Not in

Paul Wells is outstanding:

[Martin:] We had an extensive discussion led by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defence, concerning the invitation to participate in the evolution of the proposed ballistic missile defence system. "It is in respect of that discussion that we are announcing today that Canada will not take part in the proposed ballistic missile defence system." Great. Excellent. Wonderful. And when did Martin tell the Americans about the fruits of this morning's discussion? Two days ago. Whee! After the cabinet meeting, Martin and Pierre Pettigrew leapt into their special PMO time machine to travel back to Tuesday's NATO summit where, Martin informed us, Pettigrew told Condi Rice of the, uh, then-pending Cabinet discussion. Martin then called Paul Cellucci and told him of the decision that, uh, would soon have been taken (these verb tenses are so difficult when one starts vaulting through the fourth dimension). I am left with two questions, which I have already lodged in the same place I always put questions for the fast-disappearing prime minister: Did he try to telephone George W. Bush with the news? Is the president taking his calls?