Opinion
The famous saying is: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog”. Kevin Rudd might want to start touring the animal shelters for a mate or two.
The congressional Republicans most likely to come to Kevin Rudd’s defence after he endured sharp criticism from Donald Trump have remained strangely silent.
The two Republicans who lead the Friends of Australia caucus – Mike Gallagher and Senator Dan Sullivan – have not responded to requests for comment over 24 hours since Mr Trump’s comments became public.
It’s beginning to look as if KRudd has about as many friends in Washington as he does in Canberra.
Similarly, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, whom Mr Rudd worked closely with to ensure critical AUKUS legislation passed congress last year, has also declined to comment via his staff.
The office of Congressman Michael McCaul, chairman of the influential House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, also didn’t respond.
The Australian
Yet another of Anthony Albanese’s brainfarts once again leaves Australia to deal with a nasty stink. The US ambassadorship has long been a cosy sinecure for old boys of whichever party is in power at the time, but what on Earth was Albanese thinking?
When Mr Albanese announced Mr Rudd’s appointment to Washington last March he referred to the new ambassador’s “unmatched experience” as a prime minister and foreign minister.
Which sounds a lot like the spruiking of Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid. Yet, even Hillary is a paragon of affability by comparison with Mr “Programmatic Specificity”.
For all his ability Mr Rudd also has a habit of talking in ways that make enemies when he need not. It is a lesson he should have learned in 2010, when loss of support from his own Labor colleagues led to him being ousted as prime minister.
It’s a lesson he needs to learn now, and fast, if he is to be of any use to Australia in Washington.
Perhaps Mr Trump will not win; if he does, perhaps he will forgive; perhaps Mr Rudd will have to come home.
Oh, God, please, no.
But if Mr Rudd stays, regardless of whoever is in the White House next year, he will need to learn from his predecessors Kim Beazley, Joe Hockey and Arthur Sinodinos, all former politicians who became diplomats, speaking softly and making compelling cases for Australia’s interests as instructed by their governments.
And, whatever his opinions are, to keep them to himself. According to French foreign minister Talleyrand, “Speech was given to man to conceal his thoughts.”
There is also a lesson for the Prime Minister in this entirely unnecessary mess – don’t back your judgment when the evidence is against you. And there are decades of evidence that Mr Rudd struggles to keep his mouth shut.
The Australian
That’s because Rudd lives under the delusion that he’s the smartest guy in any given room — and he wants everyone to know it.
A least suited person to a diplomat’s role, it’s harder to imagine.
But that’s Labor: jobs for the mates, no matter how few mates they actually have.