Christian Conservative Christian "Independent"

I'm an evangelical Christian, member of the CPC, but presently & unjustly exiled to wander the political wilderness.
All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

CBC Elitism... we're above the law

LOL... almost missed this one...
The CBC has a dirty secret - employee smoking rooms
SEAN O'SHEA AND KELLY PATRICK, Global News and National Post
Published: Wednesday, February 28, 2007

TORONTO - Despite Ontario's strict prohibition on smoking in the workplace, employees at the CBC's downtown Toronto headquarters are legally lighting up inside two smoking lounges outfitted with plush sofas and ashtrays, a Global News investigation has found.

Hidden cameras captured smokers puffing away and ashtrays filled with cigarette butts inside the public broadcaster's Toronto building, and the CBC says its workers can smoke in similar designated rooms at its locations in Montreal, Moncton, St. John's, Nfld., and Saint John, N.B.
Take a peek at the video.

Had to laugh at this one. Once again, the folks at the CBC think they're better than the rest of us... Ontario's smoking ban doesn't apply to "US". True, technically it doesn't, but I thought they were supposed to be the good examples for the rest of us?

Nah... just another example of the culture of entitlement.

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Sunday, February 25, 2007

Slow blogging weekend

I've also been sick all weekend, so I haven't had any motivation, or inclination, to blog anything.

Met with our EDA President to plan out our upcoming nomination meeting, and my brother (in the Lord) Shawn M. had a good study on Galatians chapters 1 and 2... but other than that, not much else happened this weekend.

As you were.

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Thursday, February 22, 2007

MP Bains and Liberal Hypocrites

Well, many have commented on the "smear" by Mr. Harper... funny they call it that, when he didn't even get to finish his statement!

Shoe's on the other foot now, eh guys? Looks like you don't like it too much. Neither did we.

For years, you have been making baseless accusations, and using real "drive-by-smears" against our Party and against our Members. How about the "Hidden Right Wing Agenda" one? Remember that? Or how about your Members, blind with rage, spitting out the words "right wing ideology" as if it were a bad word?

Or how about these ones... "Neo-Cons", or "George W. Bush clone", or "retrograde", or "bigots and racists", or "anti-women", or the fifty thousand names and lies that you've been spewing for years?

Funny... most of your attacks have been completely baseless... yet when Mr. Harper tries (unsucessfully) to quote from a legitimate media article, you do nothing but shout him down. How's that for ya? And you guys wonder why we don't like Liberals...

Well, at least you did us one favour... Mr. Harper didn't actally make any smear, thanks to your childish antics... go ahead, "Check Hansard", as they say. But your actions yesterday in the House did succeed in getting the alleged links to terrorism and your Party covered in each and every media outlet in the nation. Good on you! Well done!

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Liberal Party - "ABOUT, FACE!"

What's this? Is Dion's new found backbone weakening somewhat?
Libs open to new anti-terror proposals: Goodale
Updated Thu. Feb. 22 2007 8:50 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale says his party continues to support allowing two key powers in the Anti-Terrorism Act to expire, but would be willing to hear proposals to amend the provisions to protect civil liberties.
I wonder why they're offering this olive branch? Oh, right, the article goes on to explain why...
"The issue could become the first real test of Liberal leader Stephane Dion's leadership. On Wednesday, he instructed caucus members they must oppose renewal of the measures. Some reports say that Dion warned his MPs that those who defy him may not be allowed to run for the party in the next election."
Looks like Dion clued in... he was about to get spanked by members of his own caucus, who were going to vote in favour of the measures regardless of the personal and political cost, to themselves or the Liberal Party. I want names... I want to know who stood firm and fast against Dion... because I want to shake their hand.

This is a good thing for Canada. I'm glad Mr. Dion has seen the light... even if he really only made the move to save face.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Liberals don't like hearing the truth

I guess they don't like it cause it hurts...
Liberals erupt as Harper implicates MP's in-law
Updated Wed. Feb. 21 2007 6:13 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

Outraged Liberal MPs chanted "shame!" as Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to read from a newspaper article that links a Liberal MP's in-law to the Air India investigation.

According to the article, Saini is a former Ontario spokesman for Babbar Khalsa Panthak, a Sikh militant. He was also an alternative delegate for Liberal leadership hopeful Gerard Kennedy.

The RCMP would interview Saini through investigative hearings made possible by the Anti-Terror Ac. Those hearings allow the authorities to compel people to testify.

On March 1, that provision of the act will die. The Liberals are opposed to a three-year extension of that provision, along with one that allows for preventative detention for 72 hours.

Harper used that to attack the Liberals.

"Even the Air India families say that the position they are now taking will jeopardize the police investigation and ... the Liberal party has no excuse for that position. It's an irresponsible position and they should change that position," he said.

"That the Liberal Party has done a complete flip flop on an issue that is of vital concern to the safety and security of Canadians without explanation is inexcusable and they should reverse their position and get back to doing the right thing."
Also reported by CBC and Global's Canada.com.

Typical Liberal response... shout down the truth, scream bloody murder, do anything at all to avoid dealing with the real issues at hand.

The real problem here is that your position, my dear Liberal MP's, is interfering with the Air India investigation. An investigation, ironically enough, that your Party seems to have been trying to avoid for the last decade. Now why is that?

I find it interesting that when our Prime Minister brings up a legitimate article siting a link a member of your caucus, you shout him down.

Interesting that this new Liberal terror supporting position (well, what else do you call it when someone is anti-anti-terror legislation?) that Mr. Dion is promoting really does appear to be nothing more than payback for support for his leadership campaign, according to an Accociated Press article I am trying to relocate...


UPDATE: Ahh, here it is... thanks to Dust my Broom... who paints the whole picture pretty well I'd say. Is it indeed "payoff time" for leadership support? Here's a quote from that article...
But MPs privately complain that the decision (to not support renewing the anti-terror legislation) was taken by the caucus social justice committee, which is dominated by left-wing Liberals. Most MPs, including those with expertise in national security and human rights matters, were never consulted and were surprised when the decision was presented to them two weeks ago as a fait accompli.

Some privately grouse that Dion has been influenced by militant Sikh and Muslim groups, members of which helped secure his leadership victory last December.

Those complaints were echoed Tuesday by the chairman of the Air India Victims' Families Association.

"It looks like the sympathizers of terrorism have more influence on (Liberals)," Gupta said.

He said Dion may have become "victim of vote bank politics," referring to ethnic bloc voting.
Liberals are howling over this whole thing, saying Mr. Harper must appologize... what, for trying (unsucessfully) to quote from an article published by the media? Please...

Once again, they're missing the boat. For years, people like me have been saying that something stinks in the Liberal Party of Canada... that it reeks of corruption, patronage, entitlement, etc., etc., etc., etc.

Canadians said on January 23, 2006, that the Liberal Party needs to clean up its act. Today's performance in the House, and some of the decisions made since Dion won the leadership, just prove the obvious... the Liberal Party of Canada is solely about POWER, and will do anything, including tolerating the rank stench of corruption, to obtain, or reobtain, it.

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AND THEY'RE OFF!

CBC News is reporting that the writ was officially dropped in Quebec at about 11:00am.

GO JEAN GO! GO MARIO GO! NO ANDRE NO!

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Telus withdraws porn service

HEAR! HEAR!

After receiving a deluge of complaints, Telus has chosen to withdraw their new mobile adult content service.

I am one of the hundreds of customers that called them to complain. I've been a Telus customer for nine years now... and I called them and threatened to "consider my options" at the end of my contract.

They said they would let the market decide... and we have spoken.


UPDATE: How's this for a bit of irony? I didn't even notice it at first as I read the story...

(with a Rogers ad at the bottom right, no less!)

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

FEDERAL BUDGET MARCH 19

Just in from Canada.com
Federal budget set for March 19

OTTAWA — The government will present this year’s federal budget on Monday, March 19, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty revealed in question period Tuesday. That’s one day earlier than many had speculated.

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Serbian Blood Money?

Interesting... could the Liberal Party of Canada have unwittingly been in reciept of Serbian blood money?
Magnate with Milosevic ties faces deportation
Judge rules wealthy Serb was senior advisor to former strongman
Stewart Bell, National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The Yugoslavia-born Mr. Karic became a permanent resident of Canada in 1993 after he and his siblings founded Danjan International Inc., a company that has donated more than $13,000 to the federal Liberal party.

The immigration judge's ruling cites allegations that family-owned companies -- the BK Group and Astra Bank -- profited from privileges they enjoyed as a result of a close relationship with Milosevic.

"Clearly, the Serbian authorities in charge following the fall of the Milosevic regime concluded that the Karic or Astra Bank earned excess profits by virtue of its close proximity to Milosevic," the IRB ruling says.

"There are more than reasonable grounds to believe, therefore, that Mr. Karic was able to benefit personally from his position of remarkable proximity, including as a senior advisor, to Milosevic."
Remember, I did say "unwittingly"... I'm not pointing any fingers here or making any accusations of wrongdoing on the part of the Liberal Party... it's difficult for the Party to know where exactly donated money is coming from. I just find it interesting, that's all... and wonder to myself aloud what other kinds of "interesting" folks may be supporting them...

