How CONvenient!

The trial for Harper adviser Bruce Carson was set to resume in late October.  Following the RCMP investigation into Carson's actions while he worked in the PMO,  he was charged with fraud on the government, also known as influence peddling.

Is anybody in the Canadian media shocked to hear that it's been delayed to July 2013?  StunTV?  Anyone?

APTN is certainly not surprised by this delaying tactic.  Their investigative journalists have been on this most news-worthy story like velcro since the first stench of unethical dealings and insider contacts emerged from Carson's dealings. 

One hopes this trial clearly exposes PMSHithead and his Con Politburo's ongoing cosy connections with corporate lobbyists, with crooks and possibly, with organized crime.  

Grand merci to Dred Tory for the update. The picture of Bruce Carson was found here.

Language of the season.

One of canadian cynic's tweets directs our attention to this:

Suspicious Conservatives are vetting guests to their annual caucus Christmas party in Ottawa Wednesday night, ensuring there are no spies or interlopers in the crowd. Anyone, who is not a bona fide member of Stephen Harper’s team (lobbyists and journalists, for example) must be in a committed relationship with one in order to gain entry. [...]

The invitation is very clear about who is – and who is not – allowed to come and tip a glass of Christmas cheer: “If you choose to bring a guest,” it reads, “please ensure that he or she is a close personal acquaintance, unless he or she is your partner, is not a lobbyist, consultant, or journalist, or employed in a similar capacity, and is not there is [sic] any commercial capacity.”

Am I correct in reading that as permission for Contempt Party MPs, VIPs and hacks to bring along a lobbyist, consultant, or media person - but only if they're currently fucking them?

Any bets on whether Bruce Carson will show up with Krista Erickson?

On an amusing note: Erickson before and after her StunTV venom-for-hire makeover.

A double standard.

Whatever happened to Bruce Carson?

It appears our Attention-Deficit news-gathering organizations have forgotten him. Thanks to Red Tory, much remains of that disgusting chapter in the ongoing saga of corruption in the highest reaches of the Contempt Party's PMOpolitburo.

It's worth remembering Carson, in light of the treatment Kathryn Smithen received from a panel of Law Society of Upper Canada reviewing her application to the Bar.

“Despite her horrendous behaviour in the past, she has come to grips with all of the reasons that propelled her to act so badly and has made a commitment to herself and others to conduct herself with honesty and integrity,” wrote James Caskey, on behalf of the three-member panel.

From here. The *horrendous behaviour* that was alluded to?

From 1979 to 1993, she was charged five times with 39 offences, she says, including fraud, theft of money and credit cards, and forging documents. She got 18 months in jail.

Smithen also worked as an escort to support herself and her daughter.

I do wonder if the Cons believe that funding a lobbying instrument for Carson to advance the Alberta tar sands development is *horrendous*.

A word of advice; don't be drinking and reading the priceless comments thread that follows Red Tory's blogpost.

Doesn't the RCMP have Con influence-peddling to investigate?

Why are RCMP officers rough-handling reporters and bullying students at political rallies when they should focus their resources on a thorough investigation of serious complaints of dodgy interactions, influence peddling and possible corruption?

Or is simply that the goons and thugs in uniform who get assigned to airport security are also those sent to *protect* politicians, especially chickenSHit leader's security detail?

One wonders by what means Harper will evade responsibility and what obtuse excuse he might produce when, some RCMP officer over-enthusiastically and inevitably responds to a perceived threat against Contempt leader by Tasering some poor Canadian citizen to death? Perhaps someone like this guy.

Harper is a Victim. Really.

Poor, sad Stevie Spiteful.

Harper says he didn't want an election and now he has to run for it.

Harper was betrayed, betrayed! by Bruce Carson, he the PMO tells us.

Harper and his Harper Regime©™ were found in contempt of Parliament for these actions - although these are the same old same old tactics the Cons have been exploiting since Stevie became leader of the *new* ReformaTory Conservative (NOT progressive) party in 2004.

And now this damning G20 report, calling for a MASSIVE inquiry.

Oh. Wait. Could Stevie be playing at being a victim, a role-reversal trick that bullies typically like to pull?

In the words of our esteemed blogging colleague Alison @ Creekside:

The Cons' contempt for Parliament was just a part of their contempt for all of us.

The Cons' contempt. It's why we call them Cons.

Keep focus on Con's rotten core.

News item after news item uncover dodgy, unethical and potentially corrupt tactics involving Con flunkies, political operatives, advisors and ministers. It seems the Harper Regime was built on quicksand and the shiftiness of its *principles* will bring it down.

Now's the moment for us to strike quickly and efficiently, and yet the word that blazes from headlines is HOOKER.

While it's important to constantly challenge the *Family Values* pseudo-morality card the ReformaTory party plays whenever it's Con-veeenient - and to remind voters of its patent hypocrisy - snickering salaciously like frat boys about this information can derail an urgent hard punch to the Harper Regime's soft belly.

It's difficult to surpass impolitical's deft touch when it comes to handling activated explosive devices, but could we try to be strategic on this one? Taking the high road is critical for progressives; the credibility of our analysis of the Conservative's systemic, pervasive, and putrid practices could be be undermined by cheap shots.

Let's steer clear of the howling hyenas and jackals. We don't want to lose this battle.