Kinny's Comments

They should have been selling whoppers instead of telling whoppers...

2011-09-15T10:51:00.000-03:00

From the Globe & Mail: RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery in a PEI immigration program

The federal government is calling in the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery in a PEI immigration program that allowed hundreds of primarily Chinese nationals to buy their way into Canada.
In less than three weeks, Islanders will vote on whether to re-elect Robert Ghiz’s Liberal government. His party is leading in the polls, but has been on the defensive since 2008 because relatives of the Premier, along with cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and several MLAs, benefited financially from the immigrant investor program.

“Although there are clear political motivations behind these allegations – which have been raised repeatedly in the past and shown to have no substance – government will co-operate fully with any formal inquiries into these matters,” Mr. Ghiz said in a statement to The Globe. “I would also note that it is not overly surprising that those making the allegations waited three years to do so, and that their actions coincide with a provincial election.”

While some deals have been confirmed – immigrant investor money went to a Burger King owned by Liberal MLA Bush Dumville that later went bankrupt, and the deputy minister in charge of the file was asked to pay back funds that went to businesses connected to his family – the government has never released a full list of companies that got investments.

Porch Lights For Jack Layton

2011-08-23T00:07:00.000-03:00

I just received a facebook invitation to leave my porch lights on for Jack Layton.

Respectfully, I had to decline the invitation. I disagreed with his politics, but how would leaving my porch light on honor his memory? Leaving a light on for an environmentalist makes as much sense as blowing up a local mosque or church to celebrate religious freedom.

Sorry facebook friends, but I think if you really loved Jack Layton, you would at least have paid attention to the things that meant something to him. If you really want to honor him, quit posting his open letter to Canadians to your facebook page and shut the damn computer off instead.

Just sayin'.

RIP Jack Layton

2011-08-22T10:30:00.000-03:00

A sad day for the millions of Canadians that liked Jack Layton.

Aren't You Glad These Guys Aren't Doing Your Tax Returns?

2011-06-14T22:28:00.000-03:00

From the Hill Times:

"The Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission is targeted for a 20 per-cent reduction in its spending, to $4.5-million from $4.7-million"

I don't know if it was the fault of the author, or the special math formula that the NDP use, but cutting a budget from $4.7 million to $4.5 million is not a 20% reduction. It's a 4.26 % reduction.

I predict a series of consecutive strong, stable, national majority conservative governments if this keeps up.

Just saying.

A page out of history...

2011-06-09T13:06:00.000-03:00

Charles Adler sums up the difference between the efforts of Brigitte DePape and the many young Canadians that gave their lives in defence of freedom on the beaches of Normandy 67 years ago:

"Our country took nearly a thousand casualties on D-Day and many times during the five year successful effort to Stop Fascism from having Global Dominion. I am not here today to bury Brigitte the Page. I am here to use her You Tube moment to make the point that 67 years ago thousands of Canadians, most of whom were her age or younger, were prepared to sacrifice themselves to preserve freedom and democracy and those journalists who covered it and analysed didn't need to create a fairy tale, didn't need to spin spin spin."

Read the entire article here: The Blood Red Line in The Sand Between Valour and Vulgar

Testicles on Twitter...

2011-05-30T14:25:00.000-03:00

I can almost hear the Liberal radio advertisement now:

"Don't vote Progressive Conservative. You can clearly see they're nuts"

Definately not the old, stodgy stereotype typically associated with conservatives.

What would Pat Martin say about this?

2011-05-04T17:26:00.000-03:00

Over at BC Blue, there's some discussion about the validity of the signatures on NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau’s nomination papers.

From CBC:

"Two people whose names appear on the nomination papers for the NDP's newly elected MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau say they never provided their signatures to support her candidacy.

Radio-Canada reported Wednesday that the signatures of René Young and his wife are on Brosseau's papers, but the couple doesn't remember agreeing to endorse her.

Young says the signature looks like his, but he has no recollection of being asked to support Brosseau's nomination as a candidate in the Quebec riding of Berthier-Maskinongé. He said his wife's name is also on the list but the signature bears no resemblance to hers."

