The fact is, it was all your fault. And other election notes...

January 23, 2006 - The day Paul Martin officially became the biggest disappointment in Canadian political history. But don't worry Mr. Former PM, you only have yourself to blame. Sure you'll blame your predecessor, a media out to get you, and a lot of others, but that will only add to your embarrassment. You lead an unceremonious coup within your own party for leadership, got rid of everybody who opposed your coronation, all the while dreaming aloud of 200 plus seat majorities. You promised everything to everybody because you had a pathological need to be liked by everyone. You centralized power within the PMO and gave your staff more power than most senior cabinet ministers. You abandoned all principles that you claimed to have as finance minister, threw money around like a sailor on leave, gave cabinet assignments to floor crossers to keep you alive, and let a party with 19 seats write your budget for you, all in a desperate attempt to keep power for keeping powers sake. Then you ran an inept and slanderous campaign with no real policy vision to speak of. Some people have said you have been Shakespearean and I would agree. You were a modern day Hamlet - years avenging your father's defeat, completely incapable of making decisions, to weak to lead, and dead in the end. You created the lofty expectations you carried into office and turned a Liberal empire into defeat in 24 months. The fact is, it was your fault.

Having grown up in Toronto I know a bit about Olivia Chow. And if you don't like Jack Layton, you are going to hate Olivia Chow.

124 seats has to be a small disappointment to the Tories and does not give them much breathing room. Stick to your five essential campaign promises and you'll be fine. No other party can disagree with or force a vote on issues like government accountability, waiting times for health care, and criminal reforms. Those issues should get you through a couple of years.

The Liberals are a regional party. And that region is large cities Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver (the maritimes doesn't really count because they never defeat incumbents regardless of circumstance). Now the rest of the country and media can stop pretending they are the only federal option.

The Tories breakthrough in Quebec makes them the only truly national party. Look for Jim Flaherty and Tony Clement to play a large role in Cabinet to help gain seats in Toronto next time around.

If you can get 2-1 odds on Frank McKenna as the next leader of the Grits, take it.

Thank God Svend lost.