Get out of town: CPC is undemocratic

I guess after all the controversies surrounding Rob Anders, Garth Turner, Bill Casey, and Mark Warner that Helena Guergis would have received the memo by now.

Under the glossy veneer of "populism" and "grassroots" politics is the uncomfortable reality that the top brass of the Conservative Party of Canada has an iron grip over their candidates, members of parliament, senators, and, to a lesser extent, their riding associations (that is, until the shit hits the fan).

After Stephen Harper dumped Helena Guergis (one of the party's trophy MPs) she recalls at how "undemocratic" the process of her termination really was:

The former minister for the status of women accuses the Conservative Party of treating her unfairly.

"I feel as though they've thrown the rule books out the window, that they're not respecting due process at all. I find it very undemocratic.

"I'm hurt by the prime minister. I am hurt because I did consider him to be a friend

"I feel as though I've gone through a trial, I have been convicted and now I'm been sentenced. And I still don't know what it is I'm supposed to have done." as well, so I find that very hard to deal with."

See, the problem here is that she's appealing to Harper's feelings. Which, according to most of her own supporters, is not a priority in a real "leader."

Among committed Conservative voters, "honesty" was the most important attribute in a leader with 45% of those polled followed by "intelligence" (23%), "decisiveness" (23%), "do not know" (8%) and lastly, "compassion" (5%).

More people do not know what is the most important attribute in a leader of a political party than "compassion." Go figure.

"If people in your family make mistakes you don't turn your back on them," Guergis said, pausing to fight back tears. "You stick with them and you work through it and I am committed to my marriage."

So play your little violin Helena. Go ahead and talk to the media and do all the TV interviews you want. You are, check that - you were just another cog in the Stephen Harper party and now that your usefulness (or the acceptance of the inane antics of your family) has run its course you will be replaced by someone just as good looking and probably just as qualified.

I applaud Guergis' determination and her commitment to her marriage. Those are the kinds of principles that I like to see in any representative. It's just too bad they came up a little short in her career as a public servant.