Someone in the offices at 131 Queen Street seems to think it’s good strategy, I guess, to keep blaming the very popular former Liberal MP – you know, the guy who is now the very popular mayor, and who also won the riding for more than twenty years with huge pluralities – for the Vaughan by-election loss.  When the authors of that particular misfortune are to be seen, as they say, in the bathroom mirror.

It’s not accurate, it’s not fair to Maurizio, and it’s short-sighted.  But what do I know?

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Both former Conservative Premiers, both formidable former opponents.  I, on behalf of all of you guys, wish both Mr. Eves and Mr. Klein the very best of health and many, many years to come.

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Watch the guy on the right.  What a classic.

I mean, I knew he was a Plan Free Zone™, but I didn’t think his own caucus felt the same way!

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Hebert:

“If NDP and Liberal leaders Jack Layton and Michael Ignatieff had taken the advice of their elder statesmen and looked for a way to pool forces earlier this year, the result of their joint efforts would likely be doing better in the polls than their separate parties.

Instead, the end of 2010 finds the two main national opposition parties on opposite ends of a teeter-totter. They are each ensuring that the other does not go up very high or for very long.”

A great friend in Ottawa asked me this morning if I am “an elder statesman.” I’m elder, I said, but not much of a statesman.

But Chantal’s observation is the truth, nonetheless: if the people in Ottawa had listened to Chretien and Broadbent, they’d be in much better shape by now.

Anyway. Whatever; we tried, we failed. Stephen Harper must be a very happy man, indeed.

UPDATE: And now Paul Wells has commented on Hebert’s comments.  It’s a groundswell! Anyway, as one of those “currently [and happily – ed.] largely discredited,” I urge you to read Wells’ column, and not just because I agree with it.  My take, of which I’m living proof: things in politics are usually not as complicated as they are made out to be.  It’s so simple, in fact, it barely merits saying: uniting warring progressives makes them stronger. Also simple: your main opponent – you know, the guy who united warring conservatives to successfully win power – will do everything he can to prevent such a progressive union. Like Wells says: “[Harper] needs to scare Michael Ignatieff off the structural-realignment dime if he is to hold power. Fortunately for him, the prime minister’s task is not particularly difficult.”

Anyway, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.  It took the Right three election cycles (1993, 1997 and 2000) to get together, and win.  It’ll take at least three more election cycles, over almost as many years (2006, 2008 and maybe 2011 or 2012), for the Left to realize, what Pogo famously observed so long ago:

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My uber-literary agent of 20 years, Helen Heller, has a cool new web site.  Check it out, here – but don’t send her tons of unsolicited manuscripts.  Send only really good ones.

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“…the WikiLeaks “story” is about more than that. WikiLeaks has also had two important things to say about society:

One, the yawning generational divide that runs through modern culture. And, two, that the powerful aren’t so powerful. If all of the world’s governments and armies can’t stop a puny website, then what else are they unable to stop?

If a 16-year-old Dutch WikiLeaks fan took five minutes to cripple Visa.com last week, isn’t it time to re-examine some assumptions we’ve made about the established order?

Young people, you see, haven’t reacted to the WikiLeaks crisis in the way that their elders have.”

UPDATE: And Assange has been granted bail.  Let’s see what the dinosaurs try next.

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Monte, who was never fussy about the border in the first place, chortles about the secret Harper plan to erase Canada. At the 1:41 mark or so.

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Seen 31 million times.  Dare you to watch it without smiling.

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My God, what a beautifully-written story this is, about something so extraordinarily sad.

Say a prayer for this man and his daughter.

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Here’s something to rouse you from your Yuletide slumber:

“The NDP and Bloc Québécois have lined up with the Liberals in staunch opposition to the government’s controversial new Human Smuggling refugee bill and—should Prime Minister Stephen Harper decide to declare the bill a confidence measure—the standoff could lead to a snap election call soon after Parliament’s six-week Christmas recess.

The Commons is expected to adjourn on Dec. 15, following the day’s routine House votes that day, and will resume on Jan. 31.

Several Liberal MPs told The Hill Times their caucus will vote against the bill even if Mr. Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) declares its defeat means the government has lost confidence of the House and an election is required. The move, if it occurred soon after the Commons resumes sitting and all three opposition parties maintain their positions, would allow Mr. Harper the opportunity to hold an election essentially on the timing he might want, prior to a bad-news budget in March.”

What do you think, dear readers?  I know it’s Monday morning and cold and all that, but this web site is nothing – nothing, I tell you! – if not a safe harbour for fact-free speculation and wild-eyed prognostication!  Step up to comments, and let ‘er rip!

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