Thanks To Bloc, There Is A Way Forward

Remember, it was the Bloc that insisted that the detainee issue be pursued through the Special Committee, rather than through a Standing Committee, like Defence. As a result, while prorogation would halt all Standing Committees, the Special Committee, as a result of its conception in that Con-Lib 2011 Mission Extension Resolution, can continue. Now, the Cons can try to boycott the committee. They would pay a hefty price for such bizarre cowardice, when, judging from today, their own chair, Casson*, will continue to do his duty upon receipt of meeting requests, as the Clerk gets them too, and call meetings, and yet knowing full well when they are scheduled, not turn up?! The committee should keep calling meetings and make sure there are witnesses that will appear whether the Govt does or not, and profit from the media coverage to have lengthy testimony from BCCLA, Amnesty, journalists, Pardy, etc.: the Govt will be increasingly embarrassed as their cowardly anti-democratic boycott continues (Cons hate being known for cowardice, really hurts the brand), more damaging information will come out, and this will only embolden leakers further. A scenario that will really hurt the Govt and drive them crazy - is there anything they hate more than losing control, and looking like pussies, to boot?

It's up to Dosanjh & Libs, but if we assume Cons aren't going to show up, might be best for someone who lives closer to Ottawa to come in for the meetings: having Dosanjh fly in each time is good drama & indictment of Govt, but unreasonable waste of Dosanjh's time, when there many other Libs who live closer. As with my previous suggestion on Committee composition, as with Dewar's excellent reminder that the Govt said an inquiry was unnecessary as the Committee was investigating, the key is always to take what the Govt says and does, and convict them through their own words and deeds, while behaving as fairly and seriously as possible. It's precisely because the Opposition has behaved with such seriousness and avoided the traps of partisanship that this issue is eating away at Cons, and driving them crazy. How do you spin a story when the facts are against you and there is continued focussed attention? Typically, you call an Inquiry. But what if an Inquiry would almost inevitably discover that the very highest levels of the Govt were indeed guilty of criminal indifference to complicity in torture? There's no way out, short of an election and a majority (the Committee, given its special status, survives elections). And to be the one that calls an election, in the current circumstances, is to automatically imperil their plurality, and would obviously destroy any hope of a majority. They will almost certainly have to try to provoke an election, or find some feeble excuse to call one, sometime in the New Year, probably the Spring, post-Olympics, post-propaganda. Remember, as we know, there is nothing, but nothing, Harper won't do to save his job. And as the detainee proceeds towards its inexorable conclusion, the only way out for him is a majority.

So they will fight with all the desperation of cornered beasts, but in this case, such increased desperate aggression works against them, as Hawn's ever-decreasingly coherent and credible contributions suggest: many people are at the point they almost feel pity for the man, looking ever worse as he angrily mouths a ridiculously incoherent mish-mash of inaccuracies. He's sounding more and more like the crazy old uncle at Christmas, or the angry crank who starts randomly shouting in public places. This is what Harper & MacKay have reduced the man to, all to protect their selfish lying hides. For shame.

So Opposition, bloggers, media, keep on it, it's no longer a case of the truth will out - it IS outing, every day more and more, worse and worse. The Cons' refusal to let the MPCC do its job will rank up there with Martin's calling of the Gomery Inquiry in political misjudgments. Sometimes inquiries hurt governments, and sometimes they save them. A decent PMO knows how to make that distinction. Of course, a decent PM & PMO put their party's and the country's good ahead of their own. That's not something Harper has ever been accused of.

*Casson seems a good guy but like all Con MPs, sadly reduced to a puppet of PMO turds - given his honourable conduct when in the chair, I wouldn't be surprised if privately he detests MacKay & PMO-Giorno Little Shits, as so many Con MPPs did in Giorno-Harris days.