Is Pat Martin going to call out one of his own? It's not like somebody simply inserted the word "not"; it's a forgery of someone's signature supporting this candidates right to represent thousands of constituents in one of the highest offices of the land.

Look out, Ruth Ellen. We all remember how Pat treats women that he thinks are liars or imcompetent. (h/t Crux of the Matter)

Libby Davies: There She Goes Again...

2011-05-03T16:06:00.001-03:00

Just finished watching Libby Davies on CPAC in her first post 2011 election interview. (3:00 - 4:00PM Atlantic time, May 3/2011)

(Watch here at the 1:57 mark)

As usual, she couldn't get through to the end of the broadcast without insulting the host and closing with a cryout to Jesus.

Jack, when you consider your opposition posts, you may want to consider putting this windbag in the back row. Her lack of courtesy and extreme ideology are an ambarrassment to both Canadians and your party.

First The Communists...

2011-05-03T13:18:00.001-03:00

...And now the socialists.

From the National Post:
Michael Ignatieff told reporters this morning he is stepping down as Liberal leader and would like to return to “teaching young Canadians.”

It must be quite disheartening to have your ancestors chased out of their country by an uprising of the ordinary citizen, as happened during the Russian Revolution.

A century later, we have Michael Ignatieff defeated due in large part to an uprising of the commoner, the everyday, ordinary, beer drinking Canadian.

There is a bright side in all of this. Michael is passionate about teaching, and he now has the opportunity to focus his efforts on the thing that makes him truly happy. In the end, happiness is what defines success and Michael has every opportunity now to further his own success.

Best wishes from all of us in your future endeavors Michael.

Sincerely,
The Canadian Electorate.

That was worth the $300 million

2011-05-03T01:10:00.001-03:00

We now have a Conservative majority. We now have an NDP opposition.
Interestingly enough, not only did Quebecers vote for a guy that they could have a beer with, but also a girl that could pour the beer.

The Liberals are reduced to a point where one in every 30 questions will be asked by Wayne Easter in his usual shrill, and the Bloc is toast.

C'est la vie.

Muslim scholars argue bin Laden's sea burial a violation of tradition

2011-05-02T13:28:00.000-03:00

From The Globe & Mail: Muslim scholars argue bin Laden's sea burial a violation of tradition

"Muslim clerics Monday said Osama bin Laden's burial at sea was a violation of Islamic tradition that may further provoke militant calls for revenge attacks against U.S. targets.

Although there appears to be some room for debate over the burial — as with many issues within the faith — a wide range of Islamic scholars interpreted it as a humiliating disregard for the standard Muslim practice of placing the body in a grave with the head pointed toward the holy city of Mecca."

Sorry clerics, but I don't think you'll find enough sympathy to fill a thimble from the citizens of any liberal democracy, at least on this planet. If Osama Bin Laden was concerned about his passage to paradise, perhaps he should have given some consideration to the families and friends of the victims of 9/11 and all the other terrorist attacks or attempts.

My own personal choice is cremation. Others might choose burial. Those that burned in the twin trade towers weren't given a choice either way.

Just sayin'.

One Less Person Singing Kumbaya

2011-05-02T02:01:00.001-03:00

Now that we've all heard the news of the death of Bin Laden, we should consider where Jack Layton will proceed should he assume the office of Prime Minister tomorrow. As if there weren't enough reasons to worry about the NDP winning or hijacking control of parliament on May 2nd, now we have to consider the likes of Libby Davies as a potential Foreign Minister, or Minister of Defence.

Just sayin'.

From Stratfor:

"At this early hour, the only thing possible is speculation on the consequences of bin Laden’s death, and that speculation is inherently flawed. Still, the importance of his death has its consequences. Certainly one consequence will be a sense of triumph in the United States. To others, this will be another false claim by the United States. For others it will be a call to war. We know little beyond what we have been told, but we know it matters."

Read more: Red Alert: Osama bin Laden Killed
STRATFOR

Now I Understand Why Jack Layton Wants To Abolish The Senate...

2011-05-01T19:56:00.000-03:00

The Conservatives have 52 Senate Seats. The Liberals have 46 Senate Seats. The NDP have 0 Senate Seats. Good luck trying to pass your bills into law Jack. Jack may get a majority, and he may push all his bills past 3rd reading, but who's going to put them into law?

