Australian Prime Minister John Howard has suffered a humiliating election defeat and the opposition Labor Party has swept into power.
[...]
Former diplomat Mr Rudd, 50, presented himself as a new generation leader compared with the 68-year-old Mr Howard.
Voters warmed to his promise to pull Australian troops out of Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, further isolating the US, which had received strong backing from Mr Howard.
At least where Iraq was concerned, John Howard seemed to follow President Bush’s lead, not the wishes of Australians. I think there’s a lesson to be learned here for American politicians.
(h/t, Salon)
