Conservatives give Fed money to Adscam figure, then feign outrage at Liberals

With a federal election all but certain it has come to light that the Conservative government, swept to power by promising to clean up government after the adscam scandal, has doled out a large loan to a central figure in the scandal. Alfonso Gagliano, former cabinet minister, received $550,000 to help purchase a vineyard from Farm Credit Canada, a Federal Crown corporation.

Before you could say flashback 2005 the Harper PMO fell back to its default stance of voicing outrage that the government was giving money to shifty adscam figures. Said PMO spokesman Dimitri Soudas "The Conservative Government believes that money should go to help farmers, not former Liberal cabinet ministers".

Note how that statement starts, “The Conservative Government…”, anyone else see an impediment to the Conservative Party’s rage here? Without flinching to imply sleaze on the part of the former Liberal cabinet minister they neglect to own up that THEY WERE THE ONES THAT GAVE HIM THE MONEY. It’s kind of like when the power goes out and your clock radio defaults to flashing 12:00, 12:00, 12:00… pull the rug from under any Conservative spokesperson or pundit and invariably they’ll sputter “but, but, but… adscam!” over and over.

After two and a half years the Harper government has yet to adjust to the reigns of power, still awkwardly parroting lines that were successful for them in opposition, hoping no one notices they’ve been in charge the whole time. If this is the kind of A-game that they’re bringing to the federal campaign they might find themselves, like old generals on a battlefield fighting with the tactics of the last war, outflanked when confronted with modern realities.