Happy New Year!

I'm saying it now, because I've been busier than a dog with two dicks. Merry Christmas too, although I'm a little late. Here's my quick two-cents worth about recent events this December (I think I owe about a dime's worth by now) for those of you who haven't received a decent book to read from Santa Clause. 1)Coalition: Bad for Canada. We don't need no steenking badgers. 2)Mike Duffy: Good, and funny. I don't know of one person on PEI who hasn't always thought of Mike as a Liberal, and now he's working on our behalf, with the good guys. 3)Michael Ignatieff: If he writes an editorial about how he was so wrong to give Harper a chance to remain Prime Minister, that's a good thing. It'll be followed up shortly with Harper winning a massive majority. (He shot himself in the foot denouncing the resumption of war in Iraq, only to see opinion change drastically after Gen David Patreus' successful surge) 4)Global warming: talk to the hand, the scarf-covered face ain't listening. 5)Prorogation of Parliament: Whoop-de-doo, they took off what?? 3 or 4 extra days? 6)Israel retaliation: Hmm. That's a toughie. Do they keep letting Hamas kill civilians with rockets, or do they grow a pair? 7)Madonna and Jesus Luz: Porno stars need love too. 8)Re-opening abortion debate: Abort! I repeat, Abort! 9)The media: Mike Duffy & Pamela Wallin have been sent to the Senate. Isn't there someplace where we could send the rest of them? 10)Political Pundits opinions of Stephen Harper: Are these the same guys that told Truman he had no chance of getting elected?

I thought the SAW movies were bad

...but this guy scares the shit out of me.

For Those Of You In The House Of Commons

...Who have been reading this blog: Some thoughts I'd like to share with you. Many of you are wondering why Stephen Harper created this mess (your opinion, not mine): He was probably thinking that the man who champions himself as the saviour of Canada would never sign a pact that would allow separatists a veto over all government bills for the next eighteen months. You opposition parties have railed for the last three years that Harper was a George Bush clone, and that he should use made-in-Canada solutions for Canadian problems. This pre-emptive bailout that you say is necessary, before even presenting us with a detailed costing of your plan, is an American solution to an American problem. This is Canada, where the banks haven't been giving money away. That's why our banking system has been rated number one, at least on planet Earth. As late as August, Don Drummond (an ex associate deputy-finance minister from a previous Liberal government) as Vice-president and senior economist for the TD bank warned the government of Canada that they would have to take harsher measures during the coming economic slowdown. When the Conservative's released the Fall economic update, you opposition parties used that as an excuse to try form government, claiming that the government hasn't done enough. Amazingly, Don Drummond came out on CTV and said that Harper had done everything right, and that he couldn't have done it any better himself. Stephane Dion, you're trying desperately to convince me that the Conservatives only received 38% of the vote, and that the will of those voters isn't enough. When Jean Chretien received a majority government with 38% of the vote in 2000, everything was hunky-dory. Stephen Harper, your mistake wasn't in the message, it was the delivery. It should be an interesting parliament. Dion for PM, Jack Layton as Industry Minister, Elizabeth May as Environment Minister. Hell, maybe we'll even have Gilles Duceppe as Foreign Affairs Minister (consider it a practice run). All of you party leaders claim you are in this predicament because you want to solve the economic crises. Well, you're not all that convincing to anyone with an IQ over 85, with the exception of some in the media who know better but can't refuse having some fun at your expense. Here's what I do know: Jack Layton wants to be noticed, he wants to feel like he's actually important. He wants to be better than his dad. Stephane Dion wants to protect his place in history, by forgetting it and going against everything good that he's ever stood for. Gilles Duceppe wants to be the King of Quebec. I personally think he's pulled one over on Dion. Elizabeth May wants to hear herself talk some more, and no doubt try to be the environmental saviour that the Liberals never had the guts to be until they knew it was too late. Stephen Harper? He just wants to prove to all of you that demonized him for the last 10 years that he's capable and willing to be the best Prime Minister Canada ever had, and what better way to do it then by strengthening Canada and the Conservative Party at the same time? UPDATE FOR THE COALITION: Looks like I'm not the only one that thinks your coalition was put together for reasons that were faker than a cheap rolex: read the comments on this CTV story; betcha get tired before (if) you find someone that supports you. PS: Mr. Rae, you just made the entire coalition look like a bunch of liars - first by your admittal that your main interest is getting rid of Stephen Harper at all costs, and further by admitting that you don't have an economic plan either. It's no surprise that Michael Ignatieff is the frontrunner for the leadership of the Liberal Party. You're just too damn scary.

