Costello no doubt would have been primeminister if he'd stayed on - but a break may have done him a lot of good. Give me Costello over Abbott anyday. It's obvious Kroger and Howard are batting for Abbott and know that Costello would be a threat. Kroger is behaving like some nasty little, bitchy schoolgirl.
The Victorian Liberal Party exploded in acrimony this morning with former party heavyweight Michael Kroger launching a series of extraordinary broadsides at his ex-best mate Peter Costello.
Mr Kroger confirmed Mr Costello had approached him about a return to the federal political stage setting off a row over pre-selections in blue-ribbon Melbourne seats.
The feud has overshadowed Tony Abbott's alternative budget address last night and shifts crucial focus from the Gillard's government's strife over the Thomson and Slipper affairs.
After a post-budget breakfast featuring an address by shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey this morning, Mr Kroger hit Melbourne's radio airwaves to accuse Mr Costello of ungracious behaviour since the Howard government was bundled from power.
He said Liberals were fed-up with Mr Costello's "petty" refusal to appear at any forum - even closed Liberal functions - with former prime minister John Howard and his attacks on other senior parliamentary Liberals, both serving and retired.
"Why do I not talk to Peter much these days? Because, as all of his ex-friends know, lunch with Peter is an agony, it's a nightmare," he said.
"You sit there and listen to him unload on Howard. He's not gracious about John.
"Alexander Downer was a great foreign minister. He's got to make up with Alexander. Downer is at ease with the world. He and Peter and John were the troika that led that government.
"Peter has got to stop criticising Tony Abbott. He is not an economic illiterate. He's a Rhodes scholar, for god's sake.
"He has got to move on and stop bagging everybody, including me."
Mr Kroger said Mr Costello's anger at Mr Howard for failing to make way as prime minister had become "ridiculous" and "absurd".
"After 35 of years of being Peter's best friend, ally and supporter, even I've had enough, even I'm at my wits' end with Peter and there comes a point where you know people have to move on.
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