DO AS I SAY AD INFINITUM...

Must say the sparring match between Thomas Mulcair and Ralph Goodale on CTV's Question Period (sorry, my technical ludditism does not permit me to post the link to the video, but you can find it at www.ctv.ca) was entertaining, to say the least.
Unfortunately, it did let cuddly Peter 'if my eye brow hits my hairline, I must be lying' Van Loan off the hook for most of the segment on CTV's political show Sunday.
But there's an interesting angle that the NDP seems to wish to evade during all this 'You can't pick the timing of an election!' lambasting 24-7.
It's been difficult, as a firm Liberal, to sit through all this abstaining over the last few months, but I do understand there's strategy involved.
When your role is one to oppose, you should do it vigorously and with honour. However, being ready to form the next government is another part of the equation -- something the NdP has never had to worry about.
They can howl at the moon without worrying about cleaning up the mess afterwards. In fact, their dream would be to see Stephen Harper gain complete control of Ottawa for the next 4-5 years and make Canada over in his own image, just to jump the queue and be the 'second-most popular pig in the sty.'
That makes their role pretty easy.
In 2005, as the opposition party that held the balance of power in the Paul Martin minority government, they chose to work on concert with Stephen Harper to pull down the government -- which is their right. Despite getting some decent concessions in one budget, and some major accords signed on issues they apparently cared about once a time ago, Jack Layton and his NdPers decided that it would not permit Paul Martin to live for TWO MORE MONTHS until the Gomery report was out. The rush to judge, or maybe the inside info on the inside info 'scandal', was just too hot to let stew.
There just had to be an election, damnit.
So they had bided their time over 18 months supporting one government until it was timely to bring it down. Don't tell me that there wasn't legislation brought in during that time that was a slap at all those socialistic principles Jack holds so dear? Guess those have been well protected under a Stephen Harper dictat... er government, right?
Although there is no necessary conflict with these actions, it does point out how their peripherary view has affected the cause of social justice, economic parity and progress on a number of issues.
That and Jack Layton's pre-leadership victory opinion of Stephane Dion will get you a nice hashish brownie in Danforth, I suppose...