L’Affair Bernier’s Briefs, as I think I will hereafter call it, has certainly proven to be a far sexier scandal than Cadscam, the In & Out scandal, or even Mulroney-Schreiber. It was front page news for the third consecutive day in Canada, and has been grabbing international headlines, including a front page story in Italy.

The latest highlights:

1. The Liberals are alleging that CSIS met with Harper about Bernier and Couillard weeks ago.

2. The NDP are alleging that Bernier carelessly left his briefing files out on an airplane.

3. Don Martin floats the bizarre theory that Bernier was “set up” (to take the blame, not with Couillard).

4. Chris Selly at Macleans is trying out “the leave-behind affair” as a possible name for the scandal. He also finds this gem of an article from Peter Worthington:

“Supposedly, the cabinet documents contained data about Afghanistan. Big deal,” Peter Worthington scoffs in the Toronto Sun. “It’s a challenge to imagine anything about our role in Afghanistan that could be damaging.”

5. The Globe has the latest Cabinet Shuffle speculation, indicating it will be a “small” shuffle then talking about the need to replace Bernier, Toews, Emerson (at Trade), and Guergis, while promoting Jason Kenney, a Quebec MP or two, James Moore, and James Rajotte. Which is just cruel to the last two – why get their hopes up yet again, only to have Harper crush them?