Howard's ousting of Obama ignites firestorm
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:37 am
John Howard's decision to stay at the luxurious Blair House mansion in Washington DC has sparked a firestorm of protest in the US, with outraged Americans demanding the former prime minister book a hotel or stay at the Australian embassy.
The story was also a hot topic on US radio and television talkshows.
President-elect Barack Obama asked to stay at Blair House before taking the keys to the White House but was told it was booked. It forced Mr Obama, his wife, Michelle, and young daughters, Malia and Sasha, to stay at a DC hotel, the Hay-Adams.
The name of the occupant booked at Blair House on January 12 was a mystery for weeks. The Washington Post broke the news on Wednesday that Mr Howard and his wife, Janette, were the mystery boarders. News network CNN's senior political analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, said yesterday, ''Let the former prime minister John Howard stay at the Hay-Adams.''
US President George W.Bush offered Mr Howard Blair House weeks ago when he invited him to Washington to receive the Medal of Freedom for his support of the US in the war on terror. It is one of Washington's most luxurious residences, a 6500sqm mansion with 119 rooms, conveniently across the street from the White House. Mr Bush's two other key allies, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, will also receive the medal, but both declined offers to stay at Blair House.
Mr Blair will stay at the British embassy while Mr Uribe has found his own digs.
''This irritates me to NO end!,'' a Boston Globe reader wrote on the newspaper's website. ''The Blair House is owned by the American People! We have elected Mr Obama as our next president, yet this administration lets Mr Howard stay at Blair House! Move his backside to a hotel. Let the little girls and their family the Obamas have Blair House.''
A Washington Post reader wrote, ''WOW, Australia doesn't have an Embassy in Washington? Or is John Howard just so reviled by his own countrymen that they won't let him stay there''.
Some Americans supported Mr Howard. ''John Howard is a great friend of America and deserves to stay at Blair House,'' another Washington Post reader wrote.
Mr Howard and Mr Obama have some history. In February 2007, when Mr Howard was still in power, he took issue with the then Illinois senator's plan to set a timetable to withdraw United States troops from Iraq. ''I hope Mr Obama does not become president of the US,'' Mr Howard said at the time. Mr Obama retorted, ''We have close to 140,000 troops on the ground now and my understanding is that Mr Howard has deployed 1400. So if he's ... to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them up to Iraq.''
A Washington Post reader pondered whether the exchange almost two years ago was behind Mr Howard's decision to stay at Blair House. ''Perhaps this is payback.''
Mr Howard stressed he was staying just one night in Blair House. AAP
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/lo ... torypage=0
The story was also a hot topic on US radio and television talkshows.
President-elect Barack Obama asked to stay at Blair House before taking the keys to the White House but was told it was booked. It forced Mr Obama, his wife, Michelle, and young daughters, Malia and Sasha, to stay at a DC hotel, the Hay-Adams.
The name of the occupant booked at Blair House on January 12 was a mystery for weeks. The Washington Post broke the news on Wednesday that Mr Howard and his wife, Janette, were the mystery boarders. News network CNN's senior political analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, said yesterday, ''Let the former prime minister John Howard stay at the Hay-Adams.''
US President George W.Bush offered Mr Howard Blair House weeks ago when he invited him to Washington to receive the Medal of Freedom for his support of the US in the war on terror. It is one of Washington's most luxurious residences, a 6500sqm mansion with 119 rooms, conveniently across the street from the White House. Mr Bush's two other key allies, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, will also receive the medal, but both declined offers to stay at Blair House.
Mr Blair will stay at the British embassy while Mr Uribe has found his own digs.
''This irritates me to NO end!,'' a Boston Globe reader wrote on the newspaper's website. ''The Blair House is owned by the American People! We have elected Mr Obama as our next president, yet this administration lets Mr Howard stay at Blair House! Move his backside to a hotel. Let the little girls and their family the Obamas have Blair House.''
A Washington Post reader wrote, ''WOW, Australia doesn't have an Embassy in Washington? Or is John Howard just so reviled by his own countrymen that they won't let him stay there''.
Some Americans supported Mr Howard. ''John Howard is a great friend of America and deserves to stay at Blair House,'' another Washington Post reader wrote.
Mr Howard and Mr Obama have some history. In February 2007, when Mr Howard was still in power, he took issue with the then Illinois senator's plan to set a timetable to withdraw United States troops from Iraq. ''I hope Mr Obama does not become president of the US,'' Mr Howard said at the time. Mr Obama retorted, ''We have close to 140,000 troops on the ground now and my understanding is that Mr Howard has deployed 1400. So if he's ... to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them up to Iraq.''
A Washington Post reader pondered whether the exchange almost two years ago was behind Mr Howard's decision to stay at Blair House. ''Perhaps this is payback.''
Mr Howard stressed he was staying just one night in Blair House. AAP
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/lo ... torypage=0