Joe The Plumber

The American's had Joe The Plumber. We've outdone them. We've got Four shit-disturbers.

How Many Members Will Cross The Floor?

If principal prevails, I wonder how many opposition members we'll see cross the floor to the Conservatives before this "Crisis" ends? Add your guesses in the comments. The closest wins nothing. (What, you want a prize? No guess-scam going on here. You want something for nothing, go join the Liberals, Dippers or Bloc.)

Not Taking No For An Answer

It's hard to believe that six short weeks ago when I told the local Conservative candidate that he'd have another shot within six months I was stretching it. (I was actually thinking late February, when this current economic crisis starts to turn around). It was one of those Star Wars moments. You know, the one where someone says "I've got a bad feeling about this." Now that Dion has proven that he's able to lie in both official languages, apparently more capably than he has been at telling the truth, Canadians have a chance to see a true hidden agenda come to the forefront. How many of you thought it would be from Mr Dion? Let's not forget Jack "I'm running to be Prime Minister" Layton. What he didn't tell his voters is that if he wasn't successful, he'd settle for being a Foreign Affairs minister in cahoots with a guy who, well, wants where he lives to become a foreign country! It's almost funny. This year, there's three Grinches looking to steal Christmas. They're wearing Orange, Red & Light Blue hats. These guys talk about being environmentalists, but all they're going to earn is a lump of dirty coal in their stocking. It'll look good on them. Worse-Than-That afterthought: Jack Layton could become Minister of Defence! Gilles Duceppe could become Deputy Prime Minister! (okay, I'm reaching here. Still, people thought I was nuts when I said we'd be at the polls by the end of February.)

North America's Other Election

From an October 20th dispatch in The Atlantic: Canada has weathered the global economic crisis with noteworthy grace. Last month, its economy created over 100,000 new jobs, more than in any month in decades. Wages keep growing, and Canada's banking sector is, according to the World Economic Forum, "the soundest in the world." So it shouldn't be surprising that last week, Canadians returned Stephen Harper's Conservatives to power and granted them 19 new seats in Parliament. Like Bush's Republican Party, the Conservatives have expanded their coalition by appealing to working class voters, but they've mainly done it by using targeted tax policies, like the Clinton-era Democrats. Read the whole thing here. A further opinion from Progressive Conservative: Guess I'm not the only one that feels like letting my car idle all night when I hear Elizabeth May speak.

Woman Charged For Crying Wolf Too Many Times

Even Chicken Little has nothing on her. Dial a wrong number just once, and all hell breaks loose...but dial "911" 9,999 times and you could be the runner up. A Montreal woman who logged 10,000 calls to 911 over a 15-month span because of her spite for police has been found guilty of public mischief. Marie-Eve Dean, 23, was convicted today as a judge refused a joint recommendation by the Crown and defence that she get a suspended sentence to be served in the community. Where, or where, is that ambulance? I guess now we know. (If she was fourteen, Gilles Duceppe would be giving her a phonecard and locking up cellphones.) H/T Nationalnewswatch

St. John's mayor wants seat for Newfoundland at federal cabinet

They had their chance. It's what's known as a federal election. ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The mayor of St. John's is calling on the public to convince Ottawa to appoint somebody from Newfoundland and Labrador to be responsible for the province at the federal cabinet table. The Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper doesn't have an MP from the province after losing races for all of its seven seats during Tuesday's federal election. It's time the mayor had a talk with Danny Williams about that little ABC thing.

