That's part of the woodpile--some of the new wood from this past summer. Over the weekend, three separate storm systems hit Canada. A "pineapple express" from Hawaii dumped snow and rain in BC. A Colorado something-or-other brought central Canada snow and wind. And something else ended up in southern Ontario and Atlantic Canada. "Pineapple express" wins in the naming department, obviously.
Finally, the weather has changed the news cycle. All we've been hearing recently is allegations from a soon-to-be-deported German national that he has information to spill about former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Apparently Mr. Mulroney is bribe-able, to the tune of $300,000 (down from the original deal for $500,000 when Mr. Mulroney didn't deliver on his promise). Furthermore, it was delivered in cash in restaurants--the very stuff of movies. And Mr. Mulroney won a $2 million libel lawsuit a few years ago when similar allegations surfaced but couldn't be proven--and the government paid him that $2 million.
Finally, the weather has changed the news cycle. All we've been hearing recently is allegations from a soon-to-be-deported German national that he has information to spill about former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Apparently Mr. Mulroney is bribe-able, to the tune of $300,000 (down from the original deal for $500,000 when Mr. Mulroney didn't deliver on his promise). Furthermore, it was delivered in cash in restaurants--the very stuff of movies. And Mr. Mulroney won a $2 million libel lawsuit a few years ago when similar allegations surfaced but couldn't be proven--and the government paid him that $2 million.
Pretty nifty, getting money from foreign business interests to influence policy AND from the government when they said so but couldn't prove it.
So there's been a lot of yapping back and forth about these allegations and what should happen about this potential deportee. Friday was a big meeting: the House of Commons ethics committee interviewed this German national, who bears an unfortunate resemblance to Colonel Klink but has a lot more media savvy. According to the Maclean's National Editor, Andrew Coyne, Friday's session produced some interesting allegations.
However, a few weeks ago, Coyne, in an opinion piece in the print version of the magazine that I can't find online (sorry), also said that if a former U.S. President were alleged to have accepted a bribe, an thorough investigation into the matter would have been launched.
I had to laugh. Investigations are important south of 49 only to pursue the public's prurient interest in cigars (in the 1990s) and secret identities of agents (in this millennium). When the nation's leaders send troops to kill people, based on lies insisted upon and promulgated by a sitting president, nobody cares.
Maybe Andrew Coyne should move south of the border and try to interest the public in that story. Certainly this scandal--and I'm not making light of it, though I don't think it involves the current government and Prime Minister as much as the Liberal opposition wishes it did--is getting plenty of coverage. Is it a candidate for Absurd-istan? Not yet. (Again: it's my world; I get to decide.)
Still: Thank God for La Nina and the Pineapple Express!!
