Is This All?

Things are getting a mite strange in Liberalville

2006-01-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

If we judge someone by the friends and enemies they make, then this list from Canoe about the special interest wacko groups who are martialling forces to make a last stand against the Tory wave is telling. By my humble estimation Stephen Harper must be a truly oustanding person to have this axis aligned against him.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/CanadaVotes/TopPhoto/2006/01/17/1399919-cp.html

-The Canadian Climate Coalition complained that the Tories were the only party that refused to respond to a questionnaire on the Kyoto Protocol, and accused Harper of moving Canada "into the same camp as U.S. President George W. Bush."
-The Council of Canadians expressed concern about recent comments by Conservative MP James Lunney favouring bulk exports of Canadian water, and called on Harper to clarify his position on the issue.
-Sixty-six economists signed a joint statement warning that the tax breaks being offered by the major parties would leave a huge deficit in social services and hurt the poor. They took special aim at the Conservative proposal to eliminate taxes on reinvested capital gains, saying it would "deliver very large tax savings to a tiny group of high-income Canadians."
-Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said he's not satisfied by recent comments by Harper that the party supports the principles of the Kelowna native deal, but not the final agreement and dollar amount. "Any suggestion that one supports the objectives and the targets but not the approximately $5 billion allocated to these targets is of great concern to us because we won't be able to meet the targets without money," he said.
-The gay-rights group Egale warned: "Stephen Harper goes ahead with his plan to reopen the divisive equal marriage debate, it will lead Canada into a legal swamp." On Monday, 104 law professors wrote an open letter to Harper saying that his plan to reopen the equal marriage debate would lead to "legal confusion, a lack of uniformity, and unnecessary, protracted and costly litigation."

With enemies like this who needs friends?

But............................

It gets me to thinking.............................................(picture a fade to daydream effect here)

Welcome to the Twilight Zone suckers…….errrr, my fellow Canadians. No interest is too special, no demographic is too elusive as we enter the alpenglow of the Liberal sunset. As PMPM goes into full conniption mode and searches for an audience, any audience, that is fundamentally concerned about the deep difference in values about the values which only the Liberals value on a level with Canadian’s values……….at a fundamental level of values.

The big Liberal tent show has been upstaged by Stephen Harper’s Cirque du Soleil and is desperately trying to cow call in those warped and willing enough to pay to see the freak show inside.

“Step right up Ladies and Gentlemen! See the bloated carcass of the fattest man in the world as he gorges at the public trough. You won’t want to miss the Landslide Annie as she burrows out from underneath 20 tons of disgusting excrement and emerges unscathed. Be amazed at the billionairess chameleon as she shifts shape and colour to dazzle all who behold her."

While the crowds at the Harper extravaganza ooh and ahh at the slickly produced feats of grace and daring, the yokel patrons of the tattered red tent poke the attractions with sticks and laugh at their misery.

The Inmates Are Democratically Ruling The Asylum

2006-01-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

This from Angry in the Great White North regarding a CTV story interviewing inmates on their voting preferences. To recycle that now shopworn parody of the Fiberal attack ad:

Inmates voting for those who would make there time easier and incarceration shorter......from prisons.......in Canada.......we wish we were making this up

Canoe Poll Interesting

2006-01-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the results from Canoe.ca's online survey regarding negative advertising in political campaigns. Yes, it is a bit of preachinf to the choir to poll Sun readers, but the results are still very encouraging. The Liberals seem to have only accomplished further alienation of the electorate with the negative ad blitz. Maybe, just maybe........It's all over!!!!

Here are the current reults from Canoe Canada Votes Attack Ad Survey,

1. How do you feel about this kind of political advertisement?

I find it very offensive. 38.2%

I find it mildly offensive. 24.5%

I think it shows the aggressive nature of our political system. 25.3%

I feel it is stretches the truth but is generally accurate. 10.2%

I believe it portrays the subject accurately and honestly. 1.8%

2. Do you believe this type of advertising is effective?

Yes, it is very effective. 7.5%

Yes, it has a moderate effect on voters.43.9%

No, it doesn't have an impact on voters.10.3%

No, it only has a negative impact on the party that sponsors the advertisements. 38.3%

3. Will this type of advertisement influence you?

Yes, it will make me change my vote. 1.7%

Yes, it will make me reconsider how I vote. 5.3%

No, it will not make me change my vote. 42.3%

No, but I have a more negative opinion of the party that sponsored that advertisement. 50.8%

4. Do you feel this type of advertisement is necessary?

Yes, it is a legitimate part of living in a democracy where there is freedom of expression. 20.1%