If the Conservative Party doesn't have a majority and the NDP & BQ form a coalition, how long would it be before the stalemate would send us back to the polls? Could the Governor General use this as a way to deny the reins of power to Jack Layton if he tries to form a coalition?

I'm no political genius; I just pretend to be one on the intertubes. Will someone with some knowledge in this area enlighten me?

Conservative Rally In PEI

2011-05-01T10:16:00.001-03:00

Just came back from the rally in Stratford, PE.

The school was packed solid! It was so hot in there I was sweating like a pedophile on a school bus. There were a dozen or so protesters outside, but I think the problem was that they misunderstood when Jack Layton said he needed a hand.

The Prime Minister's remarks were pretty much the same as the other rallies that I've seen, except he looked more confident. I was surprised by the level of energy he displayed considering the difference in time zones and the hour. Judging by the reaction from the crowd, it appears that Wayne Easter is going to have an extremely tough fight if he has any hope of retaining his seat in Malpeque. I'm off to work now; it'll be interesting to see the media commentary on this visit later today.

Update: Here's John Ivison's take on it courtesy of the National Post:

"He took the stage with the bounce of a man who knows he’s going to win, and possibly win big. The feeling in the Tory camp is one of relief that the NDP tide appears to be ebbing, combined with a quiet confidence that vote splits might be enough to give them a majority."

Sometime During The Secret Coalition Talks

2011-05-01T01:34:00.002-03:00

"We had to stop the bus to let my friend Jack off.

Now where did you say that massage clinic was?"

The Accidental Prime Minister Part 2

2011-04-28T16:57:00.000-03:00

The average voter on May 2nd:

The average voter on May 3rd:

The Accidental Prime Minister

2011-04-28T15:26:00.001-03:00

As we're now facing daily polls of Jack Layton's NDP replacing the Liberal Party of Canada as the official opposition, or Jack accidently being voted in as Prime Minister by legions of eighteen year olds living in their parents' basement, there seems to be some debate about what has caused Michael Ignatieff's poll numbers to do everything but "rise up".

In the Toronto Star, Chantal Hebert writes "To follow the 2011 Liberal election campaign has been like watching a plane crash in slow motion."

Warren Kinsella also outlines some pretty compelling arguments for the demise of the Liberal Party.
"His party’s policies are irrelevant (and contain ingredients that are very bad for you). They have some not-bad policies – and they have some that are plain nutty (like reopening the Constitution, or multiple billions in promises that Jacko doesn’t know how to pay for). But, in the main, his party’s policies don’t matter. Canadians have decided they want to vote for someone they like, not for someone with the best policies. Jack, they like. Harper, especially, they don’t. The policy analysis of many Canadians: Harper and Ignatieff are too right-wing. I’m voting for the only guy who isn’t right wing."

Perhaps this would help explain Michael Ignatieff's meltdown in an interview with the Toronto Star where he said "Jack Layton is “getting a free ride” and telling Conservatives “they can go to hell."
With the stress of likely being held to account for the failings of the previous Liberal governments, now might be an appropriate time for him to light one up, just like in his youth. Curl up and write a good book. What the hell.

For those of you still sitting on the fence with the choice of a safe, stable majority Conservative government or an unsure, weary worn out Liberal Party, just ask yourself one question: "Isn't voting Liberal a lot like betting that the Montreal Canadiens will win the Stanley Cup?"

Conservative for Abortion

2011-04-21T15:26:00.000-03:00

I support a woman's right to abort a Liberal-NDP-BQ coalition.

Outside of that, this subject's like a dead horse pulling a broken wagon, kinda like the one that Michael Ignatieff is trying to ride to a Liberal victory. It doesn't matter how many State Broadcasters say so, resurrecting this isn't going to get Michael Ignatieff elected to the top job.

Could Jack Layton Be The Next Prime Minister?

2011-04-21T14:33:00.001-03:00

Reviewing the headline stories today, the upward trending of the NDP campaign could change the outcome of this election in a way that I don't think anyone has thought possible.

