The Donkey at The Dais

We've all heard the phrase "the elephant in the room," used to indicate some uncomfortable, unspoken truth that "polite" people refuse to acknowledge. Now I'll be the first to admit that an overwhelming sense of decorum is not one of my strengths and as a novice writer I've been known to butcher a phrase or two.

That given I'm going to combine these two facts to typify the LPC announcement of Howard Dean as the keynote speaker at the upcoming LPC Leadership Convention as, "The Donkey at The Dais". For obvious reasons I think this works on numerous levels. I'm sure you're all familiar with this beauty by now.



EEEEEhaaawww! EEEEhaaawww! I can hardly wait to see this jackass at the dais!

But that's not all there is to this story. Some of you may recall the furor raised in the MSM and by some noted politicos last May when PMSH had the unmitigated gall to meet with noted Republican pollster Frank Luntz prior to Mr. Luntz being a keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Civitas Society.

I should note that the Civitas Society is in no way officially connected to the CPC or the Canadian Government. Regardless, the outcry was loud and the apparent implications for Canadian politics were dire. Some pertinent clips here:

Liberal MP Mark Holland said the Conservatives are attempting to follow in the footsteps of the Republicans.

"There is an attempt to repeat what the Republicans did in the States to us up here in the north and there is a very close alignment of Republican ideology with what the Conservatives have."

Horrors!!! Independent members of a Canadian political party emulating an American political party's strategy. Mark sees the obvious danger in a close alignment in ideology. I wonder if this could be alternately described as a natural affinity? Anyways....according to Mark....this was positively apocalyptic.

Mark Holland summed up his indignation with this question:

"Why is the prime minister taking direction from Republican pollsters?" Liberal MP Mark Holland asked during question period Monday.

I wonder if Mark has read this LPC press release? Some highlights:

The Liberal Party of Canada today is pleased to announce that the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Governor Howard Dean, will give the keynote address at the Party's upcoming Leadership and Biennial Convention.

We are proud to have Gov. Dean address our Party. Aside from our obvious affinity with the Democratic Party, Liberals are excited to hear the Chairman's views on a modern democracy and the role of the Democratic Party in the new U.S. political environment. And the timing couldn't be better, said Steven MacKinnon, General Secretary of the Convention.

Well Steven, the timing may be good but the optics....not so much. If I understand Liberal logic (I know, I know, an obvious oxymoron but please bear with me) correctly a Republican pollster speaking to a small c-conservative group is a travesty but the Chairman of The Democratic National Committee giving the keynote address at the LPC Leadership Convention is a matter of "pride". Hmmmmmmm....interesting.

I wonder if any of the leadership contenders have anything to say about Governor Dean rallying the troops? It seems Ken Dryden has heard a rumor about this very issue. I guess poor Kens blackberry is broken. Regardless......The rumor is true Ken. I'm sorry to hear you don't approve but I'll try to put it in terms you can understand. Sometimes the team just doesn't play that well in front of you.

I guess the only other question I have is what will be the message delivered by that savy campaigner Howard Dean? If the concept of karma prevails it might be something like... "Do as I say not as I do." or maybe "The power of Hyperbole can NEVER be Overstated". It seems to me that either of those messages would be appropriate for a LPC crowd.

Anyways....I'll be signing off.....I've got to go to the grocery store AND the bottle depot AND the CAR WASH and the AND THE POST OFFICE AND THE LOONEY STORE.....EEEEHHAAAWWWW!!!!!

Syncro