Election Joke

I can actually picture this:

The election was too close to call. Neither the Conservative Party nor the Liberal Party had enough votes to win. There was much talk about ballot recounting, court challenges, etc., but a week-long ice fishing competition seemed the sportsmanlike way to settle things. The candidate that caught the most fish at the end of the week would win the election. Therefore, it was decided that there should be an ice fishing contest between the two candidates to determine the winner. After much back and forth discussion, it was decided that the contest take place on a remote frozen lake in northern Manitoba . There were to be no observers present, and both men were to be sent out separately on this isolated lake and return at 5 P.M. with their catch for counting and verification by a team of neutral parties. At the end of the first day, Steven Harper returned to the starting line and he had ten fish. Soon, Dion returned and had no fish. Well, everyone assumed he was just having another 'bad hair' day or something and hopefully, he would catch up the next day. ( A do-over) At the end of the 2nd day Harper came in with 20 fish and Dion came in again with none. That evening, Jack Layton & Elizabeth May

got together secretly with Dion and said,

'Dion, I think Steven Harper is a low-life, cheatin' son-of-a-gun. I want you to go out tomorrow and don't even bother with fishing. Just spy on him and see just how he is cheating.' The next night (after Steven Harper returns with 50 fish), Layton said to Dion, 'Well, tell me, how is Steven Harper cheating?' Dion replied, 'Jack, you're not going to believe this, but he's cutting holes in the ice.'

Election Expense Question

Maybe it's all the turkey that I had for Thanksgiving supper, but I just don't have the gumption right now to find the answer to the question: If the candidates for the Green Party publicly call for their support to be given to another party, shouldn't that party then have to claim the Green Party's expenses as well as their own? Would that not be a violation of the election expense act (or whatever the heck it's called) if the total of the Green Party's candidate and the total of the candidates receiving the support exceed their campaign spending limits? Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Too much turkey talk. Happy Thanksgiving all.

Could We Please To Try Again!

Video from ATV Evening News:

WARNING: Do not drink or eat while watching video.

You'll understand when you see it!

This is from the guy who wants to be Prime Minister!

UPDATE: It's on Duffy Live now.

UPPERDATE: The Liberals are now trying to equate this to the Chretien ads of 1993. Here's the difference: Chretien couldn't help it that he had partial facial paralysis. In Dion's case, he should have known better. As an intellectual and a professor, there's no excuse for stupidity or evasiveness. In their quest to hide from the truth, the Liberal shrills are now trying to draw on the empathy of Canadians by doing what Liberals do best: Avoiding the question.

Canadians aren't that stupid. The question was pretty clear. All four times. It was even explained to him by his own aides. He's made Harper's performance on the economy an election issue. Now it's time to provide Canadians with some proof that Stephen Harper hasn't done his job. He can't. It's that simple.

Oops!

Somebody by the name of Andre something-or-another called me for an interview yesterday morning, before I had my morning coffee. What I left out is that Duceppe is my least-hated favorite socialist. He's kinda like a cup of tea if your dying of thirst in the desert. I'm a coffee drinker.

English Debate Summary

1) It was good to see that Stephen Harper was there tonight. He performed well considering the gang attack. I think I only heard the George Bush comparison three thousand times. 2) As somebody else said elsewhere, Jack Layton still played the part of the HOAG. 3) Missy Piggy outshone Kermit the Frog. 4) Gilles Duceppe had the best hair, and some of the best lines. 5) Sentence three should read "Miss Piggy outshone Kermit the Tadpole."

French Debate Summary

Four things: 1) Stephen Harper is an evil George Bush clone who wants to ruin the world with his lack of environmental policy and his copycat economic platform. (This from the four lefties who think that George Bush should run his country according to our voters, instead of listening to his own voters.) 2) Stephane Dion, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe and Elizabeth May agree that all guns should be locked up, and that teenage killers should be set free. (That'll stop the little devils from killing again. Heaven forbid that the cowardly murdurers involved in school shootings should actually be held accountable for their actions.) 3) The format suited Stephane Dion the best. After all, his Liberal Party are pretty accustomed to sitting as they had plenty of pratice during the last parliamentary session. They only abstained from, what was it, 43 votes? 4) As usual, Gilles Duceppe had the best hair. (He also articulated himself pretty good. Crafty, isn't he?) Even W. K. agrees with me.

