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For pure gall, nothing much matches Harper’s appointment of Michael Fortier as minister of public works, and all-purpose dispenser of favours to Montreal.

Harper is against patronage and Senate appointments, it seems, except when it comes to putting an unelected party operative in cabinet via a Senate appointment.

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Harper said he made Fortier promise to resign his Senate seat by the next election and actually run for office.

Wow.

If all that doesn’t make average Canadians hold their noses, Harper’s decision to give the public works portfolio to the party’s newly designated (and unelected) patronage czar for Montreal ought to invoke stomach-turning images of a guy named Gagliano.

It is not by accident that Harper has given the three most lucrative spending pots to Quebec ministers — public works, industry, and transport and infrastructure.

Whatever Harper may have won with his cabinet manoeuvres, he has taken a hit in respect.

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Hard to blame anyone for bringing out the long knives so early.

Predicted fallout of the Emerson defection?

NDP steamrolls through GVA and Vancouver Island while the Bloc takes back most of Quebec City (not Louis-Saint-Laurent though).

[ 08 February 2006: Message edited by: Heavy Sharper ]

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Originally posted by Heavy Sharper:
Is this the same Sun that wrote ridiculous editorials giving people over 100 reasons to vote Tory and over 100 reasons to voe out the Liberals?

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Why yes, yes it is.

I usually go out for breakfast about once a week. The Sun is usually available and I make a point of reading the columnists, letters to the editor, etc. That one really gagged me, it was so over the top with pages and pages of why to vote conservative, not vote Liberal.

Strikingly awful "journalism", even by the Sun's low standards.

[ 08 February 2006: Message edited by: siren ]