Scandal, Scandal Everywhere

Monday night in Canada:

After months of political instability, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin fell Monday evening when three opposition parties united to topple him with a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons.

Martin's center-left Liberal Party had been dogged by a corruption scandal. It will now face voters in an election set for January 23 that could end 12 years of Liberal rule in America's largest trading partner.

And, as has become the norm here in "the states" when dealing with the liberal left, the campaign season promises to be a slimy one:

It was expected to be hard-edged, personal and nasty, and less than half a day into Canada's election campaign it turned out to be just that.

Prime Minister Paul Martin kicked off what is likely to be a bruising eight-week campaign on Tuesday by portraying his main rival as mean-spirited and unpatriotic.

In a reply to the Liberals' attacks, Conservative leader Stephen Harper fired back with a return volley against his opponent's liberal agenda:

"On January 23, you will finally be able to hold the Liberals accountable for stealing your money, accountable for breaking your trust and accountable for failing to deliver on your priorities," he said on national television.

The Liberals also pounced on other remarks Harper made on gay marriage to reporters on Tuesday. Harper said that if he became prime minister he would look at introducing legislation banning gay marriages, which were legalized in July.

Sounds like maybe these Canadians aren't quite as alien as I've always believed, eh?