Tory MP Dona Cadman, Cadman's Widow, Couldn't Be Reached For Comment

Speaking of people who owe Tom Zytaruk an apology, but probably will not offer one, Dona Cadman served as enabler at several crucial points in this whole story. She should be ashamed of herself.

So The Goal

...was the headline. Those were Paul Well's thoughts when Kady O'Malley's sleuthing turned up how little was actually contained within the Dona Cadman affidavit that inspired "Cadman's widow denies author's story", in which Dona Cadman disputes some painfully trivial aspect of Zytaruk's alleged claims re the Cadman tape.

So does that mean "mission accomplished", as Paul seems to think? Well I don't know. The Tory braintrust has managed to generate a few favorable headlines in gullible Canwest papers that nobody reads, plus Kady's various debunking posts, and then this piece in today's Star in which Zytaruk claims never to have written what Mrs. Cadman disputes in the first place.

And that is pretty much it in the way of coverage, two days in. The Tories have hardly managed to defuse the Cadman Affair as a possible election issue; if anything, they've put the story back into circulation.

Frankly, this sounds like a "war room" with too much cash and time on its hand.

Note: Read this update from Kady where several of the players discuss at great length their positioning on the stairs outside the Cadman home when the now infamous Zytaruk/Stephen Harper interview took place. Or go out and frolic in the sun. That's probably better for your health and state of mind.

BCer was onto this one too.

PS. changed the above a bit based on 1st comment. One day I'll learn how to use that correction feature thingy.

Dona Cadman: PM NOT Linked To Offer

Apparently, she has also claimed she will run in Surrey as a Conservative, though that's not in this story.

I've also read today that Cadman spoke to a "number of close friends" beyond his immediate family, but can't remember the source.

Daughter: Dona Cadman Should Run As Independent

"If it was such an indecent proposal, how are you in good conscience running for that particular party?"

Tough spot for the Tories. We can assume that if Mrs. Cadman leaves the party Surrey North is a write-off for them, and if they're ex-candidate is running around saying Stephen Harper tried to bribe my husband, it will have national implications. I don't know how her campaign manager Bill Zemianski can argue that:

"The prime minister supports her 100 per cent and she supports the prime minister 100 per cent."

"We have, like any family, a few disagreements, but this will not in any way impact on her running as a Conservative candidate."

Well, but one of the disagreements is that Dona Cadman has used the term "bribe" to describe the actions of Stephen Harper's Conservative Party, and he has essentially called her and/or her late husband a liar:

[James] Moore, a B.C. MP who repeatedly referred to Cadman as a dear friend, made denial after denial in the Commons that an insurance policy had been offered.

[...]

"The prime minister made a recommendation to him that he rejoin the Conservative party, as he was previously a member, so he could be a candidate for us in the coming campaign," Moore said.

This is just ruminating on Garth's part, but I hope some back-room Libs are taking it seriously.