JOHN KEY GOES INTO BAT FOR BOB

John Key is in town tonight in a bid to bolster the unpopular Bob's re-election campaign.

He is the guest speaker at a fundraising event for Sideshow. Perhaps he will take the opportunity to explain to all the business suits what's happened to the 'aggressive' economic recovery he was confidently predicating for 2010 back in September last year.

Key, who has also attended a similar event for Auckland mayoral hopeful John Banks, has claimed his attendance is not an 'endorsement' for Sideshow Bob.

But on National Radio's Checkpoint a few days ago Key could be heard singing the praises of both Sideshow Bob and John Banks.

He claimed that both Auckland and Christchurch might 'benefit' if Parker and Banks were re-elected.

Interestingly, a National Party car was seen at a recent local debate between Sideshow Bob and his rival Jim Anderton. The driver of that car spent all of his time lobbing prepared questions at Anderton.

The Prime Minister's claim he is not endorsing Sideshow is as about as credible as Bob claiming he is 'politically independent'.

Sideshow Bob's claim that he is above party politics was always a load of old baloney and he confirmed that on his dull election website.

On the website Sideshow writes : 'Right now I am enjoying working with the National government. As a city we got nothing out of the Labour government. They didn't give us money for the stadium – they said they would; they didn’t give us money for the rents – Jim said he was going to get that.'

At the 2008 mayoral election Sideshow had the backing of several prominent National Party members.