I'm posting this here because the two articles suggest that prime Minister Harper cannot survive until 2015 because the
Senate Scandal® is so toxic that it overwhelms everything else.
Stephen Mahar, writing a
widely syndicated column, says that "the RCMP dumped an 81-page bag of burning refuse on the steps of the Prime Minister’s Office, journalists and opposition MPs have sensibly focused on a question that could undo the prime minister: What did he know about the secret $90,000 payment from his chief of staff to Sen. Mike Duffy?" and "The burning bag of refuse will not be disposed of easily." It shows, he suggests that Prime Minister Harper's PMO and, indeed, many of his legislators were, at the very least, unethical.
Thomas Walcom,
writing in the Toronto Star suggests, not surprisingly, given that he is a star
Star columnist, that Prime Minister Harper should step down, soon, and make way for e.g. Jason Kenney.
I know I'm repeating myself, but Harold Wilson's old adage that a week is a long time in politics is valid, and on that basis we have nearly 100 "long times," i.e. something akin to an eternity, until an election in October 2015.
But if the Tories manage to lose Brandon-Souris on Monday it will be, likely, because of the
Senate Scandal® and, especially because of the prime minister's heavy handed, indeed, in my
opinion inept handing of the affair. We have discussed, before, that Prime Minister Harper seems unable to ever admit anything, much less apologize ... maybe because history suggests that Canadians don't react well, at the polls, to a bit of contrition. St Laurent apologized for invoking closure in the
Pipeline Debate ... Diefenbaker won the election. Diefenbaker apologized for dithering on nukes ... Pearson won the election. Clark apologized for a 18¢/gallon gas tax ... Trudeau won the election. Martin apologized, profusely, for
AdScan ... Harper won the election. In any event, if Brandon-Souris goes Liberals, which some polls suggest it might, then his leadership will be weakened and the ambitions of possible contenders will be strengthened.