LEE RICHARDSON AND HIS 'COME FLY WITH ME' DESIGNATED TRAVELER

LEE RICHARDSON MP

His fetching Designated Traveler

Lee Richardson MP for Calgary Center is in deep doo-doo. I feel sorry for the bloke because if there was a Conservative MP that I like it is Richardson. He is from that kinder and gentler ancestor of the Harperites, the now defunct federal Progressive Conservative Party. I’m sure you remember the old federal PCs. You know - the ones that gave us Dief, Joe Clark, Karlheinz Schreiber’s pal Brian Mulroney, and the asterisk Kim Campbell. The old federal PC party had a proud and noble history to be sure, and I still have respect for many of the old red Tories that ran it. They didn’t come any better than Alvin Hamilton, Flora Macdonald and Bob Stanfield. Because Richardson comes from that old red Tory strain and doesn’t hide his pedigree his chances of making the cabinet of Stephen Harper or even getting a decent sinecure for services rendered rate from zero to none.

Now, as a result of recently disclosed information Richardson’s bleak chances of a Harper-inspired reward have become much, much worse. And it’s all over an awe-inspiring blonde and one of the great babes on Canadian television these days – CBC-TV national political reporter Krista Erickson. See:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9015821.html

Richardson, a widower and a warm and cuddly guy, has admitted to being linked to the delectable newshound for a couple of years, and it’s something about which he is justly proud. After all, although he is reasonably well preserved and not quite ready for the glue factory or the Royal Tyrell Museum (for those of you from outside of Alberta, the Royal Tyrell is one of the finest Dinosaur museums in the world), he is several generations older than the dazzling Miss Erickson.

Richardson’s trouble arises as a result of Erickson being registered as the designated traveler for Richardson in his capacity as an MP. This qualifies her to fly on Canada’s airlines courtesy of guess who? Richardson? Nope. The Canadian taxpayer? Yep.

As a result, the pesky Canadian Taxpayers Federation is mightily pissed with Richardson. Not only does it want to find out just how much of the $143,850 worth of travel expenses he charged up during 2008-2009 was for his ravishing gal pal, its spokesman is convinced that this will be a problem for everybody including the Tories. Not surprisingly, both Richardson and his exquisite designated traveler claim they have no knowledge of she being on any tax payer sponsored trip.


While the dashing and debonair Richardson has the sumptuous Erickson as his designated traveler, it should be noted that defence minister Peter McKay – he who was unceremoniously dumped by the equally resplendent Belinda Stronach – has named his mother as his designated traveler. No surprise there.

But if Richardson is in the soup over this one, his gorgeous fellow traveler is in even deeper. The Canadian Association of Journalists is pissed with both Erickson and the CBC. According to the Association’s president Mary Agnes Welch, the Association’s Code of Ethics [the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Code of Ethics, now there’s an oxymoron for you!] says that journalists should not have a personal relationship with the people they report on. What’s even worse, she says, is flying free because of the relationship. Welch puts it this way: “It is one thing to have a personal relationship. It’s another thing entirely to be benefiting from that relationship. Actually being able to fly for free because of that relationship kind of brings it to a new level. A reporter who covers national politics in any way who is in a relationship with an MP is clearly in conflict.”

This is the second time that the ravishing Erickson has been accused of running afoul of the code of ethics. In 2007 during the Commons committee hearings looking into the sordid Mulroney – Schreiber affair she planted a few written questions with some Liberals to ask Mulroney. The Harperites screamed blue murder about the affair to the CBC which resulted in her being banished to the boring gulag of Toronto for almost two years.

What will happen to Erickson next is anybody’s guess. However, if the CBC gives her the pink slip she can always seek employment with the Calgary Herald whose conflict of interest rules for journalists are applied with much less rigor and severity - that is, if they are applied at all. For example, Tom Olsen happily continued writing his Herald column and reporting on the government of Ralph Klein even though his brother Gordon (with whom Tom obviously had a relationship) at the same time held various positions in Klein’s office including executive director of the premier’s south office, executive assistant to the premier, and the premier’s caucus liaison.

So, for Erickson, even if worse comes to worse – hell, it’s not the end of the world.

