The Road To Surfdom
"The Australian Prime Minister is not my favourite person but I have been consistent in praising his willingness to regularly face interviewers and account for himself.

Once again he goes one-on-one with a journalist in a way that George W. Bush never would or, I suspect, could. IN this interview, he gets a grilling and acquits himself reasonably well, even if he is unconvincing. "

My personal favourite was O'brien's interview with Pual Wolfowitz.

KERRY O'BRIEN: Paul Wolfowitz, is America closer to war with Iraq today than it was before the release of the Blix report?

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, US DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENCE: I think what you just saw -- I think your viewers just saw the President's speech live and I think what you've seen is a very strong display of national unity, a very strong commitment by the President to the security and freedom of every nation and every people and I think this speech has made a high standard.

It's not just a success but sets a guide post going forward for what we have to accomplish, the challenge that we face, and I think it was a demonstration of genuine presidential leadership and also real compassion.

KERRY O'BRIEN: Is America closer to war with Iraq today than it was before the release of the Blix report?

PAUL WOLFOWITZ: Howard put it, I think Prime Minister Howard put it very clearly in the press conference that I read just a little while ago, that what we're really at is a point of crucial decision for the United Nations and the international community.

Saddam Hussein has really made the case against himself and the President laid it out very clearly for the whole world just now.

We, I think, are getting very close to a point of decision.

The difference in inerviewing styles is dramatic. The unwillingness of senior US political figures to subject themselves to testing interviews is at least one reason why the cakewalk farrago is now US policy..