Nigeria, Aug. 12 -- "Politicians," the vituperative satirist Auberon Waugh observed, "can forgive almost anything in the way of abuse; they can forgive subversion, revolution, being contradicted, exposed as liars, even ridiculed, but they can never forgive being ignored." An exception to this appropriate rule might be the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is desperately wishing to be ignored, at least regarding an interview he need never have done.



Despite presiding over a formidable majority in the House of Representatives and facing a Coalition opposition awaiting immolation at the next election, Albanese has managed to contract that every-politician's disease: the gaffe. However secure they might be (votes, popularit...