.... The switch between Peter Mackay and Rob Nicholson solved two problems. The Defence portfolio is less about building morale and spending money nowadays than it is about managing expectations down. Rob Nicholson is not so much a big-picture guy as he is a dedicated stickler for detail. Rest assured: expectations will go down. Mr. Mackay will now get to dispense the patronage that everyone understands: naming judges. Once a Crown Attorney himself, he knows the challenges, and he also knows that Defence is no longer going to be as much fun ....