Were the wheels ever on?

So let me get this straight:

1. Emmerson re-elected. "Proud to be a Liberal"

2. Two weeks later Emerson joins Conservative cabinet, saying that he wanted to continue to serve as cabinet minister.

3. Conservatives, namely Peter MacKay, deflect by saying that this is diffferent than the Stronach defection. He's right Blindy had a pretext for why she fell out with her party. For Alan Park's take go here and watch "Emerson in the Dumps"

4. New Democrat from Burnaby-Sourgrapes or somewhere calls up the ethics commissioner, charging that cabinet positions are, in effect, bribes, and thus Harper, who was courting Emerson during the election was somehow bribing him.

5. Ethics comissioner decides that this case is unique ans based on complaint from lone New Democrat launches an investigation.

6. Ralph Goodale kicks back in an easy chair with a big scotch and soda.

7. PMO claims that Shapiro is a Liberal hack and tried to have him removed the moment he took power, making the ethics comissioner not so much responsible to parliament as to the PMO

8. Conservative sound-biters claim that then Mr. Harper will be able to deliver an ethics comissioner who is truly accountable.

So... If we take everyone at their words:

The Liberal Party wins one, they lose one, and they can balm their wounds with the fact that it makes Harper look like a hypocrite beccause he ruled out this sort of behavior.

The Conservative Party is making a mockery of logic and they are trying to exploit residual anger over the previous conduct of the Liberal party to give them the political capital to ride this out.

The NDP is continuing in their fine role of having every person who is clearly innocent investigated by making a complaint in the grave tone that only years of incestuous policy meetings and groupthink can breed.

And people wonder why I'm a PC.