Meet 'Senator' Mike Duffy et al

Welcome to this week's episode of The Liberals Made Me Do It! with your host, Stephen Harper.

Never one to actually take personal responsibility for his train wreck of a prime ministership, once again poor Steve is forced to take action that goes against a campaign promise and, worse, a Conservative party principle* by seemingly begrudgingly appointing 18 senators to prove to the Liberals that their prior appointments of "cronies"** were "undemocratic" (and to punish the opposition for not supporting his legislation).

Pay no attention to the fact that Steve had parliament prorogued to avoid a non-confidence vote that would definitely have turfed him from office and that he's now biding his time by grabbing as much political power as he possibly can. He's a victim, after all.

(Yes, I know. The Conservatives' so-called logic escapes me too.)

Among those appointed to seats in the upper house were former broadcaster Pamela Wallin, Olympian Nancy Greene Raine and CTV personality Mike Duffy.

Others named include:

* Former N.L. MP Fabian Manning.
* N.S. lawyer Fred Dickson.
* Stephen Greene, former deputy chief of staff to N.S. Premier Rodney MacDonald.
* N.S. businessman Michael L. MacDonald.
* Long-time New Brunswick MLA and cabinet minister Percy Mockler.
* N.B. lawyer John D. Wallace.
* National chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Patrick Brazeau.
* Former Quebec MP and teacher Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis.
* Director of Via Rail Canada Leo Housakos.
* Former Quebec MNA Michel Rivard.
* Nicole Eaton, member of the prominent Eaton family.
* Ontario businessman Irving Gerstein.
* Co-founder of the Corean Canadian Coactive (C3) society Yonah Martin.
* B.C. cabinet minister Richard Neufeld.
* Former Yukon MLA Hector Daniel Lang.

* Apparently, Conservatives do have principles. On paper, anyway.

** During a CBC interview reacting to the appointments, the minister for Democratic Reform apologist spokespuppet for this latest bullying, Steven Fletcher used the word "cronies" to describe past Liberal senate appointees. Whoops. Take a moment to think about that, Steven. If those unelected, partisan, Liberal senators are "cronies", what do you call this new crop of unelected, partisan, Conservative senators?

A 21st century legislature cannot remain dominated by appointees who may sit for decades, without a democratic mandate and with the ability to thwart the elected government.
- Stephen Harper, 2006

He also proclaimed during that speech: "The will of the majority in Parliament always prevails."

That Steve! What a kidder.