I mean, many of us have accused the Liberals of being a Party that can be bought, and that has a history of supporting some less than respectable groups... such as the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah, and such. This story isn't the first time that such accusations have been made.

I must confess, however, that I'm not completely disinterested in seeing if there was any political influence in getting his Permanent Resident paperwork done...

h/t to Strong Conservative.

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Liberals having issues?

You've got to love the headline on the Globe & Mail today: "Tories surge on Harper's leadership".

And even more enjoyable to watch the Libloggers this morning...

Such as this guy's opening line... "It is time for the Liberal Party to wake up"

I personally like Fuddle Duddle's analysis... "New Strategic Counsel poll is out and it spells disaster if your name starts with 'S' and ends with 'tephane Dion'."

This guy is downright hilarious... how's this for a title? "CTV Poll Analysis is Warped" Yep, Liberal to the core... if the story doesn't favour you, SPIN SPIN SPIN! Well, since I consider CTV to be a biased Liberal lapdog, seeing THEM report these numbers really makes you wonder...

Far and Wide also posted on the numbers, and comments that in his opinion, Harper may have sucessfully neutralized the Environment as a ballot question.

This one is quite funny... trying to accuse CTV of recently spinning things IN FAVOUR OF THE TORIES?!?!?!? NOW THAT'S RICH!!!

Then, from the Globe also came this little interesting development... "Dion to punish MPs who back anti-terror measures in vote". This will prove interesting... since failed leadership contender Bob Rae, and other prominent past Liberals have piped up saying that the measures should be extended. I wonder where Iggy really stands on this one...

Will Liberals break ranks on this one? Will Mr. Harper be able to poach another MP or two over this issue? Will some Liberal MP's break ranks on this file? Will Dion be forced to kick out a couple of MP's, perhaps sending them into the open arms of Mr. Harper?

At least one Liblogger is commenting on it today... time will tell, I guess.

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Monday, February 19, 2007

Okay, now you've got my attention!

Got this Notice from the PMO today, for an announcement coming tomorrow... and I have to say, on a whole bunch of levels, I'm REALLY curious!
Public events for February 20, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Public events for Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Tuesday, February 20th are:

9:30 a.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will make an announcement. The Prime Minister will also be accompanied by Tony Clement, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, and Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry.

Reading Room (237C Centre Block)
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Okay, my curiosity is peaked! I'm a card carrying Conservative and big Stephen Harper fan... and I'm also an IT guy, who uses tons of Microsoft products, in a healthcare institution. (I'm right in the middle of a massive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 rollout)

So to hear that there's going to be an announcement with Stephen Harper, Bill Gates, AND Tony Clement? There's no way I'm NOT going to be watching this announcement closely!

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The Star: "PM Holds Election Aces"

How true, and how sweet, it is.

PM holds election aces

"The combination of a federal Liberal leader who has failed to make a strong impression in Ontario and an unprecedented crisis of confidence within sovereignist ranks in Quebec could make the temptation of a spring federal election irresistible for Stephen"

Ready and raring to go boss...

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Dion and the Anti-Terrorism Act

Just for the record... Division 190
3rd Reading of Bill C-36 - Anti-Terrorism Act, Nov. 28, 2001

YEAS - 189
NAYS - 47

PAIRED - 12

Amongst those 189? "DION"

Just so we're clear.

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"Decade of Darkness", Lt. Gen. Hillier - 2003

So, Messr. Coderre, how come it's only NOW that you object to the phrase "Decade of Darkness"... as it's been floating out there for over four years now?

"We are coming out of a decade of darkness."
Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Land Staff, quoted during the Combat Development Board, 12 May 2003.

Anyone care to review that?

Another question for you, Messr. Coderre... who was in power back in 2003? Sure wasn't the Tories, that's for sure!

And if he'd made a statement like that back in 2003, why on earth would you choose to appoint him as Chief of the Defence Staff in 2005?
Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier appointed new Chief of the Defence Staff
NR–05.004 - January 14, 2005

OTTAWA – Minister Bill Graham welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement appointing Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier as the new Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), effective Feb. 4.

“Lt.-Gen. Hillier assumes the position at a very important time for the Canadian Forces,” said Bill Graham, Minister of National Defence referring to the Government's defence policy review looking at what kind of military Canada needs in the post-September 11th security environment.

“Lt.-Gen. Hillier's leadership and experience will be invaluable as we move forward in this process to transform the Canadian Forces to meet the security challenges Canada faces. He has extensive experience serving in Canada, Europe and the United States. Lt.-Gen. Hillier has more operational experience than most having served a number of times on United Nations and NATO missions – most recently lead some 6,000 troops from 35 nations as the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).”

“I have complete confidence in his ability to shape and implement Canadian Forces transformation,” said Graham.
This post thanks to an observant commenter... thanks "Wilson61"!

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Friday, February 16, 2007

EoD Wrap Up

That's "End of Day"... off to bed for this blogger. But before I go, just a final wrap up post of interesting articles.

Don Martin from the National Post thinks that the Mounties have "got their man"... but maybe, just maybe, not all of them... and thinks the RCMP should keep looking.

And the Red Star's Chantal Hébert has this great little quote... "Over a period of little less than three months, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has turned his green armour into a straitjacket."

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MP Denis Coderre and "Tory props"

Well, I'm sure we've all by now heard of Liberal MP Denis Coderre's boneheaded comments... Gen. Hillier "a Tory prop"? Hey man, you guys appointed him!

Humm, I'll have to admit though, it was a particularly devastating quote... "decade of darkness"? NICE! Thanks Rick, I like it! Mind if we take it out for a test drive and beat them over the head with it for a while? ;-)

In reading about this on the BT tonight, I went through the comments on SDA... various current and former military guys leaving comments, having a general discussion on the Liberal's deplorable record in regards to Canada's military. Someone left a really interesting comment to think about...
"Hmmm, I wonder why almost the entire complement of our soldiers vote Conservative, while all the criminals in our jails vote Liberal.

Must be a causal relationship there..."
I mean, I always knew the particular voting preferences of these two groups, but I never really thought to much about it! Interesting contrast, eh?

I think Kate sums up the whole matter about Denis Coderre's comment quite well...
"Thereby taking a statement of fact made before a small audience and repeating it to a a wider Canadian public to remind us that yes - under the Liberals, the Canadian Forces endured "a decade of darkness", with soldiers at food banks, bullet rationing and rotting equipment.

Well done, Denis!"
Had he not commented on Gen. Hillier's statement, I would have missed it all together... and it would have likely garnered little or no media coveage whatsoever.

Again, thanks Denis!

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Would Christ be considered a bigot?

That's what Mark Peters implies in his post, "Jesus Christ, Bigot".

And I give a hearty AMEN to his comments. In our day and age, Christ would indeed be called that, by the very same "progressives" who teach that Christ would be accepting of people's sin, if He lived today.
"Jesus Christ did not come to earth and die on a cruel cross so that we could wallow in our sin. He came to pull us out of it and give us eternal life. He came to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:27-32). There is no grounds in Scripture for social justice taking precedence over sin; that is man's attempt at avoiding the problem and gravity of sin and is an affront to the Cross. There is only one thing that trumps sin, and that is the blood of Christ, shed on Calvary's cross for the forgiveness of sin. Social justice, no matter what form it takes, does not negate sin nor trump it in the eyes of God, nor is the Christian encouraged to accept sin in order to be politically correct or socially "progressive".

But nobody wants to hear about sin, nor have to deal with it by accepting Christ's forgiveness, nor have to possibly live according to what God says is right and just. That would be unjust by today's transient social mores. So, instead of repentance and forgiveness for sin we substitute social justice and acceptance of it. We would prefer that Christ had let the adulterous woman go on her way without repenting. It's an abominable sleight of hand.

Jesus Christ never ceased to show genuine compassion, love and understanding towards his fellow man. Christians the world over are called to do the very same and it is a shame on us that we fail in this regard so often. But Jesus Christ never, ever compromised righteousness nor did he let people continue on their path of sin without being challenged to repent. He was absolutely politically incorrect, especially where sin was involved. He never missed an opportunity to challenge people about the sin in their life. Re-read the Gospels if you remain in doubt. Christ always called people to repent and turn away from sin."
That's just a portion of it... go read the whole thing for yourself. Mark said it far better than I could.

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Thursday, February 15, 2007

PM - $5 million for Juno Beach Centre

Hear! Hear! Mr. Harper has just announced that the Government of Canada will provide $5 million to support the operation of the Juno Beach Centre in France.

It's about time. Cudos to the Prime Minister for honouring our veterans, many of whom made the supreme sacrifice for freedom.

And I once again tip my hat to our Canadian veterans of World War II... THANK YOU.

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PM - $5 million for Juno Beach Centre

Hear! Hear! Mr. Harper has just announced that the Government of Canada will provide $5 million to support the operation of the Juno Beach Centre in France.

It's about time. Cudos to the Prime Minister for honouring our veterans, many of whom made the supreme sacrifice for freedom.

And I once again tip my hat to our Canadian veterans of World War II... THANK YOU.

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Funny page

So, here at work, we've been having off and on problems with our new Parking gates... mostly user error. Anyway, when we have an issue, I invariably get a page to go check it out.