No, the advertisements denigrate Canada's political system. 79.9%

5. How does the advertisement make you feel about the Liberal party and the Conservative party?

I have a higher opinion of the Liberal Party. 2.6%

I have a lower opinion of the Liberal Party. 35.4%

I have a higher opinion of the Conservative Party. 7.2%

I have a lower opinion of the Conservative Party. 5.5%

I have a higher opinion of the New Democratic Party. 2.0%

I have a lower opinion of the New Democratic Party. 0.5%

I have a lower opinion about Canadian politics in general. 46.7%%

The End of The Beginning

2006-01-12T16:29:00.000-08:00

So the opening salvo in the Martinista's "12 Days of Hell" advertising barrage appears to have impacted to little effect. While admittedly it's still early days, polls would indicate that the Liberal's last gasp offensive (you can read this word two ways) is not gaining traction. The Conservative lead seems stable at 8 to 12 points, and most importantly (and surprising) is that Harper is now winning the best PM popularity stakes. The Martinista aparatchicks must be shaking in their bunker as they realize they may not be able to stem the Tory momentum, and how their lot generally fares after losing a war.

To misquote Winston Churchill: "This may not be the beginning of the end, but is rather the end of the beginning". 10 days until VC (Victory Canada) Day!

The Times They Are A Changin'

2006-01-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

Greetings one and all (given my traffic one is probably the most correct)! Three and one-half months of inactivity and my-oh-my how the world has changed. Had you asked me back in September about the Tories chances of forming the next government I could have at best mustered the typical half-hearted platitudes of hope. Things apparently do change and these are heady days for we of the right leaning persuasion. The Conservatives lead the polls from coast to coast and the Liberals are self-immolating in desperate attempts to turn the tide.

Ill conceived and outrageous attack ads have today flooded the airways as the Fiberals take the nuclear option. As with the real thing there can be no winners in a global thermo-nuclear exchange (nods to “Wargames”), so this can only be a political version of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) as the Liberals enact a scorched earth policy. Painting Stephen Harper as the anti-christ personified they care little that the only positive outcome from their perspective can be to disillusion Canadians about politics and politicians in general. They want to leave behind a jaded and cynical political landscape that offers the Tories no chance to establish a base in the hopes of overturning a short lived minority once they get their house back in order. First up against the wall is Paul Martin as the Cretinites secure their revenge for the Martinite coup.

Still 12 days to go and I never underestimate Ontarians willingness to swallow anti-Tory scaremongering hook, line, and sinker. Cautious optimism is the rule of the day and I await E-day with fear and loathing.

Aussies and Common Sense

2005-09-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Found this little nugget at islamonline.net. Hard to imagine any of our Liberal masters taking a stand like this.

SYDNEY, August 24, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – A day after a special meeting between Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Muslim leaders, Muslims who do not respect secularism and law were told Wednesday, August 24, to leave the country.

"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Shari`ah law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, said on national television.

He was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying that there are no two laws governing people in Australia.

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that that is false," he stressed.

"If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Shari`ah law and have the opportunity to go to another country which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello, a conservative Catholic, added.

Costello has been Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party since 1994, and Treasurer in the Australian government since 1996.

Education Minister Brendan Nelson further told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off".

"Basically, people who don't want to be Australians, and they don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off," he said.

Eavesdropping

Howard said mosques and Islamic schools will be closely monitored.

The remarks came one day after Muslim leaders pledged to defend the country against "terrorism," disowned Osama bin Laden and accepted differences with the government over the Iraq invasion in their meeting with Howard.

The prime minister called the meeting in the wake of last month's London bombings by British-born Muslims, amid fears that Australia could be the target of a similar attack by disaffected members of its Muslim minority.

"The purpose of the meeting was to identify ways of preventing the emergence of any terrorist behavior in this country," Howard told commercial radio Wednesday.

"You won't change the minds of people who are hardened fanatics and hardened extremists. You have to identify them and take measures to ensure that they don't become a problem."

Asked if he was prepared to "get inside" mosques and schools to ensure there was no support for terrorism, Howard said: "Yes, to the extent necessary".

Australia is also contemplating tougher anti-terror legislation, which will be debated next month at a meeting between Howard and leaders of state governments, according to AFP.

The Affinity Intercultural Foundation (AIF), an Islamic youth organisation that was not invited to Tuesday’s meeting, said 80 percent of Aussie Muslims were not represented.

It told national radio that it will organize a meeting for Muslims in September to try to highlight how mainstream Muslims have become victims of prejudice and bias.

AIF director Mehmet Saral said Muslims were feeling more victimized than at any other time in their history of living in Australia.

Some 300,000 Muslims make up just 1.5 percent of Australia's population of 20 million.

How Did it Go So Wrong?

2005-07-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

This just in from the BBC website as London Police execute raids to arrest two of the suspected July 21st bombers:

In Dalgarno Gardens officers were continually shouting at someone in a flat to come out. They were addressing him as "Muhammad".

The police asked him: "What is the problem? Why can't you come out?

"Take your clothes off. Exit the building. Do you understand?"

One resident from nearby told BBC News 24 she had heard police shouting warnings at a flat.

She said: "We were aware of somebody answering, saying, 'I have rights'.

