FEAR & LOATHING FROM OTTAWA...

A friend of mine received a telephone solicitation yesterday -- the day before Valentine's.

But the person on the other end wasn't selling a long distance plan, a handy-dandy towel that could soak up messy spills, or the needs of a respectable charity.

No, my friend was 'hit-on' by someone calling on behalf of Stephen Harper's Conservative Party, and the line went like this:

"Hi, I'm calling on behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada, do you have a moment to talk about something critical to our country?

I don't know if you are aware of it, but our democracy is under threat from a coalition of separatists, socialists and liberals who wish to upend last October's results. These parties are trying to remove Stephen Harper's government without your consent, isn't that frightening?

I know you share our concerns, that parties should respect the will of the people and do what they were elected to do. But these parties don't care about making government work!

If you agree with me, do you think you can donate $200 to the Conservative Party of Canada so that we can continue our fight for democracy? It would go a long way to keeping the Bloc and NDP from controlling the levers of our nation? Your donation is also tax deductible!"

Thankfully, my friend is fairly aware, although is not a member of any political party. A lot more aware apparently than this 'spooks-person' for the CONs.

Apparently, Michael Ignatieff truly has the despicable CON team desperately trying to sow seeds of fear and anger about a threat that was of Harper's own making. A national crisis? A threat to democracy? Funny, those weren't words Harper used in 2004... While most constitutional experts saw the possibility of a coalition perfectly legal and within the typical bounds of a Westminster parliamentary system, thanks to the inflamed language used at the time, the November action taken by Dion, Layton and Duceppe was quickly shown unpalatable by the Canadian public. Michael Ignatieff got that message, and he used his skills and smarts to make sure that in the end the public was served. Was the coalition a threat to democracy? When all its members are elected to the House of Commons, by the same kind of Canadians who voted for parties of all stripes, I don't see that as a palace 'coup'. How about a useful tool that has already been put in the dustbin?

But it is another sign of now a well-known fact: the governance of Canada will not get in the way of Stephen Harper's partisan games. They do have one thing right. We should be afraid, very afraid -- but the boogieman under the bed is wearing sheepskin blue suit.

Shame!