Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 Source: Frank Magazine (CN ON) Copyright: 2004, Frankland Capital Corporation Contact: (416) 214-9565 Website: http://www.frankmagazine.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3130 LIBS' REEFERGATE The RCMP's investigation into drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering and (utterly coincidentally) the Liberal parties of Canada and BC has put the various shitscared Grit factions into a frantic spin cycle: Step one: Endlessly repeat the desperate mantra that none of the Grit protagonists - neither BC ministerial staffers /Martinite Indo wranglers David Basi and Bob Virk, nor Frank faves Mark "Mr. Christy" Marissen, Erik "Spiderman" Bornman and Bruce Clark - have been accused of any wrongdoing. (Even though Basi was immediately sacked, Virk suspended.) Step two: Just to be sure, make sure every single one of the above is more closely associated with the other guy. Hence the provincials are trying to emphasize connections to Martin, the Martinites the connections to Campbell, despite the overwhelming evidence that there ain't much difference in the membership of the two cults. (Franks passim). When it comes to Basi and Virk, however, Campbell's crew has a point. Their duties for FinMin Gary Collins and Transport Minister Judith Reid provided an office and a paycheque while they took care of business for the Martinets more or less full time. Basi specialized in cleansing Liberal riding organizations of influences other than those of Paul Martin. While Uncle Paul waxed poetic about the democratic deficit and blah-de-blah, Dave's goons descended on ridings having trouble seeing the light and removing local Liberals (step forward, Herb Dhaliwal) who hadn't sworn their allegiance to the Bermudian quickly or slavishly enough. Basi's old-school tactic: stacking votes with busloads of instant Liberals from the Indo community. While warrants and the cops' lips remain sealed, the RCMP theory seems to be that certain Liberal apparatchiks got the proverbial offer-they-couldn't-refuse from less savoury elements in BC's Indo-Canadian community. When the BC bud was traded for American cocaine, said elements sold the coke and were left with an embarrassing whack of cash. Some, maybe a lot, of the cash may have been laundered through Liberal accounts and recorded as bulk membership sales for instant Liberals or delegate fees for some BC faithful attending the coronation of Himself in Toronto. Or so the theory goes. Premier Gordo surfaced from his holiday at the notorious Maui martini manse to fire Basi, suspend Virk and make a brief statement by phone - all without losing a second of ray time or spilling a drop. The PMO is keeping its counsel 'til it sees which way this stinker bounces. All of this has put a crimp in the travel plans of Keith Martin, Alliance/Conservative MP and what is warily referred to in the CA as a 'progressive.' Martin had been preparing to Brison his way across the floor to the Liberals by February, ahead of the election. When the spliff hit the fan, however, Keef decided to stay with Stephen Harper (or occupant) until it's clear just how much of this doo-doo is going to stick to the Martinites. Frank advises Keith to sit tight for now. This one ain't going away soon. frank 420 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom