I'm not sure which is more shocking- the fact that someone who ran for the Tory leadership crossed the floor or that she was so blatantly bought with a fat cabinet position.

Google Jack Horner and you will see that there is no issue on the second point. Maybe she got sick of sitting next to Stockwell Day. I blame him and his mumblings about dinosaurs.

One can only hope it amounts to being given a first class cabin on the Titantic.

Not likely. If they got her they may spring another CPC member and we have a working Liberal/NDP/Parrish coalition.

Paul Martin at the press conference: "This isn't about opportunism. The vote on Thursday could go either way. One vote isn't going to make a differemce."

Really? One vote won't make the difference? How about you stay home on Thursday and see if that makes a difference?

I love it. It is like a novel by Gogal exposing the weaknesses of human society.

Her two main reasons - Harper's poor brinksmanship and Quebec:<blockquote class="smalltext">I cannot exaggerate how hard this was for me, but the political crisis affecting Canada is too risky and dangerous for blind partisanship. She also said Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is not sensitive to the needs of all parts of the country, and is jeopardizing national unity by allying himself to the Bloc Québécois. The country must come first," she said. </blockquote>

It'll be interesting if the Liberals can shake someone else loose this afternoon -- the next defector can name their price, the one after that not so much.

The two NL Conservatives are good bets -- they're pretty well set up for a fall no matter what happens now. Perhaps a nice safe appointment somewhere for crossing or just sitting out the vote.

Exactly. That good Tory Danny Williams will be on the conference call with Martin, too, squeezing them.

It could possibly be a NS Tory as well. MacKay would be perfect but Pictou County would riot. Someone from the South Shore or Valley would work.

its killin me that i left all this. good on stronach. i believe her.

I'll admit it, I would have considered changing sides had she won the Leadership race against Harper. Now I don't have to worry about it LOL Welcome Belinda!

Another cravenly-ambitious silver-spoon social-welfarist plays the "national unity" canard in furtherance of a glamourous career. If Canadians had any gumption at all, they would vote for Harper's Tories just for the cathartic qualities of doing something that the elites have not swindled us into doing.

That would be fine if they were not...Harper's Tories: misfits, grudge-holders, bible-beaters and dreamy idealists.

I just saw the clip of Martin announcing to the Ottawa Press Corps Stronach's welcome into that ever expansive "Liberal tent" - he looked a little taken aback by the derisive laughter - that clip should play well, over and over again.

Anyway, you're probably right Al - as Rusty points out, Stronach is an opportunist, and she probably has had her people obtain iron-clad assurances that the Liberals "have the numbers", one way or another. Where is McKay by the way?

Maybe he is writing his Dad a letter about how he won't be coming back to Pictou anymore as he has to vote with the Liberals Thursday!

Brilliant! Finally something to discuss about at work!

From <i>The Globe and Mail</i> on the trouble with being Tory in Newfoundland:<blockquote class="smalltext">Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams[, Conservative] is keeping up the pressure on the two [Conservative] MPs in the hope they will vote with the ruling Liberals. Mr. Williams has said Mr. Doyle and Mr. Hearn should vote for the budget because it includes the province's revamped, $2.6-billion offshore energy deal with Ottawa. “Mr. Hearn is talking in terms of a vote for Canada,” Mr. Williams said Monday. “Now, if he wants to trade off the country for his own province, then that's his decision.”</blockquote>

Belinda's an opportunist? I've been running this over and over in my head this afternoon and all I can come up with is that's she's a shallow poorly-advised idiot [unless there's a payoff for Daddy in the works].

If the Liberals lose the next election, she's back further from where she started; if they win, why should she expect a cabinet post again -- there's lots of good solid Liberals (and Liberal women) who have waited a long time to get in that position, and have better qualifications that backstabbing their buddies.

Hoooeey. For what it is worth, she is a leading candidate in any party in Ontario. She will be one amongst far more many, as you say, but that is only a function of how few Tories there will be in Ontario.

<small><small><small><strike>Its amazing how just last week Belinda was condemning these great liberals and calling them the crooks that they are. "After looking Martin in the eyes, I can now see that he is a man of integrity and will fix this government" What a load of crap. This political prostitute makes Monica Lewinsky look like a winner to bring home to mom.</strike></small></small></small>

That is so rude and stupid it's getting the tiny text treatment.

