Saturday, June 30, 2007

For God's Sake

Won't anyone give Kathy Shaidle what she wants?
Oh Nnob go for it, I will be SO jealous if she gets charged before I do!!

I'll hate who I want, when I want, and so will RightGirl. Go ahead and bitch to the 'authorities' -- we'll get lots of publicity and frankly, you'd be amazed at how many Canadian agree with these sentiments.
I would hate to see her disappointed. Maybe she and Right Girl can share a cell?

Update: Come on Toronto Police, Kathy is begging for fatwas now, on her own site. Charge her. Think of it as a kindness.
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Thursday, June 28, 2007

Andrew, Andrew, Andrew

I like Andrew Coyne. He is a nice bloke and he supports electoral reform. But, when he writes things like this I cringe:
The Taliban read the Western press. They are looking for the weak link in the NATO chain, and having found it, they will exploit it -- by killing as many soldiers from that country as they can. If critics of the war should not be accused of supporting the Taliban, neither should critics of the critics be accused of suppressing debate if they point out that there are consequences to their fecklessness. The Prime Minister has invited them to grow up. They should accept.
If being "grown up" means blindly following a counter insurgency strategy that has not worked in five years, is panned by people who know the country and pretending that following such a course is consequence free, then God help us. Being grown up has never felt more like infantalization.

To me, being grown up means learning from one's mistakes and adjusting one's policies to the realities on the ground. The sooner the government and its media allies learn this lesson, the sooner we will all be more grown up.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

For Those Keeping Score At Home

It's Comuzzi and Emerson for Brison, Stronach and Turner. It gets more difficult to distinguish between the Liberals and Conservatives every day. Their members obviously see the parties as interchangeable. If they keep trading members this way, the public will soon have that same impression.

Update: Forgive me, I forgot to include the incredible disappearing Middle East envoy, Wajid Khan in my list.
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Monday, June 25, 2007

Baird Blowing Smoke

If John Baird thinks that he is going to get away with doing nothing on Kyoto, he is in for a big surprise. IP, you were right. This government's incompetence is just breathtaking.
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Friday, June 22, 2007

WE WUZ ROBBED

Canada was tripped out of the Gold Cup, last night by very, very questionable refereeing and everyone is admitting it. No matter. Thanks to the boys in red and white. I have to say, I really enjoyed watching this team play. They showed, for the first time in a long time, that Canadians know how to play soccer. They played like hockey players from this country, with grit and determination and an absolute belief that they were never out of the game, until the final whistle. The future of Canadian soccer seems bright, if only we can get CONCACAF to clean up its act.
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So Sue Me, Part 2

The Kyoto Bill, C-288 is going to pass. The Tories say they are just going to ignore it, other than to release a report saying why they are going to ignore it. Then they are going to sit back and let the courts decide whether or not the government actually has to do something else. Ah, leadership. Ain't it grand?

Update: Psycho Steve is doing his king imitation again. The payoff will come when the Supreme Court bitch slaps him. When that happens (there is no if, here) you can count on Steve to mutter darkly about "Liberal judges" to the rest of the rubber room crowd, otherwise known as the Tory base.
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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Be Careful What You Wish For

The Tories are going to spend the summer campaigning for Senate reform. How would you like to be trapped at that BBQ, eh? "Er, sorry, I have a dentist's appointment, got to run." Is there no one in the Conservative Party who thinks this agitating for Senate Reform might just be a bad idea? The government is going through hell right now trying to change the equalization formula, and that is with an unelected and largely politically weak Senate. Now, imagine the same scenario playing out with an elected Senate, with legitimacy equal to the Commons (if they go all the way) and equal representation from each province. I would think it would give some members of the CPC some pause to consider the consequences of giving the "have not" provinces the keys to the cash drawer. Apparently not.
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Steve As Speed Racer

The wheels on the Tory bus (or in this case NASCAR racer) keep falling off. The backlash started almost immediately. It will only get worse.

I will bet you a box of donuts that the Liberals will assign a person full-time to follow that car around with a video camera. Then, in the next election we will see ads of the "Conservative Car" spinning out of control, smashing into things, coming in last, etc. Come to think of it, it is a pretty good symbol of the Conservative Party after all. I realize the Harper Conservatives absolutely do whatever their Republican handlers tell them to, but someone in the party, sometime, had better say "Enough!", before they become a joke.

