Harper and Obama try to put a bad year behind them

The Canadian prime minister staggered through a Senate scandalthat smothered his economic agenda, tarnished his governmentsclaim to hold the accountability high ground, and pushedConservative support in most polls as much as 10 percentage points below theparty's support in the last election.

Obama faced White House reporters at a rare news conference lastweek with the chastened look of someone expecting a lump of coal.

"That's not how I think about it,'' Obama replied, managing a shortlaugh through clenched teeth. His focus, he said, remains on theeconomy, predicting 2014 "can be a breakthrough year for America."

Scripted answers

His answers in the two given to English-language media werenot only scripted, they were nearly identical, neatly packaged intodigestible sound bites as interviewers sought his reaction to learninghis former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, had paid off the improperexpenses of Senator Mike Duffy.

"A sense of anger, betrayal, disappointment, deception. You name it,''Harper told Postmedia.

Harper, like Obama, was far happier talking about the future. Andgiven the past year, thats entirely understandable.

Harper no lame duck

So two leaders, both ending difficult years in office, both feeling theheat from voters, but that's really where the similarities end.

Harper, on the other hand, is planning to run, making it clear in thoseyear-end interviews that he intends to lead the Conservatives in the2015 election. And even with the first real signs of discontent in hiscaucus, Harper is anything but a lame duck.

His message remains solid economic stewardship, and on thatscore at least, 2013 was not a complete writeoff. His governmentset a foundation this year upon which to build, beginning with thepreliminary free trade agreement with the European Union.

While CETA, as its known, was all but lost in the furor sparked by theSenate scandal, the deal is worth billions of dollars to the Canadianeconomy, removing virtually all tariffs on exports and imports andmaking Canadian products more competitive in Europe.

Tough selling the message

Harpers problem is that these things are hardly the stuff that makesfor great ad copy, let alone the kind of thing to convince Canadians tomove beyond the raft of bad news thats stalked him since May, whenWrights largesse to Duffy first became public.

From that point on, question period and the media fixated on whatthe prime minister knew, when he knew it and how on earth he wasnttold when so many of his underlings were aware of Wrights decision.

Harper hasskirted those questions, even in his year-end interviews.

If the Senate scandal overwhelmed the good news of 2013, it alsohad the effect of underplaying other problems, including unrestamong some Conservative MPs who chafe at thePrime MinistersOffice telling them what to say and when they can say it.

The government is fighting a legal challenge initiated over JusticeMarc Nadons qualifications to accept Harpers nomination to theSupreme Court of Canada. Nadons not sitting until the matter isresolved, leaving the countrys highest court short-handed at atime when judges of the lower courts are refusing to bow to thegovernments victims' rights agenda.

The provinces are refusing to go along with the proposed CanadaJob Grant, which would see Ottawa, the provinces and business kickin up to $5,000 each to train Canadians for skilled jobs that are nowgoing unfilled by the thousands.

Job creation. Retirement security. Victimsrights. These were thekinds of issues that once defined the Conservatives agenda. And who knows, theycould again. But that depends on whether Harper canretakethe agenda he lost in 2013 and show Canadians that the new year is more than just a turned page on the calendar.