I have rights??? There are no adequate words to describe the hypocrisy at play here. This terrorist (alright - alleged terrorist) failed in an attempt to kill and maim hundreds of innocent commuters of all races and religions. When surrounded by law enforcement he incredibly invokes his rights? And just what rights should an indescriminate murderer expect? You know that history had veered towards the bizarre when an individual can claim the protection of the very society he has sworn to destroy all while denying them to his potential victims. The writers of the Magna Carta and Bill of Rights could not have envisioned this possibility had they been under the influence of industrial strength hallucinogenics.

For those of you who believe in a liberal activist judiciary, you are now reaping what you have sown. We need only point to our immigration policies as the foundation upon which the danger we now face have been lain. As for the rest of us, we can only wonder how it's all gone so wrong.

Naval Gazing

2005-07-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

Back from a 3 month hiatus (to the day in fact). It’s funny how fundamental life changes can reorganize your priorities – albeit temporarily. The last three months have been a veritable roller coaster ride of worldwide scandal, news, and earth shattering/tragic events. Does anyone other than myself find that the information superhighway has a speed limit that causes the passing landmarks to blur into a murky background with little or no definition? Sometimes you just have to pull off the road and soak up the scenery.

There can be no other story right now than radical Islam’s attempted destruction and destabilization of the west, unless you are an American cable news network that is. When compared to 9-11, the attacks on London have received a collective yawn from our American cousins. Without stats to back it up I would wager that the missing American girl in Aruba has consumed more airtime than the London tragedy. It saddens me to no end that Americans are able to choose their spots for chest thumping or, inversely, naval-gazing. Apparently the war on terror takes a back seat to human-interest stories for our narcissistic neighbors if they aren’t the direct victims (but we’re really all victims aren’t we?). I have been, and still am, a big defender of America and their handling of the role of last remaining superpower. It’s a lose-lose scenario but I believe they’ve gotten it right more often than not. It’s a shame that the high-toned rhetoric spent on the fight against Islamic fundamentalists begins to tarnish when they inevitably turn to acting globally but thinking locally. It’s supporting evidence that words rarely speak louder than action, and the American people (not the government, funnily enough) have shown themselves up with their short and limited attention spans.

So while we across the Atlantic go about summer vacations, watching reality TV, and worrying about a single missing girl in paradise the people of England (and all of Europe) ride public transport on the way to work never knowing if it will be their last trip. We smugly think that it won’t happen here again, that we’ve effectively reduced the risk with increased vigilance. We are sadly mistaken – it can, and will, happen here again. Will we or the Americans be surprised if the rest of world doesn’t share our grief?

Liberals, drugs, and money

2005-04-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Greg at Political Staples draws attention to Andrew Coyne's post connecting the dots that lead to Liberal corruption (and dare I say illegal activities) in BC leading up to last spring's Federal election. The arrest of BC provincial employees for drug charges now weaves it's way back to a "it's too much to believe" story of Martin campaign workers selling narcotics to finance re-election efforts. For those of us left coasters who smelled something rotten during the campaign it all makes sense now. Yet another nail in St. Paul of the People's political coffin. Hope this one makes it to the light of day.

Political Staples - When Will it End?

Alfonso Speaks

2005-04-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

In an interview with CTV today Alfonso Gagliano cries he is a victim of Paul Martin's hypocrisy. How could PM beg the Canadian public to let the Gomery Commission complete its’ work before passing judgment while firing him from his Ambassador to Denmark post without the same consideration, he reasonably asked.

Fair enough Alfonso, but a major inconsistency in his interview statements would indicate that the Godfather of Quebec Pork is crying crocodile tears in a cynical attempt to salvage what’s left of his reputation. Incredibly AG decries his innocence and he that he didn’t know, while at the same time claiming that compared to PQ misappropriations the Liberal’s oopsie was small potatoes. So Alfonso, would you care to explain how you knew what the PQ was up to while at the same time were unaware of what was going on within your own party?

CTV AG story

The Spin Cycle

2005-04-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

Travelling across the blogosphere and the MSM, I've got a very uneasy feeling starting to develop. It's not unlike that sensation you have just before the itching rash starts when you come into contact with poison oak. And just what is the source of this discomfort you ask? It's the sneaking suspicion that Paul Martin's very public grovelling display is starting to have the desired effect - the public is leaning towards a desire to wait for the Gomery Commission to submit it's report before going to the polls.

The Liberals have gone back to their "money play" - The Spin Cycle - in the dirty tricks playbook. It goes like this:

Step 1: Make a bold public statement that you care only for Canada and Canadian values (as defined by Liberals, of course).

Step 2: Have your Liberal cheerleading media friends tell Canadians what it is they are thinking without actually bothering to ask them. The technical term is "Manufacturing the News". This step requires determination and repetition (if you tell a lie often enough........). Look no further than the infamous "Stephen Harper is scarey and has a hidden agenda" operation.