Leading headlines today include the following: (h/t Newswatch Canada)

Nik Nanos Sees Wild Ride Ahead

NDP Surges in Quebec

I'm a curious person. Considering that Jack Layton has said quite frequently, and I have every reason to believe him, that he's very open and willing to enter into a coalition with the Liberals, what would happen if his party came second place thereby making his party the Official Opposition?
Would it be too far fetched to see him offer a hand to the Liberal Party to form government with him, backed by the Bloc Quebecois who socially seem to be political twins to the NDP?

Michael Ignatieff has created a very blurry picture of what he would or would not do if his party came in second place to a Conservative minority government. If Michael is tossed from the party and sent back to Harvard, the dying remnants of the Liberal Party may feel they have no choice but to join Jack Layton's NDP if they ever wish to have any grasp of power in their lifetime. We already know where Jack Layton stands on this issue, he has never denied his aspirations of power or the methods he would use to obtain it.

Unless there's a Conservative majority government on May 2, I think we'll be witnessing the rebirth of Bob Rae, the New Democrat and waving goodbye to Bob Rae the Liberal.

OOPS UPDATE: Looks like Sandy beat me to the punch.

Election Signs - Part One

2011-04-15T13:18:00.000-03:00

Debate Highlights

2011-04-13T00:06:00.001-03:00

1) Ignatieff didn't accidentally go to the wrong country and end up at a debate in London, England or in New York City.

2) Harper didn't say "coalition" five hundred times.

3) Ignatieff almost made me spew my Canadian Club when he chided Harper by saying "This isn't a debate".
TV Guide must've lied to me.

4) Layton managed to get Ignatieff to start the old finger-wagging when he was asked about his attendance record in the House of Commons. I thought he was going to give Jack detention.

5) Harper managed to point out to voters that the purchase of the Jet Fighters is not for another 5 to 10 years, or in political terms 7 more election cycles.

6) All parties agreed to ask the Auditor General to release the report early. Apparently, Parliament's broke but the debate studio isn't. Can we fit 308 MPs in there?

A Blessing In Disguise?

2011-04-11T22:53:00.001-03:00

Auditor General Sheila Fraser has declared she will wait until after the May 2 election before she releases a controversial audit into how the Harper government spent millions of dollars relating to last year's G8 summit in Ontario.Moreover, she has stressed that despite there being a leaked draft version making its rounds in the public, only her final report — once it is introduced in Parliament — will represent her audit findings and conclusions.She made the declaration in a written statement released Monday afternoon, just hours after news of the leaked report landed like a bombshell in the federal election campaign.

According to an article in today's Vancouver Sun, Auditor General Sheila Fraser is quoted as saying:

"I strongly caution the public to wait until our final report . . . has been tabled in Parliament and made public."

Quick out of the gate are the Liberals begging for the report to be released and the NDP wanting a public inquiry. The Conservative Party itself has also asked for the report to be released. I can understand the Liberals asking for the report to be released, but not the NDP. (we've seen what happened the last time they tried to bluff Stephen Harper)

For the Conservatives, the early release of this report is a win, in three possible ways.

1) It shows that they are transparent and have nothing to hide.

2) The final report is likely to be more factual, and will probably absolve the party of anything illegal. If it's negative, it may not make them look like great money managers on this front, but in that case

3) It'll make them look more credible on their estimates for the purchase of new fighter aircraft after the 2015 election and more credible in their deficit fighting plan and refusal to raise taxes as the Liberals and NDP want to do.

Why would I assume that a negative Auditor General's report would make them look more fiscally responsible in these other areas? Well, if the parliamentary budget officer was able to give the G8 & G20 spending a thumbs up for openess and transparency and accuracy while Sheila Fraser is reporting the opposite, then how can we trust his departments numbers when it comes to predicting the costs of military purchases for 30 years down the road?

The Two-Faced Torpedo Of Truth Tour

2011-04-08T01:43:00.000-03:00

I'm actually of the opinion that this 300 Million dollar election is worth every penny. We finally get to see the contrasts to the man who wishes to run our country. As an American, he claims that torture is necessary. As a Canadian, he tells us that it is uncivilized. As an American, he tells us that being an American is not easy. As a Canadian, he promises to make things easy. Just give him a blank cheque; he's here for you. As an American, he acknowedges that there are people who want to kill them and destroy their way of life. As a Canadian, he's willing to do the same to us, if we elect him. As an American, he believes that they should live the way their constitution demands it. As a Canadian, he wants you to believe that he will sidestep our constitution and assume the responsibilities of the provinces for your betterment. If you elect him.

