This week in Conservatives behaving badly...

- You'll take Jean-Pierre Blackburn's tequila from his cold dead hands. And if you're airport security, he's going to make sure you pour it out in front of him just to make sure you don't drink it!

The NDP's Comartin thinks Steve needs a "code of conduct" for his increasing number of unruly cabinet ministers. Yeah. I've got your code, tories - right here.

Just as an aside, the tequila reminded me of the infamous 'Tequila Sheila" comment from days gone by. Searching for it, I found this helpful page on the CBC's site: Political insults: a short history of personal attacks.

When you look at the larger picture, should it be any surprise that Harper cabinet ministers are acting out illegally when their daddy continually flaunts the laws of parliament?

- They were against contraception for poor women this week before they were for it.

Facing a squall of condemnation from aid groups and opposition politicians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper disavowed his foreign minister Thursday, promising that the federal government would include contraception programs in its maternal-health foreign-aid initiative.

“The government is seeking a dialogue with the countries of the G8 to save the lives of mothers and children all over the world,” Mr. Harper said in the House of Commons. “We are not closing the door to any option, and that includes contraception, but we do not want a debate, here or elsewhere, on abortion.”

Dictator Harper strikes again. What's there to "debate"? If women don't have access to necessary abortions, they can die. Of course, those "pro-life" Conservative types don't care one bit about that so they don't want to hear about it. Debate closed.

As Antonia Zerbisias notes: Bible, not medical texts, guide Harper

- Dimitri Soudas: punked on Facebook.

A Quebec television show has exposed an embarrassing hole in the personal security of prime ministerial communications director Dimitri Soudas.

Soudas, who is Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief spokesman, took down his personal Facebook page on Friday, shortly after learning he had been the target of the Radio-Canada show Infoman. A message posted on the show's site Friday said, in French: "Here's hoping that he has learned his lesson and that he will be more careful in choosing his friends."

Using the name Christopher David Meer, the show sent a friend request to Soudas, who accepted the overture and gave "Meer" access to his personal Facebook site, which displayed photos of himself, his family, his friends and his home.

However, a quick Google search would have revealed that Christopher David Meer is being sought by the RCMP in connection with two 2007 arson cases in Alberta.

Poor Dimitri - such a serial dupe.
 

Punking the Conservative Government on Climate Change

Tory heads are exploding in Ottawa and Copenhagen. Grab your umbrellas.

Fake releases claim Canada changed climate stance


The federal government is fuming Monday over a series of hoax press releases claiming Canada had committed to drastic greenhouse gas emission cuts.

That should have been the first clue that this thing was full of hot air. Read the article for details about how this all played out. It was quite impressive.

Meanwhile, to add insult to injury:

[PMO spokespuppet] Soudas also got in a heated exchange with Steven Guilbeault from the environmental group Equiterre, after Soudas sent an email to reporters saying the hoax may have been issued by Guilbeault.

"I had nothing to do with this and I demand an apology," Guilbeault said in an email to CBC News. "The Harper government is pointing fingers at me for saying the truth."

Guilbeault said he is being singled out because the government doesn't like what he has said about Canada's record on climate change.

The only thing missing was Marg, Princess Warrior.
 

Rumours of Liberal Party Turncoats

The Star reports today that three Liberal party members are contemplating crossing the floor - the only actual name mentioned being that of Ruby Dhalla.

The excitable and apparently 12 yr old  (just check out those exclamation points!!!) Dimitri Soudas is working it behind the scenes:

And indeed, Dimitri Soudas, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, sent out a mass-distributed email yesterday drawing attention to the Liberals' rebuff of Dhalla's bill [to increase old-age benefits to immigrant seniors.]. "They are voting against the (private member's bill) of MP Ruby Dhalla! Their own bill!" Soudas's email said.

With Dhalla's Nannygate troubles still brewing and after the way the Cons treated here during that scandal, I find it hard to believe that she would join their ranks. But stranger things have happened.

As for these rumours, I'm sure the Cons are feeling quite full of themselves based on their rising poll numbers so perhaps they think that stirring up stories about Liberal party disunity (beyond the real stories of their internal disarray - see: Coderre, Denis) will only work to their benefit.

Liberal party honchos, in the meantime, have denied the rumours calling them "mischief".

Not to worry, it's not like they have any important things to talk about like war. What's a little "mischief" when Canadians are dying overseas?

Related:

James Curran notes that Igantieff has given Dhalla a new advisory poistion today.