Every man has his price, Frank ...

So the Stephen Harper Brownshirt Party of Canada wants to defuse the situation by getting retired judge Frank Iacobucci to, well, be the judge:

The federal government is tapping retired Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci to decide just how much of the government’s documents on Afghan detainees should be released to opposition MPs.

And at this point, it's safe to say we're about to learn just how much of a cheap hooker Mr. Iacobucci really is. Because if he had even the smallest shred of self-respect and cared about his reputation, what he'd say publicly is something along the lines of:

"I appreciate the offer but, given that this has been an ongoing and combative issue in Parliament for quite some time now, it would be highly inappropriate for me to get involved. This is properly a Parliamentary issue, and that's where it should be settled -- by Parliament, and not based on the opinion of a private citizen."

That's what Iacobucci should say, so let's see what happens. But all this brings up a bigger issue.

How long has this sleazy backroom deal been in the works? When did Stephen the Large or his greasy underling Justice Minister Rob Nicholson first approach Iacobucci? Is this already a done deal? Because if it is, that would mean that the Harperjugend was actively soliciting a private citizen to examine the Afghan detainee documents while simultaneously telling the Opposition that they weren't reliable enough to be trusted with those same documents.

This screams to be addressed during Question Period -- asking Rob Nicholson point-blank when the Cons first considered asking an outside source to vet the documents, when Iacobucci specifically was approached, and whether Iacobucci had already agreed when that announcement was first made public. I think the timeline here needs to be established.

P.S. Personally, if I was a high-ranking member of the Opposition, I'd publicly announce that if Iacobucci received any of those documents, I would immediately have him arrested for possessing material that was classified and high security. Or something to that effect. Put the fear of God into him.

M@ here: Neil Morrison has some interesting background on a previous decision signed by Iacobucci.

AFTERSNARK: The Disaffected Lib also suggests that Iacobucci is in an awkward place.

Lulu here: As fun as it might be, Iacobucci can't actually be arrested for possessing classified documents if the government has approved their release to him.