It Beats Emulating Bush

Britain's prime minister in waiting, Gordon Brown, says he wants to rule like Ghandi. From The Independent:

"Seeming to spell out a moral vision of his expected premiership, Mr Brown said he hoped Gandhi would inspire "the way I will deal with the challenges the country and the world face, including the security challenge. That means having the strength of belief... to do what is right for the long-term even when there are easier short-term gains on offer."

"Mr Brown was speaking after strewing rose petals and laying a wreath at Rajghat, the spot where Gandhi was cremated on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi. The Chancellor was wearing what looked like the flimsy white slippers given out for free at expensive hotels to comply with the Hindu requirement to remove his shoes.

"The Indian independence leader lived among the poor. By contrast, for all the fine words, Mr Brown's visit has so far largely stuck to the usual script, moving from the headquarters of one major company in Bangalore to another, and posing for pictures on the manicured lawns that are a world away from most of India.

"The only glimpses of India's poor have been the slums where the people have watched indifferently as his motorcade swept by."