A Firm, Uncompromising, Principled Dither

For a moment there yesterday, it seemed as if Paul Martin had found the pair he lost after forcing Jean Chretien out of office.

Well, he's gone and lost them again, according to today's Mope and Wail :

Paul Martin said yesterday he is willing to boost federal spending to education, foreign aid and child care, but he will go only part way toward meeting an NDP demand that corporate tax cuts be rescinded as he tries to save his struggling minority government.

Mr. Martin laid down the principles as New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton said the Prime Minister has until today to respond to his party's demands not to implement a promised corporate tax cut and to hike spending on other social programs.

Apparently Mr. Dithers might take the tax cut for large corporations off the table but leave that for small and mid-sized businesses alone.

If so, it'll be a Pyrrhic victory for both parties. Paul Martin will lose what little credibility he had left with Bay Street, while Jack Layton gets a worthless IOU. With Chuck Cadman about to vote non-confidence, the budget is now headed for certain defeat. Paul and Jack will have sold each other the rope with which to hang themselves.