Anyway, our main switchboard person had enough today, and sent me this page...

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C-288 - A Test for the Senate

Well, now that Bill C-288 has passed in the House, I guess we'll see if the Senate really is a place of "Sober Second Thought"... or one of crass partisan politics, as we claim it is.

Think about it... the Liberals have backed themselves into a corner on this one. For months, the Senate has partisanly blocked or stalled various pieces of Conservative legislation... Bill C-2 (The FAA, now passed), Bill S-4 (Senate Terms), etc. Sending things back to the House for re-consideration (Bill C-2), refusing to debate Bills (Bill S-4), the crass partisanship has been obvious.

But now, Bill C-288 is going to come before them. Are they going to take just as much time to soberly consider it, or are they going to expidite it's passage?

If they ram it through, as I assume they will, the partisan nature of the Upper House is exposed in a clear and undeniable manner... and Mr. Harper builds his case for its reform. Thus, they may want to think twice about rubber stamping Bill C-288.

In my opinion, upon "sober second thought", they should send it back to the House, indicating that they agree with the Government... as the Bill is directly tied to Government spending, they should return it to the House for reconsideration.

Of course, we know the truth... that the Senate is known as "The Red Chamber" for more than one reason. It is largely (though not exclusively) a place of patronage and crass hypocritical partisanship, and will simply rubber stamp Bill C-288, while still holding up various Government Bills that the Liberals are opposed to... making Mr. Harper's case for Senate reform that much stronger.

Go ahead, Honourable Senators, make my day... PROVE ME WRONG.

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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Get Well Soon Mr. Dosanjh

When things like this happen, partisan politics must take a backseat.

Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh suffered a mild heart attack today in Ottawa. He underwent emergency surgery, but his staff has indicated that he is doing fine.

Glad to hear you're okay... get well soon Ujjal.

h/t to Uncommon Truths

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Decima - "Attack Ads may be working in Ontario"

I don't like to think of them as attack ads... but regardless of what you call them, Decima seems to think they may have been successful.
Liberals, Tories in dead heat: Decima poll
Updated Tue. Feb. 13 2007 3:14 PM ET

Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- A new poll suggests the Liberals and Conservatives are running neck-and-neck nationally, with the Tories closing the gap in the key electoral battleground of Ontario.

The Decima survey, provided to The Canadian Press, gives the Liberals a one percentage point lead nationally -- 33 per cent to 32 per cent -- which is within the 3.1 percentage point margin of error.

The survey puts the NDP at 15 per cent, the Bloc Quebecois at nine, and the Green party at eight.

The poll suggests the Liberal lead in Ontario has shrunk to four percentage points, compared with an 18-point gap at the start of the month.

But the margin of error is greater on the Ontario numbers because of the smaller sample size.

The Bloc Quebecois held a huge lead in Quebec at 42 per cent, compared with 21 per cent for the Liberals and 17 per cent for the Tories.

Decima CEO Bruce Anderson says the Tory promise to address climate change, and the party's anti-Liberal attack TV ads, appear to be paying dividends with Ontarians and female voters.

The survey of 1,013 people was conducted Feb. 8 to 12.
DID YOU CATCH THAT?!?!? The poll suggests the Liberal lead in Ontario has shrunk to four percentage points, compared with an 18-point gap at the start of the month. A FOURTEEN POINT JUMP IN ONTARIO IN A MONTH?!?!?! I figured maybe a five to eight point jump would be good, but fourteen? Either that's a hiccup in the poll, or the Liberals are in serious trouble.

And how about this quote? "Decima CEO Bruce Anderson says the Tory promise to address climate change, and the party's anti-Liberal attack TV ads, appear to be paying dividends with Ontarians and female voters."

That's my boy Steve... er, Stephen. Keep up the good work. This is especially good news considering we just launched the French ads today...

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Liberal Hypocrisy Anyone?

First they attack Mr. Harper for not having a plan. Then, he says "Okay, here you go," and starts rolling out a plan... so they attack him for spending money.

??? Anyone else pick up on the hypocrisy of the Liberal position?
"Does the word hypocrisy leap to mind? I think it probably does," said former Liberal finance minister Ralph Goodale, now Opposition House Leader. "This is a classic demonstration of that."
Yes Ralph, the word does leap to mind... but not in the way you think.

Mr. Goodale, YOU SAID Canadians wanted action on the Environment. Had we announced any kind of plan without funding, you would have attacked us on that front. So, we put the money where our mouth was... so you attack us for that. Yep, the word hypocrisy DOES leap to mind.
Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan rejected the suggestion the Tories are indulging in "March madness" spending, noting that "it's February," and that Canadians wanted action on the environment.

"I think most Canadians are happy to see that and it's more action than the other parties were asking for in terms of this kind of a fund."
As I said yesterday, the whole thing is a political master stroke by Mr. Harper.

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Harper Tied on Environment... WITH MAY???

Wow, this one even surprised me... according to Ontarians, Stephen Harper is tied with Elizabeth May, and only four points behind Dion, on who is the best leader in regards to the Environment.

Narrowly behind Dion, I figured that. But tied with Elizabeth May? Sweetness!

Read all about it at SES Research.

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A $1.5 Billion master stroke by Harper

Today, the Prime Minister, joined by Quebec Premier Jean Charest, announced a $1.5 Billion dollar EcoTrust Fund for the Provinces, to assist in their funding of climate change and pollution reduction projects.

But in the announcement from the PMO is a stroke of sheer political genius...
"This Canada EcoTrust will be established using part of the anticipated 2006-07 budgetary surplus. The resources for the Canada EcoTrust initiative will consist of 1.5 billion dollars of new funding on a national basis.

This funding will be contained in the upcoming budget and is a part of the actions to be taken on the fiscal imbalance. This new funding will be available as soon as Parliament approves that budget."
Did you catch that? "Funding will be contained in the next budget... available as soon as parliament approves the next budget." A political master stroke.

Mr. Dion or Mr. Layton, do you intend to vote against $1.5 billions dollars for climate change? Mr. Duceppe, same question... and do you plan on voting against $350 million for programs already underway in Quebec?

I'm all in favour of this new funding. And Mr. Harper has done it in a politically masterful way. It's a nice boost for Mr. Charest right before he goes to the polls, and it's a political poison pill for the Opposition. Vote for it, and the Government hangs on. Vote against it, and Mr. Harper gets to turn the tables on them and ask them, "Why did you vote against this funding for Kyoto?"

I believe it's often referred to as painting one's opponent into a corner. I'm going to enjoy watching the Opposition deal with this one.

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40,000

Sometime late last night, the wii little blog hit the 40,000 visitors mark.

Thanks all.

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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Finally Finished

It only took me three months... I finally finished, "Trudeau and Our Times, Volume 1: The Magnificant Obsession".

The volume covers Trudeau's years in pursuit of patriating the Constitution of Canada; looking at those years themselves, and some of the formative years in his life that developed his view on Constitutional affairs. Next up, Volume Two... which covers the infamous NEP era.

Man, even from beyond the grave, Trudeau is still costing me money... even with multiple renewals, I've still managed to generate about $4.00 worth of library fines with this book. ;-)

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Welcome to the fold Werner

Am I surprised? Not really. Werner Patel, formerly a LPC member and a Liblogger, has "crossed the floor", so to speak... and taken out a CPC membership.

He looked to Kennedy as the man for Liberal renewal... someone who listens to the grassroots. But according to Werner, most Liberals are still stuck in a "victory at any cost" group-think pack mentality... so he decided to bail. He let his 2006 LPC membership lapse... and took out a CPC membership in 2007.

I doesn't really matter what you think of Werner... the fact that he would consider "crossing the floor" of public opinion (or at least the bloggosphere) is a good sign for both Mr. Harper and the Party. It means that it is possible for even partisan Liberals to become convinced that the CPC is really the only party where the voice of the average Canadian can be heard.

Welcome to the Party, Werner... the more the merrier. And I'm not just talking about numbers, I mean opinions too. Looking forward to hearing your views on all the issues.

h/t to 905 Tory

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Saturday, February 10, 2007

"Kyoto is suicide for Canada"

Great article in today's Financial Post... "Kyoto is economic suicide as is".

The article trashes the Liberal Party, accusing them of using the treaty simply as a political ploy against the Conservatives... all the while, being dishonest, and not acknowledging that they KNOW the targets are unattainable. (which of course, they won't admit, unless they win the next election... THEN they'll come out and admit it, then say "We can't do it because the Tories wasted one year"... ignoring the previous years of Liberal inaction, of course)

At the same time, the article also suggests some reasonable courses of action on what we can do in an effort to reach our Kyoto goals... all of which I agree with.
While Kyoto has been a dead duck everywhere else in the world, except in the Liberal or NDP caucuses, the Tories are going to tackle the issue sensibly.

I believe that Canada can clean up its act, and here are some ways this can be accomplished dramatically without ruining the economy:

1. All coal-fired plants generating power in Canada should be retrofitted with emissions-free technology or replaced with nuclear plants. Nuclear should also replace natural gas power plants so that gas can be preserved for home-heating markets across the continent as well as petrochemical production.

