From Peter Costello

In a dull campaign, Mark Latham's report on 60 Minutes was one of the more interesting. I know the media canned it. Before it aired, Laurie Oakes told us Latham had "crossed a line". Nothing upsets journalists more than the idea that outsiders can do their job.

Who knows where that could end? The public might realise there is nothing special about the insights of political journalists - a group of people who consider themselves expert on something they have never done. Every so often a journalist chances their arm in real politics.

Maxine McKew is one. Her underwhelming parliamentary career shows how much harder it is to do than it is to pontificate.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/dont-blame-latham-for-highlighting-home-truths-20100817-128av.html

Yes Pete, that's why your party has chosen a totally inexperienced TENNIS PLAYER to go against Maxine, who in her former profession of journalist/commentator had far more experience on the subject of politics than the tennis player has had first serves over the net...

Even "the Australian" in true form also snarls at Maxine:

MAXINE McKew is clearly not satisfied with the scalp of just one Liberal leader.

Having famously ousted John Howard from Bennelong in 2007, Ms McKew spent the first week day of this year's campaign in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly -- in Tony Abbott's electorate of Warringah.

The former ABC journalist was in Liberal Party territory in her capacity as Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, to unveil a plaque commemorating a $2.8 million upgrade of the Manly promenade, jointly funded by the federal government and the local council.

After a couple of hours of pressing the flesh in Warringah, which is comfortably held by the Liberals with a margin of 8.8 per cent, Ms McKew then donned her hat as Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, and flew to Darwin for a series of industry meetings and to unveil a series of bike paths funded by the federal government. Ms McKew had committed to her appearances in Manly and Darwin long before the election was called and she will be back in Bennelong this afternoon.

But given that she holds her seat by just 1.4 per cent, the decision to campaign outside her electorate yesterday raised a few eyebrows, including those of former tennis star and commentator John Alexander, the Liberal candidate for her northern Sydney seat.

Go Max go!!!