Philip Gomes

On The Insiders this past Sunday yet another big media guy made the claim (In the Sunday Papers segment - no transcript available) that the blogosphere is a media of rumour, unlike newspapers.

This time it was regular panelist and journalist Brian Toohey making the claim.

Well the news papers are following into the spirit of the blogosphere here, we're reporting rumours and this one is a rumour, rumours abound that Peter Costello may quit politics.....

For the sake of argument I'll assume an Australian political blogosphere.

Toohey's comments are of course a sad joke. There is no effective Australian political blogosphere to rumour monger.

It was stillborn several years ago when the big media players like News Ltd smartly leveraged their way into the format in their online media properties.

That development effectively killed off a developing independent political media infrastructure that may have been on it's way to becoming one like the highly effective American netroots version.

The political blogosphere in Australia is now 'owned' by corporate media entities like News Ltd and Fairfax - with the independent remnants of the early-to-mid 2000's toothless in terms of influence, and without the critical mass to make a difference.

In terms of independence we are left with media like Crikey and New Matilda but I don't think they qualify as truly so - they are as much a part of the corporate political class in Australia as a News Ltd or Fairfax.

Lastly, Toohey is wrong on substance when it comes to the Costello rumours.

Australian political leadership speculation has always been the exclusive preserve of the Canberra political class and press gallery, and it regularly graces the front pages of their newspapers and TV screens.

So, If the rumours come from anywhere now it's corporate media; with the independent political blogosphere a mere mirror of their sins.

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According to News Ltd's Glenn Milne, Kevin Rudd said the F word.

Kevin Rudd has launched another expletive-laden tirade -- this time directed at Labor's factional bosses, including three female MPs.

The outburst two weeks ago left the hardened ALP operatives shocked.

The factional leaders had gone to see the Prime Minister in his Parliament House office to object to government plans to slash MPs' printing allowances from $100,000 to $75,000 a year. The decision was in response to a report into parliamentary perks by the Auditor-General.

According to sources present, Mr Rudd said: "I don't care what you f---ers think!"

He then went on, singling out Senator David Feeney declaring, "You can get f---ed", before asking, "Don't you f---ing understand?"

Today's Sunday morning political talkies are awash with this as a leading talking point. A narrative of the PM that the gallery has been attempting to craft since his election - a nasty man who swears at women.

All without a shred of proof. Is this what the gallery reptiles are paid for? More trivial trivia sourced from 'sources' who are never named? Is this what passes for political journalism and commentary today?

Lest we forget who Glenn Milne is, here is one of his greatest hits, showing the good behaviour he's renowned for. I'd use the word hypocrite, but it isn't strong enough.

Oh, and is it just me laughing at the idea of hardened ALP operatives being shocked by this? Riiiiiight.

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It's a fun bit of political mischief, we hear that Malcolm Turnbull may have once sounded out the possibility of a career with Labor. But so what? Politics as it's practiced at the national level by the two major parties is too similar for it to have mattered much if it had eventuated.

And in other political news, Glenn Milne runs down a rabbit hole he clearly found at the bottom of a shot glass. The shorter version? Rudd is playing politics and Turnbull is nobbled by a party hopelessly out of touch with reality.

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One of the genuine Canberra press gallery villagers writes a column about Twitter and new forms of media.

Politicians believe that through mediums such as Twitter, YouTube and the like, they can reach a whole audience that doesn't read newspapers or watch the nightly TV news. These are high-tech mediums with low-tech, simple, often simplistic, messages. Tweets are a line or two; political messages on YouTube are often like those old, plain Jane free broadcasts in elections when TV was new.

Twitter is the latest, scaled-down model of "talkback", still a popular political tool and one that John Howard, in particular, made his trademark communication of choice. With talkback the politician gets rid of the reporter who writes up his or her words, with editing and interpretation. But there is still a presenter who asks questions. Twitter allows them to get rid of the presenter, too.

The new technology provides plenty of fodder for those who complain about the trivialisation of politics. There are some crazy things in blog land, not least of them a few months ago: "An important message from Mellie!", Malcolm Turnbull's dog, all about losing a leg.

Turnbull tweets his dogs' blogs. Of course.

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Paul Daley speculates on Labor Party succession in today's SMH.

She and Rudd reached what some call a broad understanding (both spoken and unspoken – that is, enunciated by others) back then.

Labor people in the know, however, have always stressed there is no handover “deal” like that between Hawke and Keating and, as the contents of Ian McLachlan's wallet would later testify, between Howard and Costello.

The understanding was, quite simply, that should Rudd become prime minister at the 2007 election, Gillard would become deputy PM and – wait for it – his heir apparent.

It was also agreed Rudd would, in government, make it plain by his actions and words she was unequivocally the next in line.

There were no caveats and no strings. A timetable for leadership accession was never articulated.

Spoken and unspoken....stressed there is no handover “deal”....caveats and no strings....never articulated?

Ok, lets call this as it really is. He's got nothing. No proof, no names, not a fact to go on. Exactly the problem with beltway political commentary. An utter invention that attempts to pass itself off as authoritative. And they call bloggers the masters of invention.

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Kids deserve to have the innocence of their childhood protected. I have a very deep view of this. For God's sake, let's just allow kids to be kids. Whatever the artistic view of the merits of that sort of stuff – frankly I don't think there are any - just allow kids to be kids.

He's commented on a Chaser skit.

I actually don't mind the Chaser taking the mickey out of me or any other politician, at any time and any place. But having a go at kids with a terminal illness is really beyond the pale, absolutely beyond the pale.

But where is our great prime ministerial moralist on the question of a different media and entertainment figure using a child as a money making prop?

As it currently stands, we are left with this statement by the Deputy PM, Julia Gillard.

Can I say on that matter, I think there's only one really important thing here, and that really important thing is the welfare of the young girl involved, I would say to Kyle that he should be thinking through what is in the best interests of the welfare of that young girl.

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