By Darryl Mason
UPDATE : This story will continue to grow over the weekend. A number of staffers from the APEC summit, now being held in Sydney, are leaking that John Howard may hold a press conference on Sunday night, at the end of the summit, and announce his resignation.
Go Here For Latest Updates On This Story.
We will also summarize how the 'coup' unfolds in the Murdoch media over the weekend on this blog.
Australian conservatives and neocons are furious that prime minister John Howard, now facing annihilation in the coming elections, won't do the right thing and step aside before he destroys the political party that gave them so much power and influence.
So grim are the polls for the Howard government right now that if they went to an election tomorrow, the prime minister and most of his cabinet would be swept away, spelling the end of the control of the Australian government by conservatives and neocons for a decade or more.
Pundits are predicting there remains only 80 days until the next federal election. The 'coup' plotters in Murdoch's media empire in Australia still believe there is time to change leaders and salvage what they can from the wreckage of the looming election.
But Howard is fastidiously hanging onto his leadership. Bouyed by his hosting of the APEC summit of 20 world leaders, Howard has been signing huge energy deals with China, negotiating sales of nuclear fuel with Russia and hopes to announce a world-shaking 'Sydney Statement' on climate change, to replace the Kyoto agreement, and gaining a firm commitment from China to reduce emissions.
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Read Darryl Mason's Online Novel ED DAY - The Shocking Story Of Sydney Society Destroyed By An Apocalyptic Bird Flu Pandemic - Nature's Fury, Or Depopulation?
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Howard thinks all this will be enough to win back the favour of Australian voters. But the neocons view Howard as a loser, beyond hope.
Howard still believes he can win the coming election. But the neocons don't want to take that chance. If he loses, they lose everything. They view Howard as a dangerous liability, despite a record on economic management that they will praise ceaselessly. They see Howard as sheer political poison. He has to go.
So Rupert Murdoch's Australian media empire, which controls more than 70% of all Australian newspapers, is going to force Howard to step aside before it's too late :
Today, John Howard is facing an impossible to ignore chorus of wailing and whining from the once-faithful and worshipful - Quit, hand over, disappear. Do It Now.
The Australian conservatives and neocons are not just panicking. They're pissing their pants in fear. They're one more devastating poll away from looking for volunteers to load up a suicide vest and go give the prime minister an explosive hug goodbye.
They know this is End Game territory. They're terrified that come 2008 they will be the Australian equivalent of the American Republican Party - shattered by defeat, awash with scandal and infighting and coming apart at the seams in a grisly self-slaughter so appalling to watch that even die-hard enemies can no longer bare to look and have to turn away from the hideous spectacle.
Key Murdoch journalists and commentators have given him less than a week to announce his resignation. They're now clearly stating this in Murdoch newspapers.
Whatever they have planned for Howard if he doesn't resign is going to be gruesome indeed. For Howard, and for Australian politics.
Go To 'The Orstrahyun' Blog For More
Neocon Fury : Australian PM John Howard Faces Election Massacre
