A week of it: Won-ton Winston wriggles in vain

Wooed: Winston Peters tries to soothe a hostile Chinese audience with the suggestion that he and other Maori share the same gene pool as a mainland China tribe.

Repudiated: Winston Peters says his claims to Chinese ancestry were tongue in cheek, but it is too late for him to shake off his new nickname, Won-ton Peters.

Turned: The TVNZ worm decides it likes the common sense and balance of United Future leader Peter Dunne on the Holmes debate.

Exploded: Jim Anderton blows up a tape deck at the launch of the Progressive Coalition manifesto. Continuing his theme of "Mission: Impossible", his mission - should he choose to accept it - is to publicise the policy secrets.

Traumatised: The National camp is despairing as it fails to move from its stubbornly low poll ratings.

Dumped: National's art-house television ads showing Bill at home with the kids in favour of a more direct message.

Confessed: Steve Maharey admits that he not only tried cannabis as a much younger man, he inhaled.

Surprised: New Zealand First's defence policy surprises the hawks from Save Our Squadrons, who award it best equal policy with Act.

Unamused: Helen Clark fails to see the humour of a cheeky Oamaru woman asking her to sign a vacuum-packed corncob.

Backtracked: School trustees and Trevor Mallard back away from a threat of legal sanctions against the PPTA after hints of wildcat responses.

Unleashed: Helen Clark goes deep into Winston Peters' Tauranga heartland to attack his trustworthiness.

Echoed: CTU president Ross Wilson attacks Peters' record on worker-friendly legislation.

Accused: "You've acted like a black widow to the Alliance - they're totally destroyed." Winston Peters lays blame for the Alliance split at Helen Clark's feet.

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