Step 3: Take to the bulley pulpit and holler from on high that Canadians have spoken and won't stand for anyone to go against there wishes.

Step 4: Repeat Step 2 and add in sympathetic punditry with a dash of historical precedence.

And there you have it - they've seized the initiative, swung public opinion, and can now frame the issue.

It's always worked before and is seems to be working again. Look for calls from esteemed commentators from across the country for the Conservatives to do the right thing and let Canadians have all of the facts before asking them to make a decision. By the time the Gomery Commission is done, and the spin cycle is complete, the heat of anger will have subsided and unreasonable doubts will have taken root. The fith estate will of course be working overtime to unearth any Tory scandal to deflect attention from the government. Do the words Randy White ring a bell?

Can't help but worry that the proverbial "they" are going to fall for it again. Pass the Calomine lotion please.

I choose "not"

2005-04-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

In today's Sun: Ezra Levant, with tongue firmly in cheek, applies a irreverent credulity to Liberal spin. Definitely worth a read.................

Believe it or not

Flattery will get you anything

2005-04-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Greg at Political Staples for his kind words.

"I received an email from a reader turned blogger that I would like to point your attention to. His email was far too kind and after reading his initial post I can safely say I am a hack and he is a writer."

Political Staples

I encourage all to check out Greg's excellent Blog!

Did you hear something?

2005-04-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

BC has the privilege of being subjected to not one, but two political conflagrations this spring. As Adscam broils under the national media spotlight, the inaugural fixed date BC Provincial election looms on May 17th. So much scandal, muckraking, accusation and spin at one time – how can the poor residents of lotus land be expected to digest so much while the first buds of spring (feel free to use your imagination) are distracting them? Adding to our toil, we may be faced with the prospect of a national election before the lazy, hazy days of summer. I can only commiserate with a big “Bummer Dude” for my left-coast compatriots.

It’s no secret to those that know me I’m a big fan of American style fixed election dates, and after yet another unnecessary, mandate seeking (read politically expedient), snap Federal election last spring my enthusiasm has not waned. Premier Gordon Campbell’s Liberals should be applauded for pioneering this in Canada, but why-oh-why would they choose the middle of May instead of the dog days of November as the Americans had the good sense to do? The cynic in me thinks it was solely so that they could have a nice summer vacation after the rigors of the campaign trail. Can’t blame the logic, but not very bloody considerate!

A million words could be written about the wackiness and mayhem that is BC politics. It’s a testament to the level of Liberal sleaze and corruption being unearthed by the Gomery Commission that the current Provincial spat can’t make the front pages during the “official” campaign’s early days. To illustrate, an NDP candidate in Vancouver makes statements that Slobodan Milosovic’s Balkan genocide is a figment of the Islam loving media’s imagination and is forced to step down – and this still didn’t lead the evening news. What’s a guy gotta do to get some ink around here? With BC’s economy humming along and almost all regions of the province enjoying an economic resurgence, the NDP is being forced to try and define the campaign with a series of credibility and special interest issues. These are not going to supplant the battle in Ottawa as headline news. With tongue firmly in cheek I say “Pity”! See you on voting day Gordo and Carol, we’re heading out to “soak up the sun”.

The Political Compass

2005-04-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

Many people will tell you that they are politically right or left, but does this overly simplistic device really take into account the ideological nuances that define our opinions? The following link is to a test that attempts to plot your political ideology along both horizontal (left/right) and vertical (social libertarian/authoritarian) axis. How else can you find a way to describe a socially conservative fiscal liberal (does such a beast exist)?

Anyhow, I took the quiz and was mildly surprised at my results. I had expected to be in the George Bush range and discovered to my horror that I'm basically politically aligned with Paul Martin. My numbers were:

Left - Right: +2.60
Social Libertarian - Authoritarian: +0.66

Take the quiz, find out your inner politcal leanings. One caution - the questions are very left leading so the rsults are a bit skewed. Still good fun though and can stimulate quite a discussion!

Political Compass

A pre-election primer.....

2005-04-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is a great article by Charles Moore in the St Johns Telgraph-Journal, and should be required reading for the Liberal minded (code for Ontario voters) among us. Also a great primer to rebutt those who regurgitate liberal media bias like it's their own concise analysis. SIH

SJ Telegraph-Journal | Guest Commentaries
As published on April 21, 2005

LIBERAL MEDIA MYTH-MAKERS
Will propaganda and disinformation derail Harper again?

Polls show the Conservative party surging strongly in popularity, but its leader, Stephen Harper, trailing the party's numbers - one poll noting that respondents found Paul Martin more prime ministerial. That's doubtless partly because Mr. Martin is prime minister, which makes him easier to imagine in the role. But it's fair to say that while Canadians are less than enthralled with Mr. Martin, they really haven't warmed to Mr. Harper over the three years he's been leader of the Alliance and Conservative parties.

