Poor political pickins

Things will seem pretty dull on the political scene for the next while.

Provincially, Stephen McNeil's Liberals are fixin' to support Premier Rodney MacDonald's governing Tories on the budget. This will, no doubt, prevent a provincial general election - and Opposition Leader Darrell Dexter from claiming the premier's office for his NDP. Darrell's shelf life has got to be getting shorter.

Meanwhile, at the federal level, there isn't any more promise of political action. The Tories are the only ones seen as able to do anything - just anything. Love him or not, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been the most active leader we've had for decades. Pierre Trudeau had apparently held that distinction - until we've found his era was due to a zeitgeist and a dream, increasingly negative and based on an imposter.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion hasn't measured up to either. As well, every time the Khadr name comes up down in the States, the Liberals grasp at any apparent scandal with which they can tag the government, keeping attention focused off their own collective past. But, the old affair of Foreign Affairs Minister Maxine Bernier with a woman with alleged biker connections hasn't really taken flight.

Oddly enough, the NDP has rightly focused its attention on the minister's abilities - or lack thereof, which some say to be more indicting than the company he's kept.

That all said, we have to cast our collective political gaze south of the border, and even that's like watching grass grow. Sen. Hillary Clinton has been declared “toast” as the potential Democratic Party candidate. Sen. Barack Obama seems to have it in the bag.

But Clinton won't give up; we political junkies should be grateful. After all: it could otherwise be an even duller political season, watching Obama and Republican appointee-in-waiting Sen. John McCain spar off.

One development: McCain seems to be eradicating the evil memories of the neo-con takeover of his party - the development that had gotten them into a prolonged Mid-East war, wrecked the economy and failed to serve the public during emergencies, such a Hurricane Katrina. McCain has long been at odds with the neo-cons, and has dusted off his long-held environmental concerns. This isn't a stretch. After all, it was in the much-maligned presidency of Republican Richard Nixon the environment got official priority and a cabinet position.

Anyway, how Clinton could have lost a sure thing in the Democratic nomination may be overshadowed by how Obama could lose the November election to McCain.

What does this mean to Canadians? Well, we have to understand the United States government has many parts, and they will collectively do whatever they see as in the best interests of their country - the rest of the world, us included, be damned.

So, until November, enjoy what little there is.