Sleaze Oozes out of Government Cracks

While the current government gets closer to one of the longest running minority governments, a few things begin to pile up behind the gate to an election.

The Obama campaign was the last thing I thought would come up in our political situation, but a bonehead move by someone in the PMO meant that a discussion was leaked to the press.

Initially, it was shared (allegedly by Harper's Chief of Staff) that Obama called up the Canadian Embassy to say - "hey, forget all that stuff I'm saying about NAFTA - it's just for getting votes" - okay I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it.

Later it comes up that, well, that's not really what the exchange was. But it's immaterial now, as the impact has already been felt in Ohio primaries.

In previous government leaks, they found the culprit and removed the temp employee I think it was, in the handcuffs of the RCMP. In this case it sounds like there's a Privy Council investigation, and they'll likely come back with "oh well, we reprimanded the unnamed pesky fellow". Sounds like a double standard.

Though, I am somehow not surprised, as there was word of Republicans or at least links to republican-connected right wing religio-fascists in the US providing advisors to Harpers campaign during the previous election. It seems possible in a slightly crazy conspiracy-sort-of-way that they would also be looking for some help in besmirching Mr. Charisma given the way the upcoming US election is looking.


Anyway, all this to say, it gives the Opposition some scandal-like ammunition to consider toppling the government. Add onto that the current push towards the censorship bill C-10 that seeks to not only scuttle funding for some Canadian movies that don't meet some cabal's ideas of suitable content, but they also want to be able to do it after the fact. This ensures that not only do they kill the movie project, but they also financially deep-six the production company who suddenly finds that it's product has bankrupted them as the pending funds are suddenly withdrawn after the cash is spent. Some nut job evangelist named McVety out west was claiming ownership of the bill until someone told him to shut up, and now he's pulled back into the festering underbelly of religion-motivated censorship advocates.

Hopefully the arts community continues pushing on this, and the Liberals in the Senate can kill the thing. Meanwhile, add it to the list of reasons for an election.