The List

Thanks to David Akin we finally have a list of the entourage Harper hauled along, on your tax dollars, on his pilgrimage official visit to Israel. Read it closely and discover the delightful people who will dine on your dime, while Harper closes research libraries, labs and facilities. Rejoice that Stockwell Day, supposedly retired, is still sucking up your money because, after all, there is no more self-entitled an individual than a right-wing religious freak jamming austerity down your throat.

And there's more. Dr. Dawg has some of the more poignant details and a must-read. 

If this trip had happened when Harper was in opposition he would have been standing on his commons desk screaming.

At the time of writing, Harper is addressing the Knesset. (Live broadcast). Not surprisingly, over half the members of the Knesset are absent, but the public gallery is standing-room-only. Of course, when you have 223 boot-lickers traipsing behind you, not to mention all the administrative and security staff, plus the media train, you can pretty much bet that virtually every public seat was taken up by members of Harper's royal progress.

And as Harper and Bibi spend the day rubbing each others' groin and making embarrassing public statements about their love for each other, there is at least one media outlet in the world making it clear that Harper is full of shit.

Flaherty ignores his clay-footed hero

That being one, Milton Freedman.

I agree with Devin. Flaherty today called a press conference and announced absolutely nothing.

His meeting with distributors and retailers was nothing but a sham. In fact, it was one of the worst attempts at political optics I have seen in a long time.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said distributors and retailers should lower prices "as soon as possible" to reflect a soaring Canadian dollar, and held up a copy of the latest Harry Potter book as an example of how some items are still much cheaper in the U.S.

Flaherty's comments followed what he called a "frank and open discussion" with industry members Tuesday.

What a lying, disingenuous little shit.

Let's clear this up. Flaherty was given a clinic in retail sales in this country. The retailers and distributors in this country spelled it out for him in clear terms: in order to make a living in this country they have to add value to their product - which they buy from somebody else.

And did Flaherty stand next to a refrigerator to announce his non-announcement?

No, He held up a copy of a Harry Potter book.

This is pure pandering. Flaherty is an adherent of the Chicago School of unleashed capitalism. The only reason he ever entertained the idea of meeting with the Canadian business community is because his own mouth-breathing conservative base believes that if the Canadian dollar suddenly finds par with the US dollar, prices should instantaneously shift in favour of the Canadian consumer.

Flaherty knows that can't happen and his meeting, and subsequent press conference was intended to give his conservative followers a feeling that he's looking after their interests.

In truth, he couldn't care less and he plans to do exactly what he announced - nothing.

These guys do lousy government but, damn, they're beating everybody on theatrics.