1) I’ll give Flaherty props for the home reno tax credit in this year’s budget – it seems to be having the desired effect. As for the Tories’ festival funding…not so much.

2) Notice how it IS Tony Clement now making the funding decisions. Looks like Brad Trost may have been right about the Ablonczy demotion.

3) The suggestion to cast Stephen Baldwin as Stephen Harper in the fictional G8: The Movie looks more and more like a stroke of genius, as we learn that neither one of them can balance the books…

4) For those keeping an eye on nominations, Bob Speller and Steve MacKinnon are making pushes in Haldimand-Norfolk and Gatineau. Gatineau certainly seems very winnable with Liberal fortunes up in Quebec, while Speller will need to overcome an 8-point gap from 2008 to get back into the House.

If you’re looking to stay up to date on nomination news, I’d bookmark Pundit’s Guide.