One day story (Week One)

CP: Horrible first week for Harper:

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Given the experienced brain trust on Stephen Harper's Conservative transition team, no one was predicting such a controversial first week for the new prime minister and his rookie cabinet. The brouhaha began 25 minutes before Harper was even sworn into office Monday morning, when former Liberal industry minister David Emerson arrived at Rideau Hall in front of a gob-smacked national media to be sworn in as Tory trade minister. By Friday, the array of troubles ranged from the Conservative front bench to its parliamentary secretaries, from federal-provincial relations through the Tory back bench, and even into its beleaguered communications group and the harried departmental staffing team.

PoliticsWatch: Harper's Caucus Crisis

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to hand a cabinet job to Liberal turncoat David Emerson and a Senate seat and cabinet job to party official Michael Fortier has become not only a public relations disaster but is creating quite a strain on his caucus. As many as eight MPs have either expressed reservations or openly criticized the new appointees publicly.

New York Times:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has gotten off to a shaky start in his first week in office, facing a rash of criticism for three cabinet appointments that appeared to compromise his past positions on making government more democratic and ethical.