John Howard remains as embarrassing as ever

Not content with perpetuating his phony image as a "cricket tragic" at the Test against South Africa this week, John Winston Howard was revealed as a recipient of one of not-soon-enough-ex President Bush's final batch of "Presidential Medals of Freedom". (Along with Tony Blair and Alvaro Uribe, no less.)

Now comes the revelation that his visit to Washington to pick up the gong has upstaged the Obama family's planned stay at Blair (no relation) House en route to the big white house down town. The little weasel was never one to pass up a night or two of the good life for himself and Jeanette. Soon, he can go ranching with Dubya in Texas if he wishes.

The Washington Post picks up the story. Note that his Howardness has passed up a free ticket to the Twenty20 and the first one-dayer against the Proteas...