2. Nuclear plants should be built in Alberta's oilsands to replace the use of natural gas to extract the oil.

3. The Mackenzie Valley pipeline must be built to bring cleaner natural gas down to North America's markets in order to cut back operations involving coal or oil.

4. Canadians should be given a grant to replace a gas guzzler for a hybrid vehicle.

5. Government buildings and vehicles should all be as green as can be.

6. Cities should dramatically increase zoning densities along existing subway or LRT lines in order to monetize the benefits of building public transportation and get people out of cars. There should be greenbelts imposed around cities to stop suburban sprawl.

7. Legislation should encourage energy users to clean up and use existing technologies. Unless mandated, companies must responsibly deploy capital in other, faster payback ways.

8. Ottawa must convince, then help, the maximization of Canada's huge hydro-electric potential. This is vastly underexploited in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. There's no excuse for this.

9. Ottawa must inform the world that unless all countries sign a revised Kyoto, the treaty is pointless, then push for a new one.

This is what Canada can do. Kyoto, as negotiated, is ruinous for Canada.

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Friday, February 09, 2007

Law & Order - Anti-Christian?

Wow. Just watched tonights episode of Law & Order.

It's been a while since I've seen such a more open attack on Christians. It was an obvious rip off of the Ted Haggard fiasco down in the USA... but that wasn't my problem with the episode.

The script had each of the main characters, repeatedly throught the show, display a near hatred of Christianity... over and over again. The female detective, while interviewing a church official, was way over the top... making statements and mocking Christianity quite openly. (obviously was just an act for her... but perhaps not for the script writer?) Multiple attacks on Scripture, characters showing obvious distain for all things related to faith, and on and on it went. It was pretty sad.

People wonder what I'm talking about when I talk about how people of faith are constantly attacked these days? If you caught the episode, now you see why.

Not that I expect it to change... the Lord Jesus Christ told us to expect it.

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Why can't we all just get along?

It's really sad to see all the sniping going on in all the various blogrolls these days... ALL of them. Sure, I join in too, guilt as charged... but wouldn't it be nice if people could actually discuss ideas a policy, with a view of bettering the nation?

Here's an example... a Liberal blogger asked a legit question, asking why Conservatives wouldn't support an international carbon credit trading system. Here's the reply he/she got from another liberal...

"They are Nanny State Conservatives who happily use state power to benefit their friends and preferred businesses. They don't care about creating new markets or encouraging innovative new businesses, they want to benefit the companies and industries they are beholden to - mostly Alberta Oil and gas (and apparently Ontario tobacco)"

Sigh... see what I mean? In my reply to the original question, I instead let the questioner know why... we don't like wasteful programs here at home, so why would we want to spend money on a program that sends our tax dollars overseas, with no tangible results for Canadians? I just answered the question... no rhetoric, no attacks, just explaining why we view things the way we do.

Anyway, of course, I had to reply to the liberal lemming who just hates Conservatives... "Amm, sorry, you really don't have a clue as to what a Conservative is, or what we stand for. Too bad we couldn't meet on the street someday... I'm sure you'd be shocked when you realize what people like me actually stand for. (and I'm not talking "scary hidden agenda" stuff)

It's a real shame that we keep these stereotypes up. Truth be told, there are many Liberals I respect, but most, like many amongst the Liblogs and Prog. Blogs, just keep spewing the same party dogma, and are unwilling to even consider that maybe, just maybe, someone from another party might just have a good idea from time to time.

There are many in the Blogging Tories who are the same, don't get me wrong. But it would be nice if we could actually exchange ideas, rather than keep on attacking each other, as you just did.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm in this to help as many of my fellow Canadians as possible... including you."


I love to have a real, open, honest discussion about policy and viewpoints... maybe I'll even learn a thing or two! I enjoy it when posting on an issue, and I get replies from honest and open Liberals, who either clarify their views, or ask questions to better understand mine... people who have a genuine desire to understand, and reach some kind of consensus, so that we can better the lives of all Canadians... REGARDLESS of their staus, income, gender, race, location, political views.

Personally, I support the Conservative Party of Canada because I believe their policies are the ones who will benefit the broadest number of Canadians... end of story. Do I believe that ONLY Conservatives have all the answers? NOT A CHANCE! Every party has something to contribute, and I'd really like to see a more open system where all views are truly respected, and the best option for Canadians are pursued.

Sadly, until things change dramaticly, I don't forsee that happening. Personally, I see the main problem being the Liberal Party of Canada... not "Liberals" individually, but the Party structure as a whole. I don't see much room for differing opinions in our current political climate due to the existance of the "Liberal Machine"... at least not without getting shouted down, or being called a bigot, racist, homophobe, meanspirited, uncaring, hateful, warmonger, biased, narrow minded, moron, selfish, etc, etc, etc. I've been called all of these, and a whole lot worse.

Kinda sad... all I want to do is to make the lives of all Canadians, ALL Canadians, better.

Anyone have and ideas on how we can do that within our current political system? If you're a Liberal, please comment, I'd love to hear your point of view... how can I better contribute to the betterment of Canadian society?

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PM Nominates New Chief Electoral Officer

Hot off the presses... here's the link to the notice.
PRIME MINISTER NOMINATES NEXT CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER

February 9, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pleased to announce the nomination of Mr. Marc Mayrand as the new Chief Electoral Officer.

A senior public office holder with the federal government, Mr. Mayrand currently serves as the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, where he has gained extensive experience in strategic management and organizational change. He joined the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy in 1982 and, since that time, has held positions of increasing scope and responsibility, culminating in his current appointment in 1997.

“A strong and energetic manager with a proven background in operations and regulatory oversight, Marc Mayrand is particularly well-suited to take on this important position”, said the Prime Minister. “His significant qualifications and experience will benefit all Canadians. I am pleased that he has agreed to be nominated for this important role”, added the Prime Minister.

Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency which reports directly to Parliament and is responsible for the conduct of federal elections and referendums. Under the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer, an agent of Parliament, Elections Canada ensures that all voters have access to the electoral system, maintains the National Register of Electors, enforces electoral legislation and maintains readiness to conduct electoral events. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referendums through an open and impartial process.

The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the Honourable Peter Van Loan, will table, pursuant to Standing Order 111.1, this nomination in the House of Commons for referral to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. The Standing Committee will have 30 days to examine the proposed candidacy and report back to the House of Commons, at which time the House will be called upon to vote on the appointment.

Biographical notes on Mr. Mayrand are attached.

* * * *

MARC MAYRAND

Marc Mayrand has been serving as Superintendent of Bankruptcy since May 1997. After joining the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy in 1982, he held a variety of positions of increasing scope and responsibility, including Deputy Superintendent, Programs, Standards and Regulatory Affairs and Deputy Superintendent, Operations. Prior to joining the federal public service and the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, Mr. Mayrand was a full-time professor at the University of Ottawa, Civil Law Section, where he taught insolvency, corporate/commercial law and public and administrative law.

Mr. Mayrand holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Ottawa and a Masters in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1977.

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Buzz - Stephen Harper's new best friend?

Some nice quotes from Buzz Hardgrove in today's National Post, discussing the impending passage of Bill C-288, the Private Members bill from the Liberals, the "Kyoto Implementation Bill".

Basically, he's saying the same thing that the Tories have been saying for the last few months... the original Kyoto timelines are unachievable, and our economy would be crippled were we to attempt to meet them. Could you have ever imagined hearing Buzz Hardgrove agree with Mr. Harper?

From the Post:
Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Autoworkers Workers, does not expect any government to try to implement Kyoto according to current deadlines.

"It would be devastating for the whole community, anybody that signed on," he said. "It's not even a remote possibility. No prime minister in any one of the parties in the House of Commons is going to bring in any kind of regulation that says we have to do that. It would be suicidal for our economy.


"If somebody were to come out tomorrow and say you have to reach the objective that was laid out initially immediately you'd almost have to shut down every major industry in the country from oil and gas to the airlines to the auto industry and that just doesn't make sense."

Mr. Hargrove advocates a revision of Kyoto deadlines.

"We have to find an intelligent way to walk lock-step with the international community and I think Kyoto is the basis for doing that, the timelines obviously have to be adjusted to meet the new reality, but I think in principle and in theory that is the only way to go," he said.
All we need to do now is set up a photo op with Buzz putting a CAW jacket onto Mr. Harper!

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Thursday, February 08, 2007

Baird - "Kyoto would lead to collapse"

Thank you, our Honourable Minister, for finally telling it like it is...
Baird said Canada will not try to meet greenhouse gas targets set out in the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

He said attempting to reach such targets would be near impossible and would risk Canada falling into economic collapse.

"To achieve that kind of target through domestic reductions would require a rate of emissions decline unmatched by any modern nation in the history of the world... except those who have suffered economic collapse, such as Russia."
It may be that the Tories are laying out their electoral platform, with the vote on Bill C-288 expected to come on Monday.

For those who don't know, Bill C-288 is a Liberal private members bill that would force the government to "Keep Canada's Kyoto commitments"... perhaps they should just make the Short Title, "An Act to scuttle Canada's economy".

