It's Nearly "Duffy Time" Again

We're just over two months away from the start of the trial of senator Mike Duffy.  It's scheduled to open April 7 and continue to May 12, when it will adjourn to be completed from June 1 to 19.  That's 41 court days in all.

With trial prep, motions and 41 days in court, that adds up to one huge legal bill for a guy who, rumour has it, is somewhat impecunious.

I'm guessing those will be the longest 41 days in the political career of Stephen Joseph Harper.  It could turn into an ordeal for a lot of the players including the PMO types and the Tory Senate leadership.

The known facts raise far more questions than they answer.  People are going to be examined and cross-examined on a number of those issues, some of which go uncomfortably close to the prime minister himself.

I'm surprised this has gone on as long as it has and I'll be even more surprised if the trial proceeds in April.   I thought this might be settled with a quiet plea bargain deal - no time/conditional sentence/various charges withdrawn - over the Christmas break.  Anything, just make it go away soon to put as much distance as possible between Duffy and the next election.

That hasn't happened and I'll spend some time over the next couple of weeks to see if I can find out why.

Tkachuk and Stewart Olsen Succumb to Denialism, Senate-Style

Senate scandal - it's not just for the rookies any more.  Veteran Tory senators, Dave Tkachuk and Carolyn Stewart Olsen, have issued statements denying they knew anything about the backroom deal between Harper chief of staff, Nigel Wright, and the beleaguered Cavendish Cottager, Mike Duffy, to cover Duffy's Senate tab.

Tkachuk and Stewart Olsen deny that PMO deal had anything to do with their laundering of the Senate

report into Duffy's expense problems - even if that might have been part of the deal between Duffy and Wright.

"It was all a coincidence, ya see - a pure coincidence.  Coulda happened to anybody, see." 

CTV News reported that Tkachuk had a pact with Duffy whereby, if Duffy took Wright's handout and settled his Senate tab, the audit report would be less critical and questions about Duffy's residence problem would go away.   What is this, The Sopranos?