Bob Rae Vs Michael Ignatieff

Bob Rae pulled a good magic trick today. Not against Stephen Harper & the Conservative Party of Canada, but against Stephane Dion & Michael Ignatieff. He's had his little you-tube moment, and for a tenth of a second it made me forget about the economy, our national security, crime, health care, and yes, even the environment. It made me think of Iraq. More importantly, it reminded me of Chretien's decision to join the chorus of naysayers against the Americans' resumption of the war in Iraq. Despite 18 UN resolutions denouncing Iraq's violations, and a weariness of allies to force Hussein to comply with the peace treaty signed by his generals, the United States did what was necessary and ultimately, the most humane thing to do: It brought Sadam to justice. Five years after the resumption of this war, our closest neighbor and ally has buried 4,174 of her sons and daughters. Along with that, thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed as a result of terrorist attacks from AQI. It's easy to see how politically easy it was to avoid participating in this chapter of the war. Politically easy isn't necessarily the same thing as being moral. Or right. Enter Michael Ignatieff. In 2003, Mr. Ignatieff supported the war in Iraq, which is easily understood given his time spent living in America. Without the socialist blinders on, it wouldn't be difficult to understand the plight of the Kurds, or for that matter the plight of those living in the rest of Iraq. Then, astoundingly, just months before General David Patraeus was to prove succesful with the "Surge", we were treated to Mr. Ignatieff's about-face. I'll sum up the three page article that he wrote in one sentence: I want you to vote for me, so forget everything I said about human rights for Iraqis. (that's not plagiarism, it's condensing.) So here we are, 2008. We can't say for sure, but we'd definately bet on it, that Stephane Dion is going to lose the election by more than a couple of votes. There's a line up behind Mr. Dion just waiting to get a second crack at the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. (don't ask me why.) The two most obvious potential wannabe leaders are Rae and Ignatieff. What does all this have to do with Stephen Harper? Not much, but it sure makes people remember that Ignatieff once admitted thinking like Harper with regards to a war that most people don't understand and are too lazy to learn the facts about - and there's nothing that Ignatieff can say or write to make people forget that. Not a bad days work if you ask me. Put another knife in the not-a-leader's back, embarrass your next leadership rival, and have your current electoral opponents waste a day playing trivial pursuit. Too bad for him that he's so far out in left field that most sensible people wouldn't vote for him to run their country. He's a hell of a magician though.

Negative Advertising

The difference between Gerry Ritz and the Liberal's new negative attack ad? Gerry spoke instinctively, like when you stub your toe. It took a lot more than the same .0005 seconds to create and air the new Liberal attack ad. You tell me - who's really worse? Those that respond in a negative way about the death of innocents, and then have to swallow their own blood as it rolls down off their tongue when they realize how offensive they may have sounded? Or would it be those that use the deaths of those innocents in a thought up, scripted, filmed, acted and voiced-over and aired political commercial? Kinda takes the spontaneity out of one of the above when it when it's worded like that, huh?

Liberals Make Dion Walk The Plank

....And then pull it out from under him. H/T Warren - Has the fat lady sung? & Steve Janke - Oh, You mean that Green Shift! Considering the lastest numbers from Nik Nanos, maybe the plank is the safest part of the ship, which is sinking pretty fast.

It's Become An Interac Campaign

Stephen Harper has deposited some credibility into the NDP campaign in a maneuver that should allow him to withdraw some riding wins from the vote split on the left. From The Star: Tories to put NDP, Greens on hot seat "They're beginning to challenge the Liberals as our prime opponent in a number of key areas," the strategist told reporters yesterday. "Liberal support seems to be gravitating to the other two opposition parties." And he singled out NDP Leader Jack Layton in particular, saying that the NDP – not the Liberals – has been serving as the official opposition to the government. "While the Liberals were abstaining from votes and retreating in a number of issues, the NDP were standing firm," the strategist said. "I think it has served them well." as Bruce Campion-Smith explains, "fuelling the perception of the NDP as a strong opposition plays to the Conservatives' interests, too, by undermining the Liberals and the image of Stéphane Dion." I couldn't agree more. I think it's a brilliant campaign strategy. Boost Layton with the expectation that he'll bleed off some support from social Liberals. By admitting that the NDP were the only opposition to defend what they felt was in the best interest of Canadians, the Conservatives have given the NDP some relevancy. I think that this is what we're seeing reflected in the polls now. I still believe that this election is Stephen Harpers to lose. The question is, will Jack Layton finish second or third?

