Jeez....I have a real dilemma here. Yes, of course I completely mis-trust George Bush Jr. simply because he and his gang use techniques to get their message across, that smack of dishonesty, manipulation, and in some cases that are so completely transparent it really saddens me to see so many people falling for it.

But......Is Jean Chretien THAT much different? I don't think so. A few months ago he absolutely sawed the legs off his potential succesor. It was ruthless, quick (even surgical one might say) and he obviously felt that it was totally neccessary.

I think ALL politicians who get into that rarified atmosphere of leadership are cut-throat. Their main (only?) job then becomes STAYING in power. Sure, they think that their way is the best for their country....BUT...the bottom line is keeping that power as long as possible. It happens rarely that folk like Rumsfeld et al get a second chance for that heady power, and you can bet they'll do ANYTHING to keep it.

Cheers

Rick