Here are just a few of the highlights...
Bill C-288 - An Act to ensure Canada meets its global climate change obligations under the Kyoto Protocol

5. (1) Within 60 days after this Act comes into force and not later than May 31 of every year thereafter until 2013, the Minister shall prepare a Climate Change Plan that includes

(a) a description of the measures to be taken to ensure that Canada meets its obligations under Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Kyoto Protocol, including measures respecting

(i) regulated emission limits and perform­ance standards,

(ii) market-based mechanisms such as emissions trading or offsets,

(iii) spending or fiscal measures or incentives, and

(iv) cooperative measures or agreements with provinces, territories or other governments;
There are the killer points... Section 5, subparagraph A, point ii and iv.

There's the big plan from the Liberals, the BIGGEST BEEF I have with Kyoto... the establishment of an international carbon credit trading scheme. That's Dion's big plan... take a couple BILLION of Canadians hard earned tax dollars, and send them overseas, to "meet our commitments". The Liberals still don't get it... 1) we CAN'T keep the original timelines due to their inaction, and 2) simply "buying credits" will not result in actual reductions.

Here are the two key points regarding Kyoto that everone needs to clue into...

1) I am 100% opposed to sending one red cent to any another nation over Kyoto... and every other level headed Canadian should be too. Why should we be sending BILLIONS of our hard earned dollars to another nation, instead of using those funds right here in Canada to advance technologies that will help reduce emissions?

2) In regards to GHG emission reductions, that is something I can swallow... but there is no realistic way that it can be done within the confines of the established Kyoto timelines without demolishing our economy... maybe I'm biased, but I'm opposed to throwing tens of thousands of Canadains out of work... but that's just me. Here's irony for you... I think this is one area where Buzz Hardgrove and I might actually agree.

Here's a thought for you Mr. Layton... why don't you and Buzz sit down, and figure out how you can find a workable compromise between enviromental responsiblity, and keeping Canadians working?

Wow... stop and really think about that one for a second... could Stephen Harper possibly be the man to offer a reasonable compromise between these two men and their respective positions? Could you have ever imagined that?

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Another Climate Change Denier

... except this guy's got some credentials behind him. Read all about it at The Politic.

I really like this quote:
"Let me stress I am not denying the phenomenon (of global warming) has occurred. The world has warmed since 1680, the nadir of a cool period called the Little Ice Age (LIA) that has generally continued to the present. These climate changes are well within natural variability and explained quite easily by changes in the sun. But there is nothing unusual going on."
"Dr. Tim Ball, Chairman of the Natural Resources Stewardship Project (www.nrsp.com), is a Victoria-based environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg."

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The Record has seen the light

The KW Record, a dependant of the Toronto Star, has a great article today, in which they say, and I quote,
"In an act that was either dishonest or foolish, the opposition passed a motion calling on the government to do what is clearly impossible -- meet Canada's Kyoto Protocol commitment." ...

"That's because Canada cannot satisfy its Kyoto obligations with fine words or noble sentiments. The problem is physical, not political. Canada can only honour the terms of the treaty by making a real, drastic and measurable reduction in the greenhouse gases it spews into the atmosphere. And as much as we hate to say it, no matter how you crunch the numbers, this can't be done. Not now." ...

"This isn't rocket science. And it isn't a surprise. Canada's environmental commissioner reported last fall that Canada's Kyoto targets are unachievable. Dion must know this. So must Layton and Duceppe. Why, then, do they insult the Canadian public with a phony debate, by demanding what they know cannot be delivered? Why, when this country needs to work together to combat climate change, do they spin fiction instead of speaking fact?

This week's motion was not binding. But the Liberals have introduced a bill with similar wording that will be binding, if passed. Before that vote, Dion must do one thing. He must explain how, through cuts or buying credits, he can reduce Canada's emissions by 217 million tonnes a year. In the absence of such a precise plan, his bill would only add to the world's already troubling surfeit of hot air."
h/t to Joanne

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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Yet another Liberal MP who won't be running

This is not good news for Mr. Dion... yet another current Liberal MP will not be running in the next election. This time, it's former Cabinet Minister, Stephen Owen.
Former liberal cabinet minister decides not to run in next federal election
CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Liberal leader Stephane Dion suffered a blow yesterday with the surprise announcement that former Cabinet minister Stephen Owen won't run in the next federal election.

Mr. Owen, the former B.C. ombudsman who was considered a prize catch when he was recruited by the Liberals, has easily taken the Vancouver Quadra riding in the last three federal elections. The former public works minister supported Michael Ignatieff in last year's Liberal leadership campaign but said he is loyal to his new leader.

Mr. Owen, 58, who was first elected to Parliament in November, 2000, said he never planned to be a "career politician" but isn't yet sure what he'll do after the next election.
Does anyone have a list of MP's, Tory or Liberal, who will not be running again?

Here's the ones I know thus far...

Liberals
Paul Martin (Lasalle-Emard, QC)
Stephen Owen (Vancouver Quadra, BC)
Jean Lappier (Outremont, QC)
Brenda Chamerlain (Guelph, ON)
Raymond Bonin (Nickel Belt, ON)
Bill Graham (Toronto Centre, ON - annc. Feb 2007)
Andy Scott (Fredericton, NB - annc. Mar. 5, 2007)
Joe McGuire (Egmont, PEI - annc. Mar. 7, 2007)
Jim Peterson (Willowdale, ON - annc. Mar. 7, 2007)
Paul Steckle (Huron-Bruce, ON - annc. Mar. 7, 2007)
Nancy Karetak-Lindell (Nunavut, annc. Dec. 22, 2006)
Joe Commuzi (March 21, 2007 - kinda hard to run again when you get the boot, eh?)
Tom Wappel (Scarborough West, ON - annc. March 23, 2007)
Bill Matthews (Random-Burin-St. George, NL - annc. Apr. 3, 2007)
Lucienne Robillard (Westmount-Ville-Marie, QC - annc. Apr. 4, 2007 - h/t Phantom Observer)
Gary Merasty (Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, SK - annc. July 11, 2007)
Blair Wilson (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, BC - resigned Oct. 28, 2007)
John Godfrey (Don Valley West, ON - Annc. Nov 26, 2007)
Roy Cullen (Etobicoke North, ON - Annc. Feb 21, 2008)

TOTAL: 19


Conservatives
Brian Fitzpatrick (Prince Albert, SK)
John Williams (Edmonton-St. Albert, AB)
Ken Epp (Edmonton-Sherwood Park, AB)
Normal Doyle (St. John's East)
Myron Thompson (Wild Rose, AB - announced June 18, 2007)
Art Hanger (Calgary Northeast, AB - announced October 10, 2007)
Brian Pallister (Portage-Lisgar, MB - announced Jan. 9, 2008)

TOTAL: 7


NDP
Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, MN)
Alexa McDonough (Halifax, NS - annc. June 2, 2008)

BLOC
Maka Kotto (May 5, 2008, due to Quebec provincial by-election which he won on May 12, 2008)

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Morons

Kids, do what I did... get back to your books, and when you're done, go get a job. Quit screaming for me to pay for your education, when I had to work two jobs to get mine.

UPDATE: LOL... thanks for the laugh Siscoe, who showed up to the protest on Parliament Hill... and for proving some of my thoughts about these protesters correct...
"The best part of the day was listening to the reactions of a lot of people who were listening to my interviews. As I explained why the whole notion of protesting on Parliament Hill was silly - it's a Provincial responsibility, not a Federal one - people around started saying "Hey, is that true? Why the hell are we here then?" Isn't it great to know that so many people at these rallies didn't even realise what was going on?

Embarassing, to say the least. But that tends to sum up the CFS and the things they do anyway, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

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Harper to USA - "Watch This"

Saw this in the National Post the other week, and almost forgot to post it...Okay, so I'm not totally immune to an occasional bout of America bashing... ;-)

Here's the direct link to it.

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SSM - Michael Coren

Today's National Post has a great article by Michael Coren on the current debate on religious rights in this nation... and how the SSM debate is not about granting rights, but repressing the rights of people of faith.

Unfortunately, it's behind a subscriber firewall. If anyone finds a copy online, please let me know.
Beyond tolerance: A quintessentially Canadian acceptance of differences has been transformed into the forced approval of homosexuality

By Michael Coren

When the same-sex marriage issue was being debated before parliament and the courts, many of us argued that the entire issue had ceased being about toleration long ago but was now about affirmation. In other words, a quintessentially Canadian acceptance of differences had been transformed into the forced approval of homosexuality, particularly when it came to people of faith. After a year of numerous costly and exhausting human rights complaints, it appears that we were correct.

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Garth gave us a GIFT

I got to thinking about it, and you know what? Honestly, Garth Turner just gave us a gift for the next election.

Think about it... Garth Turner, the FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE Garth Turner, has just joined the Big Government, overspending, statist, Liberal Party of Canada.

Just what EXACTLY are they, the new bedfellows Dion and Turner, going to do about the upcoming Budget? You know it's going to be fiscally conservative... probably filled with things that Garth has been calling for for years. What exactly are they going to do? I see three options at the moment...

1) Will Garth vote against it? Against his own stated principles? He'll get reamed out in the media as a hypocrite, and may anger enough people in Halton to get trounced next election.

2) Will he support the budget, and vote against his newfound friends in the Liberal Party? Then Dion is going to have to take his new prize catch out to the woodshed, lest the rest of the Party start stepping out of line.

