You Know The Conservatives Are In Trouble When

....they start losing some of their biggest cheerleaders.

Another Kind of Power Abuse

Although the political abuse of power is endemic in this country, especially at the federal level, it is sadly not the only one in which innocent people are victimized.

While I have frequently written on police misuse of power, the instances of that abuse, and the difficulty in bringing the perpetrators to account, seem only to be growing. Both Susan Clairmont, of The Hamilton Spectator, and The Star's Rosie DiManno, in an especially hard-hitting piece, offer some important insights into the obstacles faced by those seeking to bring rogue authorities to justice.

Harper's War On Democracy

Whether or not one believes that Stephen Harper had a direct hand in the robocall efforts to subvert the last election, one thing is perfectly clear: given his well-known contempt for our democratic traditions, he needs to recognize his responsibility in setting a tone that is odious to most Canadians, a tone in which dissent leads to ridicule, dismissal and muzzling, and results in a demoralized population less inclined to participate in the electoral process, thereby giving undue influence to the true believers turning out at the polls.

The Star has an excellent editorial today, putting the blame squarely at the Prime Minister's door, where it justly belongs.

Rob Ford's Influence Grows

Rob Ford, long known for his antipathy towards those pedestrians and bikers and other eco-freaks who have conducted a war on cars, may have found an ally (or perhaps a relative) in Florida.

One wonders if he regrets not sending Gary Webster on a junket there.

The Spirit of the People is not Dead in Toronto

For someone who believes in the potential power of the people, this small demonstration against Rob Ford's brutish abuse of power is heartening.

More on Election Fraud

For anyone concerned about the rapidly deteriorating system we call democracy, I urge you to read Dr. Dawg, who has done his usual excellent job of putting the pieces together, this time on Conservative criminal acts that appear to have compromised the last federal election.

Peter Has Some 'Splainin' To Do

Peter "The Prevaricator' MacKay apparently has some 'splainin' to do to Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk regarding his misuse of military resources for political purposes.

However, don't expect MacKay, an emblem of the amorality that pervades the Harper regime, to be offering his resignation anytime soon. That kind of action tends to be reserved either for people of integrity or when demanded by a leader with principles.

One positive for MacKay in this embarrassment: he is apparently improving on his aerobic fitness.