Morning

Woke up early this morning. Early. Crashed the High Commission reception in Trafalgar Square. Saw the results pour in. My riding, which has voted Liberal in every federal election since 1962, went Tory. By a whopping 210 votes. The Bloc polled under 50%, Buzz Hargrove's pleading to vote Duceppe over Harper notwithstanding. Proceeded to grab a glass of orange juice laced with champagne.(Actually, it was more like champagne laced with orange juice. Just without the orange juice.) Yes, it was a good morning.

And, to steal from the Gipper -- while maintaining a safe ideological distance from the United States, lest I draw the wrath of a Liberal attack ad -- it's morning in Canada. The voters have brought the Conservatives out of the wilderness, and have given Harper a chance to show what he can do. That's all, I concede, just a chance. And fair enough. I have a feeling the Tories will make good on the broad-based national support they received, but as Paul Martin seems to be just now learning as the door is hitting his ass on the way out, empty promises don't amount to much. And it's hardly time for gloating, as if a minority government would ever be reason to gloat. Let's see about cutting that GST, about giving out beer-swilling and popcorn-munching parents more choice over child care, and about bringing some accountability and trust back to government.

Yes, let's see it. And may it be increasingly possible for me to have more than one party competing for my vote: Frank McKenna, where are you hanging your hat these days?