History was made last night when President Obama was re-elected for another four year term. What struck me while listening to his acceptance speech was the fact that his words are now part of his nation's historical record. When you look at the House of Commons today you have to wonder where is that sense of history when an MP stands up to read a Member's Statement, a speech, ask a question or if a minister, answer one?

Martha Hall Findlay has jumped into the federal Liberal leadership race, good for her. It will be a nice counter balance to Trudeau's charisma and offer a chance to flush him out in the one area that he is considered to be a light weight -- policy issues. Whether or not she wins or whether or not people think she is a good candidate, one thing is certain: finally the federal Liberal leadership race is getting interesting and offering up some substance. As they say in horse racing "they are off and running."

With the by-elections over, everyone will be reading the tea leaves to see what it means for the next federal election. At this point probably not all that much as we don't know who will be leading the Liberals in 2015 or for that matter if Harper will even be around to lead the Conservatives. Just the same, the parties should see some red flags from yesterday's results. For the two main parties, i.e. the Liberals and the Conservatives, it does offer a glimpse into some potential shifts down the road depending on who wins the Liberal leadership race. The good news for the Liberals is that even in Tory Alberta they can be a contender; their brand is still pretty resilient.

It is hard to believe, but back on this day in 2005, we were all involved in an election that was forced on November 28th when the Martin government lost a confidence vote. Part of what made that election possible was the success the then opposition Conservatives had in Question Period. Today, the best you can say about Question Period is that it is pathetic and a great opportunity to take a nap.

The bright lights on the Conservative side have decided to call Justin Trudeau and David McGuinty before the House of Commons Natural Resources committee to explain their negative comments about Alberta. But the Tories have already won this round. So why go on a witch hunt? Why the zealous overkill?