Monday digest

- What passes for serious debate and commentary in Canada is at times pathetic.

First we have NDP MP Pat Martin whining that the Prime Minister's motorcade is too too macho, and even worse, reminiscent of Dubya's. Then, we have giant of public policy Jane Taber complaining that the PMO isn't rolling out the red carpet for the Press Gallery and acting like a spoiled brat because of it.

These two are obviously having trouble getting to the bottom of the serious issues which make an impact on the day to day lives of average Canadians. Correct me if I'm wrong but that's their job, isn't it?

- The Democratic National Committee, led by Howard Dean, reportedly worked to defeat fellow Dem Ray Nagin in the recent New Orleans mayoral race.

They were unsuccessful as Nagin was re-elected despite being out-fundraised by a substantial margin.

One can only imagine the inference of racism that would come from Dean and friends if the Republican National Committee worked to defeat a black GOP incumbent at the local level.

- Even George McGovern, the most left-wing Democratic nominee in US history, says that unions have become their own worst enemy.

There is hope.

- The problem with multiculturalism is that it ghettoizes ethnic groups and encourages them to look inward rather than out towards the broader world. Witness the recent debate over making English the official language of the United States. Predictably, politics is trumping common sense in some (overwhelmingly Democratic) quarters.

- A damning indictment of the Saudi educational system, here. Still waiting for Washington to ask the hard questions of Arabia that so desperately need to be put out into the open.

- A little good news from around the world. I think that positive figures like that are going to reflect well on the Bush administration when history is written.