Saving the best for last?

One has to wonder how many other collegues Lisa Raitt dissed while babbling away to perhaps the most incompetent communications director in modern times.

Sources familiar with the five hours of audiotape obtained by a Halifax newspaper say Raitt suggests her colleague [Jim Prentice] is pandering to Alberta's oil sands.

Two sources say Raitt is heard speaking dismissively about the environment minister, and one says she refers specifically to policy that favours oil companies.

Now, that is likely a very accurate assessment of Prentice, but in the lager that comprises the hillbilly Harper government, one wouldn't expect to hear that from another cabinet member.

Even Harper party types are bracing themselves.

``This will be the gift that keeps on giving,'' was the sarcastic assessment from one government official.

``What else is on these five hours?''

Good question! Since the attempt to have the thing spiked was clearly centred on what somebody knew was damning or embarrassing statements, I'm wondering when we're going to hear the Raitt assessment of Harper.

And if you want to know why Lisa Raitt survives after leaving documents laying around, (which were over-classified by the paranoid Harper crowd), and then criticising collegues, well, in her case, she seems to have had her feet washed prior to demonstrating Conservative incompetence.

A mere eight months into her career as an elected politician, several are already touting her as a future leadership contender _ provided that she becomes fluent in French.

Right. Even though Harper isn't preparing a successor, Raitt qualifies when Harper suddenly realizes he's a mere mortal.

``Look, she's a competent minister, she's a woman, and she's from Ontario,'' [said a Conservative staffer].

``You don't throw her under the bus unless you absolutely have to. ... Do you really want to sacrifice a capable, female, Ontario cabinet minister unless you absolutely have to?''

We'll see.