Gomery free politics

A political junkie I am not. I started following politics a little more closely last year, because I had to and I've started ignoring them a bit again because I'm on Gomery overload. My interest was sparked again when right before lunch, Romina told me Belinda Stronach became a Liberal. All I could think was, what? Stronach orchestrated the joining of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives, and orchestrated her way into deputy leader Peter MacKay's bed. Even after she lost her leadership bid, Stronach seemed to still be the face of hope for anyone looking for a trace of any progressive leanings in the Conservative party. And she added an element of youth and a splash of much needed excitement. Stronach had guts (or in the minds of some, gall) to stand up against her party on same-sex marriage and even the upcoming attempt to bring down the Liberal government.
Political analysts have been saying that these are signs of Stronach never quite fitting in with the Conservatives. In her statement she says that she had felt uncomfortable in the party for some time. Stephen Harper said he wasn't surprised especially after he basically told Stronach that she would never be leader of the Conservatives. I've never been a fan of Harper, and this again shows me why. He obviously doesn't want dissent in the party, and he definitely doesn't want any traces of left-leaning politics.
I never thought Stronach should have won her first leadership bid, but I thought she was good for the Conservative party. Whether or not she will become the next leader of the Liberal party is yet to be seen. There are far more people waiting in the wings to take over the Liberals than the Conservatives. Mind you, within the Liberals she won't half to deal with the extreme right-wing Conservatives who disagree with many of her politics. I think Stronach will remain high profile for a while but will eventually become buried under all of the other attention grabbing Liberals, like Anne Mclellan. Had Stronach statyed with the Conservatives she might not have become leader, (though that may have happened too) she would have at least kept her spotilight longer.
There is of course the sordid twist to this whole issue, her relationship with MacKay. The two have been a couple for a few months now, and Stronach allegedly broke the news of her defection to MacKay and not Harper. Did she dump him too? If that phone call ended both Stronach's relationship with the Conservatives and MacKay, what a shitty phone call. Belinda: "Hi honey, how was your day? Mine?Great. I've decided to cross the floor and take a cabinet position with the Liberals. I'm sure this effectively ends our romantic involvement too, well it's been fun. Oh, gotta run, Bill Clinton's on the other line."