Well I see Stephen Harper's trip to the Mandela funeral started off on a high note, with a macabre political version of the Mile High Club.
With Harper obviously glad to leave the sordid Senate scandal behind him, and consorting with three former Prime Ministers.
Even tweeting this photo of him and his old arch enemy Jean Chretien...
But I did notice that Great Ugly Leader was the only one drinking, and no wonder eh?
Not only does he have to worry about what the police might ask him, he's probably also worried that Mulroney is going to ask him why he was willing to call an inquiry into the Airbus Scandal.
Harper was drawn in when court documents filed in 2007 showed Schreiber had written letters to Harper that spelled out his allegations against Mulroney. Schreiber also alleged that Mulroney had come to the businessman's defence during a visit to Harper's summer home in 2006, which Harper and Mulroney also denied.
"Obviously, I'm taking this action to protect the position of the Prime Minister's Office," Harper told the news conference that day in announcing the inquiry. "It's important that we have the facts."
But he doesn't want to call an inquiry into the Senate scandal.
Harper has deflected calls for an inquiry into an alleged deal struck inside his office to reimburse Sen. Mike Duffy's contested living expenses. Duffy and Harper's former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, face RCMP allegations of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. No charges have been laid.
And after reading that story, I can't help wondering whether he mistook what Paul Thomas, a professor working for the commission investigating the Mulroney-Schreiber affair, as a way to go, as in good to go. Rather than a WARNING.
Thomas's research touched on the pitfalls of "plausible deniability," on the rules around record-keeping in the government, the lack of proper training for political staff, and the culture of the PMO.
"To a large extent, it is the prime minister who shapes the culture and climate of the PMO. If the tone set at the top is that there must be no mistakes or problems that embarrass the prime minister, then the likelihood is greater that attempts will be made to manipulate information and lessen vulnerability by covering up problems."
Because not only does that sound so familiar, or the modus operandi of the Harper mob.
Greater Ugly Leader is going to need all the plausible deniability he can summon up, if somebody in the South African media decides to ask him why he is attending Mandela's funeral.
When as a founding member of the uber right-wing Northern Foundation he worked so hard to keep him jail.
In fact I bet he's drinking even more in his hotel room tonight. (editor's note: kids please don't take drugs.)
After the way some of his Con operatives treated the South African media at the airport.
I mean just look at them…
Have you ever seen ANYTHING like it?
Are those Con fanatics out of control or what?
The only thing worse would have been if the PMO attack hog Jenni Byrne had been there, running around on the tarmac threatening to BITE anyone who got close enough to Great Leader to ask him a question.
Golly. I bet the South African media are REALLY pissed off.
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they go out of their way to ask him about his youthful days as a right-wing extremist, and why he hated Mandela soooooo much.
I mean they better eh? After all the questions I sent them to ask Great Freedom Fighter Leader at his first news conference.
If he dares hold a news conference, without being able to hide behind all those other Prime Ministers.
Because of course that's why he brought them along eh? To act as his human shields.
Yup. No matter how far he travels he always finds himself in the same position. Trying to make himself look pretty, while dodging the truth.
But he can't escape his past, or that sordid scandal. And he sure ain't pretty.
And if we're lucky he may one day find himself reflecting on why he gave Nigel Wright the good to go, and blew his plausible deniability.
While reading Nelson Mandela's prison diary to inspire him.
Or just keep him going eh?
In the only place he really belongs…
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