3) Will Garth's defection cause the Liberals to soften their stance on the Budget, and perhaps even support it to save face? Then the left leaning Liberals are going to accuse Dion of being to right-wing, and go running into the arms of Jack Layton.

Of course, I'm sure they'll be looking for door number 4, something I haven't thought of. But I'm betting that taking on Garth is going to end up being a bigger headache than Dion expected...

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CFRB's Bill Carroll SHREDS Garth

OUCH! I was listening to CFRB 1010's Bill Carroll this morning on my way in to Toronto for a Microsoft event, and Bill had Garth Turner on the phone, discussing his decision to join the Liberal Party of Canada.

BILL ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED HIM. Totally took him to task, got Garth all in a huff, and I think Garth even finally hung up on him! Bill went on all morning about it... not because someone had switched parties, but because GARTH TURNER had switched parties. The same Garth Turner that has been critizing the Liberals for decades, who is so completely opposed to most Liberal policies on so many levels, etc., etc., etc. He even called Garth's journalistic integrity into question, accusing Garth of spinning his refusal to stick to his own principles and resign his seat, to make way for a by-election to be called.

It was a fairly brutal rebuke... not that I disagree with much of what Bill had to say. After finished talking with Garth, Bill was basically saying "Well look at that... Garth can dish it, but he sure can't take it. What did you expect Garth? I'm a journalist... of course I'm going to hold you to the very same set of standards that I've always held everyone else in politics to. And you've been a journalist yourself, you know exactly what standards you're going to get held to. You set some pretty high standards for politicians over the years, so you bet I'm going to be holding you accountable to those very same standards. Can't you all just see the hypocrisy in this? It's not the issue of switching parties here, it's the issue of Garth TurnCOAT (yes, he actually called him 'Garth TURNCOAT') switching parties without submitting himself to a by-election... it's outright hypocrisy".

Wow... I wonder what Bill's going to say on Toronto's Global News tonight... make sure to tune in at 6:00pm EST!!!

Until then, how's that for a new nickname? "Garth TurnCOAT". I thought I was being clever last night when I thought of it... Bill beat me to it, as I didn't have time to post it this morning. Do you think it will stick?

Garth Turncoat. Kinda has a nice ring to it! ;-)

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Some Final Thoughts on Garth

Well, I've had a few hours now to think about today's events, and I think I've come to a conclusion. I think, for the first time, I can honestly say that I've been let down by one of my elected officials... by The Honourable Garth Turner, PC, MP.

I was ticked over the whole Belinda affair, but can't really say I was let down... I was even somewhat disapointed when Scott Brison chose not to join our new Party. (I heard Keith Martin did the same? I must have missed that one when it happened years ago) But with Garth, I don't know... this time, it's different. I know I shouldn't have, but I guess I took this one personally.

I've watched Garth's explaination videos... but they don't answer it for me. During the election last year, and for the months leading up to it, I followed his adventures on his blog with daily anticipation... I'd check two or three times a day, waiting for that next post. He struck me as someone who really cared, and who could actually make a difference, even though we didn't see eye to eye on everything. (I'm a hard core So-Con; him, not so much) I was rooting for him all the way, taking keen interest in the results from his riding that night, as one of a handful that I watched with close interest. I wanted him to win. In my opinion, he was one of the best local voices in the new CPC from the "Old Guard" of the PC Party... and I wanted him to be there amongst us. In fact, I was even tempted a couple of times to head on down to his riding and lend a hand.

But then he got to Ottawa. I was looking for a strong voice... but every voice has to know when to speak, and when it's best just to shut up. Yes, our current system is not perfect, and in today's media oriented electoral climate, a large degree of top-down control is required... at least until the "scary right-wing" label has had a chance to wear off.

Garth, dispite all his media smarts, couldn't seem to grasp that concept. In order to be able to dispell the Liberal myth, time was going to be required... time to get some good things done in Ottawa, to rebuild our reputation, and show the nation that we are NOT the scary bunch that the Liberals have always said we are.

Now, he's turning around and repeating those very same lies... the very ones he sought to dispell. They're still untrue... and I know what you're all going to say at this junture... "See! Garth has proved that your're a bunch of scary neo-Cons!"

Amm, think about it this way... what was your opinion of the school Principl after you'd been told you couldn't go on that great class trip because of your behaviour? Exactly... Garth had his own idea of what things should be like, and he was unwavering in his view of how things should be done... so he kept doing his own thing, which is what eventually got him ejected from caucus. It wasn't any scary neo-Con agenda, it was simply a strict code of conduct, imposed on the caucus in an effort to repair our image in the eyes of the Canadian public, in order to improve our chances in the next, and now impending, election.

To be honest, Garth was largely right... the way things are done with the Party structures in Ottawa is NOT how it ought to be done. MP's ought to have a lot more freedom, and the ability to more accurately reflect the wishes of their consitituants.

However, his move today is an even greater act of hypocrisy than a simple floor crossing...

He joined the Liberal Party of Canada... the inventors of the modern (and disgusting, if you ask me) way of doing politics. Anyone who rejects that notion ought to try reading Grits, Trudeau and Our Times (Parts 1 and 2), and any other honest book about the Liberal Party of Canada they can get their hands on. If it wasn't for how they've done things for the last hundred years, our system would not be in the state it's in.

No, I'm not saying that the other parties in the past, the CCF, Social Credit, the Unionists, and the old Conservative and Progressive Conservative parties were ideal in how they did things either. But because of this jugernaught, this "Liberal machine" that keeps on rolling, no one has any other choice. We, most of the membership of the CPC, would LOVE to do things more like the way Garth recommends... but we'd get TROUNCED in elections, and Canada would indeed have a "natural governing Party"... FOREVER. Personally, and I've said this many times, our current state of political mess can never be changed until the Liberal Party gets split up... which, as they are obsessed with power at all costs, WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Unless, of course, an alternative can be established... a new Party, one where individual voices matter, where MP's can really speak out on behalf of the common voter, and ensure that their voices are heard.

Garth, you personally stuck a knife in the back of the best chance we, the voters, have had at that in the last six or so decades. And no, it wasn't your precious brand of "Progressive" Conservative... which, for the record, was also a top heavy, slick and sleazy political organization... one that I never, ever, supported. You've let me down.

This new Party that arose three and a half years ago, the Conservative Party of Canada, was the fruition of that first ray of hope that ever glimmered in my lifetime. It is a Party that does value the little guy at the ballot box... I actually matter to my elected officials, for the first time in my lifetime. I'm not just some peon to be swayed to vote Liberal, so they can hang on to power at all costs, and then use it mainly to help out their friends and family. I've seen all the "connections" to power and to powerful people that Liberals have... and it's sick. It's a huge and exclusive "old boys club", way bigger and way worse than any "old boys club" they accuse us of having... which, for the record, I still have as of yet to see for myself.

Garth did have something legitimate to say... but he scuttled his own best chance to say it. Garth, it takes time to change the system... one election isn't going to do it. And ONE MAN isn't going to be able to do it... it's going to take an army. And I would have been one of those who would have followed you.

But now... now, Garth my friend, you've gone the other way. You've joined the great and gastly "Liberal machine"... the very instrument that has stifled the voices of regular Canadians for decades. Again, one man won't change the system... and Dion is most certainly not the man to even begin to change that system. Agian, you've let us down.

Our only hope is to take the reigns of power, and bring about change ourselves. Change the rules, change the game. The Accountability Act is one of those changes... change the way parties get their money. Cut off the funds bleeding from government coffers and force them to look to the people for their funding... and their views. End the "we know best" mentality that permiates our political system, and get the voice of the people, you and I, heard once again.

THAT is why I support the Conservative Party of Canada. I, a regular Joe Canadian, have been able to get in, get involved, and have my voice heard... for the first time in a very long time. And my Prime Minister is a man who is a lot like me... at least the closest thing to hold the reigns of power for a very long time. He's not a millionaire, he's not some bigshot lawyer, he's an economist... he has a mortgage, and until recently, he drove his kids to hockey practice himself.

It would have been great to have Garth as a part of that team, that dream. But somewhere along the line, he forgot the big picture... that this is a long term project, and we're not going to be able to change the system overnight. He let us down.

If we, the CPC, did things Garth's way now, do you really think it would change the other parties, namely the Liberals? I don't think so... they'd just take our good will, and walk all over us, right into 24 Sussex. Somewhere along the line, he lost the big picture... and now he's gone and joined them? What a let down.

I don't know if I'd call it hypocrisy... one has to realize what one is doing to really be considered a hypocrite. I honestly think that Garth has simply forgotten how things work in the real world, and what needs to be done to truely change the system... and give it back to the people.

Going digital isn't enough Garth... it's a start. We need to change the game... and Mr. Harper, I think, is the best shot we've got.

Sorry to see you go. I hope that you still have a chance to really contribute to the coming change.


Well, that's the end of this rambling post. I'm sure there are plenty of errors, unfinished thoughts, and various what-not... hope you get something out of it. Please feel free to add to it in the comments.

Hope it helps in this path of change that we're all on... together.

