So, Abbott is Putin-like, Obama talks Iran, Hillary helps Joe

Meanwhile, the truth behind Q&A is revealed, but Fran Kelly gets lost at sea.

We missed that bit when he annexed the North Island of New Zealand in support of the separatists. Don Watson on Tony Abbott in the latest edition of The Monthly:

A prime minister who behaves in ways more akin to Vladimir Putin than any Western democratic leader.

Talking geopolitics … Barack Obama on the Iran nuclear deal, American University, Wednesday:

Just because Iranian hardliners chant “Death to America” does not mean … that’s what all Iranians believe. In fact, it’s those hardliners who are most comfortable with the status quo. It’s those hardliners … who have been most opposed to the deal. They’re making common cause with the Republican caucus.

Patrick Brennan responds in The National Review, also Wednesday:

Directly accusing your opponents of allying with wannabe-genocidal, anti-Semitic, authoritarian nutjobs. Very presidential, that’s the way to win ’em over.

Absent friends. Bill Shorten, ABC 774 Melbourne, yesterday:

Jon Faine: Kevin Rudd is having another go this morning. Front page of The Australian newspaper. He accuses the factional war lords of having too much power still over the rank and file in the Labor Party?

Shorten: Kevin also in that article has said he was quite happy with what I’m doing, so I appreciate that from Kevin and a big cheerio to you in America if you’re listening.

Faine: And what? You want him to stay there?

Shorten: No, not at all. I think he’s doing a good job as the head of the Asia Society in New York.

Hillary Clinton’s triumph. Mark Steyn, Steyn Online, Wednesday:

The most remarkable accomplishment of the Hillary campaign is this: A mere four months ago the idea of Joe Biden as a viable presidential candidate was regarded by Democrats as a joke. Then Hillary launched. And now he’s their white knight in shining armour.

Thanks for the admission. David Salter, Crikey, yesterday:

Q&A ... is an entertainment embroidered from the threads of current events and issues ... but it is not current affairs.

By the way, we note that even Crikey has stopped reading Fairfax Media. Also from yesterday:

Gillard apologises. While we’re on the topic of the Oz, we noticed (her apology to Nick Xenophon) on page three. The ad also appeared in … News Corp tabloids this morning.

Kids, it also ran on page three in:

The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Teatro buffo. Headline on news.com.au, Wednesday evening:

“Do I need another goodbye video for him too?”: Clive Palmer hits out at Tony Burke.

Don’t give up the day job, Clive. Targeted online advertisement accompanying the story:

Learn acting for film. New York Film Academy Australia.

Priorities. From Fairfax Media’s “action-oriented, social-first and radically positive” site The Vo. Cal:

Aid to Africa in the form of yoga.

That could have been better phrased. Fran Kelly, ABC Radio ­National Breakfast, yesterday:

After 8.30 we’ll canvass some of the theories that have been around all this time, floating around, about what might have happened on MH370.