If you listen to Mr. Harper's speeches, he's not nearly as dull and uncharismatic as popular conventional wisdom would have you believe. He's actually a pleasantly fluid speaker, clear, on point, even entertaining and subtly witty. Content-independent, I much prefer listening to Mr. Harper than to Mr. Martin's pompously sanctimonious bombast.

However, popular misconception about Mr. Harper's oratorical skills signalizes the dynamic that poses the greatest obstacle to his becoming prime minister. A sizable proportion of Canadians have formed stereotyped impressions of Stephen Harper that range from patently untrue to ideologically nuanced half-truths. Helped of course by an always well-oiled Liberal propaganda machine, and a fellow-traveling, liberal/left dominated media. Let's consider a few examples of anti-Harper allegations I've seen in print this past week.

Innuendo: Mr. Harper is a George Bush lapdog who would have signed Canadaon to the U.S. ballistic missile defence program.

Fact: Unlike Paul Martin and Foreign Minister Bill Graham, who favoured the BMD and later flip-flopped, Mr. Harper never came out in support of the program, and indeed received a verbal spanking from President Bush for not being more supportive.

Innuendo: Mr. Harper would dismantle Medicare and replace it with American-style corporate health care.

Fact: No Canadian politician with realistic aspirations to govern would ever entertain the idea of doing away with core Medicare principles of universal access to health care regardless of ability to pay. Everyone of goodwill (which includes small-c conservatives, notwithstanding insinuations to the contrary) wants a health care delivery system that gives Canadians timely access to good medical care. There are differing views on how this objective may be accomplished most efficiently and effectively. Liberals are fond of "progressive" ideological notions but weak on practical follow-through. Conservatives are fond of systems that work.

Now, here's a reality check. Liberals, self-styled champions and defenders of Canada Health Act Medicare have been in power for a dozen years. Are health care access, waiting periods, and so forth, better now that they were in 1993? Be honest.

Mr. Harper and the Tories think health care spending decisions and priority-setting should be left to the provinces, which is why Mr. Harper said of last year's federal-provincial Health Accord: "In general, this is a deal that the Conservative party can easily support."

Conservative policy is for the federal government to cooperate with the provinces to ensure adequate funding, shorter waiting lists, improved access, and more doctors and nurses, improving access to health care for all, including private delivery of publicly funded health care services if that can be demonstrated work better. Does that sound like an agenda to dismantle Medicare?

Innuendo: Mr. Harper has a hidden agenda to impose fundamentalist right-wing Christian values.

Reality check: Speaking as a conservative Christian traditionalist, I wish! Mr. Harper is a member of the Christian & Missionary Alliance church, a small, evangelical denomination doctrinally quite similar to Baptist churches. Millions of Canadians are evangelicals - a constituency the Liberal party chose to insult last spring when Liberal pollsters asked Ontarians whether they would be "more or less likely to vote for the Conservative/Alliance if you knew they had been taken over by evangelical Christians." Mr. Harper (and the party) oppose redefining marriage to
include homosexual relationships (as do some 46% to 63% of Canadians according to various polls), but propose the alternative of civil unions with all the civil benefits and obligations of marriage.

Mr. Harper consistently maintained throughout last year's election campaign, and ever since, that a Conservative government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion (alas), a position the party reconfirmed at its recent policy convention.

Innuendo: A Harper-led Conservative government would allow industry to run roughshod over the environment.

Fact: The Conservative Party has stated that it would achieve Kyoto Accord targets "in a realistic fashion," and the party's policy affirms that it will fight for a clean environment and "propose workable solutions to make Canada a world leader in clean air, clean water and clean land."

Innuendo: Mr. Harper is anti-bilingual and anti-Quebec,

Fact: Mr. Harper is bilingual. The party held its recent policy convention in Montreal, where there was near-unanimous endorsement of official bilingualism, and policy was reaffirmed that "Canada's official languages constitute a unique and significant social advantage that benefits all Canadians."

Mr. Harper deserves to win or lose on what he actually stands for - not urban myth and disinformation.

Charles W. Moore is a Nova Scotia based freelance writer and editor. He can
be reached by e-mail at cwmoore@gmx.net. His column appears each Thursday

Mr Martin's first take of his big speech.....

2005-04-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

I have just received from a trusted source a transcript of Prime Ministers Martin’s first take of his historic address to the Canadian people. You will note that the final copy was a bit more polished, but the tone and message were consistent. SIH

My fellow Canadians. I have made this extraordinary request for airtime so that I might try again to fool - errrrrr mean to speak directly to you about the crisis the Government of Canada now faces. The Gomery inquiry has brought to light corruption and misdeeds committed by the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. As the Finance Minister I should have known, but chose not to – excuse me, I meant I should have known and although I didn’t I’m sorry. That’s really what I want to say to you night. I didn’t know, couldn’t know, and it’s as obvious as the bags under my eyes that it’s not my fault. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think we should be held accountable, quite the opposite in fact.

