Pressing the point

The Cons may be looking for ways to change the subject from Deceivin' Stephen's claim that he wouldn't extend Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan without consensus agreement to do so. But fortunately, the other major federal leaders seem to have their own consensus that the Cons won't be let off the hook that easily:

It's looking more like Prime Minister Stephen Harper's pledge not to extend Canada's combat role in Afghanistan without the consensus of all four federal parties means the combat mission will end in 19 months.

Two party leaders were unyielding in their positions Wednesday as news filtered back from Kandahar that six more Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter had been killed by a roadside bomb.

With Canada's death toll in Afghanistan reaching 66 soldiers and a diplomat since 2002, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion told a news conference that Harper should have informed NATO allies weeks ago that Canada would not be renewing its combat commitment in the Central Asian country.

"The prime minister has said that he needs to have a consensus in order to extend the mission beyond February of 2009," Dion said. "This consensus will never exist."...

(Jack Layton) said Harper needs to show leadership by urging the United States to stop high-altitude bombing in the face of more than 270 civilian deaths so far this year. Furthmore, Canada should withdraw its 2,500 troops from what he characterized as a hopeless mission.

"It's the wrong mission; it's not working; it's not going to accomplish the goals," said Layton, adding his party will ensure the issue is front and centre in coming federal byelections.

There are still obviously some major points of difference between the NDP and Libs when it comes to Afghanistan, and the article points those out as well.

But it's for the best that despite those differences, both Layton and Dion are shaping their message to fit neatly into the narrative that the Cons are wasting their breath blustering that Canada has no choice but to stay in its current combat role indefinitely. And if the opposition leaders can keep their primary focus on that target, then it shouldn't be long before a pullout no later than 2009 becomes a genuine consensus expectation.