And...Poof

Just like that, all of the talk of capitulation disappears into a cloud of smoke. The Conservatives got what they wanted, the last news cycle before escaping for a week, was dominated by breathless Liberal accounts of Layton's evil intent, rather than of Bev Oda's lack of candor. Liberals, is there no Conservative trick they won't fall for?

Recommend this Post

Liberal Obsession: Tim Hortons

Perhaps the reason Liberals are obsessed with the visits of other leaders to Tim Horton's, is the sneaking suspicion that their leader would never be caught dead in one.

Recommend this Post

Signs That Liberals Are Worried About The Damage Coderre Is Causing Them

Libloggers are ragging on Layton again, rather than saying a silent prayer of thanksgiving for him.

Recommend this Post

Sign That The Liberals Are Ready For An Election

The party has never been more unified.

Recommend this Post

Laugh Line Of The Day

From the comics at the Toronto Star editorial board:

Now, the NDP has evolved as more of an enabler for the Conservatives, while playing spoiler against the Liberals.

In reply, I refer to Jesus, from Matthew 7:4:

"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?

The Liberals have propped up this government for three years, but why should reality get in the way of making a point?

Recommend this Post

The Liberal Motto

Warren Kinsella, in an otherwise hilarious entry about the NDP, finished his well-meaning advisory with:

There are many other possibilities for a new name for the NDP. By way of conclusion, we would only echo that old adage: if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. (emphasis mine)

This is certainly true and Mr. Kinsella knows whereof he speaks. That has been the Liberal Motto for well over 100 years. I hope the NDP takes his advice to heart and avoids the same sorry fate as the Liberal Party of Canada.

Recommend this Post

NDP Deathwatch

Year 48. Liberals never tire of speculating after the health of the NDP. Touching really.

Recommend this Post

Time For Progressives To Look For More Excuses

The Liberals are looking for ways to surrender again.

Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale said Friday his party is not seeking a confrontation with the Conservatives over the fund. Harper had previously said that the fund is a matter of confidence, and a vote against it by opposition parties would force an election.

The Liberals plan to table a motion Monday calling on the government to detail how the money is to be spent.

But Goodale said they won't debate the motion or force a vote on it until late March, giving Liberals and Conservatives several more weeks to reach a compromise.

Recommend this Post

Stephane Dion, Progressive Conservative

Presented without comment, from today's Globe and Mail:

Mr. Dion, meanwhile, pledged to work closely with Canadian banks, regulatory agencies, economic experts and the Bank of Canada as part of his “action plan” for the first 30 days of a Liberal government.

But in the same breath, he attacked NDP Leader Jack Layton for proposing “re-regulation” of the Canadian banking system.

“It's not for politicians to direct the banks in Canada; Mr. Layton failed to understand that,” Mr. Dion said. “It's (also) not for ministers to be inept and unable to do anything; Mr. Flaherty failed to understand that.”

Recommend this Post

So Much For Being A "Progressive Party"

Scott Reid in today's Globe:

Liberals must counter immediately. That begins by positioning themselves in the sensible centre rather than as the best of the left. They must emphasize their fiscal credentials, sharpen their critique of Mr. Harper and begin now with a blatant appeal to NDP and Green voters that the Liberals alone can keep the Conservatives from a majority.

Mr. Sinister translates: We're the Liberals and we are a centre-right party, not a nasty leftist party. But progressives, just shut off your brains and vote for us anyway. Remember, Harper is a very, very, bad man. Booga booga.

Recommend this Post

Which Wing Is The Liberal Party Flying WIth Today?

It depends on who is doing the talking (and where is Mr. Dion when you need him?). Bob Rae is telling voters that Liberals are "Progressive" and so we all need to pull together:

"That's why I describe the Harper government as the house that Jack built," said Mr. Rae, referring to NDP Leader Jack Layton. "It's very much a creation of the strategic choices that Jack Layton and the NDP made. I went into politics to stop Stephen Harper and I am determined to do that so I am making a very simple pitch to voters who might have voted NDP or might have voted Green in the past to say, in this election, that there is a strong obligation on all of our parts to pull together."