I commit to you tonight the most likely suspects will be identified, vilified, and crucified as an object lesson to minions everywhere not to follow the direct orders of their masters. These guilty parties will be held to accountability for their actions in this affair, and punished accordingly.

Remember it was me who called an unnecessary snap election so that you people would not be distracted by evidence uncovered by the inquiry as you made that important decision not to elect the western rednecks – uhmmm The Conservatives. I also remind you that it was me who asked for an RCMP investigation of those ad firms that took the millions of dollars offered to them for little or no work. It was me who launched a $40 million lawsuit against these ad firms to recoup some of these ill-gotten gains, but I have no optimism that any of the money is still in their clutches. Are these not the actions of a man who wants to expose what we say actually happened – oh jeepers, I mean to expose the truth?

Aside to aide: These lights are really hot and are confusing me. You know how I can’t stand the heat. Fix it dammit!

As I was saying, I’ve done everything to appear like someone who has nothing to hide. What I ask of you tonight is to let the government continue until hell freezes over – a little joke; heh-heh, continue until Justice Gomery returns his report on the inquiry. I promise that I will call an election within 30 days of that report so you’ll have the opportunity to forget all about it – for the love of God, you’ll have the opportunity to digest all of our truths in making your decision. In time I will be willing to stand on my record, but you must first let me try and create one. Oh, and I don’t mean THAT kind of record – just a little jailhouse humour so you can see I’m really not stiff and colourless.

In closing what I’m asking for is:

- Forgiveness:
even though I’m not guilty. “They” are……….

- Time for the Gomery Inquiry to table it’s report
and for you yokels to forget all about it.

- The cooperation of the Opposition Parties in governing this great nation
and for Mr. Harper and Mr. Duceppe to stop being so mean to me.

Thank you, and good night.

breaks into song: Turn out the lights, the party’s over……. Goodnight Irene, Goodnight……Na na na na, na na na na, hey heyyy hey, Goodbye.

This is funny stuff. And you guys say I’m not funny!

Hear No Evil.............

2005-04-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I can assure the Canadian Public that I heard nothing of Sponsorship Program misuse during my time as Finance Minister.

Patience is a Virtue

2005-04-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Drip……..drip………drip………The Natural Ruling Party (aka The Liberal Party) is experience something akin to Chinese water torture as revelations from the Gomery Inquiry drop one after another on their heads. For a while it’s hardly bothersome, but as time and volume increase it becomes a madness inducing deluge. As the key actors have sat before Justice Gomery and told their sordid tale of corruption, collusion, and intimidation over the past weeks, it seems to have taken the Canadian public (read Ontario public) some time to register the inevitable discomfort. Finally this week polls are slowly but surely showing a glacially paced shift in popularity to ABL – Anybody but the Liberals.

It appears that even the most impassive among us are being forced to belatedly admit that the party and their leader can no longer be trusted. Paul Martin his party strategists knew that this was coming when they called an unnecessary and unneeded election last spring under the false pretense that Mr. Martin needed to seek a “mandate”. With their typical cynicism they believed that a race to the polls could win them a comfortable majority and they could ride out the storm while waiting for Canadians to forget all about it. Time and money, in the form of something for everyone in successive budgets, are the prescribed brainwashing technique they’ve employed to great success for years. Unfortunately for them they miscalculated the new Conservative party’s ability to quickly organize and pose a credible threat. The resulting minority government has left them on tender hooks as their fate now lays with the will of the electorate, or more accurately the polls.

So, the million-dollar question is at what point does Stephen Harper move to bring down the government? While the polls confirm a loss of confidence in the Liberals they seem to be equally emphatic that no one wants another election until the Gomery Inquiry completes its’ investigation. If he’s not careful Harper could find himself locked into a dangerous game of brinkmanship if he doesn’t clearly announce the Conservative Party’s intentions on the matter. For my money he should sit back and wait while all opposition parties continue to deliver hammer blows to Liberal integrity. The Conservatives should approach it like a boxing match – already ahead on points they can box their way to victory over the remaining rounds of the fight without having to resort to looking for the knockout punch. As any fan of the sweet science knows it’s when you go looking for the one big punch that you leave yourself exposed to receiving one. When it comes to winning the next election and forming a majority government patience is a quality Mr. Harper is going to have to convince his caucus they must have to win the ultimate prize. But on the other hand a knockout is so very exciting. Time will tell.

Apparently PT Barnum Was Right

2005-04-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

The fall out from revelations uncovered during the Gomery commission's Sponsorship Scandal investigations has been mildly surprising. In a previous post I had concluded that for once the Liberals wouldn't be able to slide past public opinion with the old political switch and bait that has served them so well. I believed that like Saul, after his jaunt up the road to Damascus, the scales would fall from the eyes of voters and they would begin to see the Liberal government for what it really is - a bloated, corrupt, cynical, and self-serving organization dedicated to power and self-advancement at all costs. Unfortunately for Canadians recent polls indicate that P.T. Barnum was in fact correct; you can fool some of the people all of the time, especially if those people are the voters of Ontario.

