The red menace

Allan Woods files a rather devastating series of paragraphs from Strasbourg.

They’ve rattled Arabs for Jewish votes, made elaborate apologies and payments for immigrant votes and tailored tax cuts to middle class votes.

But did Canada’s Conservative government pick a fight with the Russian bear for NATO votes, in a failed bid to get Defence Minister Peter MacKay chosen secretary general of the military alliance?

That’s the latest read of the actions of a Tory government that critics say views the world not simply as good or evil, right or wrong, but through the prism of wedge issues just waiting to be employed for political gain.