A Reform...uh excuse me...Tory member was on televison saying that "Belinda was whoring herself" when she crossed the floor. Would that have been said had she been a man? No matter how hard they try to hide it, the biggoted, arrogant, mean spiritied, bible thumping, reform party beliefs always surface. As Locke would say " they are nothing more than mutton dressed as lambs."

"Prostituting" and "whoring" are widely used political insults against men.

I love your list though, 'biggoted, arrogant, mean spiritied, bible thumping'. It's the epitome of progressive debate: anyone who doesn't have my value system is contemptable scum.

I don't know if you know, David, but Jean ran and will likely run again for office in PEI in my old riding. She's been called everything likely including "bitch" and "slut" - but not if she was in the room and the person expected to leave with their own gonads in place. I can think of people on my road alone who cover off all those adjectives. Not slagging you at all but Jean is speaking from particular experience as opposed to the knee-jerk of generalities which you rightly condemn.

Be sure to watch CTV late news tonight. Down here they keep playing clips of an interview with Peter MacKay looking quite like he lost his best friend.
Pundits down this way are saying that Steven Harpers days are numbered after this latest fiasco and Peter MacKay will take over as leader. If this was to happen, would Belinda cross back over?
It bothers me that the "cross overs" get cabinet positions. We saw more of Scott Brisson on televison this past month than we did of the Prime Minister. It has to be a hard pill to swallow for members who have been elected three and four times and never made it to the cabinet. If Stronach, as reported, made the first contact with the PM, then why would she have to be rewarded with a cabinet position? Politics is a very strange game.

The two news items today on Global, Pulse 24 and CBC are

(1) Peter MacKay lost his girlfriend
(2) People called Belinda names. In politics! Including Blonde. And Blond too!

One last thought before I stumble off to bed. Ed Broadbent is a god amongst midgets; I'm sorry I ever thought bad things about the guy.

I find the MacKay mowing the lawn thing really weird. He had to let them on to that property and then mope around doing things as his invitees were there pretending he is just a regular guy and, then, entertained questions about his "dating life" - who dates at 39 by the way. He also seems to have placed that dating life, calling her and the kids he is so close to second to his role as a two-dimensional characature of a person in a morality/political story which makes me wonder what kind of superficial relationship they had. Then it makes me wonder why I am supposed to care in the slightest about their relationship. Then it all goes away and I think about ice cream.

Right you are, Alan. What did Peter think he would gain by going public with his " I am not discussing the personal side of this in public" and then going on National television? Sympathy vote,perhaps? It's not as if he is 16 years old and is suffering from his first heartbreak. A few times while listening to him respond to the reporters questions, it sounded as if there had been a death instead of a dumping.
Ice Cream sounds good and will be much more palatible and enjoyable than what CBC just showed. I think I'll have whipped cream and strawberries with it, but will hold off on the nuts. Had just about enough of them for one day.
All that's left is Rex Murphy to put everything in perspective.

Was Mulroney being "progressive", in gender terms, when, in speaking about Bryce Mackasey's diplomatic patronage appointment, said "There's no whore, like an old whore"?

No more than he called his first lost bid for leadership "the greatest gangbang in history" but that is why we knew it was ok to love to hate him!

<center>[Ed.: <i>Someone who has never posted here before wrote the following. <br>It is rude so it is minimized. He is invited to get his own blog.</i>]</center><p><blockquote><small><small><small><strike>whore( P )Pronunciation Key (hôr, hr)n.
3.) A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.*

intr.v. whored, whor·ing, whores
3.) To compromise one's principles for personal gain.*

*source dictionary.com

If Belinda had crossed the floor on a principle and choose not to accept a bribe, I would have called her a turncoat, or traitor. (for she claims to support Quebec but tells British Columbians, Albertian and the rest of the west to go f*#! ourselves) However, Ms. Stronach choose to compromise her principles for her own gain. She is a whore who has whored her whoring ass to a corrupt and dishonourable group of Liberal Whores. With Mr Dithers being the biggest whore of the bunch.</strike></small></small></small></blockquote>