Of course all Canadians are outraged and think that the perpetrators of the fraud should be punished. The disappointing news is that many believe it was only the Quebec wing of the Liberal party that went off the reservation and that the Government, Paul Martin in particular, shouldn't be held accountable. This simply defies all logic, leaving many wondering just what it will take for Central Canadians to break from habit and accept a party whose power base and philosophy were derived west of the 416 area code. The Liberals and their media/cultural elite cheerleading squad (the CBC and Can-West for starters) have so effectively spun the "Redneck" and "Zenophobic" labels for the Conservative/Alliance/Reform party that our Ontarian compatriots have swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. Even more impressive is that they have managed this in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary and of their own guilt.

Perhaps it just takes time. The fact that the government is calling for the Gomery Commission to complete it's probe before their tenuous minority government is toppled indicates they still believe they have the old magic. That if given enough time they can go back to the old playbook and shape the next election around whether or not we want Stephen Harper and his wild eyed band of idealogues leading our country and not be forced to defend the indefencible - their complicity in the Sponsorship Scandal. It's always worked before, hasn't it.

The Wedding Tackle

2005-04-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hard Man Vinnie Jones makes the infamous "Wedding Tackle" on poor Gazza. Brilliant!

This is not, I repeat, is not representative of my nom de guerre.

One of these things is not like the other......

2005-04-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hint: Her Kung Fu is strong............

Tell Us Something We Didn't Know............

2005-04-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

So Justice John Gomery finally lifted the publication ban on evidence heard in his self-titled inquiry into Liberal corruption. For the hard-core politicos and Ottawa apparatchiks this was really much ado about nothing. Justice Gomery had impartially ruled that publication of his inquiry’s proceedings might prejudice police investigations and any resulting prosecution on the matter. The Liberals clung on to this faint hope that they could somehow effect damage control like a torpedoed sailor clings to a life raft in the North Atlantic. Unfortunately, the “explosive” testimony that was meant to be denied Canadian citizens had to be the worst kept secret since Michael Jackson was outed as a pedophile. This was, however, not for a lack of zeal on the part of government mandarins, but because they had zero ability to enforce the ban on bloggers and commentators with an Internet connection in every other country in the world. The Natural Ruling Party’s condescending belief in the apathy/stupidity of the electorate has for once not been validated. Spurred on by intense interest in La Belle Province they are now faced with a genie they are unable to contain in its’ bottle. As Party Headquarters went to Def-Con 4 there was even some discussion that any Canadian with a link to a non-Canadian site that described the hearing’s findings would be criminally charged. Counter charges and calls for more police investigation are the smokescreen generated by Liberal spin doctors rotating at such speeds they began to self-immolate. Undaunted, excerpts from these sites spread via e-mail as if they were Liberal’s worst nightmare of a lethal, fast-spreading viral infection.

And just what was it the Liberals were so desperate you wouldn’t hear? Jean Brault, President of Montreal’s Liberal friendly advertising firm Groupaction, wove a story of payoffs, kickbacks, and coercion going to the highest levels of former Prime Minister Jean Cretien’s regime. He described a coordinated effort to misappropriate tax dollars and wash them back into Liberal Party coffers via fees paid to select advertising firms under the Sponsorship Program. The program began as Cretien’s solution to hold back the tide of separatism after he ineptly mismanaged Quebec’s 1995 referendum on sovereignty. Saved, through no efforts of his own, Cretien steered Canada back from the brink of dissolution of Confederation. In a stroke of brilliance only a career politician could appreciate, Cretien and his cronies determined they could buy back the love of Quebec in much the same way an estranged parent seeks the love of their children with lavish gifts. By flying the Canadian flag at cultural and sports events Quebecois would see just how much benevolent Canada loved them and promise never to try and run away again. For $500 million it would be a bargain at twice the price. Like the butcher who can’t keep his thumb off of the scale, they reckoned they might as well get a little bit for themselves as compensation for their heroic efforts. It was a great plan and they can petulantly reflect that they would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that damn Sheila Fraser and her Auditor General report that spilled the beans. So confident were they that no Plan B was in place in the unlikely event of exposure. They can now look forward to The Sponsorship scandal taking its’ place next to Brian Mulroney’s numerous gaffs in the Political Hall of Shame. They can also expect similar treatment at the hands of the voters as Gomery’s inquiry runs its’ course and the litany of arrogance and fraud become irrefutable. So Prime Minister Martin, you can take comfort that Kim Campbell landed on her feet - didn't she?

