Has Rob Anders Finally Flipped?

Rob Anders has always been a little weird and his riding association has been trying to get rid of him for years, though Stephen Harper won't allow it.

This former heckler for the Republican kook James Inhofe, has always had an obsession with the Chinese, but his latest actions appear to have gone to the fanatical.

With Stephen Harper in hiding, members of his caucus from Dean Del Mastro to Tony Clement have been spewing nonsense, but I think Anders takes the cake.

A Conservative MP says some of his colleagues have fallen into traps laid by seductive Chinese spies, lavished with gifts of alcohol and too-good-to-be true business deals, and at least two MPs have been subsequently blackmailed. Calgary MP Rob Anders claims both cases occurred in Shanghai,
where an MP was offered a rich but skeptical business deal. In the other case, he said, the MP accepted sexual favours.

In return, Anders said, politicians can provide access to resources or rubber stamp business deals. Anders said many current MPs have told him that on their trips to China they’ve been approached by stunning women half their age “offering them to go out dancing, go to dinner, get a massage.” “I know MPs who have taken up those offers,” he said, adding that that some ministerial staffers have also been compromised. “They have to understand that when they are being done, they are probably being taped (and) those tapes can, and will, be used,” he said.

Anders has no physical proof and refuses to name names, saying he’s not out to create a witch-hunt. “My purpose in doing this is not to end colleagues’ political careers,” he said. “My purpose is to educated them so they are better aware of how they can be manipulated.” Anders said he has personally witnessed the sons of two different MPs being seduced by women far too attractive to be interested in these “average looking” guys, including a 14-year-old, in Taiwan.

Coming from anyone but Anders, the story might be believable, and I'm sure there's at least some truth to it. Lobbyists for countries and companies often dangle rewards.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s spokesman refused to comments on Anders’ assertions that Chinese infiltration had crept into the federal government. “Mr. Anders’ remarks are his and his alone and do not represent the government’s views. We have no comment on them,” Andrew MacDougall said.