Fight no battle you are not sure of winning...
- Mao Tse Tung, from "The Present Situation and Our Tasks", 1947

It must have been the Good Chairman's words ringing in John Winston Howard's ears on Tuesday when he wimped out of putting his foul Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006 before the Senate.

Headed for the extremely rare situation of Liberal senators abstaining or even (gasp) crossing the floor, Johnny hoisted the white flag before facing certain defeat. It was the right call, but an even better call would have been to have not dreamed up the legislation in the first place.

With that episode brushed aside, Johnny proceeded to charge full steam ahead on that other grand concept inspired by Chairman Mao - his very own Cultural Revolution.