When Rudd was Opposition Leader, he was quite happy to talk tough on improving the public hospital system. Watch him avert all that now. Plus, forget about sub-primes and other political tid bits.
Articles by Richard Farmer 
Political snippets: You lot are paying
Malcolm Turnbull gets the tabloid treatment, Barnaby Joyce helps a revival in Coalition support, rising temperatures up north and other political snippets from across the globe.
Political snippets: Bagging a green vote
The Tasmanian state election, how the European Union are trying to protect the word ‘neopolitan’ and other political snippets.
Political snippets: Cop it on the chin, then move on
Sometimes the best thing a politician can do in time of political scandal is give a quick apology and cop it sweet. Plus, don’t be too confident with scientists and their temperature predictions and other political snippets.
Political snippets: Tony Abbott’s bald spot
An embarrassing day to be an economist, Tony Abbott’s bald spot, when The Guardian turns on climate scientists you know it’s bad and other political snippets.
Political snippets: Putting interest back in the election race
Tony Abbott stands tough on boarder protection (yep, you read that right), the election race heats up and a dash of cultural cringe for wine buffs.
Political snippets: An economists’ certainty
An interest rate rise seems certain, house prices are back up and ignore all stories that report that a politician said something. For this is an election year and words are cheap and normally meaningless.
Political snippets: Gillard’s political winner
Education Minister Julia Gillard has delivered Labor a wonderful start to this election year with the My School website. And the more teachers complain about testing, the greater Labor’s benefit will become.
Political snippets: The state of the union
A bad day for the navy, George Brandis and Julie Bishop do Tony Abbott no favour by jumping into the virginity debate and the Crikey Oscar contest starts to heat up.
Political snippets: What inflationary pressures?
Usually there is nothing more interesting crashing a politician’s event than a greenie in a koala suit. Except, when it’s your fame hungry ex-lover. Plus, pollies avoiding shopping centres and hip-hop meets the holocaust.
Political snippets: Don’t mention the unemployed
Crunching the unemployment and interest rate figures, the Crikey Oscars Indicator is off and running and the quote of the day from Ronald Brownstein.
Political snippets: Placing bets on Labor
With the latest Morgan Poll still showing Labor in a healthy and winning position it’s a good opportunity to cash in for betting fans. Plus, how to get yourself noticed on a dating site: smile.
Political snippets: The shine is coming off Kevin Everywhere
If the hard slog of governing a country can take the gloss off Barack Obama within a year, Kevin Rudd has no reason to think he cannot suffer the same fate. Plus, the Copenhangen promise that last 33 days and other political snippets.
Afghanistan: at least the Taliban don’t try to fleece you
Corruption is so costly and endemic in Afghanistan that the country’s poor are even turning to the Taliban as an alternative government that will not fleece them of their meagre incomes.
Political snippets: Southern hemisphere: so hot right now
Figures just released show that 2009 was the warmest year on record for the southern hemisphere, troubles at the Canberra branch of the CFMEU and other politics tidbits.
Political snippets: Come in spinner! Err, Julia
Barnaby Joyce publishes a sequel to Kevin Rudd’s kids’ book, why minor parties did so well in the latest Newspoll, and is the US Senate about to see a power shift?
Political snippets: A new alcohol tax? I’ll drink to that!
The alcohol taxation gets silly, the Australian Education Union is off with the fairies, plus shock revelations that Aussies don’t want to pay more tax and sex sells news.
Political snippets: Tony’s wasted words
Why Abbott’s speech yesterday about the environment and saving the Murray River was just wasted words, Obama continues to just hang in there with a popularity rating of 50%, Aussie drinking under the spotlight again and Singer’s silly image change.
Political snippets: Interest for interest rate’s sake
Australians’ working hours have (ever so slightly) declined, a look at the figures of Australian media coverage of boat people, some sloppy sub-editing at the Daily Tele and more.
Political snippets: There’s something in the warm water
It might be abnormally cold on land in much of the northern hemisphere at the moment but it’s a warm old time in the world’s oceans, writes Richard Farmer.
Political snippets: Mac’s randy Ranny ripper
Tennis great John McEnroe serves up a classic when introducing SA Premier Mike Rann. Plus, is no game sacred, arsenic on your cereal and other political snippets.
Political snippets: Push comes to shove for Liberal ladies
A few items from over the holidays that are worth catching up on if you missed them, from why climate naysayers are failing to if SBS will be getting even more uppity about its Soccer™?
Political snippets: No movement for Tony
Copenhagen might have made the Labor position on global warming more difficult to justify but the Crikey Election Indicator still has the government of Kevin Rudd comfortably favourite as this pre-election year draws to a close.
Political snippets: Now for the pictures, a climate change strategy, dud forecasts
The Liberals have finally got the shadow health minister talking about health, how Abbott can go green, some lessons in truth from the SMH, and more from the mind of Richard Farmer.
Political snippets: The Rudd family Christmas card
The PM, his wife and the Abigail the dog say cheese for the official Rudd family Christmas card. Jasper the cat had too much self respect to appear…
