Smart 'Stash

Just before the "monumental" US mid-term election tomorrow, I thought I'd commend Jack Layton on his successful positioning of the NDP, but mostly himself, as the official opposition in all but name. We can't forget about Canadian politics in the face of the American election.

Jack really seems to be dominating the news these days. He's the one challenging the Clean Air [sic] Act and threatening non-confidence votes. You don't hear a peep from the Bloc Quebecois or the Liberals beyond vague criticism; they're less worried about Harper's Conservatives than they are the NDP under Layton. Liberals you'd better hurry up and pick your new leader. Otherwise the only way he'll get any airtime is if he grows his own mustache (I'm assuming a man will win the race I know).

Today Jack played a deft hand by offering to make one of his NDP MPs miss votes in the House of Commons so the Prime Minister could attend an European Union (EU) meeting. Harper's lame excuse is that he can't leave Parliament because it might bring down his fragile minority government; he has to be there to vote.

The truth is if George W. Bush called he'd be on the first flight to Washington. The reason he's not going to meet the EU in person is that he knows he's going to get hell for withdrawing from Kyoto and proposing a toothless alternative.

Jack knows this too and has wisely presented Harper with a favourable solution to his homemade "problem". Now Jack just has to sit back and watch Harper squirm. Well done!