Whatever we might think of Stephen Harper, his behavior over the Bill Casey matter hasn't been very appropriate. The news of Casey's CPC riding association wanting to field him as a Conservative candidate further fuels the debate about Harper being a controlling person.
Rebels have always existed and will always exist. Their integrity frequently goes unappreciated. As the Leader of the Party, Harper had the right to take action against a rebel, which can also include not allowing him to stand in his riding as a Tory. However, Harper didn't need to keep hammering it in.
Now that the local association is rebelling as a whole, Harper has a tough choice. Backing down would imply weakness and scarce control of the party, not good on the eve of a delicate Throne Speech debate and several important bills coming through Parliament. The alternative would be to say openly that Casey should run as an independent if he is confident of winning the riding, leaving the choice of Conservative candidate (or lack thereof) entirely to the riding association.
As many have remarked, Harper should have been smarter.
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