Politicans I miss

"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven."

Sometimes I miss Jean Chretien. How can you argue with logic like that?

Today, on CBC Radio, I heard a reporter ask Stephan Dion about the Liberal Party's position on Afganistan, given the findings of John Manley's report. His accent isn't nearly as much fun, and he always sounds scared to answer the question.

Hey, Stephan, reporters don't bite. Well, not unless provoked. If Jean didn't like what a reporter said, the reporter was in physical peril. So get your dukes up, Stephan, and make them treat you like a man instead of a parody.

More than Chretien, I miss Mulroney. Now there was a politician you could rouse some feeling about!

"You cannot name a Canadian prime minister who has done as many significant things as I did, because there are none."

Well, that's painfully true. Hate him or love him, he didn't tippy-toe around anyone or anything. Why should he, when there are big fat envelopes of cash for the taking?

"And look, I was a big, brassy guy who won and won big. I did what I wanted."

Damn skippy he did. His protege, Mr. Harper, is trying hard to make his own impressions, but it's a hard thing to do when you're stuck with a minority government and the personality of a fish. Plus, one doesn't want to stand too close to Mulroney these days.

Mr. Harper is crafty, intelligent, and he knows how to keep the opposition squirming and quiet all at the same time. However, it's time for something to give. The Liberals need to get their act together and start pulling their weight. At the very least, they could admit that Dion isn't doing a very good job and start a little internal backstabbing.

Diefenbaker once compared the Liberals to flying saucers; I'd compare them to those little styrofoam airplane kits we'd buy as children. Easy to put together, not very practical, boring after ten minutes and eventually you know they just fall apart. Yet, we kept buying them.

All that's been proven, then, is what we already knew. We've got better things to do.

"There is prejudism everywhere, except Canada. They don't make generalizations about people because they're too busy playing hockey, getting drunk or putting maple syrup on their ham."
Kelso, "That 70s Show"