Bush has lost his diehard supporter.


The Bush administration lost one of its staunchest political allies Saturday when Australians chose a Mandarin-speaking former farm boy to become their new prime minister.

Labor Party candidate Kevin Rudd swept to power in a landslide victory over Liberal incumbent John Howard, the second-longest serving prime minister in Australian history.

Unlike Howard, Rudd has pledged to pull combat troops from Iraq and to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a move that would leave the United States as the only major industrialized country to shun the initiative regulating greenhouse gases. But the incoming leader is not expected to jeopardize the strong ties Howard has built with Washington over the years after a campaign fought mainly on domestic issues.


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Rudd has pledged to pull combat troops from Iraq and to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol

I don't blame him for cutting and running. We should have signed the damn treaty too. IMO.

There goes Australia's unwavering support of Iraq also.

Well, I'm not surprise they threw in the towel. At least they have an exit strategy.

It's a tough universe, you've always gotta know where your towel is.

I can't see any good reason for Australia to continue their mission in Iraq. This is our fight and we dragged them into it. We'd do well to get out too.

If I had to guess I would say it was something to do with companies getting a shot at the resources.

Well, the way things look with Iraq peddling their contracts to countries other than the U.S., we may end up losing the pot at the end of the rainbow.

If they are allowed to divvy up the resources, the US will definately get their pound of flesh out the carcass.