As Harper said of Paul Martin over the sponsorship scandal, either he knew and was guilty or did not and was incompetent. But Harper also lies constantly, including telling the House on Tuesday it was “regular practice” to cover legal expenses, like Duffy’s, while calling Duffy’s actions “shocking and unacceptable.” At least I hope that too was a lie.I bet he never saw this coming. Some of us wondered. It would have to be something like this, which is probably better than the unkind and often brutal fates that are eventually meted out to the more successful of his ilk.
As Tories gather in Calgary they should ask themselves, if they are to not become the problem they set out to solve, how they would feel if this web of deceit were spun by a Prime Minister Chretien or Mulcair or Trudeau Jr. And why, if they do not dismiss their chief, Canadians should not dismiss them.
Men with strong occupation associated personal identities tend to suffer deep mental health issues when they lose the occupation that feeds their sense of self. Many never recover. Stephen Harper is not a lawyer, not a corporate executive, not a professor. He is a liar and a politician to the core and there is nothing for him to return to. He is also someone very uncomfortable with close personal scrutiny and unscripted events. All the spotlights are on him now and he is no longer in control. Watch him closely.