His future leadership rival is telling voters that Liberals are not "Progressive" at all and all this "getting together" shit is just so much twaddle:

“I don't think the Liberal Party of Canada is a party of the left. There's no coalition to be done,” he said. “We're a party of the centre and people vote for us because we're in the centre.

Recommend this Post

If I Am A Sheep...

Does that mean John Barber is a pig? Yet another panicky liberal laughably claiming "left-wing" status for the party of John Turner, John Manley and Paul Martin, with the added minty freshness of smearing anyone who may disagree, with the label "sheep". Mr. Barber should perhaps save some of his disdain for those who worked against electoral reform in Ontario and who would spearhead the anti-reform side at the federal level, rather than rail against people who have legitimate differences with the corrupt and cowardly Liberal Party. Of course, to do that, Mr. Barber would have to say something bad about his friends in that oh so progressive Liberal Party and we can't have that. It might give some comfort to the Tories.

Recommend this Post

Why The Liberals Deserve To Lose

Can anyone imagine the fun the Conservatives are going to have with the Liberal's version of "I was for immigration reform until I was against it"? Of course "progressives" will still be expected to salute this nonsense and claim that this was the plan all along (and condemn the NDP for not seeing the brilliance of the Liberals' strategy).

Recommend this Post

Spin, Spin, Little Liberal

Since Impolitical does not have any comments, I guess I will have to post here. The Liberal spinner is upset that the NDP is introducing a motion of non-confidence against the government, as opposed say, against the other opposition parties. Heaven forbid the opposition actually oppose. That is just so gauche. I first must note that only a Liberal could see a vote of non-confidence in the government as a vote against them. I guess when you vote with the government as often as Liberals do, you start to see yourself mirrored in their interests. Now, on to the guts of Impolitical's complaint. He writes:

I think the Liberals stand for creating prosperity and balanced budgets, much as they did during the entire course of their recent long tenure which Canadians well remember.

Funny, I remember the massive cuts in transfers to the provinces which were passed down to the municipalities, which we are still dealing with. I guess it's all in how you remember it.

And yes, that does include evil but reasonable corporate tax cuts worked into the mix. Small business owners are "ordinary Canadians" too, don't ya know. They work hard and play by the rules and deserve their tax cuts too.

Ah, the small businessman, the last refuge of scoundrels and Liberals. I have never heard the Royal Bank and Shell Oil described as small businesses before, but it is the banks and oil sector that are making out like bandits under these tax cuts.

The Liberal approach to budgeting is starkly different from the current crop of Conservative ideologues whose policies have led us to the brink of deficit for the first time in over a decade. In fact, it's likely one of the strongest areas of contrast that the election will see. If the NDP want to make the Liberal record on the economy an issue, by all means, go right ahead.

My answer to this is, if it is so different why are you voting to support their budgets? Also, I am sure the NDP will bring it up during a campaign, thanks.

The larger point here though is one of political positioning that the NDP continue to pursue but which has failed to produce noticeable gains for them in the polls or in recent by-elections.

Cuz ya know, politics is all about the polls and power. God forbid you, you know, stand for something.

The Green Party is elbowing them out. They need to grow. Yet they're not likely to build up much goodwill with Liberal voters in order to convince them to vote NDP with this approach. That's why it's such a strange tactic, this continued onslaught. In ridings such as my own, where Peggy Nash will be facing Gerard Kennedy, I can't imagine such MP's would favour the hardening of sentiment that the likes of Mulcair are fostering. Shouldn't such MP's want to attract Liberal voters rather than ridicule them?

As for this, we will see about the Greens. This "onslaught" is about bringing down the Tories and Mulcair is mocking the pantywaists in the Liberal caucus, not Liberal voters (and that is pretty damn easy to do). Impolitical has completely missed the boat and has screwed himself into the ground. Liberals have to remember that, even though they vote like Conservatives, they are not the government. This vote is not against them unless they make it so, by siding with the Tories (yet again).

Recommend this Post

Priorities

Funny isn't it, that those who are criticising Layton for his priorities support a party that was in power for thirteen years and always found things to do besides enforcing Kyoto, stopping the privatization of Medicare, providing daycare for all children? Now that they are out of power these are all vital priorities, but when they were in power...not so much. And the fact they are also supporting a fundamentally undemocratic institution? As I said, funny.

Recommend this Post