It's not easy being an American. We get that. Unless the Conservative Party under the leadership of Stephen Harper gets elected with a majority government, we will probably discover that it won't be easy being a Canadian. I'm not worried that you didn't come back for me. I'm afraid that you did.

Nanos Poll Shows Tories Expanding Lead

2011-04-02T09:48:00.004-03:00

New poll from Nanos:

CPC 41.3 %
Lib 30.3 %
NDP 16.0 %
BQ 8.5%
GPC 3.7%
Undecided 18.1%

Conservatives: Up.

Everyone else: Not so much

Why We Need More Bulldozer Drivers

2011-04-01T09:21:00.003-03:00

From Suite101.com:

On March, 9, 2011 the Speaker of the House of Commons Peter Milliken issued a report declaring two possible charges of contempt of Parliament. The first was against the Minister responsible for the Canadian International Aid Agency (CIDA) Bev Oda. It’s alleged that Oda added the word “not” to a funding memo for an aid agency, resulting in the request being ignored and lied about in testimony before a committee. Milliken also ruled that Cabinet itself could also be in contempt of Parliament for not disclosing the cost of its crime policies, and the cost of new F-35 fighter jets. He sent this report to a committee, who on March 21, 2011 ruled that the Harper government was in contempt of Parliament. On March 25, 2011 the finding of contempt led to a motion of non-confidence introduced by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. The NDP and BQ supported them, which resulted in the adjornment of the 40th Parliament of Canada, and made Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government the first to fall on a charge of contempt of Parliament.

Fast forward to the 2011 election campaign. From the Vancouver Sun:

Leader Michael Ignatieff pledged Thursday that a Liberal government's first budget would include a $500-million investment in a cost-shared "early childhood learning and care fund," in partnership with the provinces. ... The annual federal spending would rise to $1 billion by the fourth year of the plan, said Ignatieff, who stopped to draw a picture with a little girl named Mercedes during his visit. "One in five Canadians have access to what Mercedes' got. That's not right," Ignatieff added. "This is going to be a very flexible program, it is a program that we can get started fast and early — as soon as you elect a Liberal government."

When asked to provide the costs to the provinces, Ignatieff couldn't give an answer. After all the showmanship surrounding the contempt hearings, don't you think he should have that information? The argument that he has given for pursuing this election is that the Conservatives couldn't be trusted. He has accused Conservative MP's of lying because they couldn't provide parlaiment with the costs to the provinces for the crime and justice bills, and now he's kicking off his campaign doing the same thing. He's forced a $300,000,000.00 election on us, doesn't he owe it to those of us who will be getting the bill to give us the details? If you judge him by his own standards, then according to the coalition members that dominated the contempt of parlaiment committee meetings, he's either going to be a poor Prime Minister or a bad liar.

Which brings us to the subject of the title. MP Stephen Harper made a commitment to Newfoundland & Labradorians that the federal government would provide loan guarantees for the Churchill Falls project. This would provide millions in economic benefits and taxes to the province to manage its finances, whether it's health care or daycare. Michael is promising money also, which statistically would be less than 2% of the $500,000,000.00 available. That's less than a million dollars. If you're a mother with young children trying to find suitable daycare in Newfoundland & Labrador, you have a good reason to fire up that old bulldozer. You're going to need one, to plough through all the empty, uncosted Liberal promises that are piling up.

Made In The U.S.A.

2011-03-31T10:26:00.004-03:00

Does anyone know if there's a Canadian version of this that will be available soon? CBC (coalition broadcasting corporation) has released their online Compass tool that is supposed to tell you who you should vote for according to your selection of the answers offered. Here's the major problem with it: Not only does it tell you by default that you should elect an American to the office of Prime Minister, it does so by presenting American policy platforms as that of Canadian policy platforms. As Canadian taxpayers, shouldn't we demand that the CBC support Canada by using products designed for Canadians instead of products designed for Americans? It looks like we'll have to wait. Sun TV will be starting in Canada in the next few weeks, offering balanced reporting from all sides of the political spectrum.