"DOING A DION:" RECOGNIZING THE AUTOCRAT AND STOPPING HIM IN HIS TRACKS

In this morning National Post columnist Don Martin shed crocodile tears over the departure of Stephane Dion as leader of the Liberal Party. See: http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=9168b47e-017b-411c-b600-f1a5fa477d62&p=2

He found multiple tragedies of Shakespearean proportions in Dion’s political career and the manner and timing of his leaving the center stage of national politics.

Ah, but as the radio commentator Paul Harvey might say, you haven’t heard ‘the rest of the story.’

Before becoming national leader of the Liberal Party, Dion ate separatists for breakfast. He publicly and rationally beat up on the likes of Lucien Bouchard, Jacques Parizeau and Bernard Landry to the point where much of the Quebec population thought he was too mean to them. In the process Dion gave Canada the ‘Clarity Act,’ which forever demolishes any argument that Quebec can leave Canada as a result of a small victory in a referendum on a confusing question. Canada had been through the wringer in two such referendums precipitated by firebrand separatists in Quebec. The Clarity Act brought a stop to such foolishness. As a result, the separatist threat has subsided and Canadians feel far more confident about the unity of the country. By any standard, this stands as one of the great contributions to Canadian unity in the history of the country.

In addition to his masterful accomplishment on national unity, Dion was the first leader of a major political party in Canada to focus on the environment as an issue of the greatest importance and deserving of the utmost priority. This was another historic accomplishment in Dion's fine political career and another major part of his legacy.

Martin also attempts to coin a new phrase in Canadian political lexicon – “Doing a Dion.” According to Martin, “Doing a Dion” means “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”

I submit that “Doing a Dion” will mean something much different in Canadian political lexicon.
“Doing a Dion” will come to mean, “Recognizing the autocrat and stopping him in his tracks." This is what Dion did to Prime Minister Harper. He recognized Harper the autocrat. He banded together with the NDP and the Bloc – the only thing he could do in the circumstances – threatened a coalition, and stopped the autocrat in his tracks. This is another great component to Dion's legacy and is likely to enhance in significance in the years ahead.

It begs the question, what will “Doing a Don Martin” mean historically? It will mean the same thing as “Doing a Joe Clark” and “Doing a Stephen Harper.” It means not being good at math. It means confusing the terms “majority” and “minority.” It means not being able to count, or figure out percentages. It means not being able to identify what is over 50% or under 50%.

If you wish proof of the above proposition, read once again this very prescient piece: http://darrylraymaker.blogspot.com/2008/10/harpers-minority-government-remember.html

HARPER'S MINORITY GOVERNMENT: REMEMBER JOE CLARK

Joe Clark in 1980

Don Martin the conservative Conservative Canwest parliamentary columnist, no doubt heartily moistened from celebrating the Conservative victory alongside of his Conservative pals at the Conservative victory celebration in Conservative Calgary, had this to say about yesterday’s election in his column this morning:

“The Conservatives have won a majority in political power if not in name” and that “. . . the Conservatives are now set to lead the an[sic] absolute-power minority, perhaps the strongest in history.” See http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=cfc26653-302d-48d5-bd68-00905896b77a

A combination of unrestrained triumphalism, lubricated by ubiquitous liquid spirits always found at celebratory political events, oftentimes cloud one’s judgment and memory – as was the case with Martin as reflected in his column.

In the federal election of June of 1979 the Progressive Conservatives under leader Joe Clark won 136 Commons seats out of 282 – 48.2% of the total number of seats.

In the federal election of yesterday, the Conservatives under leader Stephen Harper won 143 Commons seats out of 308 - 46.4% of the total number of seats.

After the election of 1979 Joe Clark stated that even though he had a minority government, he would govern as though he had a majority government. See: http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:WnscpCcro-EJ:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm%3FPgNm%3DTCE%26Params%3DA1ARTA0005326+Joe+Clark+govern+as+though+he+had+a+majority&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=ca

He tried to do so. The result was the defeat in the Commons of the Clark government 6 short months after its victory at the polls. In the election of the following February, Clark and his Tories were defeated and the Liberals were returned to power.

