room flexing his biceps like a silly old duffer at his grandson's school formal, to show the young'uns the old feller's still got what it takes ain't a winner in this voter's book. I reckon the spinners got the demographic badly wrong with this one.

Stephen Clarke Summer Hill

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I don't know this fellow but Gus could not have said it better....

If Guus is not available to lead the ticker-tape parade, John Howard would make an admirable replacement. It may have been a dubious decision by the referee, so Howard is the perfect choice, since he knows all about fair play. 

Howard is 'heart-broken'. What's next, then? A sob of compassion for the kids he locked away in detention centres? On that score, he has another admirable mouthpiece in Don Randall. Judi Moylan described Randall as a "disgusting human being". In other words, he's destined for high office.

In Murdoch warns on Muslims, it seems Rupert is happy to recite Howard's lines. Tit for tat. Now, it seems that because Murdoch is opposed to the proposed changes to media ownership rules, PM won't expend 'political capital' on media changes. 

And yes, of course Indonesia has not ignored Bashir demands: Howard. There is a difference between ignoring something, and doing nothing about it. I guess John Howard knows when he is being tickled on the backside with a bunch of feathers.

From the letter's page the Sydney Morning Herald

PM's picture

The photo opportunity with the Prime Minister which Alan Ramsey found so objectionable was organised at the request of television networks and at least one newspaper ("So much for democratic principles", June 24-25). The Herald was invited to attend, as a matter of courtesy, and chose to do so and to publish a photo. And, to correct the record, far from being "bundled back outside" as was claimed, the crew and photographers departed at half time, having got what they came for.

Tony O'Leary Press secretary,

Office of the Prime Minister

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Gus: Right on Tony, well said... and if the media had asked our venerable grocer to jump through the window, he would have done it of course...

Eer.... How many times did the PM jump? You know... Now from this angle and from that position for the camera? Yes Tony a photo "op" is a photo "op" whether it is staged under "request" from the media or staged from your office, especially those that are sprung in the open with the august PM kissing babies butts... or doing a "press" conference which is more of a "I'll tell you another lovely porkie" adventure...