An Important Point

Mr. Harper may know that, were the public to believe he was trying to engineer his government's defeat, his popularity could evaporate.

In other words, the Prime Minister enjoys majority-government levels of support, provided he does nothing with it.

Otherwise, yeah, the poll sucks (a string of them have been sucking, actually).

But surely the response to a few bad polls is not to run around like a chicken with its head cut off. To publicly smack down an MP for a private member's bill that will never see the light of day anyway--that was, in an earlier incarnation, a Conservative bill--because of a talk radio AstroTurf campaign, reeks of desperation. And this:

A spokesperson for Ignatieff said that Sgro issued her release to make it clear that the legislation was not party policy, but that MPs are not forced to vote in any particular way on a private member’s bill.

...sending an underling out to wield the axe in the leader's place, is entirely lacking in chivalry and courage.

Dhallaphanalia: Nannies Gone Mellow

As Dhallagate winds down into gray ambiguities (don't expect federal and provincial agencies to investigate Ms. Dhalla if the ex-caregivers won't file the requisite complaints, and so far they have shown no signs of wanting to do so), the folks at the Caregiversresourcenter, who were quite militant in their pursuit of Ms. Dhalla, have seen the writing on the wall and dialled down the rhetoric. Ka Rodel, who was instrumental in producing the Villaneuva retraction writes of an upcoming picnic at Earl Bales

Jason Kenney of Immigration, a representative of the Provincial Liberal and perhaps a Federal Liberal, hopefully Michael Ignatief so we can ask him to support our proposals [will attend]. I suggest we don't talk about the Dhalla affair so as not to antagonize the Liberals. We need their support for this issue and so with the NDP.

And so it appears to end. I heartily concur with this sentiment:

If Michael Ignatieff is serious about improving the representation of women in the Liberal Party of Canada and ultimately in Parliament, he should start by restoring Ruby Dhalla to his shadow cabinet.

In other words, this shouldn't become Judy Sgro redux.