The morals of the story:

1. A minority government is not a majority government.

2. Do not argue with simple arithmetic.

3. Don’t get too drunk at Conservative victory parties. It clouds memory and judgment.

LEW MACKENZIE 'GETS IT' ABOUT AFGHANISTAN

Lewis MacKenzie

"Gets It" about Afghanistan

Will Never "Get it" about Afghanistan

As those of you who read my blog from time to time know, I don’t give Tories very much credit. The truth is though that I liked some of the old PCs when it was a kinder and gentler party than the Conservatives are today. I liked John Crosbie. And I liked Joe Clark too. There are several others. There were some good men and women in the old PC party and some great Canadians amongst them. My hat goes off to them.

Today my hat goes off to another old Tory. He ran as a PC under the leadership of Jean Charest in 1997 in the riding of Parry Sound – Muskoka. Alas, he lost to the Grit, but had he won the people of Canada would have been well-served. Just as he served them well as a career officer in the Canadian Armed Forces for 35 years. He is also an author, sometime columnist and winner of the 2007 Diamond Class Ontario Championship for formula Fords - at the age of 67. He is also one Canadian who ‘gets it’ about our role in Afghanistan. I speak of Major-General Lewis MacKenzie (ret).

MacKenzie has written several pieces about Canada’s role in the Afghanistan quicksand, and was one of the first prominent Canadians to see the conflict in realistic terms and have the guts to talk about it. For some time now MacKenzie has told Canadians that this is a very difficult operation requiring far more resources than our NATO allies seemed to be prepared to commit.
In this morning’s Globe and Mail he comments on Canada finally getting its hands on six used Chinook medium-lift helicopters to help us and our NATO partners in the Afghanistan effort. Those helicopters are to be leased for one year at a cost – to you and I - of three hundred million bucks. In his piece MacKenzie notes that among NATO’s twenty-six countries, there are 3,000 such helicopters sitting around airports. However, none have been made available to Canada for the war effort. He questions NATO’s commitment to the project, and calls upon its member nations to either pitch in, or forget about NATO. MacKenzie sees it and tells it like it is.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080811.wwconato11/BNStory/Afghanistan/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080811.wwconato11

Good on Lew MacKenzie – a great Canadian!

HERR SCHREIBER: AN ENEMY OF THE STATE

Karlheinz Schreiber is not a sympathetic character. At least, not naturally.

We suspect that at least, he is a rogue and charlatan from what we have read and heard in several books and countless newspaper and media reports. He has the appearance of a - well - a gorgoyle.

Schreiber

But as Herr Schreiber says about himself, although he was born ugly, he is not stupid.

At the moment, as we all know, Schreiber has become the chief tormentor of another gorgoyle-like figure, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Mulroney

Whether or not Mr. Mulroney is ugly is not for me to judge. However, at the very least, he does seem to have had moments of stupidity.

For example, he has admitted to receiving from Herr Schreiber shortly after leaving office as Prime Minister of Canada, three cash payments of $100,000 each in 3 different hotel rooms in murky circumstances that Parliament, and soon a public inquiry will attempt to uncover.

Schreiber is facing very serious charges - in Germany - the land of his birth where he had some very serious pals, including an ex-Chancellor of Germany and conservative politician in the Reagan-Thatcher mould, Helmut Kohl, who presided in that post for 16 years.

It is to face those charges that he has been ordered extradited to Germany. If he faces justice in the fatherland, chances are he will languish in jail there for many years to come. And so, at 73, he would just as soon stay in his beloved adopted homeland, Canada.

Herr Schreiber has been a Canadian citizen for several years, and while here has had many friends in high places as well as a colourful career. One of his first political adventures in Canada was to help dislodge Joe Clark from the leadership of the now-defunct Progressive Conservative Party. This led the way to his former pal Mulroney ascending to power in 1984.

Another adventure was Schreiber's engineering a sweetheart deal - for him and his pals - wherein Air Canada bought a number of passenger jets from Airbus Industries for whom Schreiber was shilling back in the good old days when Tory Frank Moores was on the Air Canada Board and 'Britan' Mulroney was Prime Minister.

