Australian Prime Minister and stalwart U.S. ally John Howard has been reelected. The prime minister's party victory against the Australian left is electorally substantial and culturally powerful, considering that most press agencies had ensured audiences of the race's closeness for weeks. It would appear that in wartime, undecideds do not all vote for the incumbent when he has engaged the country in a challenging conflict. Wretchard of Belmont Club celebrates the triumph, marking the parallels of legendary "ordinariness" between John Howard and George W. Bush.

Now that the first of the Anglo-American triumvirate has been confirmed as his nation's rightful leader, Prime Minister Howard may want to repay a certain favor to John Kerry.