A couple months ago, the China National Offshore Oil Coporation announced that it would like to purchase Calgary oil firm Nexen. And the speculation began. If you're praying for a quick end to all this China intrigue, rest assured, you're not alone. But at least it keeps our minds off what's fast becoming one of the more depressing trends in Canadain politics: how the sudden resignation of Premier McGuinty seems to have triggered a mass exodus of his party's senior braintrust.