Political potpourri for today:

• 230 Economists Agree on Carbon Tax: Back carbon tax, leading economists tell politicians (Ottawa Citizen) - No Carbon Tax: Harper (1) / Yes Carbon Tax: (> 230 Economists). Who are you going to believe? Harper, who has fought against even recognizing climate change as an issue all his political career and therefore has proposed no effective plan for dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, or hundreds of economists who agree with the effective solutions being proposed by others?

• Stephen Harper is no Dief nor Stanfield but might be a Mulroney of sorts: Former Conservative leaders had respect for Parliament - They would have been appalled at Stephen Harper's efforts to dismantle federalism (The Star)

• A broken promise betrays a broken character: Let's not give him the majority he craves (A letter from Premier Danny Williams to The Hill Times)

• Premier Danny Williams: Harper Irresponsible: As recently as last week, he was assuring Canadians there was absolutely no problem and there wasn't going to be a problem, and that's irresponsible (CBC News)

• Anyone But Harper shift on the rise in Quebec: Montreal rally unites groups against Harper (The Gazette)

• Harper policies caused delay in raising listeria alarm: Policy change delayed alarm signal over listeria, inspectors say (CBC News)

• Harper's Broken Promise - Fixed Election Dates: But what about the fixed election date? (Times Columnist)

• OneHundredReasons.ca: There are literally 100 reasons not to vote for Harper's Conservative Party (100reasons.ca)

• Watch what you say: Long-ago Web indiscretions rise up to doom candidates (The Star) - Includes something of a round-up of on-line comments candidates have tripped over.

• No class award of the week goes to Paul Martin: Leak of Martin memoirs sends Liberals scrambling (Globe and Mail) - After leaving office having run the worst campaign this country has seen in quite some time, former PM Paul Martin decides to release a get-even-with-Chrétien book in the middle of another campaign. Furthering the public debate is not the objective of the release at this point in time, selling books is.

• Speaking of no class, there's David Emerson: Rock, Paper, Scissors (Revelstoke Times Review) - During an all-candidates meeting Emerson criticised over softwood lumber deal with U.S.

• ... and Ken Dryden (Liberal): Israel’s party mixer: DRYDEN BLURS LIBERAL STANCE ON MIDEAST (Now Toronto) - Dryden, apparently in a bid to be seen as out-doing his Conservative opponent in support of Israel, makes an outrageous statement suggesting all foreign aid to Gaza be cut off. [Hat tip to C.R. and J.H. with thanks] Update: Dryden's campaign has put out a notice to Now Magazine stating: "I stand by my statement – that we should restrict government-to-government aid to Gaza" and "However, your article leaves the false impression that I implied or otherwise meant that I support halting humanitarian aid and food distributed through various United Nations and other humanitarian agencies. That is not my position nor did I say that during the all-candidates debate."