In the past week we've had some interesting political stories leak out into the ether, and I just want to take a few minutes and go over some things that don't seem to add up.

Parliament in Canada finally got back to work after a long two month vacation courtesy of the Prime Minister proroguing government so that they could work hard on Canada's economic future.  Last Thursday was the culmination of all of that time off and the new budget was presented to an anxious Canadian public. 

You might ask why I would characterize Canadians as being anxious, and I would say, "I'm glad you noticed my choice of words, I'll be happy to expand on what I mean."  What I mean by that is, in the months leading up to the budget, the government painted a picture of the size of Canada's debt and deficit as being dire to the future prosperity of all Canadians.  It was a sustained set of talking points which seeped into the general public, competing around the dinner table with conversations on unemployment levels.  However, when we finally saw the budget there were corporate tax cuts, the elimination of 245 public sector jobs (most of which weren't actually filled because they were told last year not to hire for them), cuts to foreign aid, and one giant distraction the day before the budget, when the government said they wanted to reword the national anthem.  This was clearly a case of the rhetoric not matching reality.

South of the border a bizarre story involving former freshman House Representative Eric Massa (D-New York), who resigned yesterday after going off on Democrats, and more specifically White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.  He accused Emanuel of being a tyrant of sorts, willing to sell his own mother for a vote, and that the Chief of Staff approached him in the House sauna naked, yelling at him about his vote against health-care reform. 

It's probably a good idea to get some background on Massa first.  He is on record as being a supporter of a single payer health system in the U.S., but he voted against the House bill and planned to vote against the Senate version currently being negotiated.  I think it's fair to say that Massa was not one of the more prominent members of the House, and his star fell even further when an ethics probe began when a former aid alleged that Massa said some sexually inappropriate things at an event a year ago.   By the way, Massa confirmed the man's story by recounting that he tousled the man's hair and told him that he should be "fracking" him.  Fracking is a word made popular by the newer television show Battlestar Galactica meaning exactly what you think it means.

Anyway, Massa went insane over the weekend, conducting a 90 minute radio interview teeing off on Rahm, the President, Democrats, and even health-care reform, claiming that the White House forced him out because they knew he would be able to  kill the health-care bill.  Now before any of you reading this go and take him at his word, let me add a few points.  It's impossible to know if he would be the deciding vote for anything, let alone health-care, and no one actually asked him to resign so, if he hates health reform, why not stay in office a few more weeks and vote against it again? 

Now comes the really weird part.  Massa, as we have already established, was a supporter of a single payer plan, which makes him an evil socialist, and he is now all over Fox News pouring his bitterness all over Democratic plans, even appearing on Glen Beck.  Why is a socialist hanging out with a lunatic socialist, communist hater?  I have no freaking idea.

Just a couple of things that made me ask what the hell was going on?

UPDATE: It appears that former Congressman Massa was trying to do anything to distract from the story, that he is indeed under investigation for multiple sexual offences, including groping male staffers. 

Read the article at the Washington Post by clicking here.