Saturday Musical Interlude

Because they don't make tv like this anymore. Dick Martin and Tiny Tim

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Another "Because We Say It Is" Success In Afghanistan

This sums up our current government's approach to everything. A military operation no one knew existed, has been deemed a complete success (although the military people on the ground at least are honest enough to admit it was ultimately a futile exercise).

One other thing. Globe reporter Katherine O'Neill does such a good job describing the battle, one would almost think she had observed it with her own eyes. She never does claim to have been there, but one can infer she was from her detailed descriptions of the action. So, was she present during the battle, or not? Is Ms. O'Neill the Ernie Pyle of her generation, or is the Globe publishing military press releases as first person accounts?

Update: If she did observe the battle, she took time away from it to watch a hockey game, on Thursday.

Upperdate: Ms. O'Neill was there. She has courage.

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Harvey Korman What A Guy

I read that Harvey Korman died last night. God, I loved that guy. I think I loved him because he was so human. He just never could keep a straight face when confronted by the force of nature that is Tim Conway. Who could? God bless, Harvey.

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The Sensenbrenner Affair

Read this exchange between Paul Dewar and Peter Van Loan last night. Van Loan is doing his best to not answer any questions about Sensenbrenner at all. The government's line seems to be "If we feign ignorance, maybe this will all go away." (or in Van Loan's case, "If I act like an ignorant prick, maybe they will stop asking me questions.") I hope they are wrong, but I am not holding my breath. There is something here. Something big. All that seems to be missing is the will to follow the trail, by the MSM (with exception of Travers) .

Mr. Paul Dewar: Mr. Chair, I thank him for that.

I would like to move now to questions around what has been called NAFTA-gate. Very simply, was Frank Sensenbrenner was hired by the embassy?

Hon. Peter Van Loan: Mr. Chair, I believe the issue he is talking about is the investigation that was done by the Clerk of the Privy Council. The Clerk of the Privy Council addressed the questions of the leak of the memo relating to the American presidential campaign to NAFTA. His conclusion was that there was an unduly broad distribution to 232 email addresses of it, of which a number were outside the Government of Canada. That made it difficult to assess what the problem was, but we know the problem was not, as they cleared, the chief of staff to the Prime Minister.

Mr. Paul Dewar: Mr. Chair, I appreciate the answer, but I asked a different question. I asked whether someone had been hired by the American embassy. The gentleman's name was Frank Sensenbrenner. Was he hired by the American embassy, yes or no?

Hon. Peter Van Loan: Mr. Chair, the question about the American embassy I guess would have to be directed to the American government.

Mr. Paul Dewar: Mr. Chair, I stand corrected. I misspoke because I know he was a rather active member of the Republican Party, so I apologize. Was he hired by the Canadian embassy?

Hon. Peter Van Loan: Mr. Chair, I do not know that this is a day for a discussion of the personnel throughout. I do not see the relationship to the issue he raised of the investigation into the leak of the NAFTA memo. The chief Clerk of the Privy Council did a very extensive investigation into that, and its findings are quite conclusive.
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Mr. Paul Dewar: Mr. Chair, we now established that the government is not aware of who has been hired at the American embassy.

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Today's Question

Is David Asper secretly a Blogging Tory? He certainly has the "but, but, the Liberals" style of whining down pat. And paranoia? Baby, didn't you know that the Bernier thing was just a Liberal plot to stop the Tories from sweeping Quebec in the next election? I am totally, super, serial.

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Bernier Is Still Small Cheese

I know the whole country is seized with Bumbling Bernier, but the bigger story is still NAFTAgate. If what James Travers wrote yesterday is true, this government deliberately leaked a memo to the son of a Republican congressman, with the aim of interfering in the internal politics of a U.S. election. That is way bigger than leaving briefing notes on a ex-girlfriend's coffee table. We are into Watergate territory here. If I was Psycho Steve, I would be looking for a nice country property in France. He would be better off living offshore for a while.

Update: The Sensenbrenner story has hit the Daily Kos. Gee, I wonder if any Democrats read that thing? Harper had better be sure his partner works overtime on behalf of McCain this fall. I suspect Obama will hold a grudge.

Update 2: I guess the Dems have noticed. Question: Why is Harper still in Europe?

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Credibility Gap

It would easier to believe Mr. Harper's denial if he hadn't been so categorical that there was never a "Mad Max" problem in first place. In fact, now that he says that there were no "bugs", I am inclined to believe there were in fact, "bugs".

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