20060529,00

Get It Try It

Clowning your way to 10 Downing.



Or in this case to Rosenbad, the seat of the Swedish government. In either case the objective is the same: nab the PM post.

The 'gentleman' on the right in the above picture is Swedish attorney general Thomas Bodström. The 'gentleman' on the left is just another ordinary drag queen. Bodström hasn't been caught out - he's doing this for publicity.

Because he's been told he wants the PM post.

The above picture was taken at a recent 'party party' the Social Democrats were having. And it isn't the first publicity stunt Bodström's been involved in of late. He's also been seen on television with cameos in soap operas; locks of his hair are auctioned off on radio; and he played in a televised football match with 'ordinary' celebrities.

No minister of any Swedish government has ever been as skanky as Thomas Bodström.

Thomas Bodström wasn't even in politics until a few years ago - his father was. He joined the current junta of Göran 'Napoleon' Persson and only then became formally involved in politics - and a member of Napoleon's party.

And now he's being groomed for the PM post. Which leaves very little to speculation at this point.

• Napoleon is increasingly unpopular. The people want him gone.

• Bodström's publicity campaign cannot be but orchestrated by Napoleon.

• Napoleon may be thinking of stepping down. After all, he's got millions today and his plantation is almost ready to move in.

• Napoleon might fear a woman coming to power. It's no secret he hates almost every woman he has to let into his cabinet. The most charismatic is Margot Wahlström who's been relegated to Brussels, and even from that far away Napoleon feels threatened by her.

• The 'Toblerone Lady' Mona Sahlin - the former minister once groomed for the PM post but found out for debiting Swiss chocolate on a federal account - was brought back by Napoleon after what he considered a long enough time in the shadows for people's supposedly short memory. Napoleon might be afraid she's going to make a jump for Rosenbad too.

• And there are others too such as the head of the national union Wanja Lundby-Wedin.

• So Napoleon may have decided none of these women are to have a chance.

Whatever: Napoleon governs like a dictator. No one's allowed to do anything he doesn't approve of. (Note this does not mean 'without his approval': you're never so stupid as to ask Napoleon what he thinks about something - you're expected to know it. And if you flub up - you're gone. This is why the Swedish cabinet totally lamed out after the tsunami catastrophe - they didn't dare do anything for fear of Napoleon.)

It's therefore highly unlikely Thomas Bodström is doing anything to incur the anger of Napoleon. Doing nothing is the best policy in a Napoleon government; therefore it is likely Napoleon is calling the shots for Bodström here - he's telling Bodström what to do: go out and make an ass of himself in public.

Will it work? Can Napoleon bamboozle the Swedish people again? Most likely. The tacit acceptance of this type of political campaign in a country which once prided itself on its objective and intelligent political discussion already says a lot - and indicates how much Napoleon has achieved in his twelve years usurping power and civil rights.

Political scientist Stig-Björn Ljunggren says the election campaign is like a presidential election these days. Kiss the babies and all that. It never used to be so. And recent polls show Bodström's popularity is suddenly growing.

All according to plan.