The English language debate is over and the CBC has a synopsis and, if you have two hours to spare, a full length video of the night’s events.

The Debate in a nutshell:

• Doesn’t Steve Paiken have the longest head you’ve ever seen? His face is shaped like an elevator shaft with a puttied on chin that puts Brian Mulroney to shame.

• Paul Martin’s movement towards banning the Nothwithstanding Clause is probably the only flat out zinger that he has been able to throw out this campaign. Just about anyone who is not a complete slave to an idealogical agenda can understand and support his claim that ‘the courts shouldn’t be overturned by politicians.’ This is quite possibly the mostly salient policy pronouncement Martin has made in years and I would love to see it enacted. But it stinks of desperation. Quebec never signed onto the constitution even with this clause in play and Quebecers are much less likely to be enticed into the Liberal camp due to Paul Martin’s last-ditch conversion to staunch federalism. Unfortunately for Martin, AKA Mr Dithers, the sudden move on the Notwithstanding Clause was pretty much all he had up his sleeve and he spent the rest of the night being brow-beaten by his peers.

• Stephen Harper won. He said very little of substance, held his cards close to his chest and let Paul Martin wither away under the strain of Liberal baggage. But honestly, winning this debate against the flapping and scandal-plagued Martin was hardly fair. The real question for Harper is “dear Steve, what damage control measures will you enact when one of your god-fearing and cattle-prodding western candidates squanders the party’s entire campaign effort with one bigoted comment about ethnic women in wheel chairs?” Honestly, it’s a miracle that the Conservatives have gone this long in the campaign without self-destructing in the same manner as the Liberals.

• Full points to Jack Layton for once more turning his rendition of blue-collar advocate into a hyperbolized labour thug. Everytime he ripped into Paul Martin, Layton turned his entire torso to his right in order to confront the Prime Minister. I’m sure it was a calculated gesture on behalf of Layton’s handlers: “look at me Paul, I mean business!” But, I was half wondering if Jumpin’ Jack wouldn’t have been better of just leaning forward a bit more an slugging Martin; it would get the same point across. Instead, Layton just revealed himself to be threatening, but ultimately to impotent to really threaten anybody. I’m beggining to think the NDP mascot should be a malaria-ridden flea: a bothersome but ineffectual nuisance for much of its life, except for the rare case when it bites and makes you panic about health care.

• Gilles Duceppe skewered Mr Dithers pretty good when he called out the PM on his reference to Canada’s aboriginal peoples as nations. He then proceeded to dismiss either Harper or Martin’s relevance as future Prime Minister because they’re pretty much the same as far as he’s concerned. See! I told you we’d get some “straightforward charm as the scary guy from Quebec”