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Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Hypothetical Question for Garth

So, if you do join the Liberal Party of Canada, and the next Federal Budget delivers on Income Splitting for Canadians, how exactly will you vote? For, or against, Income Splitting? Just a question.

On income splitting, I have a thought... maybe I'm just being overly simplistic in my thinking, but couldn't it be done so that only the middle class (and not the upper-middle or upper class) will benefit?

Just make it so that only household incomes below a certain threshold, say $100,000 for example, would qualify. If they want to make it even tighter, make it so that only households that earn a combined $100,000, where the top earner earns a maximum of $80,000, qualify to split their income.

That then rules it out as being a "tax cut for the rich", and targets it to working families. I think the NDP would even have a hard time shooting that one down.

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PM - "A Tax-Back Guarantee"

I'm not normally one to reprint PMO statements verbatum, but this one is just too good not to post. You want to see the next election platform? Here's just a peek...
PRIME MINISTER HARPER OUTLINES AGENDA FOR A STRONGER, SAFER, BETTER CANADA

February 6, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has outlined the government’s agenda for the coming year and pledged to continue to build a stronger, safer, better Canada.

Speaking today to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, the Prime Minister listed the accomplishments of Canada’s New Government over the past year, and pointed to five priority areas that the government will focus on in the months ahead:

Further tax reductions as part of a comprehensive economic agenda;

Continued steps to tackle crime;

Further strengthening Canada’s global image and rebuilding the Canadian Forces;

Strengthening the federation by addressing Senate reform and fiscal balance with the provinces; and

Clear, decisive steps to protect our environment.

During his speech, Prime Minister Harper announced the government’s intention to legislate a ‘tax back’ guarantee. “In the future, as the federal government pays down national debt, it will be required to use the interest savings to cut personal taxes for hardworking Canadians,” he said.

The Prime Minister also told the audience that Canada’s New Government will continue its efforts to develop a pragmatic and effective policy to protect and improve the environment. “The fundamental challenge of our time is to make real progress on environmental protection while preserving jobs and standards of living,” the Prime Minister stated.

The Prime Minister concluded by stating that Canadians have clear choices to make on the direction the country will take in the months ahead, and that the government will continue to build a stronger, safer, and better Canada.
A "Tax-Back Guarantee" sure sounds good to me... as the debt is paid down, we should not have to pay the same level of taxes. Smart move.

And I agree with this statement wholeheartedly...“The fundamental challenge of our time is to make real progress on environmental protection while preserving jobs and standards of living”. HEAR HEAR! Dion's plan (haven't actually SEEN a plan from him yet, but...) will cripple the economy, and result in tens of thousands of people being left without work... especially in the West, and Ontario's industrial heartland, the GTA ridings, commonly known as the "905" and "519". Two of the main areas where the next election will be won or lost.

Looks like it's almost showtime...

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Just for the record, Garth...

"I am a democrat who believes everyone in the House of Commons, including the cabinet members who make up the government, should be elected. They should sit in Parliament as they were elected. If they decide to change parties, they should go and get re-elected."
Now, who said that?

Of course, we're probably going to hear a response like, "We're so close to an election right now that it doesn't matter", or "Hey, my party left me, so I'm free to choose to go whatever way I want to".

Of course, I'll say it once again, I don't care if he makes the jump... floor crossing is a part of our system, and I support keeping it just the way it is. Sure, he'll likely win as a Liberal too, since the vote was so close the last time.

But I just figured I should post this to make sure the record is kept straight.

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"Dion unfit to govern"

Today's National Post has a reprint of Randall Denley's devistating article, "Why Stephane Dion is unfit to govern".

Maybe finally, the MSM will pay more attention to it.

In other news, Garth may go Liberal... does this make him the next Joe Clark? He waited until now just to stick the knife in deeper... nice guy.

Garth, I was rooting for you when the votes were close last January. I felt you would make a great addition to our caucus... boy was I wrong.

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Monday, February 05, 2007

Penn & Teller - "Ban H20"

Sweetness... Penn & Teller, the often foul-mouthed comics from the States, set up a bunch (we're talking HUNDREDS) of people to sign a petition to ban "Di-Hydrogen Monoxide"... commonly known as "water".

Check it out for yourselves... are most environmentalists just lemmings, like these folks? Many that I've spoken to are... some are genuinely informed of the issues, but most I've talked to are not. For example, I've read the Kyoto protocol, which most people I've talked to haven't... and they still don't get it when I point out the relevant economy crippling portions contained within it.

h/t to The Stong Conservative

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TDH Strategies - "Mark Holland was wrong"

Wow. As I said in my e-mail to him, "I tip my hat to you sir".
"That being said, if it is true that Mr. Holland stated this:

"If they refuse to work with us...there will be consequences.,"

during an interview with radio host Dave Rutherford, then that kind of language is completely unacceptable. I will reserve judgement for when I have confirmed this accusation, but once again, I will never support these kinds of words coming out of the mouth of an MP, regardless of where he or she comes from.

We are all Canadians, and we need to help each other out, and foster success in every region of the country. I am going to discuss this in a follow-up post today."
Hear Hear! Thank you for that TDH... you have my respect, and my thanks, for taking that stand against a really scary statement.

To me, it's more important that the Liberals back away from this statement, than having it still out there to use against them during the next election. To hear a Liberal MP say that, in effect, "We're willing to screw Alberta again, a-la-NEP, for Kyoto", is a frightening prospect... one that I would rather have them recant NOW.

No Canadian political Party should EVER say to a province that they would be willing to sacrifice their interests for their political gain. Mr. Dion MUST withdraw those comments from Mr. Holland, and the media should hold them to account for it.

As I also said to TDH, "It would be great for this country if there were more people like us who are willing to look past the partisan rehtoric, and get some good things done for the people of Canada". I really mean that... I don't have an issue with making reasonable compromises to move our nation ahead.

I'm still totally anti-Kyoto, but I'm more than willing to work together to find some room to compromise... most of them are not willing to budge an inch... it's whole hog or nothing.

I'd be more than willing to work together to find a way to provide more institutional childcare spaces for those who want/need them, so long as we also provide support for stay at home parents... something that most of them were unwilling to even consider for some reason.

Our Party has been accused of being "idealoges" lately... ammm, that's like the pot calling the kettle black, no? BOTH SIDES are filled with idealoges... people who unwaveringly hold to a set of ideals, be they Conservative or Liberal ones. Why don't some of the level headed ones start getting together and finding room to compromise?

Maybe because for most of them, it's still all about power? Normally, I'd accuse all of them of seeking power at all costs... but today, I don't include TDH in that assesment. We need more of him... ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE.

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Quebec Election in March?

The PQ is circling the wagons, defending their leader.

In the article, rumor is that the vote will be called at the end of this month, for a date near the end of March. With the polls looking the way they are, Charest stands a pretty good shot at hanging on.

Never thought I'd cheer for a Liberal... GO JEAN! (ideal senario would be a minority, with the ADQ holding the balance of power!)

h/t to CalgaryGrit

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Liberals "Election Readiness" Calls

Seems the Libs are thinking that it's a sure thing that we're going to the polls sooner, rather than later. According to the Hill Times, Liberal sources have told them that "Election Readiness" conference calls started up two weeks ago. In fact, the third one is scheduled to take place today.

With the way Jack Layton is rattling the cages, I would not be shocked if the Government got toppled this spring... though I am surprised that he'd be so willing to go to the polls right now, as he's almost guaranteed to lose seats.

Oh well... I say BRING IT. We're ready. Like I said yesterday, when the writ drops, it's like a five week long Superbowl for me... and I'm all suited up, standing on the sidelines, ready and raring to go.

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Sunday, February 04, 2007

NEP II - As per Mark Holland

Cut and pasted from Bourque... yea, a bunch of other people have already posted it, but I'm going to again anyway... we can't afford to let this story be buried by the MSM. Will the Liberals give another Trudeauesque "Up Yours" to Alberta with the introduction of a Kyoto inspired "NEP II"?
Sunday, February 4 - A Bourque Exclusive

LIB MP HOLLAND: "THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES"
When will the Mainstream Media start covering the Liberal Agenda?
by Charles Adler

As I apply my ink stained fingers to the trusty keyboard, it's been more than 72 hours since Mark Holland, the Liberal Natural Resources critic, belched out the most threatening words I have heard in a political conversation in years.

But for some reason the Mainstream Media has seen them not worthy of attention.


Pierre Bourque of the Bourque Newswatch asked me to scribble my thoughts on the interview with the Liberal MP which contained serious threats to the Western Canadian economy all in the name of respecting Kyoto.

When I asked Holland whether a Liberal government under Stephane Dion would shut down or limit oil sands production if necessary to meet Kyoto targets, his response was, "Exactly." He then went on to say "I think what you are going to see is we're going to say you cannot exploit that resource, basically go in there and pump it out as fast as you can to give it to the Americans and sell out our national interests and blow apart our emissions targets."

