You bought Dubya's malarkey, too--eh, Chief?

Australian Prime Minister John Howard—a staunch Dubya ally—who has sent troops to Iraq and faces his own re-election bid later this year, said Barack Obama's proposals to end the war in Iraq would spell disaster for the Middle East. [Not that this little exercise in futility hasn't already resembled Mr. Magoo performing lazer eye surgery, eh, Big John?]

"I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory," Howard said on Nine Network television.  And furthermore, Big John sez, "If I were running al-Qaida in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

John, ol' buddy, ol' pal—it sounds as if you've been downing more cans of Foster's than I have lately, so why don't you tie your kangaroo down, sport, put a few more shrimps on the barbie and go back to holding up that poster of Kylie Minogue with one hand, and run your own country, okay Bud?  G'day, Mate!