On a Clear Day...

You can see forever? Recently, Canada's P.M. asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and announce an election this May.

No idea what it is like in other parts of the English-speaking world, but in Canada the most commonly-used word by all members of Parliament is "clear." "Let me be absolutely clear"; "I wish to make this clear"; "Clearly, it is obvious"... ad infinitum or ...ad nauseum. It is the catchphrase of any M.P. asked by the Speaker to address a member's question.

The other morning, outside the GG's Residence, it was a circus. The popular song suggests you can see forever. Each leader, staring steely-eyed into the TV cameras, can promise, very clearly, lots of goodies in the forever-after. How to pay for them is less clear.