Lions and Tigers and Bribes, Oh My

Lots of stuff happening in the world, mostly in the land of Absurd-istan.

First, Conrad Black went to jail, an event covered breathlessly by the Canadian media. (Sheesh.) Lots of the live coverage included (to kill time) discussion of how an eight-foot cell, shared with a roommate, will be different from sharing a Florida mansion with Barbara Amiel. The media also covered the type and number of DOGS she has there to keep her company.

My opinion: Black will be OK--his ego is big enough to house the rest of him for whatever portion of 6.5 years he actually serves. Barbara too will be OK--she has a column in Maclean's, which Black apparently still owns, in which she writes of buying a new puppy to keep her company.... Yawn.

Then there's this thing that the Clinton campaign is calling "NAFTA-gate," in which Canadian government officials did, or did not, meddle in the U.S. presidential campaign by leaking information that the Obama campaign did, or did not, share with them about both candidates' recent rhetoric about NAFTA. And the Clinton campaign itself did, or did not, also contact Canadians but not through official channels.

My opinion: Tempest in a teapot. Threats to "re-negotiate" the terms of NAFTA were actually aimed at Mexico and immigration reform. Canada just happens to be extremely interested in the U.S. election, since we don't get one up here this spring, so the story got extensive coverage here. Especially because most up here who object to NAFTA feel it's screwing Canadian industry (for example, softwood lumber, in which the U.S. bullied Canada into forking over lots of money) and can't see giving up more ground.

Finally, and most recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper may, or may not, have known of an offer to buy the vote of what the media always calls "a dying man," Chuck Cadman, back in the heady days of politics when Paul Martin was PM and Harper, as Opposition Leader, was trying to bring down the government. Chuck Cadman did indeed have inoperable cancer; he had left the Conservative party previously and was voting as an independent MP, and, whatever he was or wasn't offered (and he claimed on camera that nothing had been), he voted to maintain the government. He died a few months after this pivotal vote. It has been confirmed that two Conservative party operatives apparently met with him to offer something. His widow, who in a weird twist is now running for a seat as a Conservative, and his daughter and son-in-law all confirm that. But in another weird twist, the widow is sure that Harper didn't know of the bribe, in spite of an audiotape that appears to point to the contrary, because she looked into his eyes and believed him. Shades of Bush and Putin.

The most recent news on the situation is that Harper served the leaders of the Liberal party, who understandably pounced on this story, with notice that he will sue them for libel for the language that appeared on their web site describing the incident unless a two-language apology is forthcoming by his deadline.

My opinion, Part A: The whole "buying a vote" thing may come under the heading of "politics as usual" in Canada, as it would in the U.S. In fact, the same time the Conservatives may have been trying to buy Cadman's vote, the Liberal government was successful in luring a Conservative MP into the Liberal party by giving her a cabinet post. However, it shouldn't be politics as usual. Yes, I'm a naive idealist. I'm still right about this.

My opinion, Part B: This issue has at last given Opposition Leader Stephane Dion a backbone. Whether he has a leg to stand on (ha ha) as he calls for an investigation into this matter is something else again. I'm at least pleased to see him and the other Liberal leaders uncowed by threats of being sued.

My opinion, Part C: I'm not a big fan of Stephen Harper. Not only do I disagree with his principles, I detest the condescending smugness with which he propounds them. However, I would be surprised to learn he knew of, and authorized, a bribe for a vote. In other words, I had him pegged as a prig, not as a slimeball.

So that's what's in the news up here. Oh, and March break is next week, so much of my attention has been directed toward keeping snowmobiles off the driveways around here. Wish me luck on that one.