Debating time: 2 mins. Public Relations 118 mins.

Thank goodness I watched this debate sitting on a couch. As soon as my partner could not take it anymore, after kicking at me several times to keep me awake, there was that nice pillow to snuggle down with "to listen" to the debate.

Watching it was painful.

Stephen Harper was like the Joker from Batman, a normal man till hitting the chemical vat and then having a smile burned into his face. Refusing to bite into anything above the level of a Grade 10 student, he said all the right words that someone said was analogous ($50) to the talk level at the Tim Horton's/Coffee Time.

Paul Martin could not say a clear sentence the whole way, saying something then changing tack mid word sometimes, then repeating phrases in the same breath, with me just waiting for a crisp demarcation of a clear thought ended. Ouch.

Jack Layton fade to irreality($50). His lower lip looking fat to match up with his moustache, made me wonder if he had teeth. The partner said "He is wearing makeup" so I guess she didn't notice everyone else was too but Jack must have brought in a specialist. Heard he lost a hockey fight.

Gilles Duceppe. Ever the angry man from la belle Province. He looked just well ornery. In Old West Texas he would be in a gun fight in a flash, and likely a loser. He had nothing to say well, and did not come across as well as he did in the Vancouver debate. He had a hard time with his diction tonight, forget his elocution. With Harper now even in the polls with Martin in Quebec, maybe ... gasp he did ... he did throw barbs at Harper. That is a compliment to Stephen and a sure sign of trouble for the Martin Liberals.

Speaking of Martin Liberals, no day would be complete without a link to a brewing scandal. Actually this one is a scandal, Bultegate, that apparently, no one in the mainstream media thinks is a scandal, circa 2005 Canada. Any other time, this tony type of behavior would be trashed. The sign of Liberal arrogance and a sign that the end is near for the Martin government (note: there has been no support or anti-support of this MP and her actions: the silence is deafening from other politicians beyond this MP's riding). This is a good analysis.