HOW SCREWED ARE THE LIBERALS? While Harper continues to plan to pick off the Grits’ last remaining Quebec bastions one by one (Jewish Tribune), the Liberals start another leadership controversy and go forward into the past … (Globe and Mail)

REMEMBER HOW HARPER’S GOVERNMENT PROMISED OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE GOVERNMENT? Me neither. (Winnipeg Free Press) And given that being a ‘team player’ is the most important thing Stephen Harper’s government is looking for in a new auditor-general, how long before Canada’s finances fall into Enron territory? (Ottawa Citizen)

A MESSAGE FOR THE OTTAWA PRESS GALLERY ATTACKING THE INEXPERIENCED AND RESUME-EMBELLISHING NDP MPS FROM QUEBEC Since you don’t care too much when MPs are found in contempt of Parliament, why should you care if MPs mislead voters? (Globe and Mail) (Tip of the lynch lid to the Twitter feed of Simon Houpt, ‘Plenaryman’ at the silver anniversary convention of Canadian University Press in 1986, now arts reporter/columnist at the Globe And Mail)

IN OTHER NEWS, THE CURLING GAME IN HELL HAS GONE INTO EXTRA ENDS Two good articles in the National Post? On Sean Avery and same-sex marriage?

SALES OF SEX TOYS IN BRITAIN EXPECTED TO MATCH SMARTPHONE SALES In the future, a gentleman will try to ignore the buzzing sound stemming from a lady’s purse. Either way the call won’t be for him unless she says otherwise. (Xbiz)

I WANT TO BE THERE … Probably the most intense soccer rivalry in North America gets underway Saturday night when the Seattle Sounders take on the Portland Timbers Saturday night at Quest Field in Seattle. It may not be Rangers/Celtic, or Barca/Real Madrid, but in MLS, where they’ve taken the approach that this sport can be grown the NHL way — treat teams like they’re as interchangeable as Pizza Huts and determine everything by location — this rivalry is closer to what sports rivalries are all about — two fan bases and two neighborhoods. At least, on the surface.

Here’s footage of Portland fans singing the American national anthem just before their inaugural game in MLS last month.