On the subject of verballing - just how stupid does Meeja Tart Abbott and Poodle Pyne think Aussie punters are?

“I’ve been verballed!” cries Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. “He’s been verballed!” cries Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne. “Julia dun it and the police should help us make political capital out of this!” they both yell in the meeja.

So what do we have here as the basis for a politically motivated police investigation into who said what and when?

On Thursday 26^th January 2012 one of the Prime minister’s media advisers was allegedly informed by a journalist of what Abbott said about the Aboriginal Tent Embassy’s relevance and future. It is possible that the journalist expanded on these remarks.

The advisor informed a union official, stating where Abbott was attending an function. The official in turn informed another at the Embassy and also pointed to where Abbott could be found.

People at an Australia Day event at the Embassy reacted and attempted to confront Abbott at The Lobby restaurant shortly afterwards.

Police appear to have been called to the rowdy demonstration at around 2.30pm.

Accepting the dubious proposition that Abbott really was verballed (and leaving aside the possible involvement of his own media advisers), who did this alleged verbally first?

Was it members of the Prime Minister’s staff?

Nah, it was the mainstream meeja that the Leader of the Opposition so assiduously courts– and here’s the visual evidence which was online on the 26^th January beginning at 10.35am with what was probably an item drawn from the the Australian Associated Press news feed:

Snapshot of Perth Now AAP report at 10.35am on 26th January 2012
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Snapshot of Sky News report at 1.03pm 26th Jaunary 2012
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Snapshots of The Telegraph online AAP report at 1.35pm on 26th January 2012
Click on images to enlarge

So before either Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott arrived at the restaurant for the National Emergency Services Medal ceremony, an inflammatory version of Abbott's remarks had been spread across Australia coast to coast - without any help from prime ministerial staff.
And all the Coalition political spin in the world won't change that fact.

* Thanks to Clarencegirl for the snapshots