OTTAWA — Stephen Harper moved Friday to defuse the issue of Afghanistan before a potential fall election and drove a wedge into the Liberal Party by appointing former deputy prime minister John Manley to lead a blue-ribbon study group.
"What gives, John?" one of his former advisers asked. "This was one area of weakness of the Conservatives. And he's just thrown Stephen Harper a lifeline in the form of himself."
"One has to wonder what criticism the Liberal Party can levy against the government on Afghanistan now," said a senior Tory who asked not be identified.
I'm still not convinced we are having an election this fall, at the present time it appears to be political suicide for Dion, however, the Conservatives have sure batten down the hatches recently.