A couple of good posts over at Looking in NZ. Covering the very active South African government support for Mugabe's despotic, tyrannical and now obviously genocidal reign and Helen Clark caught lying (again) about the reasons for the quite fortuitous timing of the Israeli/ New Zealand passport "settlement". Given the number of articles in the one NZ Herald relating to spin; here and here, one can but hope to see a more sceptical tune from the NZ Herald.

Clark's rush to spin the Israeli apology spun out. She has been found telling porkies again. Interesting that the Israeli consular staff were in no mood to support the Clark storyline - disenguously saying she had had the letters two months ago from the Israeli Government and the timing was all hers. This is the price she is paying for heaping odium on the Israelis at the time of the passport scandal - (not resisting the opportunity to show her (and Phil Goff's) bias for the palestinians). The Israelis play a far longer game. She needs them at present to keep her popular and competent image afloat. She has moved away from domestic issues and back onto the international stage - where Don cannot attack her. Blair does the same thing. However the Israelis are not showing they need her. Twisting the truth about the reasons for the announcement timing and conjuring getting an "apology" from the Israeli government when none was made is silly stuff. Hubris is getting her and Michael Cullen into trouble big time. Meanwhile the wheels continue to rattle off.