So no wonder Schreiber has a soft spot in his heart for his adopted homeland. Apart from it being a safe haven, it has been full of adventure and considerable profit.

Enter the Prime Minister, Bush's pal Steve Harper.

Although relations were icy at first between Harper and Mulroney, over the past year or so there has been a definite thaw. In his perpetual quest for acceptance and rehabilitation, Mulroney said some good things about Harper. Harper, looking to soften his image as the hard-right neocon we all know he is, found it convenient to embrace Mulroney and to intimate to the public that he and Mulroney are so palsy-walsy that he is even receiving counsel from Mulroney from time to time.

For Herr Schreiber, this was good news. His old friend Mulroney, could perhaps use a little of his vaunted Irish charm and blarney on the stern and driven ideologue and perhaps head off the unwanted trip back to Deutscheland.

Alas, it was not to be. In the minds of both Mulroney and Stevie, Schreiber - a Canadian citizen - was not only expendable. They wanted him out. And they were prepared to go to any length to get him out. Without Schreiber, there would be no meaningful Parliamentary or public inquiry into the 300 grand, or any other nefarious dealings between Schreiber and his Conservative friends in high places.

How far would they go? Well, as the greatest Prime Minister of Canada of all-time once said, "Just watch me."

Well, watch this:

Karlheinz Schreiber, a Canadian citizen, with no criminal record in Canada or elsewhere, who has paid his income taxes in Canada for several years, who wants to stay in this country as opposed to returning to Germany, who has fought extradition for several years, who has never run away from Canadian justice, who with his wife makes his home in Canada, is transported to Ottawa in leg-irons, handcuffed, in an orange prison jump-suit, and deprived of his belt such that his pants fall down while television cameras record his total humiliation for millions to see, all of which is brought to you by the good offices of the Harper government.

This is what happens to enemies of the state in Harper's Canada. Karlheinz Schreiber has become an enemy of the state in Canada. His former conservative friends in high places fear he knows too much.

MULRONEY MEMOIRS: A BASKET CASE TRIES TO SETTLE OLD SCORES

I had been suffering from writer's block for several days. Feeling guilty. About disappointing my legions of readers. Hemingway used to call it 'black ass.' I was suffering from 'black ass.'

What to write about? Stelmach? Harper? Borrrrrrrrring! Afghanistan? Not boring, but God, if people don't get it about Afghanistan by now, they probably never will. What to write about?

Muldoon to the rescue! I might have continued staring at my computer screen in a state of suspended animation indefinitely were it not for Muldoon (as Canada's 18th Prime Minister is referred to by that splendid rag 'Frank Magazine').

We found out this morning that - oh, hell, let's call him by his real name -Mulroney mustered up the courage to really let the seven year deceased Trudeau have it. According to Mulroney, Trudeau wasn't morally fit to lead because he failed to support the war against Hitler and that he [Trudeau] opposed the draft during the war.

Mulroney was obviously smarting from Trudeau having called those who supported Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord names. For those who must be reminded or who have forgotten about what Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord were, these were basically constitutional bribes of power advanced by Mulroney and his Federal government to the Quebec separatist government to sign the constitution. Trudeau had called Mulroney and his ilk 'weaklings,' 'cowards,' 'snivellers,' and 'eunuchs.' Trudeau had said this in the inimitable understated way he said such things when he became pissed at weaklings, cowards, snivellers and eunuchs, who for their own aggrandizement, personal and otherwise, tried to turn Quebec into a province quite unlike the others.

As always, whenever Muldoon speaks, two things happen. First, you remember what a basket case he was and is, and secondly, you learn something new.

As to the basket case Mulroney, his outburst reminded us of his penchant for self-destructive over statement and exaggeration, his unrelenting passion for a glowing place in history that he believes is owed to him, and his holding his bete noir Trudeau responsible for the death of his pet constitutional proposals which, in his mind, would have stopped the separatists in their tracks and led him to time immemorial fame and glory.

The facts are these.

Mulroney's big mouth - his penchant for self-destructive over statement and exaggeration - consistently got him into trouble while he was in office (recall him telling the reporter that a good politician had to know when to 'roll the dice,' to win, and he had won Meech Lake by 'rolling the dice' at the right time - saying this, when he hadn't yet won Meech Lake, which he went on to lose).

