Dear Mr. Harper

What is it about the Liberal-NDP compromise deal that makes you pony stomp like an upset child? It can't be that you're truly angry about two elected parties striking a deal for supporting a bill. Just this fall you struck a deal with this same government over support of the throne speech.

Now you seem to be in a hurry to vote against anything but this budget. (It's as if someone explained to the Prime Minister how to make a minority government work.) You're worried about the next election which you wanted to be about the Liberals' scandal, but now that the proposed budget is packed with good news for cash starved programs you may be asked tough questions like, "What do you have against Ontario?" Or education, or housing, or the environment, or foreign aid.

With no way out of your promise to topple the government, you called in your sick M.P.s and attempted a procedurally impossible maneuver. Now the country is spending another week being treated to a view of your acute sense of entitlement. Sadly, the next election will be like the last one, a choice of who you fear versus who you loathe. The election that Canadians deserve would be about the government we want, but that would not be you and your party.

When the dust settles, history might start thinking that the smartest party leader in this house is Jack Layton.