I'm hopeful and I'm working toward that most welcome goal. But I'm still worried.

he is third rate at best. Even an average Jill or Joe knows not to put all their eggs in one basket, economically speaking, while Harper did just that, all in for oil and gas, nothing else, no diversification to speak of at all.

It really does explain a lot. Flanagan sounds like Canada's mini-me version of Dick Cheney. But his story has ended quite differently. From a 2014 article:


Today, Mr. Flanagan writes, “I have to accept my share of blame” for the ruthlessness that characterizes the party. Originally, Conservatives like him thought it was the only way to beat the Liberals at their own game.

“Harper led the way, but everyone around him bought into it,” he says. In part, that ruthlessness reflects what he calls the “shadow side” of Mr. Harper’s personality. But it is also “a cancer eating at the whole Conservative movement in Canada.”

That is an extraordinary indictment of the party Mr. Flanagan helped to create. And it feels prophetic.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/how-tom-flanagan-went-from-respected-political-activist-to-pariah/article18232689/?page=all

Nigel Wright. That he was instrumental in recruiting Harper, then he went to "work for him" in the PMO. I wish I could find it again. I got the impression that Wright was as much in charge as Harper, in which case if he fell on his sword I highly doubt he's out of the picture.