Update: If you want a good primer about what the Tories are trying to do, read this. I find it fascinating that the Tories will import any Republican strategy, regardless how outdated or culturally unsuited to Canada it is.

Update 2: I really love this quote too.
A Conservative source said the goal is to reach middle-class voters who don't like current Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and have bad memories of Brian Mulroney's leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party from 1984 to 1993 (emphasis mine).
I love the fact that these Conservatives are willing to dis Brian Mulroney and emphasize they are a different brand. I suspect old tyme PC's (if any still exist within the ranks of the Conservative Party) will not appreciate having mud kicked on the memory of their last great PM. This is further evidence that the Reform rout is now complete.
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Stand Up For Canada?

Stephen Harper responds to reporters when asked to summarize his position on softwood lumber, yesterday. Hat tip to the Jurist.

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Monday, June 18, 2007

Pragmatic Celebration

Waterloo area bloggers are invited to an event being held at the Huether Hotel, this coming Saturday (June 23) at 2pm. The Idealistic Pragmatist is in town and that is all the excuse we need to hold a blogstravaganza. Be there, or you will be missing the social event of the day.
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Saturday, June 16, 2007

So Sue Me

Psycho Steve, caught with his hand in the cookie jar, gives a mighty shrug. In other news, a Toronto teenager admits to "acquiring" cars from local shopping centre parking lots, but decides to keep them, after deciding it was "probably too late to return them". "It's been quite a learning curve. Right, wrong, who's to know anymore?", said the obviously contrite young man. Hat tip to the Jurist.
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Don't Count Your Transit Lines....

The premier's transit announcement was absolutely welcome news. Do I believe the Liberals will deliver any of it, if given a new majority government? Not a chance. I suspect money will suddenly disappear, accompanied with finger pointing toward the evil federal government, almost immediately after the election. Too cynical? Maybe, but I have followed politics for a long, long time and that is the Liberal way.
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Friday, June 15, 2007

Bono Or Harper? The Votes Are In

As I said last Friday:
...who are you going to believe the guy who said he wouldn't tax income trusts and not touch resource revenues, or Bono? I know who I believe.
Apparently, the majority of Canadians know who to believe, too.
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Thursday, June 14, 2007

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Another Blogging Tory Love Letter To The Maritimes

Here

I have to hand it to them. The Blogging Tories are so keen to lose seats out east that they are jumping on the citizens of a province unconnected to the Atlantic Accords. It takes real political street smarts to come up with such a brilliant plan.
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Tuesday, June 12, 2007

It Depends On What The Meaning Of Is, Is

A contract is defined as "...
a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties that the law will enforce".
So can this be considered a contract?


Certainly promises were made and it appears that the promise is being broken since resources are not being removed from equalization, but the question is, is it a contract?

I expect Harper's case will be that a political promise is a special case. A political promise is only as good as circumstances allow and if circumstances change, a political promise can change too and is therefore not a binding contract. I think Harper is rolling the dice once again, hoping a judge will accept the difference between a political promise and a legal contract. He might win with that argument in court, but I think he comes out looking like a weasel. It is also unlikely such an argument will save the Conservative Party, east of Quebec.

Update: Robopundit comes out swinging.

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Monday, June 11, 2007

The Incredible Shrinking Caucus

One, by one, the Tory caucus gets smaller by the day. If this keeps up Dion may become Prime Minister without the benefit of an election. Way to go Psycho Steve. For the benefit of the few Tories still held captive in caucus, you should probably pick this up at your local book selling establishment. It will explain just who and what you are dealing with here.
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Rage Against The Dying Of The Light Monday

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Friday, June 08, 2007

Steve's Massive Triumph

So, let's tally up the damage wrought by our Glorious Leader on his "Wreck The Earth, European Tour 2007"tm. He helped George Bush stampede the Europeans into accepting a pant-load agreement on climate change, one in which they will "consider" making "substantial" cuts (but if we decide the oil sands are more important then screw it)to greenhouse gas emissions. There is no short term timetable but promises of miracle reductions when Harper is 80 years old and living in Tennessee (I say Tennessee, because that's where the East Coast will be in 2050).

