Stupid is as stupid does, and one of the stupidest ideas yet proposed in a modern democracy has been championed by a number of politicians on both the right and left of Canada's political spectrum: the abolition of the Senate. The founders of major nations created Senates with longer terms of office to act as balancing forces against the populist emotional whims and anti-democratic urges that can far too often come sailing through majority parliaments.  Only intellectual children ignorant of human history and wannabe despots want Senates abolished. So as the Conservative Party of Canada looks to rebuild, one of the worst choices they could make would be to take the advice of some columnists at the National Post and make championing Senate abolition a core policy platform. It shouldn't need to be said to the members of this party – although given its walloping at the hands of the Liberal Party and its inexperienced pot-smoking drama teacher last October, one...(Read Full Post)