How Peter McKay's NATO chief campaign will end

According to the Toronto Star, Peter MacKay is now actively, if haphazardly, running for head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Or NATO to its friends.

His chance of becoming the next head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been described as a long shot; he would be the first Canadian to hold the post of secretary general in the alliance.

But sources close to the deliberations have another word to describe the young Tory's campaign: clumsy.

"There are some elements that are a little bit strange. He's lobbying for it, but he keeps it to himself for the time being," one western diplomatic source told the Star.

"MacKay is trying to have quite intensive consultations with a number of his counterparts. Apparently he has tried to meet our minister of defence recently. ... He wanted to meet him without giving a particular reason."

Don't write Peter off. He's got moxie, and leadership campaign experience. Here's how I see this playing out.

Peter's campaign builds a lot of support, but not enough to get him over the top. To get the last boost he needs, he promises Poland (on a napkin) he'll take a tough stand against Russian expansionism in its former satellite states. Poland brings enough support to McKay to give him the NATO job.

Then, a few months later, MacKay begins secret merger talks with Vladimir Putin. The end result? NATO merges with a secretly-revived Warsaw Pact, headed by Putin. McKay gets a minor job, and many of the moderate former NATO members (and his girlfriend) go join a newly-revived SEATO instead.

Remember, you heard it here first.

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I guess Russia has MMP too

Given all the debate about lists and electoral reform and MMP in the blogsphere these days, I got a chuckle out of this story in the Globe:

President Vladimir Putin will head the candidate list of Russia's dominate political party in parliamentary elections in December and may become the country's next prime minister, he said Monday.

Mr. Putin is barred by Russia's constitution from seeking a third straight term in the presidential election in March but has strongly indicated that he would keep a hand on the reins of power.

He agreed to head United Russia's candidate list in the December parliamentary vote, which could open the door for him to become a powerful prime minister leading in tandem with a weakened president.

Probably not the example I'd use when promoting MMP.

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Your unfair partisan snark(s) of the day

Hey, I wonder if Vladimir is pretending to write a book about hockey too?

Putin talks hockey with Harper
By ALEXANDER PANETTA
HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (CP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin used a little hockey diplomacy Thursday to diffuse any possible tension at the start of a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
(more)

BONUS UNFAIR SNARK: They both like hockey, they both hate free media…man; these guys are going to get along great…

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Unfair partisan snark at the day

I continue to be astounded by Decivin' Steven, and it looks like his frosty treatment of the media is even worse than I thought. I mean, when the Putin Kremlin is more more forthcoming with the media than Harper's PMO you have to give your head a shake...

Kremlin says Putin, Harper to meet at G8 summit, but PMO mum

BERLIN (CP) - The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper as G8 leaders gather later Wednesday at a German resort.

There has been no confirmation of the meeting from the Prime Minister's Office.
(more)

BONUS SNARK:

Decivin’ Stephen is making nice with the French? And going on a date with the President of France? Mon dieu, how cute. I can’t wait to read what Harper’s cat blogs about this…

French president promises to play nice with Harper on their first meeting

ALEX PANETTA

PARIS (CP) - On their first political date, a pair of budding allies moved quickly to smooth over two potential threats to their relationship: Afghanistan and climate change.

The newly elected president of France took Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a stroll through the streets of Paris to a fancy restaurant where they dined following their first official encounter Tuesday.

After meeting a fellow conservative who, like himself, seeks to leave his mark on a traditionally liberal country, Harper called French President Nicolas Sarkozy a great friend of Canada.

(more)

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Harper's master plan for a fall majority revealed

Is Steve Harper playing Alan Eagleson, trying to help get a rematch of the 72 Canada/Russia hockey summit series off the ground this summer, in time for the 35^th anniversary? Seems plausible, after all, you may have heard he is writing a book about hockey. And watches hockey. And likes hockey. Because he's a regular guy. Honest. He likes curling too.

Tretiak is spearheading a proposal to re-stage the '72 Summit Series, pitching an eight-gam confrontation between Russia's best hockey players and those of Canada this August on the 35th anniversary of the epic original.

Tretiak, who sits in the Russian parliament, says he has the support of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

So this is Harper's plan. Canada beats the evil empire in August and he cruises to a majority in the fall, basking in the afterglow. If they lose though…Dion's fault. He must have given the game plan to France, who passed in on to the Russians. Harper majority, and treason charges for Dion.

If I were Steve though, I wouldn't find comparisons like this helpful:

That prompted the Russian ambassador to Canada, Georgiy Mamedov, to quip that the series will include two "enforcers."

But even the backing of two iron-willed leaders like Putin and Harper stands for little...

I've heard stories of Putin's "iron will."

No, no Georgiy, I'm not like Putin, I'm like Bush. Bush!!

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