Next, he blocks any kind of mechanism to ensure aid is distributed to Africa. Yes, yes, I know he denies this, but who are you going to believe the guy who said he wouldn't tax income trusts and not touch resource revenues, or Bono? I know who I believe. So, all in all not a bad few days for Psycho Steve. He got exactly what he wanted. No movement at all on climate change (in fact he may have even gotten more room not to do anything) and a backhander to the Africans. I am sure he is one happy, happy sociopath today. The rest of us, on the other hand, have to eat it I guess.
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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Quote Of the Day

Steve today: "I’m a big U2 fan. Paul McCartney tried to call me once; some of you may know I’m an even bigger Beatles fan. But I gotta say that meeting celebrities isn’t, kind of, my shtick. That was the shtick of the previous guy.

Of course last week...

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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Steve More Successful Than Nixon

News Item 2007: Suzuki fears sharp criticism of Ottawa prompts audits Globe and Mail June 6, 2007.

News Item 1973: US Taxmen reportedly blocked White House bid to audit 'enemies' Toronto Star December 13, 1973 p. B 12

One thing you can say about Steve, he is doing his mentor proud.
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Tory Love Letter To The Maritime Provinces

MaryT of Canadian Blue Lemons:
Alexa said PMSH has written off Atlantic region as he has bigger fish to fry in other places. She's right for once.
Go ahead, elect Liberals and get nothing.
I think if there was a referendum across Canada on should AB and ONT and BC fund greedy Maritimes, the vote would be a huge NO.


Update:To me the Casey firing is just more evidence of the purge of PC's from the new Conservative party. One by one the PC's are being tossed from Psycho Steve's presence. The slow motion civil war looks to be headed toward and absolute Reform victory. Peter MacKay had better watch his back. He may think he has influence in Steve's world, but this incident shows he does not. Not even a little bit.
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

I Wonder

If those loudmouth Tories will shut up about Bev Desjarlais now? I doubt it. Those guys have no shame. Otherwise they wouldn't be Tories, would they?
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Harper's Election Strategy Goes Global

So, Harper is being panned by all environmental groups over his GHG "solution" presented to the world. You would think Psycho Steve might be a bit concerned by this turn of events, but no. He is serene in his media free bubble. Why? As robopundit points out, the G8 is about "consensus" at all costs. Steve knows the Europeans will bend themselves into pretzels so as to paper over the differences between his position and theirs. Using this dynamic, Harper can come back to Canada looking like he is just as green as those latte-drinking, European weenies (you can count on Megaphone John Baird to screech about their "triumph" for months). The fact that his "solution" is a fraud is irrelevant to the Tories. The only thing that matters is that enough people back home think Steve has done something on the environmental file. In other words, the environment, is merely a prop in Steve's never ending quest for a majority government. Nothing else matters to Steve. Nothing.
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Harper's Model Bridge

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Monday, June 04, 2007

From Bridge To Bush Stalking Horse...

In less than 24 hours. Harper is pushing "intensity targets" to a skeptical world (the one exception is of course, the Bush Administration which loves intensity targets). That's some middle ground Harper is staking out there (On a positive note, I love the way Steve also inserts yet another dig at the Liberals, just in case anyone back home is listening). What a bonus for Canada. Now, rather than being just a national embarrassment, Psycho Steve is showcasing his "unique skills" to the big boys. We all should be proud.

Update:I see that some of the European press services, who have not had experience dealing with Psycho Steve, are swallowing his bullshit about supporting Merkel's position on climate change. For future reference, when Harper says he is "on the same page", look at the fine print. In this case he is suggesting that intensity targets and absolute reduction targets are "roughly" the same. After all, they differ only in their choice of adjectives, right?
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Mrs. Prime Minister

Any ideas a) what role Laureen Harper will be playing at the G8 summit on climate change or b) who is paying for her trip to Europe?
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Saturday, June 02, 2007

Iraq Partitioned

Kate may think this is cute, but the Turks don't. Don't buy the U.S. spin that Kurdistan is part of an indivisible Iraq. If you don't control the security of a region, it is not part of of your country. Period.
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