Harper's and his party's perspective on economic relations with the US as well as overall ideological alignment with certain US political trends give them a clear guide as to how to act, regardless of what Harper may or may not have said. They would have taken us to Iraq. They would certainly more align us with the War on Terra.

And so this is worth noting in the post:

Unlike Stockwell Day, Harper hasn't hidden his true stripes; he's just agreed to compromise. He won't try to do everything he wants, the old Progressive Conservatives aren't getting everything they want either, and we voters won't get everything we want. Harper is putting forward a compromise, he hopes, we can all agree with. And by being up front about this, the Liberals are having a hard time convincing the media he has flip flopped.

It should be remembered that this only holds true during election time. (There's no reason to think that the Liberals won't go down a similar road as the Reformatories if they win another term, though, but it's possible that they would do it slowly, with much sighing.) It should also be remembered that while strategy and tactics are fun, you also need to pass judgement.