http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21210816-5006301,00.html
JOHN Howard's attack on U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama's Iraq withdrawal policy has drawn a challenge to send 20,000 Australian troops there.
As international fallout escalated over Mr Howard's unprecedented action, the Democratic candidate yesterday said if the Iraq war was so fundamental to Australia's national interests, Mr Howard should shoulder more responsibility for the military presence there.
As U.S. politicians from both major parties told Mr Howard to keep out of U.S. affairs, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said Mr Howard had placed short-term politics before Australia's national interests.
Senator Obama, an African-American from Illinois, formally announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential race on Saturday.
On Sunday, Mr Howard suggested terrorists would be praying for a victory for Senator Obama and his party because of his pledge to pull out of the Iraq war.
Yesterday, Senator Obama said: "I think it's flattering that one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced (my decision to run)"
"I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1400.
"I would suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them up to Iraq, otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric."
Mr Rudd attacked the Mr Howard for his foray into the domestic politics of another country, saying the fact that both Houses of the U.S. Congress were now controlled by the Democrats opened up the possibility of anti-Australian farm policies.
During Question Time, every Opposition question was to Mr Howard and a motion, defeated along party lines, was aimed at censuring him over the comments.
The controversy came at a bad time for the Government, as the latest AC Nielsen poll showed Mr Howard trailing badly behind Mr Rudd as preferred prime minister, the first time an Opposition Leader has been in that position in six years.
The poll put the ALP ahead of the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis by a massive 58 per cent to 42 per cent, with Mr Rudd's personal approval rating soaring to 65 per cent, the highest in the 35-year history of the poll.
Mr Rudd yesterday repeatedly called on Mr Howard to withdraw his comments. about Senator Obama.
He said Mr Howard had committed "a grave error of judgment", and had confused his personal friendship with Mr Bush with the overall interests of the U.S.-Australian alliance and trading relationship.
But Mr Howard refused to back down, defending his comments and saying many of the Opposition had criticised Mr Bush when it suited them.
"I refer to numerous occasions when the current President of the U.S. has been attacked personally by members who sit opposite and in the next breath they've said some of their best friends are Republicans," he said.
JOHN Howard's attack on U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama's Iraq withdrawal policy has drawn a challenge to send 20,000 Australian troops there.
As international fallout escalated over Mr Howard's unprecedented action, the Democratic candidate yesterday said if the Iraq war was so fundamental to Australia's national interests, Mr Howard should shoulder more responsibility for the military presence there.
As U.S. politicians from both major parties told Mr Howard to keep out of U.S. affairs, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said Mr Howard had placed short-term politics before Australia's national interests.
Senator Obama, an African-American from Illinois, formally announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential race on Saturday.
On Sunday, Mr Howard suggested terrorists would be praying for a victory for Senator Obama and his party because of his pledge to pull out of the Iraq war.
Yesterday, Senator Obama said: "I think it's flattering that one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced (my decision to run)"
"I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1400.
"I would suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them up to Iraq, otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric."
Mr Rudd attacked the Mr Howard for his foray into the domestic politics of another country, saying the fact that both Houses of the U.S. Congress were now controlled by the Democrats opened up the possibility of anti-Australian farm policies.
During Question Time, every Opposition question was to Mr Howard and a motion, defeated along party lines, was aimed at censuring him over the comments.
The controversy came at a bad time for the Government, as the latest AC Nielsen poll showed Mr Howard trailing badly behind Mr Rudd as preferred prime minister, the first time an Opposition Leader has been in that position in six years.
The poll put the ALP ahead of the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis by a massive 58 per cent to 42 per cent, with Mr Rudd's personal approval rating soaring to 65 per cent, the highest in the 35-year history of the poll.
Mr Rudd yesterday repeatedly called on Mr Howard to withdraw his comments. about Senator Obama.
He said Mr Howard had committed "a grave error of judgment", and had confused his personal friendship with Mr Bush with the overall interests of the U.S.-Australian alliance and trading relationship.
But Mr Howard refused to back down, defending his comments and saying many of the Opposition had criticised Mr Bush when it suited them.
"I refer to numerous occasions when the current President of the U.S. has been attacked personally by members who sit opposite and in the next breath they've said some of their best friends are Republicans," he said.
