Out of control

Evidently the Cons have figured out just how serious the public reaction to prorogation actually is - and they've proceeded to ChaosCon 5 in order to try to keep any messages from sticking. Won't buy a cabinet shuffle (my money is on Cannon in the standing position for the Cons' next home video)? Then how about some idle Senate speculation to keep the media busy? Or how would you like a direct attack on Parliament or a claim that Con self-promotion is really just a form of media stimulus to try to get people to forget the excuses that were shot down in then previous couple of days?

In effect, after trying to downplay the story as long as they could, the Cons now seem to be attacking it with the same sense of desperation they exhibited during the coalition showdown - but without any of the focus that came from the threat of immediate removal from office. And I'm not sure the Cons are managing to fool people as easily as they seem to have expected - as the excuses for prorogation get debunked and decried more and more easily, and the other stories are linked to a "distraction tactic" narrative.

Which means that one now has to wonder now whether we've finally reached the point where Harper has gone further than the country is going to be able to forget. And the more ridiculous statements Harper throws at the wall in hopes of running out the clock until the Olympics, the more likely he makes it that he'll have just as much reason for concern about his job by the time Parliament resumes as he did in December 2008.