Jack Layton wants to rid Senate of shills and party bagmen

I wish we could rid the US Senate of shills and party bag men. It would leave a lot of empty seats.

Agreed. Though at least theoretically we can do that every six years or so, and really have no one to blame but our collective selves.

Canada's senate is so different than yours though. For one thing, even though we have a smaller population, and a smaller lower House than you, our upper house is larger by 5 Senators. Furthermore, they don't hve to campaign ever, and can't be turfed until they're 75 at which point it's automatic. Harper wants to institute an 8-year limit but that really wouldn't accomplish anything except for allowing an 8-year government to have named 100% of the senate. Harper has now managed to get an outright majority in the Senate by the normal route of filling retirees' vacancies, and after only 5 years. That "reform" is just smoke and mirrors.

But as Layton says, what he's done with his appointments, Mike Duffy in particular, is put somebody, paid on the taxpayer's dime, in a position to be responsible for nothing but selling his message and occasionally torpedoing opposition-led private members' bills.

It's a sad day when Layton is the voice of reason.