Wolfie of the North

The Liberal party, to avoid a public meltdown, are clustering around their great white hope Mike Ignatieff. Politically this is a good move. For the country, however, it's another step toward the dark side. For Iggy has all the jugular instinct, and more, than the fey chaps glad-handing each other in the backroom of the PMO. Mr. Harper might just have met his match when it comes to tricky-dickiness.

A recent addition to the godhead rank of Liberality, Ignatieff is a recyled neocon latterly from the Ivy League. An ardent supporter of Mr. Bush's little Asian adventure, Iggy saw the light when he was approached by a Liberal 'agenda' group about his interest in leading a nation. On paper he now opposes the Iraq war, but as an Israelite, he knows on which side his blintz is honeyed and as a proponent of lesser evils, he knows eggs have to get broken to make omelets. So Canada will be counted on to continue to make itself a target in the GWoT.

Not that there's much wrong with additions to the Liberal party, mind you, most leaders lately are additions to the Liberal party. Since Dave Peterson they've been working off the bottom of the barrel. There's nobody left who fits the 'mantle of leadership' inside the party. Jean Chretien knew that, and that's why he parachuted the two Quebec 'gars d'or' , Stephane Dion and Perre Pettigrew, into the party and into his caucus. Pettigrew was the obvious star, but his meteoric rise was matched with a notably uneventful and sudden disappearance. He must have goosed somebody's missus or have been caught with his finger in an aide.

Dion persevered to continue and, being the last of a dying breed of long term Liberals-by-choice, he succeeded in getting the nod over the even more novel float-ins, or the still raw contenders for leadership. That vote happened the day after the statutory hospitality suite blow-out, I'd imagine, for the Liberals failed to note that, for a professor, Dion was virtually incoherent. Needless to say the Conservatives, and lately, the people of Canada, did.

The other contender for 'leadership' - Bob Rae - is another convert to liberalism. Harper's minions would have been having nocturnal emissions about his becoming the leader. He's just too big a target with his 'communist' background, and too nice a guy to hit back. Giorno put him 'to bed' once already for little Mickey Harris. He stepped aside to allow Ignatieff to become some people's choice. The acclamation and coronation will come at a later time, for right now there's work to be done.

I wouldn't imagine that toppling the Tories will be it. By the time they return, the blues should have cobbled out some sort of an economic plan that Iggy would have been 'consulted about' (and, no doubt, will find acceptable). For Iggy has more in common with Steve Harper than he does with Duceppe and Layton. He wasn't big on 'power sharing' anyway. He's an all or nothing sort of guy. El Lupo will be getting ready for his next election from day one - and that's about getting money, not upsetting applecarts.

It should be interesting. He'll support Harper until Harper gets fed up with him and decides to call an election. Or until Harper gooses somebody's wife or gets caught with his finger in an aide. Harper may have a harder time blaming an election on a recalcitrant opposition like he did last time, and Iggy should have a gang of cut throats waiting to go after him. I would hope, however, they're not numbering the wet farts who put him in place among them. Peterson, Jean Augustine and Dave Smith who might be able to fool the lib's, but would have their asses handed to them in thin slices by the Conservative 'punkerpan' division.

Iggy may have awards and credentials up his wazoo, but he's much like the bride at an Tazhik wedding - all protests and innocence until she gets a look at the new fridge; then it's knickers off and hit the blocks. Iggy's got his new fridge, and the house and the boat .... and there's more than a likelihood that somebody's going to get screwed. Let's hope it's Harper. But Canada with a choice between two big 'dicks', is more the likely target.

They Didn't Buy It!

The malignant dwarf's budget, if that's what it can be called, was surprisingly, and maliciously attacked by those who would see this great nation held in thrall to the political machine and big unions. Just because the latter-day 'robin-ette' wanted to take back public funds that were wasted on political parties in order to save the taxpayer the expense of electing the bastiges, and make those civvy servants keep their noses to the grindstone, the lily libs and Quebec firsters banded together to thwart the 'peoples' choice'. (Same day they appealed to their public supporters to pony-up $200 each. You won't see these guardians of the public purse cut back on tax deductibility of political donations, or even make them equal to charitable donations. I guess it's "important" to have that part of the process funded by the rest of the public.)



Actually what has happened is that the Ontario wing, who must know where Steve Harper keeps his dirty undies, have managed to get themselves into a position where they can dictate policy. Figuring that Harris got away with the same crap in Ontario, and trusting in the innate nastiness of the Canadian people when there's an opportunity to bone anybody in a lower tax bracket who can be targetted, they've gone-off prematurely. Most people in Canada are starting to wonder if the age of free-range business is paying-off like the trickle-down folk said it would. They've been caught in an untenable position and the enemy have united into a solid-looking front with the objective of cold-cocking the Conservatives.

Guy Giorno, and that office full of fey fellows who've done nothing useful so far in their lives but pull each others ding-dongs and run the levers of power, are scrambling for an 'out'. Steve Harper has one, it's called bone the backroom boys. But that would cause rancour and dissension in the ranks, and that's not supposed to happen. After all those coordinated group genuflections have been practised so long. So, for now, the PC's are toughing it out. They've started moaning and blaming the bad old incompetent Libs for going against the 'will of the people' (dentifrice Blair's take). They won't compromise, or commit to any sort of a plan for the economy (they don't have a plan for the economy) but they say they aren't being allowed to govern. That's what happens when you don't get a mandate from the majority. Actually the 'majority' of Canadians will be far better represented under 'Cerberus', than under the business-friendly PCs, - after all the majority voted for them.

The Liberals are a concern. Already the PC 'plants' in that group have called on Dion to step aside for a new leader - saying Canadians rejected him. I don't know if that's the case so much as they preferred the local PC candidate. We know he doesn't speak well, but he's brighter than some folk around the Prime Minister. Waiting in the wings for a 'promised' leadership convention in 3 months, are the heirs apparent - the wolf, the lamb and the non-entity. I would hope that if he does succeed, Dion would give the job a chance before he gives it up. A deal-breaker might just drive some potential Liberal 'leaders' back to the philosophies from which they came - and that, in my estimation, would be a good thing. If there's anything undemocratic it would be the Liberal caucus picking the next Prime Minister without an national leadership test beyond the conventional peter-pull.

Announced to-day was the possibility of a parliamentary ' break' to allow the PCs to run a damage control program before the face-off in parliament. How long that break would be remains to be seen. An early Christmas adjournment would have Orders in Council running the shop until mid-winter. By that time, the lack of an anti-depression package might well, of necessity, have been addressed. Goes to show that Steven Harper knows how to play tricks. But then we knew that, and let him off with it once.

It might be the best move to let 'Cerberus' reign, but whoever is in the catbird's seat is going to get a sore bum from the economy. I'd like this to be Mr. Smooth, he and his neocon pals deserve it. There are few pols on the scene who'll walk away from an economic collapse with their mandate intact. Steve deserves that.