jimijams
22-04-2007, 07:15 AM
Murdoch being polite: Rudd and Downer agree
April 22, 2007 - 1:42PM
Federal opposition leader Kevin Rudd says media mogul Rupert Murdoch was "just being polite" when he appeared to endorse his bid to become prime minister. In a rare crossover of opinion, the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, agrees .
Mr Murdoch and Mr Rudd had a one-hour private meeting at the News Corporation's New York headquarters yesterday and then had dinner together.
When asked after the meeting if Mr Rudd would make a good prime minister, Mr Murdoch replied "Oh, I'm sure".
But Mr Rudd today shrugged off questions over whether he thought Mr Murdoch had endorsed him as future prime minister.
"Look, I appreciate Mr Murdoch's polite remarks," he told journalists in New York.
"I think Mr Murdoch's just being polite.
"I've got a long, long way to go in this race and I think everyone knows that."
Mr Rudd would not reveal specifics of his discussion with Mr Murdoch, saying the conversation included "general chit-chat about life, the world, American politics, the New York Yankees, a whole bunch of different things".
Mr Murdoch is known to publicly support world leaders, including Britain's Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair and US President George W Bush.
He has also been an ongoing supporter of Prime Minister John Howard but would not say if Mr Howard should step aside.
Foreign Minister Downer agreed Mr Murdoch was being polite.
"I think what Rupert Murdoch says, he's a polite and tactful man, he also speaks very highly of the prime minister," Mr Downer told reporters in Sydney today.
Mr Downer also criticised Mr Rudd for failing to meet any political leaders on his trip to the US.
While Mr Downer said it was appropriate Mr Rudd met with media mogul Mr Murdoch, he said it reflected poorly that he did not meet any Democrat leaders, including the speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
"We're familiar with Mr Rudd's obsession with the media ... but I would have thought if you wanted to be prime minister of Australia you wouldn't just focus on the media, you would be focussing on the political leaders," he said.
"You would be sitting down and getting to know Nancy Pelosi, you'd be getting to know Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and may be some of the Republicans even, Condoleezza Rice.
"For the leader of the opposition to travel 40,000km and meet none of those people ... reflects very badly on his sense of priorities."
AAP
April 22, 2007 - 1:42PM
Federal opposition leader Kevin Rudd says media mogul Rupert Murdoch was "just being polite" when he appeared to endorse his bid to become prime minister. In a rare crossover of opinion, the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, agrees .
Mr Murdoch and Mr Rudd had a one-hour private meeting at the News Corporation's New York headquarters yesterday and then had dinner together.
When asked after the meeting if Mr Rudd would make a good prime minister, Mr Murdoch replied "Oh, I'm sure".
But Mr Rudd today shrugged off questions over whether he thought Mr Murdoch had endorsed him as future prime minister.
"Look, I appreciate Mr Murdoch's polite remarks," he told journalists in New York.
"I think Mr Murdoch's just being polite.
"I've got a long, long way to go in this race and I think everyone knows that."
Mr Rudd would not reveal specifics of his discussion with Mr Murdoch, saying the conversation included "general chit-chat about life, the world, American politics, the New York Yankees, a whole bunch of different things".
Mr Murdoch is known to publicly support world leaders, including Britain's Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair and US President George W Bush.
He has also been an ongoing supporter of Prime Minister John Howard but would not say if Mr Howard should step aside.
Foreign Minister Downer agreed Mr Murdoch was being polite.
"I think what Rupert Murdoch says, he's a polite and tactful man, he also speaks very highly of the prime minister," Mr Downer told reporters in Sydney today.
Mr Downer also criticised Mr Rudd for failing to meet any political leaders on his trip to the US.
While Mr Downer said it was appropriate Mr Rudd met with media mogul Mr Murdoch, he said it reflected poorly that he did not meet any Democrat leaders, including the speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
"We're familiar with Mr Rudd's obsession with the media ... but I would have thought if you wanted to be prime minister of Australia you wouldn't just focus on the media, you would be focussing on the political leaders," he said.
"You would be sitting down and getting to know Nancy Pelosi, you'd be getting to know Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and may be some of the Republicans even, Condoleezza Rice.
"For the leader of the opposition to travel 40,000km and meet none of those people ... reflects very badly on his sense of priorities."
AAP