Political poll places Stephen Harper Best For PEI

From The Guardian: Stephen Harper is now the number one choice for prime minister among Prince Edward Island residents, according to a new poll by Corporate Research Associates. The Halifax-based polling firm sampled the views of 300 Islanders last month, before Harper pulled the plug on his minority Conservative government Sunday. Harper now has a 10-point lead over Liberal Leader Stephane Dion on the Island. It's easy to see why people are slowly (very, very, very slowly) starting to look at Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. For starters, we have no oil here. Zero. Our main industries are toursim, farming, and fishing. They all involve burning fuel of some sort. Secondly, while our provincial government, along with some federal money, has already green-shifted some of our dependence on electricity to wind energy, we still have to buy the majority of our electricity from off island. It's expensive enough already. Generally, wages here are not competitive with the rest of the country, but the cost of living is low enough that people are able to still have some quality of life. Dion's Green Shift promises to charge us more for the things we do that contribute to global warming, and then give us back a tax break if we conserve. That's of no benefit to those on low incomes, because they don't pay taxes anyway. This province doesn't need any more taxes! In this current election campaign, the four contenders running for the Liberals should perhaps realize that after twenty years, PEI'ers might actually decide that it's time to pay someone else $150,000.00 a year to sit on their arse.

Comments on Leaders Tour

I've been following the leaders tour on CPAC (yeah, I'm a follower, not a leader) and I've noticed something. After three days, it's getting hard to listen to Stephane Dion and Jack Layton. I've always respected Stephen Harper, and even Gilles Duceppe, as politicians. They both speak to the average person and sound more intelligent than either Stephane Dion or Jack Layton. Listening to either Dion or Layton is too much like being talked down to, instead of talked to. I almost hate to say it, but I'd sooner vote for Gilles Duceppe than Dion or Layton. If the Conservatives don't get at least 180 seats in the next parliament, I'll be amazed.

The Question That Should Have Been Asked

If you get a chance, watch the following segment on CBC's The National tonight. AFGHAN CIVILIANS:According to a humanitarian watchdog--Human Rights Watch--more civilian deaths in Afghanistan from air strikes are fueling a public backlash in that country. A report released today says U.S. and NATO air strikes killed 116 civilians in 2006; in 2007, that number jumped to 321. The CBC's Alison Smith reports from Washington. I just watched the early airing. Not a pretty sight. Claims by the CBC of 90 Afghan women and children killed by American airstrikes. All caught on camera by an Afghani cellphone. Question: Why does a poor Afghani, living in a remote region where there is no cellphone service, barely (if any) electricity to recharge a cellphone, and where the simplest of neccessities such as food are treasured, have a cellphone? Just curious. Not that there's anything wrong with a dirt-poor person living in a place where just existing sometimes seems like asking too much having something that most likely would cost him a years' wage. It's not that I don't care about the deaths of innocent civilians, because I do. This just reminds me of Green Helmet Guy.

Stephen vs Stephane:

CONSERVATIVE

LIBERAL

'Nuff said.

ABC or L, Anybody?

This article got me thinking: Why the hell haven't I seen a Globe & Mail reporter ask Danny Williams if he supports the Liberal's Green Shaft plan? Has Danny seen the Liberal Green Shaft Calculator? Has any reporter from the Globe & Mail seen it? Has any reporter from the Toronto Star seen it? Does anybody have a friggin' clue how the hell this tax rebate works? I know that I sure as heck don't. It's a lovely calculator, but without giving me the actual tax savings plan, how can I be sure that their numbers are correct? Just for shits 'n' giggles, try to calculate the gas savings by switching from a Conservative car to a Liberal car without knowing the MPG ratings. Danny boy, you may've bitten off your nose to spite your face. Anyway now you're cornered. You can either urge people to vote NDP, which are against big business (Oil, in case you haven't figured it out) or Liberal (Green Shaft= Tax the living hell out of anybody that has anything to do with oil) or Green Party (Oil? What the hell are we still using oil for?) or last but not least Bloc Quebecois (We want to separate and give you our debt to Canada. You've got oil now, you can afford it!) I'm surprised that I haven't seen any headlines about Danny's response to the Green Shaft. If he thinks that the Conservative's have treated him unfairly, who exactly does he think is going to give Newfoundland & Labradorians the respect that they have spent generations earning? Guess I must've been working a little too much. After some research, I discovered that I'm late to the barbecue.

