Playing straight
Finally, a glimpse of the clunking fist.
The cheers swamped the jeers as Gordon Brown tackled a series of challenges from David Cameron, including - once more - the referendum row.
Mr Cameron's constructed contention in the Commons was that the PM won't play straight.
He cited the condition of the housing market, the new tax breaks which he said were aimed at the Nantwich by-election - and the Labour disarray over Wendy Alexander's referendum initiative.
Instead of wilting, the PM appeared, visibly, to rally. Admittedly, he did so by, for example, sidestepping the referendum question and, instead, asserting support for the Union.
A tactic - but, on the day, effective.
Mr Cameron responded deftly by suggesting Mr Brown and Ms Alexander were "the two most unpopular politicians on the planet" and, consequently, scarcely to be trusted with defening the Union.
But again, on the day, it was the PM who thrived.
I'm 
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