A bit too much bad press going on lately? Time to throw out a furphy and get that embarrassing stuff about the government knowing all about those nasty kickbacks OFF the front pages.

Peter Costello has decided that if he ever wants to get a tilt at the Australian Prime Ministership he needs to act a bit more like an ignorant, reactionary bogan.

Keysar Trad and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie respond nicely however.

Here at FDB we’re not disputing that a small section of Muslim immigrants harbour the sorts of violent beliefs that are most definitely unwelcome in Australian society. The same can clearly be said of known former IRA members who dot building sites in most of our capital cities but seeing as how Catholic bashing went out of fashion a long time ago, you’re not likely to hear any comments like that from our government anytime soon. ISLAM is the devil of the day and don’t you forget it!

What we find objectionable is that there is clearly a manipulative political agenda at work here centred around maligning an entire section of our community based on nothing more than the ignorant beliefs and actions of a tiny few.

Why?

Muslim bashing clearly wins votes amongst a community whose leadership has systematically instructed them to fear those guys in long white robes with beards.

That and well, Costello really needs to bolster his bigot credentials lest Howard’s favoured successor, Tony Abbott (who according to Jim Saleam is affiliated with the KKK), steal his candidature from under his nose.

Maybe he could get Alexander Downer or Nick Minchin to introduce him to their mates from the Australian League of Rights and the John Birch Society.