Australian PM calls U.S. campaign free market politics 'gone mad'

[Doctor Cynic]

Doesn't belong in LBN, but it's interesting:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080304.waustpm0304/BNStory/usElection2008/home



ROD MCGUIRK

Associated Press

March 4, 2008 at 3:12 AM EST

CANBERRA — Australia's prime minister has called for new restraints on political donations in his country, while labelling the big spending U.S. presidential campaign as “free market politics slightly gone mad.”

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said most Australians would not want their country to follow the United States in terms of the escalating sums being spent on the current primaries that will decide the Democratic and Republican candidates for the next presidential election.

“This sort of extraordinary phenomenon (is) sort of free market politics slightly gone mad, I think, in terms of the amount of money that can be spent,” Mr. Rudd told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television late Monday.

“You've got to be very worried about whether a democracy ends up being up for sale,” he added.

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Coming up on Fox News: Don't be fooled by those kangaroos and dingos! Are they a potential source of WMD?

[MidwestTransplant]

1. Obviously he hates democracy.

[tblue]

2. Did you know that in Australia, people are required to vote, and they don't discuss whom they're

voting for the way we do. They just quietly cast their votes. I kinda envy their system.

[Wabbajack_]

4. Nothings wrong with discussing it

fun!

[tblue]

5. I kinda like the idea of no pressure from anyone, just voting for who you think is

best. That will never happen here. But I wish to hell more Americans would just show up and vote already. The Aussies have that part right.

[izzie]

3. He has a point. Why spend all this money if you do not get

feed back for it? Just look at the bank acct. of a Bush and Clinton and you can see why it is done. We are making our own royals. The lisp will be back, or do we have that now?

[malaise]

6. I've been saying this for two decades

Bravo Kevin Rudd