Miliband aims low and misses

What is Ed Miliband playing at? We've got a Coalition of out-of-touch millionaires laughably pretending to share our pain as they pile on the misery month by month, Nick Clegg attempting to prove that he's totally not sold out by flicking a wet towel at the PM, or whatever other gesture passes for Muscular Liberalism this month, Andrew Lansley and Michael Gove blundering about like hyperactive toddlers in a glassware shop and Ken Clarke incapable of remaining conscious for either the budget or the President of the USA.

Surely it can't be that difficult for Ed to sound as if he's offering something a bit different, a bit more positive, ever so slightly more inspirational? But, no, he still seems to be playing follow-my-leader with the Tories and the right-wing press. First, he decided that a bit of immigrant-bashing worked for the Tories, so he thought he'd tag along, too. Now he's noticed that it's fashionable to kick the unemployed and smear them with the 'benefit cheats' tag (it's a good job the unemployed aren't as tireless as our parliamentarians and bankers when it comes to helping themselves to taxpayer's money, or we really would have a problem on our hands).

I really can't understand it. Can Ed not understand that being David Cameron's Mini-Me is never going to  make him look like a statesmanlike Prime Minister-in-waiting, or even like somebody with something slightly different or original to bring to the debate? Besides, the role of Cameron's Mini-Me is already being adequately filled by NickClegg, who'd probably flick any usurper across the buttocks with a wet towel.