The Contender

2005-04-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

Despite the best efforts of social engineers to create a kindler, gentler society there still lays an irrepressible primal urge within men. Even the emasculated metro-sexual denizens of the urban kingdom would in their weakest moments confess to an unfulfilled yearning to kill what they eat. In reality men carry the oldest monkey in the world on their backs – adrenaline.

Deeply encoded in our genetic memories, adrenaline is still the siren call of our deepest being. Since time immemorial man has lived to hunt and make war. Modern society has deprived the large majority of western males of those defining activities that will “feed the need”. This longing explains the popularity of extreme sports; man (and woman) pitting themselves against short odds where the wager is life and limb. For those who can’t suppress it, this is often the only way to feed the monkey. Jumping off a cliff or out of an airplane, climbing a vertical face, or negotiating body-pounding whitewater isn’t new or special. It simply replaces the traditional endorphin popping roles of warrior and hunter.

But not all men need to hurl themselves down suicidal precipes to make the genetic voices stop. We can live vicariously through the exploits of the others be it on the playing fields or battlegrounds. Think about it – why are action movies and wars live on CNN so popular? They give us what we can’t get in our day-to-day lives. This is why the archaic sport of boxing still had an audience in the 21st century, and why the new CBS series “The Contender” is such compelling viewing.

From a Man’s perspective, The Contender is simply the best reality show ever produced. Unlike its’ predecessors this contest has real life consequences beyond the burn of basking in the white light of 15 minutes of fame. The Contenders consists of 16 ranked middleweights who have been victimized by unscrupulous promoters and/or their own personal demons and have been denied the thing all elite fighters live for – a title shot. They are given the opportunity to live and train with Sly Stallone, Sugar Ray Leonard, and host of boxing legends. This is their last chance to avoid the fate of “On the Waterfont’s” Terry Malloy (made legendary by Marlon Brando), left with only the feeble plea that they too “Could have Been Contenders”. This is a tournament format that each week culminates in a sanctioned elimination bout. The ultimate winner will receive the title shot they all so desperately crave. This is real life, with real fights, and consequences that will affect the rest of their careers and lives. The best part is that each individual fighter controls their own destiny for possibly the first time in their careers. This is pugilistic Darwinism at its’ finest and it stirs those dormant impulses existing within contemporary men’s souls.

Mark Burnett has the Midas touch when it comes to reality tv, boasting producer’s credits for Survivor and The Apprentice on his CV. For The Contender he has enlisted Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray as his front men. Teaming the greatest fictional boxer with arguably the greatest in reality is simply inspired. What man over the age of 30 hasn’t choked down a lump in their throat and tear in their eyes over the story of the goodhearted bum who is undeservingly given one shot at greatness, and more importantly redemption. Rocky is a metaphor for all of the contenders and pretenders there has ever been. We all want to believe that given a similar opportunity we would have the fortitude to fight the good fight against the odds. As for Sugar Ray, his legendary bouts with Duran, Hearns, and Hagler are real life Rocky stories and he adds a level of credibility heretofore unseen in previous reality offerings. But his is only the canvass that The Contender unfolds on, like any story it’s the characters that draws us in and holds us.

Within this collection of 16 hopefuls lays every man. Devout family men, single fathers, reformed alcoholics, born-again Christians, and unrealized potential are only a few of the storylines on display. They are the dreamers and the delusional, the pragmatists and the optimistic - in short they are us. The common thread is the sacrifice each has made to reach his dream of greatness and financial security in the face of incredible odds. We get to meet these boxers and their families and see them in a very different light than the smoky glow of the ring. We see that they are we and we are they, the difference being that these men have the courage and necessity of circumstance to choose this path. Getting to know them we become individually invested in them, making the contests so much more visceral and personal. We feel their fears, confidence, blows, and pain. It harkens us to our lost genetic heritage. The Contender is an escape with a difference and if ever there was a show made for men, this is it. The Contender feeds our monkies, and given the alternative meals available that’s not such a bad thing – is it?

First Time for Everything

2005-04-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

After months of viewing Blogs as a guilty pleasure the time has come to "step-up". Opinions are like bellybuttons - everyone has one, and I'm no exception. We all have things to say and, deep-down, believe that others should hear them. The beauty of the blog is that the audience (if we delude ouselves into thinking there is one) has a choice. A choice to read, ignore, become engaged, respond, and so much more.

If you think about it the Blog has become the 21st century's speaker's corner. It's technology's solution to the isolation technology has wreaked upon civilization. We no longer have to go into the world to be engaged, the world is delivered to us in the comfort of our own homes at thousands of bytes per second. Personal interaction is no longer required to be a part of a "community". Safe in our sancutuaries we can join the Global Community and lead an active cyber-social life, while at the same time never knowing the names of our neighbors. The social contract has been irrevocably breached and the proverbial "they" had ought to sue. It's said you can't stand in the way of progress and I have no intention of being ruthlessly mown down on the information highway. Unable to beat it, I'm joining the revolution (although I think of it more as a bloodless coup). Vive la isolement!