Thanks for your help.

I owe you one but you won't find it easy to collect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

Afghanistan: This Prime Minister Just Doesn't Get It.

""I don't want to risk the gains that Canadian soldiers have fought for and that they have sacrificed in such significant numbers for by pulling out too early if we can avoid that"

Right out of the mouth of Stephen Harper. Our military mission is nine years on, nothing more than an abject failure. If we were actually "winning" rather than entrenching a stalemate on the ground, Karzai would have no need to "negotiate" with the Taliban.

Rather than cutting our losses and leaving with honour, we choose to follow Cameron and the others and embrace the NATO shuffle...

I've got news for you, Prime Minister. This mission is going to end the same way it did for the Soviets -- B-A-D-L-Y. Your failure to realize that is surprising. Here we have a PM who is inevitably bowing to the bullying tactics of the Alliance. Ah, the delicious irony in that.

As a Liberal, my answer is a big NO. I urge Michael to follow my lead and not allow Canada to further entangle herself in Afghanistan. Our leader and party members know that this Prime Minister will never put training up for a vote in the House of Commons -- precisely because Harper knows ahead of time that it has just about a zero chance of passing. Hence, resorting to the distinct and predictable powers of the Executive.

Afghanistan, your time is up, or should be next spring. Those who fail to heed that glaring fact will quickly live to regret having foolishly endorsed such a blatantly ill-advised policy.

The Time To Get Out Of Politics.

Some people have a knack for knowing precisely when to hang it up. They leave the scene on top of the wave that propelled them to Ottawa. Others, discover that they are suddenly and precipitously sinking fast -- so they scoot out of town with less than a minute to spare. Then there are those with little to no political instinct -- not to mention judgment, who deliberately choose to ignore the pressing political reality and unexpectedly find themselves going down spectacularly in flames.

With all the above in mind, I want to offer the politicians some friendly words of advice: you had better be hard as nails if you want to survive in this game; your confidence and esteem levels have to be stratospheric and your personal hide as tough as shoe leather.

If you don't have all of that, quite frankly, you don't belong in the federal arena. Remember, if everything starts grating on you, if every issue hotly debated is viewed as a personal attack, if each passing day you find it more difficult to maintain your good humour -- not to mention your temper, then get out -- because the expiration of your best-before date is rapidly approaching.

As Truman famously said, if you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen. Just do the job. When it gets to the point where all you can do is feel sorry for yourself, complain and whine, then the time has arrived to hang up your political skates...

The Phone Call Of The Week!

Yes folks, I would gladly have paid good money to be in on the call between this Prime Minister and Kory...can you say collateral damage via the Laurie missile?

Suffice it to say that it's been reduced -- surprise, surprise, to another he said- he said with the kibosh coming directly from Dimitri, for public consumption.

Yeah right. Picture it, the Queen allegedly directly intervening to overrule and possibly sack a Governor General. We've seen nothing like this since Sir John Kerr, Down Under in 1975.

That one, no doubt left a bitter taste in Her Majesty's throat. In short, she would have been loathe to intervene into Canadian affairs in this manner.

I suspect that this Prime Minister knew it -- all along. Hence, the Dimitri "denial".

Job One At Rideau Hall: Buying It "In Bulk".

I've got good news and bad news: first, that of a pleasant variety -- our next Governor General, David Johnston, will be sworn in on Friday in the Senate. Now, the not so edifying -- did the new team remember to buy medicine for Acid Reflex Disease "In Bulk"???

God knows, the new GG will find out rather quickly how much he'll need it. This Prime Minister has the habit of running his Governor Generals by the nose (or at least trying to). Let me see, what's likely to be on the menu this time -- Prorogation Three, perhaps? How's about a contest of wills as to who gets to call the tune under any and all eventualities.

Because I like Johnston here's a wise hint -- gratis -- don't make himself cool his heels for hours at a time before being allowed the privilege of conversing with him. He's got all the cards and is only too willing to play them -- hopefully not to your detriment.

So good luck in your new job! Remember, the dispensary is only a few feet away...

The Tale of Inadequate Missiles.

I don't have to tell you what it's like to be stuck with a missile that somehow measures up as inadequate. You can compare and contrast as much as you like but the diagnosis is always the same: found wanting. The prognosis isn't much better either. You can dress it up in fancy, new, state-of-the-art hardware with all the shining bells and whistles -- top of the line stuff -- and yet, feelings of inferiority remain for not having passed the five to six inch standard...

As C.D. Howe famously said, "What's A Billion." when dealing with the ever fragile male ego and self-esteem. So bring it on, untendered, uninhibited and all!

Remember Canada. The real men are there for ya. Think of that tonight as you gratefully drift off to sleep. After all, the bill only comes due in the morning.