When in doubt, blame the Germans

There are a lot of things that simply don't make a lot of sense about the current Mulroney imbroglio

1) To you and me, $300,000.00 is probably a lot of money. To a guy who was independently wealthy before he entered politics, and had a Rolodex full of foreign dictators, $300,000.00 wasn't all that much money. It would be like me risking my job for $19.99 Crock shoes. Maybe, just maybe, he was so arrogant that he wanted to wet his beak too- seeing all of his friends doing it - (it is better to know Andre Harvey than to be Andre Harvey) but this is the guy who brought in the first Lobbyists Registration Act and actually put restrictions on post public service contracts - somehow, I doubt he would risk it all for a seemingly paltry sum. Tip of the iceburg? It would have shaken out before now.

2) Why is it that the media, government and opposition are all focusing on the sworn affidavit of someone who has demonstrated in the last couple weeks that he is STARK RAVING MAD!!! He is doing everything in his power to avoid being shipped back to Germany to face - you guessed it - fraud and bribery charges. Naming the current PM in his affidavit is just a desperate plea to have Canada keep him here to charge him for something new.

3) I was almost positive that revenue forms once submitted are held strictly confidential. How would one be able to get these documents unless the person who signed them provided permission?

4) Summary offenses have a statute of limitations period which has clearly passed. Indictable offences have a higher standard of evidence which, to be fair, no one can even dream of meeting. There was already an investigation by the RCMP (ill fated, to be sure, but an investigation nevertheless) and it turned up NOTHING. Somehow, I doubt if the ravings of a doomed madman will shake things up any differently, considering he is admitting to the commission of a Canadian offence (bribery) to accuse someone of another (corruption).

5) The previous settlement was tied to defamation. It does not need to be repaid because, based on the facts at the time, and based on the actions of the government, they got off easy. The original suit was for $50 Million. Mulroney basically settled for his costs and a middle finger wave to then PM Jean baby C.

6) If *I* was a senior partner at a tier one national law firm, I could wash $300,000 a hell of a lot more efficiently than two suitcases full of twoonies. Duh.

With all of that said, in the world of casting aspersions, there is very little that people with impeccable credentials can do but be taken down by lesser men. The bottom line is that people will always try to get ahead by taking you down. It sucks. It is also yet another disincentive to enter into public service.

Let's assume for a second that there was a cash payment from the mad German to Mr. Mulroney. Let's even pretend that it was done in small unmarked bills in a seedy hotel. So what. That is not evidence of anything other than "a medium sized cash retainer for future goods and services." We are talking about a guy who sits on the boards of over 20 fortune 500 companies. His time is pretty fuckin' valuable. The onus is on Mr. Schrieber to prove that his payment was a pay-off and not for strategic counsel the type of which Mr. Mulroney provides to many international companies for far more money.

And, this very week, Tony Blair received almost $1,000,000.00 yank for a two day speaking tour in China from (amongst others) British companies investing abroad. Is that a post-facto bribe? Bah, Flim-shaw. Does anyone honestly believe that George W. Bush won't be a board member of at least ten major Energy interests, if not Lockheed Martin, on January 22nd, 2008?

The bottom line is that the best proof of innocence is who ultimately demands to have the issue fleshed out. Yesterday, the MAN himself called for an independent judicial inquiry to bring the matter to a close. Sure, he might have appointed half the judges left in this city, but he is clearly sick of all the bullshit.

That having been said - Mr. Harper is still right. Why do Liberals want to dig this up? St. Maurice golf courses and the almost instant turn around in profitability for CSL notwithstanding, this is a really bad issue for the Liberals to focus on - it drives their former supporters to the NDP - who are only criminals in British Columbia, apparently.