As some of you may know, Australian PM John Howard recently criticized presidential hopeful Barack Obama for calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. He argued that al-Qaeda should be “praying as many times as possible” for Obama to win in ‘08, amongst other things. The attack begs the question: why is Howard getting involved in American domestic politics, and why is he singling out Obama?

There are a number of possible reasons.

First of all, this arrogant little toad of a man has found himself lagging in the polls behind Labor opposition leader Kevin Rudd. Much of his trailing has to do with the domestic unpopularity of Australia’s presence in Iraq, where they currently have 1,450 troops; most Australians want the troops home.

Second, Howard is, behind only Tony Blair, a terribly obedient and dedicated Bush lapdog. In this light, his embarassing histrionics could be construed as mere posturing for Bush’s wandering, frequently misplaced attention.

Third, and most alarming, is Howard’s history of race-baiting, a Howard modus operandi that can be observed throughout his career as a politician. For a further rundown on Howard’s troublesome race issues, please check out this wonderfully informative blog entry on The Nation’s website on Howard’s attack.

Also check out the verbal scuffle between the Clinton and Obama camps over the Iraq war here. The mudslinging has begun in earnest, it would seem. All I can say about this is that I would not want a vote for the Iraq war hanging around my neck; it’s a mighty albatross to carry around.