On bad investments

Let's check in on how the Cons' closer ties with the U.S. are working out these days:

The American government wants anyone crossing its border to carry a secure piece of identification by the end of next year, but Canada's ambassador in Washington says he still doesn't know what that means.

Michael Wilson told a Senate committee Wednesday that despite the looming deadline, there is no information about what Washington wants when it comes to identification.

"There is a sense of frustration at not being able to find out information," Wilson said. "We don't know how much has been done. Some of the questions might have moved past what we think the answers are."...

Wilson repeatedly had to tell senators with questions about the law that he didn't have any answers.

In other words, the Cons' plan to put Canada/U.S. relations on "a more mature wavelength has predictably resulted in nothing more than static headed Canada's way, despite our modest billion-dollar investment in the U.S. softwood lumber industry. And it appears the Cons' current idea of maturity is simply to grin and bear a complete lack of cooperation from Harper's ideological allies, even as other American politicians (largely made up of Bush's opponents) are also doing their best to deal with the border.