Truth Or Dare Time

2011-03-28T20:59:00.008-03:00

It's time the Conservative Party started telling the truth, and I'm offering my assistance right here. Listening to the opposition coalition spin on things the last several days, I couldn't help but notice the media's complicity (or stupidity) in helping one of the descendants of the tsarist regime of Russia to get elected. (Isn't it ironic? The great Liberal hope for democracy in Canada comes to us via a decendant of the tsarist regime ousted during the Russian revolution of 1917 that was waged in the hopes of bringing freedom to the commoner!) Well, no offence, but I'm not really keen on taking my chances that things will work out for the betterment of the commoner here in Canada. We already know that the Liberals have a track record of promising one thing to gain power and then doing the opposite (even with a majority to fulfill their promises unhindered). There's also the partners in crime, like the guy driving the getaway car and the guy stealing the gas to power it. Jack Layton wants to know why the CPC won't offer families more help now instead of when the deficit is eliminated. In case everyone has developed a case of amnesia, which I doubt most Canadians have, Stephen Harper was forced to make choices that benefited all Canadians when the world-wide recession started to have an adverse effect on Canadian families. Helping Canadians through this struggle resulted in a $56 Billion deficit that has been driven down to $39.5 Billion for the current year. By reducing Canada's deficit to zero, the federal government will be better able to afford social programs in the future. Replacing Canada's Conservative government with a coalition or Liberal government (or regime, by Michael Ignatieff's own words) will hinder this future planning, at least according to Liberal John McCallum. Corporate tax cuts: Michael keeps insisting he would maintain the current tax rate for corporations at 18 %. Could someone please remind Michael that on one of those rare occasions when he showed up to vote (he had the worst attendance record of all those that were so keen on democracy, perhaps he had too much contempt for parlaiment), he lowered the tax rate to 16.5 %? This really needs to be hammered home. There are too many reporters that are letting the lie of a tax break for corporations fall on the Conservatives, when it was widely supported by the opposition coalition in previous budgets. The Liberals want to raise taxes. It's simple; if the media wants to cover this up, then the CPC has to tell people the truth and point them to the proof if they need it. The G20: Michael would especially like to thank Mark Holland for his "tenacious attack" on the government of Canada for its effort at ensuring the safety and security of world dignitaries. Those Liberals are also tenacious at hanging on to that $41 Million dollars of taxypayers money stolen through the Adscam scheme. What happened to the previous Liberal government's promise to get rid of all people associated with that theft? Currently, two thirds of those people have remained or been rehired to get Michael Ignatieff elected to the office of the Prime Minister. So much for ethics and accountability. The Coalition: CPAC has all the proof required to prove that the CPC didn't sign a letter for a coalition, they signed an agreement to force the Liberal government of Paul Martin to work through issues without forcing an election or ursurping power. Family Income Splitting: The opposition coalition talking point is that this won't come into play until the next election. Of course they're going to say that, to acknowledge that this could come into play sooner would be to admit that the Conservative's are better financial planners and that they have a plan to eliminate our deficit. If you live in eastern Canada, in a province like Newfoundland and Labrador or Prince Edward Island, you know what I'm talking about. One of you leaves to go to Alberta to make enough money to pay the bills while the other spouse stays home to look after the children and everything else. It's hell on most families, but without the high income work many families could not get by in these regions. With this item, we know that not only is there a plan for today, there is also a vision for the future. What is the Liberal plan or vision for the future, aside from gaining power and raising taxes? What are the costs of a Liberal - NDP - Bloc coalition? Since they won't provide an honest, detailed estimate of those costs, should we hold them in contempt of voters? Fighter Jets: The coalition opposition keep touting a $30 Billion pricetag for fighter jets, which won't be purchased for another five to seven years if the decision still stands to do so. Regardless of maintenance costs, the replacement costs of the equipment to the airforce is around $5 billion dollars. Maintenance costs will be incurred with any aircraft, and likely moreso with older aircraft. On another note, why is it that the opposition coalition and reporters are so comfortable spouting this figure of $30 Billion when the first purchase isn't due until 2016 at the earliest, yet we hear Michael Ignatieff and Scott Brison complain that it's too far down the road to vote for a party promising family income splitting ? What, are people going to stop having kids? This may provide an incentive for families to have more children and certainly our canada pension plan could use some future contributors to keep the plan viable. I'm sure there's more to come, how soon depending on how many more lies are fed to us by the Liberal - NDP - Bloc coalition. They've lied to us once. They'll do it again. It's the Liberal hidden agenda.