"I find that if you go looking for a fight, you can usually find one."

I've always believed that it made more sense to be vigilant of the lies and propaganda emanating from lefties than attacking those whose end-goal is the same as yours. You know, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"? There appears to be an exception here (and here). To get to the point, Raphael Alexander has written six paragraphs to describe a bone of contention against one blogger that could have easily been summed up in one sentence: She has a nose for shit-disturbing, and she's quite good at it. Raphael, I believe your heart is in the right place. Attacking fellow bloggers just because they don't know or don't care to articulate themselves as politely as you imagine yourself doing is futile and a waste of talent, and in the process you have come out looking no better than those whose writing styles you disagree with. You look like a shit disturber yourself. Kinda like me at the moment. I hope you don't mind me quoting your reference to Kathie Shaidle or Jason Cherniak, Raphael: "I don't read either blog for rather obvious reasons." Just for the record, I very rarely read them either. Which is why I don't write whole blog posts about them. I do read yours though, and I have to admit that I'm having difficulty understanding why you have such hatred against bloggers whose writings you so strongly disagree with. If you don't like them, stop reading them! It's that simple. Also for the record, I personally don't care if you are or aren't a Liberal. As long as you vote Conservative, I don't care what you call yourself. I'm very liberal myself but vote Conservative because I believe that they are the most capable of protecting liberalism. I should rewrite the opening sentence, but it's my turn to be stupid now.

It's Not Exactly The Disclosure Project....

The following is from the Government Of Canada News Centre: The Government of Canada Supports Shag Harbour Incident Society SHAG HARBOUR, Nova Scotia, August 5, 2008 - Residents and visitors to Shag Harbour will have the opportunity to take part in the Shag Harbour Incident Festival, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada. Gerald Keddy, Member of Parliament (South Shore-St. Margaret's), on behalf of the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and Minister for La Francophonie, today announced funding for the Shag Harbour Incident Society. Funding of $2,000 will help the Society organize the Shag Harbour Incident Festival, which will commemorate the famous Shag Harbour Incident, a historical and well documented sighting of an unidentified flying object in the skies above Shag Harbour which later crashed in nearby waters. Since the sighting in 1967, the area has attracted numerous visitors and researchers. Background from On This Day: 1967 - At 11:20 p.m. Atlantic Daylight Time at least one and most likely two separate UFOs dove or crashed into the ocean near Bon Portage Island, in the area of Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada. There were at least a dozen independent witnesses to the event. Canadian Navy divers searched the area for three days but found nothing. This followed a series of six UFO sightings across Quebec and Nova Scotia beginning at 7:19 p.m., when Air Canada Captain Pierre Guy Charbonneau, flying between Sherbrooke and St. Jean, sighted an orange rectangular object followed by a series of smaller lights, followed by a sizeable explosion near the large object that turned into a big white ball-shaped cloud. The cloud turned red, then violet, and then blue. Two minutes later there was another explosion that turned into a second sphere which was orange in color. Like the first one it too eventually faded to blue. The smaller lights on the "kite tail" broke formation with the rectangular object and began to dance around the spheres like fireflies. (Sources: Yarmouth Light Herald, October 12, 1967; Ivan T. Sanderson, Invisible Residents, pp. 44-45; Don Ledger & Chris Styles, Dark Object: The world's only government documented UFO crash, pp. 9-13; 28-50, 151-162). Considering the level of disclosure by the governments of France, Brasil, Mexico, England and too many others to mention, it's good to see our government lend some legitamacy to the question of whether or not we're alone in the universe. If you can take a minute to consider that respected people such as Sen Barry Goldwater, Dr Edgar Mitchell; Astronauts L Gordon Cooper, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong; Dr Wernher von Braun, Major Florenz Mansmann, ScO Clark C. McClelland and too many others to mention have already given us a pretty definitive answer to that question, then perhaps it's time for the governments of America and Canada to follow suit. h/t National Newswatch

