Angry in the Great White North

The Liberal Party website is carrying the stunning news today.

First though, from the newspapers, we learn that there will be no investigation into allegations that the Conservatives attempted to bribe Chuck Cadman with a $1 million life insurance policy, a bribe intended to get him to vote to bring down the Paul Martin government in the fall of 2005:

The RCMP have ended their probe into the Chuck Cadman affair and say no charges will be laid.

The Mounties were looking into politically explosive allegations that the Tories offered Mr. Cadman a life insurance policy in exchange for his support on a key vote in Parliament in 2005.

Mr. Cadman was dying of cancer at the time.

His widow and daughter have both said Mr. Cadman described being offered a $1-million life-insurance policy.

The Conservatives acknowledge that two of Stephen Harper's close confidants met with Cadman, but say they only offered a repayable loan for his local riding association to cover campaign expenses if he rejoined the Tories.

We learn from the Liberals that the RCMP found no evidence of wrongdoing:

[Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc] noted that he has received a letter from the RCMP Criminal Operations division stating that they have conducted an investigation and, in consultation with the office of the Attorney General of Ontario, have determined that the "investigation disclosed no evidence to support a charge under the Criminal Code or under the Parliament of Canada Act."

No evidence?  But apparently there was evidence.  In the next breath, Dominic LeBlanc changes "no evidence" into "insufficient evidence":

Mr. LeBlanc said while he fully accepts the RCMP's determination that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with criminal prosecution, he believes Mr. Harper and the Conservatives have a duty to give Canadians all the details of the offer that was made to Mr. Cadman.

Technically, if LeBlanc accepted the RCMP's determination, he would say that there is "no evidence" to proceed.  I'm not sure what determination LeBlanc is accepting, but it's not the one announced by the RCMP today.

In any case, the Liberals plan to embarrass themselves by continuing to flail at this story:

"There are many questions that remain concerning what Mr. Harper knew and the role of senior Conservatives in the offer that was made to Mr. Cadman. Canadians deserve answers to those questions," he said. "We will continue to press for them."

The Conservative response will be the same every time.  There was no bribe.  Stephen Harper said there was no bribe.  Doug Finley said there was no bribe.  Chuck Cadman said there was no bribe.  Mrs Cadman said there was no bribe.  The RCMP has checked into all of this and said there was no bribe.

No evidence.  No bribe.  No story.

But I think, for their own sake, the Liberals ought to keep plugging away.  Watching their frantic attempts to manufacture a scandal out of nothing will distract Canadians from the Liberal plan to apply a crushing carbon tax on all of us, and that has to be good for the Liberals.

Meanwhile, I have to wonder just how many Liberals are darkly muttering to themselves that because Stephane Dion has decided to run from every opportunity to force an election, the chance to use the Cadman affair as election attack material has now passed by.