Budget B.S.

2011-03-23T23:41:00.002-03:00

We are definately going into an election. The olive branch being extended by the NDP is a farce. Let's examine the reasons why we are going into an election first. 1) Liberal reason: Nothing to lose. The Liberal party is at rock-bottom. The media is and always has been 90% in support of the Liberal party, with the exception of a 3 year period when they were too embarrassed, as in the sponsorship scandal, or when it just wasn't "cool", when Stephane Dion was leader. Despite the retoric, the romper-room commiteee hearings, Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne defrauding Canadian taxpayers, Ruby Dhalla's past (and current) troubles, and oh yeah, that little matter of $41,000,000.00 that hasn't yet been repaid to taxpayers regarding Adscam; the media are keen to look past all that and announce the Conservatives dead in the water because of lapses of ethics that have yet to be proven, at least by a non-partisan judge. The Liberals really don't have anything to lose; they've got nothing now and if they don't win this election, they'll at least draw some attention to themselves with a new leader. Perhaps they'll even have a vote for a new leader this time. Wouldn't that be unprecedented! 2) NDP reason: They think we're stupid. It doesn't matter if Jack Layton was bullied into rejecting the budget due to pressure from his members ( perhaps they put the pressure on his wife Olivia Chow, you know how some of them can be ), he had the choice of standing up to his followers and showing them who was boss. It was him that got them this far. I can appreciate his current stalling for more goodies in the budget. It makes perfect sense in his position. As it stands, he's going to lose more than he can gain. I think he believed that the Conservatives would be so desperate to retain power that he could get away with demanding more. He thought wrong. 3) Bloc reason: They want more, and will probably get more regardless of who forms the government. 4) Conservative reason: The other three parties can't keep complaining about the government without either shitting or getting off the pot. Despite all the flame throwing from the opposition, we actually do live in a democracy and unless a government can be brought in with a majority that has a vision for our future and a roadmap to get there, we'll just keep spinning our tires going nowhere. Let's get this over with. Getting back to the point of the post, I know perfectly well that any sane politician couldn't make changes to this budget to accomodate the NDP. If the changes were made, Jack would vote for the budget and then later vote no confidence on an ethics motion. He could then tell his members that the NDP was capable of making change, both on the budget and on whether or not the government can survive if he deems them unethical. There's no choice now but to have an election. I hope this insanity will end and we'll be able to give the conservatives a five-year test run with a majority government.

Polling Shows Conservatives Are Trusted More Than Liberals

2011-03-20T22:46:00.002-03:00

Something else the coalition will be attaching the word "unprecedented" to. From the National Post: Canadians believe political honesty should trump economic recovery as the main issue in the next election but — in a major blow to the Liberals — voters rank the Tories as the best party to deliver a government they can trust. Expect the Liberals and Dippers to start pouring crazy-glue on all that mud they're throwing around, with the hope that it might stick.