Mulroney's unrelenting passion for a glowing place in history led to his constant preening and mugging before the cameras, and more blarney than the Canadian people could ultimately stomach, all of which was instrumental in the destruction of the Progressive Conservative Party.

And finally, there is no doubt that Trudeau fought effectively against Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accords. But to credit Trudeau alone for their defeat - when they were rejected by every region of the country, is to give the great man far too much political credit. In fact, the Canadian people had figured out for themselves that Meech and Charlottetown were power bribes to Quebec that would make that province different and more powerful than the others. And so Canadians rejected them. By the way, Stephen Harper seems to have learned something from the Mulroney experience with Quebec. He is not bribing Quebec with power. He's doing it in the old-fashioned way - with money - as witness his last Budget.

So much for the basket case. Now what have we learned? We learned or at least were reminded that Mulroney still believes - and probably others of the now-defunct Progressive Conservatives - that Trudeau brought down Meech and Charlottetown.

If this is so, then by implication Trudeau's attack also led to the Tories defeat at the polls in 1993, because clearly, the nation's revulsion at Meech and Charlottetown was a major reason for the Tory debacle. And it was this debacle - the grotesque Tory defeat in 1993 that left them with two seats - that destroyed the Tory Party. And so it follows, if it was Trudeau who defeated Meech and Charlottetown, then it was he who destroyed the Tory party. Thus, according to this school of thought, Pierre Trudeau's effectiveness as a national leader did not end in 1984 when he left office. No, it carried on through 1993 and therefore, not only were Stanfield and Clark his victims. So were Mulroney and Kim Campbell.

Like Samson, Trudeau slew them all. If I may carry the biblical analogy a bit further, it can be fairly said that he slew Mulroney and Campbell with the jaw bone of an ass!

Wow! What a career! Of biblical proportions! 25 years of beating up and finally destroying the Tories! Longer than Mackenzie King!

One final comment. Mulroney says that Trudeau wasn't morally fit to lead, because as a young man in his very early twenties he did not support the war against Hitler nor the draft. Well, what about the moral fitness of a leader who accepts $300,000 is cash delivered to him in 3 instalments in quiet hotel rooms by an unsavoury businessman who for years has been fawning over him in order to get contracts for his clients?

ANOTHER GOOD MAN: RODDY MAH

Calgary lost another good man this past week. His name was Roddy Mah and he made a difference.

Born in Calgary in 1929, he returned to China at age 5 to attend school and learn Chinese. While in China, World War II intervened thus keeping him there until after it was over. He returned to Calgary, learned English, married Lillian, and went into the restaurant business. An outstanding businessman, he operated several restaurants, including the Jade Palace, a first-rate Chinese food restaurant on Center Street and 3rd Avenue, for twenty-five years. Over the years, he supported many causes. One of the most significant was the redevelopment of Chinatown, making that area one of the unique places in the City and one of the most dynamic downtown Chinese districts in the country. He was one of the first to start business relations between Canada and China, and whenever in China, tirelessly promoted Calgary and Alberta as great places to do business. He was involved in many enterprises and had many business partners, all of whom thought highly of him.

Roddy also loved politics. He was one of the first to encourage Ralph Klein to run for Mayor, and loyally supported Ralph in all of his political endeavors throughout his career. Ralph was his friend, and Roddy helped his friends. He also helped his Liberal friends, one of which was me.

In January 1980, Roddy owned a large banquet Hall on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 1st St SE called, as I recall, the Golden Nugget, or some such name. It was during the Federal Election campaign that brought an end to the brief Joe Clark Tory Government and returned Pierre Trudeau and his Liberals to power. The Liberals rented Roddy's place for a campaign luncheon. The hall had a capacity of about 500, and following the political principle of always renting a room smaller than the crowd one expected, Roddy and the Grits crowded about 750 into the place to hear Pierre. I was the Liberal candidate for Calgary North in that election and introduced Trudeau at the luncheon, where he was warmly received by the over flow crowd. So much over flow, that Roddy was charged under the Fire Ordinance for overcrowding. He gladly paid the twenty-five dollar fine. Roddy said that Trudeau, who loved Chinese food, soon made it up to him. While on his way to or from Asia, while Trudeau's plane was stopped in Calgary for refuelling, he called Roddy and ordered some Chinese food from the Restaurant, thus evening the score.

