"The race is on and it's pride in the backstretch ..."

"... heartache is going on the inside."

-- George Jones

So the race is on ... Canada will have an election on Tuesday, October 14th; the 40th since the formation of the federation in 1867.

The one thing nagging me is the moment when "Steve" Harper was asked if he was implying in the pre-election commercials that he was a family man and his opponents are not. Harper said something like, "I presume M. Dion is a family man."

Dion and his wife, Mme Janine Kreiber do have an adopted daughter. If Harper wants to make this election about families, bring it on; because his has been one of the worst when it comes to families -- making people pay tax on some of the family allowance money which prior to 2006 was completely tax free; eliminating a child care program before it started and not making any meaningful gains in creating private child care spaces (the rules created are so onerous that most companies aren't even bothering); and cutting the red tape on foreign adoptions while making domestic adoptions even harder.

You want a discussion on family values, pal? All of Harper's opponents will welcome it any day. They've actually worked in the community, not the corporate boardrooms and right-wing think tanks where you've spent your whole life. They know what families want, not what you and your oil, forest and mining cronies think they need.

Oh and the other thing? Four by-elections have been cancelling, costing taxpayers an unnecessary million bucks and people who voted at the advance polls presumable will have to vote again. How stupid is that?

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