From yet-to-be-published weekend column

— 08.29.2012 02:23 PM

…this segment, provided early, because this issue continues to follow a woman who is undeserving of the treatment she has received:

“…the Conservatives are in a very large glass house in this case. Over the years, I have personally witnessed plenty of Tory Parliamentarians staggering out of the Parliamentary restaurant, or their office, and troop to votes.

Over the years, plenty have participated in legislative duties while drunk, or stoned, or incapacitated in some way. By maligning a much-loved figure like Fairbairn, the Tories risk a spotlight being shined on the conduct of their own members. They won’t be happy about the outcome. At all.

The despicable treatment of Joyce Fairbairn will be remembered as one of the cruelest episodes of the mean-spirited Harper era.  All sides look bad in it.”


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In today’s Sun: the lost Liberal decade

— 08.28.2012 06:55 AM

KENNEBUNKPORT – Not a bad day.

Ten years ago, just like today, I was on a sunny Maine beach with my kids. A call came through from the ever-efficient switchboard at the office of the prime minister.

“Time for me to go,” said the familiar voice on the phone. “So I will tell caucus I’m going to resign.” Pause. “In 18 months.”

We had a good laugh about that one. The thuggish supporters of Paul Martin would take hours to analyze Jean Chretien’s announcement, and eventually declare themselves satisfied with it, even though they weren’t. The Martinite enablers in the press gallery worked themselves into paroxysms of indignation over what they would call “Chretien’s long goodbye.”

But that was that. By December 2003, the most successful Liberal leader since Mackenzie King would be gone. And Paul Martin — he of the 200-plus seats, he of the “juggernaut” — would set about piloting the Liberal Party of Canada into the electoral ditch.

Mad as hell. Gomery. Income trusts. Separatists running as Liberals. Billions in crazy spending. Promises of constitutional change in TV debates. It went on and on. By the time Martin was done with it, the once-great Liberal party had been reduced to a piddling minority. And then, in the next go-round, bruising defeat. Martin did much to wreck the cause of Liberalism. But he wasn’t solely to blame for what would happen in the next decade.


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Sid Ryan

— 08.27.2012 11:09 PM

Anyone got his real email address? Something could get really, really interesting.


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Beam me up

— 08.27.2012 04:51 PM

Lala, vacationing chez nous, just won this for me at an amusement park in Maine. I am comfortable with the change in gender roles, yes.

20120827-175057.jpg


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