I enlisted Roddy's assistance in the first Chretien-Martin leadership race in 1990. Roddy was only too happy to help get out the Chinese vote in the delegate selection hunt for the Riding of Calgary Center. He recruited several from the Chinese community to sell the memberships, primarily to the older, retired people who lived in Chinatown Apartments. He recommended the strategy of meeting with them for a social evening prior to the delegate selection meeting so that I could address them on why they should vote for the Chretien slate. On the night of the meeting, a light luncheon was held for the new members at the Jade Palace, at which there were more speeches - all translated into Chinese. Buses waited outside to transport them to the polls. The Chretien slate, thanks to Roddy and his friends, handily won the contest. It was a revealing exercise of democracy.

A very colorful, rotund, affable, jolly but modest man, Roddy enjoyed a good martini and fine wine. He loved talking politics, both Canadian and Chinese. To have dinner with Roddy and his friends, was an event not to be missed. Great conversation, food, spirits and plenty of laughter.

He left a devoted family, and many admiring friends located in the four corners of the globe. And many fond and happy memories.

STEVE'S FLIP-FLOP: TOUGH GUY FLAHERTY GOES THROUGH THE MOTIONS - BADLY.

It was even worse than expected. Talk about a stacked deck, kangaroo court, a snowjob, a railroad job, and all of the other trite, hackneyed expressions to describe a steamroller.

If Canadians wanted to see the reasons why Mikey Harris and his Tories were finally turfed by the good burghers of Ontario, they need look no further than the first hour of deliberations of the Tory-Chaired House Finance Committee looking into the issue of Income Trusts. As scheduled, the first witness was the Finance Minister James Flaherty, looking for all the world like James Cagney as a Prosecuting Attorney in a second rate Warner Brothers flick out of the nineteen thirties (Cagney usually played the hood. In this case, the hood was playing the Prosecutor).

Jimmy took up the first 40 minutes of the first hour, explaining the reasons why Income Trusts should be gassed. He had facts and figures, and his coterie of Finance Department nerds looking on approvingly. He went on and on.

When Grit John McCallum, an economist and banker by profession, finally muscled his way in with the simple question as to whether Flaherty's department had prior reports of the damage to be inflicted on the net worth statements of ordinary Canadians, Jimmy, with gargantuan arrogance and condescension, not seen since the dying days of Ralph Klein's or Mikey Harris's politcal careers, ducked, stonewalled, delayed, objected, avoided, evaded, and eluded the simple question for at least another 10 minutes. That's 50 minutes. For the balance of the first hour, tough guy Flaherty toyed with a question from a Bloq Member and then turned it over to one of his numbers geeks for an explanation of his department's calculations.

So what was set aside for 10 witnesses including 5 from the affected industry or members of the public, Flaherty and his boy from Finance were the only guys who made the Agenda.

In addition, it was announced to those aggrieved today that the time of the Hearings had been further cut. It has now gone from 10 hours, to 6, and as of today, down to 4. There will be two hours of hearings on Thursday. And then, kaput.

The hearings provided little solace and comfort for the industry or investors who have lost their shirt on Harper's Flip-Flop. The fat lady is waiting in the wings. However, Stephane Dion and the Grits should have more than a measure of comfort. There is no way that the Canadian people are going to want these arrogant twaddles in power.

One is reminded of Joe Clark's ill-fated decision to govern as if he had a majority in the Commons, even though he only had a minority. He did, and his Government met its end. Today the new Tories (RATs as previously explained) did the same. They will meet the same fate.

FAST EDDIE AND THE QUESTION OF 'CHARACTER'

Jim Silye is a friend of mine. More than thirty years ago he plied his trade with the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL as one of the best punt return men in the business. He was fast and he was fearless. And he took a lot of punishment, including hits to most of his body. And his head.

