Strangelove Flanagan and the Con Regime

As you may know, I have for many years portrayed Tom Flanagan as Dr Strangelove.

I've always considered him a bizarre right-wing crank, and Alberta firewall separatist.

I never understood why the CBC hired him, and then didn't fire him after he said Julian Assange should be murdered.

So I'm not really surprised by his latest outrageous statement.

Tom Flanagan, a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former campaign manager for Alberta’s Wildrose party, has apologized for saying he had “grave doubts” about jailing people who view child pornography.

Nor am I surprised at how quickly, and how frantically, Great Ugly Leader's PMO tried to disassociate themselves from him...



But then who can blame them eh? 

When the appalling truth is that Strangelove Flanagan was Harper's mentor, who bounced him up and down on his right knee when he was just a political baby, he groomed him, he ran his campaigns, and was instrumental in his rise to power.

They were both Alberta separatists, both signed this infamous Firewall Letter. 

For YEARS they were as inseparable as Duffy and PEI Kanata.

Or Laurel and Hardy.

Or whoever...



His malignant influence lives on in Ottawa.

The way to re-make Canada, Flanagan teaches, is through behaviour modification. His central message: Change the rules of the game and change the incentives of the system and we will change the people and the country. The tactic of resorting to stealth to get the Conservative Party’s main legislative agenda through Parliament (see omnibus Bills C-38 and C-45) comes, either directly or indirectly, from Flanagan.

And even after their brutal divorce, caused by Flanagan writing a book about their political life together, the PMO  has always been deeply troubled by what Strangelove knows about Harper. 

And with good reason.

"Stephen is very intelligent," he said. "He's an abstract strategic thinker who translates ideas into action. He is an unusual package of characteristics. He can be charismatic in small groups, morose, secretive, suspicious and vindictive. These may not be traits you want in your next door neighbour, but they are very useful in politics."

As for ignoring the scientific evidence of climate change, Flanagan explained that, "Everyone sees evidence through different binoculars. ...It depends on what evidence you look at." He added that he agreed with Stephen Harper's policy of "appearing to make a difference without actually changing anything."

Because Flanagan has the knack of making Harper appear like a cross between the Boston Strangler and a planet burning maniac.

Who would make even the violently deranged General Ripper look reasonable...



And Strangelove should know eh?

So if the PMO is furiously denouncing him today. By the end of the week they'll probably be claiming that Harper never REALLY knew him. Et tu Brutus? Say it ain't so Big Brother. 

Oh well, I can't say I'll miss Flanagan's appearances on the CBC's Pandering and Politics.

Even when he dressed like this...



But I will do my best to make sure that the touching story of this great ideological love affair between those giants of the Canadian right, is kept fresh in the memory of Canadians. Especially now that it has the purplish tinge of paedophilia. And the froth of moral outrage.

To move them, or shock them all the way to the next election.  And remind them to judge Harper by the company he keeps. 

And of course, I will make sure that Strangelove keeps his fur coat...



And the best part is I can't help feeling that all of this horror, this moral chaos, these neverending scandals, are just more signs of the impending collapse of the Con regime.

What with all that trouble in the Senate, it's like the fall of Rome eh?

Or the Doomsday Machine.

And I'm sure you remember how that movie ends.

With that memorable scene in the Con bunker...



Golly. We really are living in the End Times. The Pope and Flanagan on the same day.

Bye Bye Strangelove.

Bye Bye Cons...

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