Australian Leader Chided for Backing Bush

Prime Minister John Howard came under fire from the opposition and from one of John Kerry's key advisers Monday after publicly supporting President Bush for re-election.

Howard, who was re-elected at Oct. 9 elections despite taking the unpopular decision to send 2,000 troops to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, last week said, "I hope he (Bush) wins."

Kurt Campbell, a senior adviser to Kerry, criticized Howard, saying Australians had accused Bush of interfering in domestic politics when he denounced as dangerous the opposition Labor Party's election pledge to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq if it won power.

"I would remind Australians that the same applies at home," Campbell was quoted as saying in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. "Such comments about our politics are a little inappropriate."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-aus/2004/nov/01/110109488.html