I want to give credit where credit is due. Lorne Gunter of the Edmonton Journal in his Sunday Feb 4 column did write about this. But is Lorne Gunter in the only mainstream journalist/columnist in the country who thinks this is newsworthy? Is he the only one who understands what it would mean to the economy of Western Canada and ultimately the entire national economy to tell the energy producers to STOP developing the oilsands, to just tell the guys with the dozers to take their "filthy work ethic" to the unemployment line. Is Gunter the only one who understands the message Stephan Dion's government would send to the capital markets about the unworthiness of investing in the Canadian Energy Industry? Is Gunter the only one who gets how this would level a frontal assault on the Toronto Stock Exchange where so much of what we call growth is dependent on a healthy Oil patch? Is Gunter the only one who gets that this would create an attack on our dollar?

Now perhaps the mainstream media feels that this is not a good time to second guess the fantasies of the Opposition Natural Resources critic. After all Dion and his crew are supposedly on the right side of the Kyoto angels. Perhaps waving a red flag at Alberta is considered the right thing to do in Western Canada. Why dwell on the obvious cause of CO2 emissions in Ontario and Quebec, the fact that half the population of the country, lives, works and drives there?

It's much easier for Liberals to demagogue the issue and pretend that it is ALBERTA energy that embarasses Canada in the hallowed shrine of Kyoto. Perhaps one ought to stop giving the mainstream media excuses for ignoring Mark Hollands sourgas? Maybe it's the oldest reason in the hills. Holland is to the left of the Canadian centre. Does anyone doubt that if a member of Harper's gang were to say something that came right out of rightfield that might be embraassing to the leadership that it would find itself planted firmly on the front pages as well as the teleprompters of Mansbridge, Robertson and Newman?

Warren Kinsella, who was interviewed on Adler on Line after Mark Holland offered his emissions, said he coudln't believe what Holland was saying and thought the Liberal brain trust would immediately disown this stuff.

But they haven't.


Perhaps it is because if the mainstream media don't seize on an event, the Liberal mandarins have no reason to think it ever really happened. Kinsella said that the Liberals need to be reminded that it was a Liberal Government after having reviewed environmental impact studies that approved the initial exploration of the oil sands in 1967 and that successive Liberal governments went on to approve the expansion of that exploration not once, but twice in 1978 and again in 1983.

A day after Mark Holland's threatening remarks, he appeared on my Corus colleague Dave Rutherford's program and was asked whether a Dion government would consdier nationalizing oil companies if they didn't meet Kyoto standards. Holland replied, "If they refuse to work with us....there will be consequences."

On the same day Holland fired this new shot not across but into the bow of Alberta, the former premier of the province, Ralph Klein told my radio audience, "I have a message for the honourable member from Ajax Pickering. Stay out of our business." Klein may no longer have political power. But nobody should doubt that if the Dion-Holland Liberals plan to put a clamp on the continued growth of the Alberta economy, the price to pay for all of us will be enormous.

At the moment, we need to ask the question, "What price are we paying for the Mainstream Media's cold blooded decision to ignore the Liberal agenda."


Charles Adler is the host of Adler on Line on the Corus Radio Network
Listen to Adler's interview with Mark Holland by logging on to www.charlesadler.com
Contact him through his website or email him at adleronline@gmail.com

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Global Kyoto Agency?

This is a frightening thought...A new international body, with powers to police the world?
Support shown for new global environment agency
Updated Sat. Feb. 3 2007 11:31 PM ET
Associated Press

PARIS -- Fear of runaway global warming pushed 46 countries to line up Saturday behind France's bid for a new environmental body that could single out - and perhaps police - nations that abuse the Earth.
Are you ready to hand over sovereign control of our nation to another world body?

I'm not.

h/t to Canadian Jedi (and his future looking WWIII post)

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Dinner with Preston

Oh yea... me and "The Greatest Prime Minister We Never Had"...Totally inspiring guy. He spoke to a group of us, and encouraged youth, myself included, to get involved. On the one hand, I wish he'd taken the Premiership of Alberta. On the other hand, I'm REALLY GLAD he's working to lay the foundation for Conservatives for years to come.

Pulling a quote from a Ford commercial... "Every now and then, someone comes along... who changes the game." That's exactly what Preston Manning did to Canadian politics... and the Conservative movement in Canada.

I won't forget the meeting.


UPDATE: How's that for irony? "P. Manning" just won the Superbowl... LOL

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If I hear that word one more time...

... I'm going to scream! And what word is that, you ask?

BOONDOGGLE

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Who on earth uses a word like that anymore?!?!? I've been hearing that over and over again for years, and you know what? IT DOESN'T WORK! It's the kind of word that only our base understands... but to the rest of the country, it just makes us sound like a cranky bunch of old foggies!!!

My advice to Party HQ... DON'T USE THAT WORD EVER AGAIN IN SPEECHES, FUNDRAISING LETTERS, ANYTHING!!!
Quote from a letter from Doug Finley re: Dion commercials:

"Canadians will soon learn that Mr. Dion is a weak leader who would take our country back. Back to boondoggles. Back to scandal. Back to broken promises."
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!

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Dion: "Not fit to lead this nation"

Wow... there is an absolutely stinging article in today's Ottawa Citizen! A friend forwarded it to me, and it's posted for your review here...
Why Stephane Dion is unfit to lead this country

Randall Denley
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, February 04, 2007

I've just met Liberal leader Stephane Dion for the first time and I have to say, it was a frightening experience. The thought that this fellow could become the prime minister of Canada ought to alarm us.

Everything about Dion seems soft, from his handshake to his policies. His appearance at the Citizen editorial board Friday confirmed the fears I had when the Liberals chose him as their leader. Dion is a verbose, mild-mannered academic with a shaky grasp of English who seems unfit to chair a university department, much less lead a country.

Don't take my word for it. You can catch the interview yourself at ottawacitizen.com.

The Liberal leader is probably very smart in an academic sort of way and quite a decent person, but his ideas reflect the full, knee-jerk left-wing spectrum, and he can't even articulate them well. Nuclear power? He's against it because of concerns about the waste. At the same time that he's against this clean source of electrical power, the Liberal leader is for a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases.

He's snidely un-American, in the way that the Liberal elite so often is. Canada's failure to meet its Kyoto commitments was partly due to the Americans' election of Kyoto-unfriendly George W. Bush, Dion would have us believe. He also believes it's OK to take shots at the Americans for domestic consumption, but not if you're in Washington. Dion doesn't seem to have learned much from the mistakes of his predecessor, Paul Martin, the man who thought American-bashing would get him re-elected.

Dion is, of course, opposed to an increased private sector role in health care and thinks the federal government would play a useful role by identifying best health care practices, so all the provinces can follow them. Here's a best practice: having enough doctors and nurses. That means having enough money. What's his plan?

Dion tries to tie every issue back to the environment, since it's the one area where he's supposed to be strong. Unfortunately, he's a one-issue candidate with no coherent position on that one issue.

Dion can't say often enough how unfortunate it is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has wasted a year by not immediately enacting the Liberal environmental strategy. That still compares favourably to the seven or eight years the Liberals wasted. Greenhouse gas emissions went up under the Liberals' watch, but now Dion is attacking Harper for not fixing it all at the last minute. That just doesn't make sense. Dion introduced a motion in the House of Commons this week to force the Conservative government to meet Canada's Kyoto commitments, the same ones the Liberals couldn't meet. It's certainly not feasible at this point.

Dion says he's sorry the Liberals failed to make the environment a big issue in the last election, when Harper was particularly vulnerable. One can understand the strategic regret, but what does it tell us about the Liberals? They'll damn the Conservatives now for not making the environment the issue of the millennium, but only a year ago, they were doing the same thing.

Dion does show a certain intellectual agility when he suggest that the Liberals' very lame Kyoto performance was in part the Conservatives' fault, because they were just so against it. It's challenging to see how this could have mattered in the years when the Liberals had a majority.

Hopeful Liberals have suggested that one of Dion's strengths is that he's not a slick politician. Slick he's not, but it's tough to make an asset out of that. Dion isn't one of those down to earth guys like Ralph Klein. He's more like the wooly-headed professor next door. Dion simply cannot give a clear, succinct answer to a question. It's a necessary skill for any politician at his level.

Harper just wants to build up the military and cut taxes, Dion says, and it's clear that any right-thinking, sorry, left-thinking, person would realize how ridiculous that is. While these priorities will clearly fail to galvanize Canadians, Dion is offering to make us a world leader in "water management."

I'm not a natural consumer of the Liberal brand, but as a voter, I like to feel that I have two valid choices. With Stephane Dion as Liberal leader, that's not the case. Dion would have us believe he's qualified to be prime minister. If he thinks that, he's kidding himself. Let's not let him kid us, too.

Contact Randall Denley at 613-596-3756 or by e-mail,
rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com
This is what is referred to as "bad press" by experts like Warren.

We, on the other hand, would refer to something like this as "a gift". Make sure everyone you know gets a look at this one. Re-post it, forward it, keep it on file for the next election... and hammer away on these same themes with everyone you talk politics to.

Mr. Dion, though highly intelligent, is NOT the best man to lead this nation. He has a very narrow set of issues where he is strong, namely one... the environment. And based on his track record with that file, it's not much to go on. If we own him on that file, maybe with a popular new Clean Air Act deal with the NDP, it's game over for him.

Hey may go down in history as the shortest lived Liberal leader in history... let's do everything we can to help the Liberals show him the door.

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