So this is the beginning of the end of (King) Ralph Klein.

We are certainly in for a sea change in Alberta politics. The provincial PC party has decided to do to its leader what the federal party does to (used to do to?) its leaders.

It is weird to see Ralph standing there with a knife in his back. Although he sort of asked for it. The announcement that he was leaving, eventually, certainly hasn't endeared him to the fellows waiting to take his place. Those waiting for his job are chomping at the bit.

And what a sorry lot they are. Actually I wouldn't give you a can of beans for any of the crew running the province right now. I had a nice chat with a former Lougheed cabinet minister who said there is no vision there, just a bunch of opportunitsts. And I agree. If handing out $400 cheques is their idea of how to plan the future of the province, while our health care, schools and infrastructure are crumbling under the crush of growth, we are in big trouble. I can only imagine how much more trouble we would be in if we weren't benefiting from $60 oil.

The Calgary Herald and the Globe and Mail say Preston Manning is thinking about going for the job. I may not agree with his politics but at least he is a thinker. His views on the environment are pretty interesting. I don't think it would be a bad thing. I also think we should take a long hard look at the provincial Liberals when our next provincial election draws closer.

Back to Ralph, I remember reading he had been elected mayor of Calgary while I attending journalism school in Ottawa. What a shock. His reputation at the time was as a somewhat goofy City Hall reporter at a Calgary television station. I remember being slighly ashamed. Little did I know I would be covering his second election victory as mayor as a radio reporter. He obliterated his opponant (Sue Higgins). If I remember correctly he maintained his populist touch and he wasn't half bad as mayor. I left Alberta about the time he became premier. Now I am back and he is about to be replaced. Frankly I'd like to see a bigger opposition in Alberta or, dare I say it, I different party in power.

As for Preston taking over? It could work.