Political Soap Opera

If Canadians ever decide to bring to television a new political soap opera, they need look no further than what is currently being aired. We could give it a clever title, like "As The Stomach Turns" or something similar. The Maxime Bernier - Julie Couillard affair is just the ticket for this show. Especially with headlines like these: Majority want RCMP to investigate: poll Bikers weighed killing Couillard as suspected police informant A peek inside the shadowy life of the Mata Hari of the 450 Grits fear Bernier probe is inside job The only one who I think actually makes any sense of this is Rex Murphy. Let's be honest here. For over a decade, the Liberal-dominated government was able to screw 30 million Canadians. Maxime was only trying to screw one. (HT to Nationalnewswatch for the headlines)

Erections Canada

The title's not a misprint. It's what I think Elections Canada should be renamed, considering their tactics regarding the bullet-proof vest clad storming of Conservative HQ by the RCMP last week. I think John Robson makes the point far better than I could though; at least he's done his homework: In the battle pitting the federal Conservatives against Elections Canada, the opposition and the press, a typical Ottawa competition to see who can perform most discreditably, my money was on the Tories. Until I made a crucial blunder: I did research. John goes on to say "At this point I foolishly read what I hope were all the relevant sections of the 500-plus page Canada Elections Act. Here, in unavoidable legalese, is what I found. The Act does set separate spending limits for registered parties (clause 422.1) and for their candidates (clauses 440 and 441). But Clause 422 (2) lets parties give money to local candidates and not count it as "an election expense..." So the key question is whether those candidates can spend that or any other money, up to their local limit, on what is essentially national advertising. And the crucial Clause 407 (1) defines an "election expense" as "any cost incurred, or non-monetary contribution received, by a registered party or a candidate, to the extent that the property or service for which the cost was incurred, or the nonmonetary contribution received, is used to directly promote or oppose a registered party, its leader or a candidate during an election period." What in there says local spending must happen locally or concern local issues? I see nothing." For a guy who admitedly had a preconceived notion (that the Tories were guilty) to come away from this thinking that they are on the right side of this issue leaves me questioning the true motives of Elections Canada. If they continue to act like a bunch of big dicks, then perhaps they deserve the title given at the top of this post.

Dion: What The Media Pundits Have Failed To Recognize

I haven't had much to say lately that hasn't been better said elsewhere. If you're reading this, you may think "You still don't. Shut up!" From National Newswatch, I caught the headlines of two interesting opinions regarding the plight of Stephane Dion. The first is from L Ian MacDonald: The party is broke in Quebec. There's no plan for a campaign. The infighting among organizers is ugly, like Tories in the bad old days. And the Liberals are completely out of the game in the 50 Quebec seats outside Montreal. The second is from Don Martin: Mr. Dion's new more asser tive-looking glasses hardly overcome an ivory tower tan and passive demeanor, which create the impression of someone who, like me, was the favourite wedgie target for elementary school bullies. As one party insider noted hopefully when asked for image advice: "Mr. Dion is a great fly fisher, so maybe we could do more photo-ops in a boat?" Um, Stockwell Day on a jet ski ring any bells? The truth is far more foreboding for Mr. Dion. It's one of those things that probably aren't recognizable from ninety eight percent of the electorate: only intelligent people are capable of recognizing intelligence in others. If you think about the above sentence, you'll arrive at the conlusion that both Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion are at a level of intelligence that most people simply can't recognize. Sure, you could easily spot a person with an IQ of 80 after a brief discussion if you were to meet them on the street. What if you had met Bill Gates or Thomas Edison on the street? Both Stephane Dion and Stephen Harper are men that have that level of intelligence. The unfortunate aspect of genius is that it can either be a genius for everything, or it can be a genius in certain categories. Until Stephane Dion can develop a genius for political strategy, he is doomed to remain where he belongs. Cowboy vests and goofy glasses won't be the deciding factor in an election. Public perception of the man behind them will be.

Good Luck Chuck

"Good Luck Chuck" was a comedy/romance movie about a guy who loses every girl he dates to her future husband. It was funny. What isn't very funny is the latest accusations that the Conservatives had tried to entice a dying MP with a million dollar life insurance policy for his vote. If true, it must've been something they learned from this case. They better hope the same "ethics" investigators are handling this case, in which we should see a flurry of Liberal resignations in the near future. According to media reports, Cadman was offered a million dollar life insurance policy. Perhaps they should have just given the standard offer of fur.