Which may explain why, when he first went into politics, he joined the Reform Party. He was elected as the Reform MP for Calgary Centre in 1993. He did not run in 1997, but returned in 2000 to run (and lose) in the Federal Election in Calgary West as a Progressive Conservative - an odd switch given that in those bleak days for the PCs under the second coming of Joe Clark, most of the switching was taking place away from the Tories towards the Reform/Alliance (for which 'RA' is a convenient acronym).

Jim took another kamikaze foray into politics in 2004 when he ran in an Alberta Senate Election - again, as a Progressive Conservative. The Federal PCs were still highly unpopular in Alberta at the time with the still clear memories of Mulroney, the GST, Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord, still etched in the minds of the body politic. Silye went down to defeat once again.

Since then, Jim has stayed away from public life and, like the writer, restricts himself to being an observer of the passing parade. Is he plotting a switch to Social Credit? That would seem a natural step for him, given his early deft move from the RA to the Tories. Or is he planning on joining the new Federal Tories (to be consistent, now that we have the Reform/Alliance/Tory amalgamation the appropriate anacronym is 'RAT.')? Is Jim going to join the RATs? No one knows.

But what we do know is that Jim is a cheerleader for new Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach. You see, Jim received a complementary copy of my first blog article 'Dead Fish' from me, as did the rest of my personal Email contact list. Rising to the bait, Jim then burdened my many friends and admirers on that list with a 'Reply to all', challenging my conclusion that Eddie was on his way out, and indeed, invoking the Premier's virtues of 'character, conviction, and commitment',suggesting further that these were "were qualities unknown, unfamiliar and unpracticed by many Liberal politicians that we both know."

The second part of his statement I can hardly quibble with, except that the adjective 'Liberal,' for the sake of accuracy, should have been deleted. Both Jim and I know plenty of politicians from all parties lacking 'character, conviction and commitment.'

The qualities of 'conviction' and 'commitment,' can be found in men and women, both good and evil. One can't deny that Adolph Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot had 'conviction' and 'commitment.' They were not good qualities. Those qualities are positive and good only if combined with 'character' and by that both Jim and I would mean 'good character,' so that the whole bundle means good, positive leadership, as we Canadians understand it in a democratic sense.

Which brings me to Fast Eddie Stelmach's character as he has begun to reveal it to the people of Alberta. The most recent clue of his true nature is the scheme to sell intimate access to the Premier, to rich Albertans who wish to put up $5000 to his Party's coffers. Upon hearing of the scheme, Albertans, Oppostion parties and the news media expressed outrage - both at the cost, and more importantly the concept. I mean, selling intimacy is rather poorly regarded, even with our society's more permissive outlook on human behaviour. I mean, that's what hookers do.

Stelmach got the message and backtracked, scrapping the scheme. He lamented that the outrage was 'a bit of a perception' and claimed not to have paid a whole lot of attention to what was happening. But is he returning the $5000 chunks already received? No, thank you very much. He will keep the money anyway. That's Eddie the politician. A man of principle, right?

Another example of the real Eddie came during a courtesy visit of the Leader of the Federal Liberal Party Stephane Dion to the Premier's office in Edmonton earlier in the week. By all reports, they had a pleasant meeting and discussed some issues. However, when Dion was about to leave, the Preem refused to pose for a picture with his guest. That's Eddie the Statesman.

He's already showed his true colors by booting out from his Cabinet many urban MLA's who happened to support Jim Dinning in the Leadership Contest, and transferring power to his rural pals. That's Eddie the magnanimous healer.

And he joined the lynch mob on the hapless Harvey Cenaiko who tried to do the Premier's family a good deed by promoting his son within the Alberta Sheriff's organization. Instead of just refusing the helping hand, he made a big deal of it press-wise, rubbing poor Harvey's nose in it after he'd already been turfed from cabinet, thus deep-sixing Harvey's political career forever. That's Eddie the Party Loyalist.

So, to my friend Jim Silye, that is the 'character' of which you speak. 'Character' is the trait that separates good leadership from bad, courage from cowardice, loyalty from betrayal, statesmanship from pettiness. Albertans are waking up to see that the Tory mobs have elected a man who appears thusfar to be wholly deficient in 'character' . . . unless its the character of a weasel.