Jack Layton Wants To Fix Ottawa

2011-03-20T15:07:00.003-03:00

As the NDP launches its pre-election advertising blitz, we have the most recent ad opening with the NDP claiming that Ottawa is broken and Jack Layton saying that only his party can fix it. Fine then. Let's start by helping to square this circle. We've got on one hand what seems to be an angry misogynist Pat Martin, and on the other hand what appears to be an angry knee-capping Thomas Mulcair. You can judge people by their words, or if you choose, by their actions. Let's take a look at their words. NDP deputy leader Mulcair scraps with QMI journalist 'Tom, are you trying to kneecap your leader while he's recovering from a bad hip' asks QMI's Brian Lilley Mr. Mulcair wasn't having it. Turning to face Mr. Lilley, who was parked behind the usual roped barrier put there so reporters don't get too close to MPs at the microphones, he responded: "Well Brian, since I have so much respect for you as a journalist, why don't you tell me what you heard me say that would make you say that, and not something that a Conservative spinmeister would say." Then came this testy exchange, as Mr. Mulcair gestured toward Mr. Lilley with his hands pressed together and then pointed his index finger at Mr. Lilley. Mulcair: "You tell me something that you've heard me say that would lead you to say that? You're the journalist who asked me the question. Tim Powers isn't a journalist, he's a Conservative spinner." Lilley: "Fine. If you went to an election now, the polls say that you would lose seats. Would that be an opportunity for you? Are you angling for leadership? He raises an interesting question and that's what I'm putting to you. You would lose seats. Mulcair: "You, you're a journalist, I'm a Member of Parliament. You have the obligation, if you're going to make a statement like that to point to something that I've said that you can ask your question based on. I'm not going to answer a pure hypothetical from you Brian. I have too much respect for you and you should have a little bit more respect for your own function and ours than to ask questions like that. "So tell me something that I've said that allows you to ask that question, Brian Lilley. Lilley: "Well I can ask whatever question I feel like Tom Mulcair." Mulcair: "Tell me something that I've said that leads to that question. Something that I've done or said. You're a pure, you're asking a purely hypothetical question based on something that comes from a Conservative spinmeister." Lilley: "We ask them all the time." Mulcair: "Tell me something I've said." Lilley: "You've said that an election is likely. You've called for an election." Mulcair: "Show me where I've said that." Lilley: "Well I don't have them in..." Another reporter chimed in, "You can't decide which questions we ask." To which Mr. Mulcair, still focused on Mr. Lilley said: "I've never said, I've never called for an election. You just made that up." Now, that's one of the gentleman who is going to fix Ottawa. Here's another one. If these guys are the Jeckyll and Hyde of the NDP, how would you know who is who? Pat Martin in committee lynching of Bev Oda: Pat Martin: "I have a question for Miss Biggs, Miss Biggs through the chair, do you believe Kairos is an anti-semetic organization?" Miss Biggs: "Well Chair, my....I don't think my opinions are ( answer becomes diluted due to interruption from Mr. Martin ) Pat Martin: "Well I'm asking you the question, you don't have the option....This is the thing, perhaps through the chair you could remind the witnesses that in this parlaimentary Westmin(i)ster parlaiment you do not have the right to ramain silent, and the offsetting right is, what you say can't be used against you. You have to answer the question. It's not optional" These guys don't act like they could fix a sandwich, much less Ottawa. Don't take my word for it, see for yourself. You can judge them by their actions. Update: If you've got a really strong stomach, you can get a better glimpse of the unprecedented woman bashing from Sandy at Crux Of The Matter.

The Carson Controversy

2011-03-18T17:52:00.005-03:00

In the latest so-called scandal, the coalition opposition is lambasting the federal government for doing what they would have lambasted them for not doing: Calling in the RCMP to investigate allegations regarding the relationship between 66 year old Bruce Carson and 22 year old Michelle McPherson in a water treatment deal between the federal government and H2O Global Group. Here's the story from the advertising wing of the Liberal Party of Canada: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/03/17/pol-carson-folo.html Here's the simplest way to explain this for the average Canadian voter:

This is her, on the left, and him on the right.

Using the same mathematical formulas the opposition parties are struggling with to explain their projections for the cost of corporate tax cuts, 65 F-35 next generation stealth fighters, and the so-called 56 Billion deficit that they forgot they forced on the current government (and you the taxpayer), the simple truth looks to most people like he just wanted to see how many times 66 can go into 22.

I think it's a new trend; he's not the only one with a 22 year old girlfriend. Even Tiger's got one!

For anyone to attempt to tie this as an ethics issue to the Prime Minister is laughable. If this is the best you can come up with then you are in dire need of some medication.

What About Our Hearts And Minds?

2011-03-15T19:01:00.003-03:00

Michael Totten has a new article in the New York Post regarding the current uprising in Libya. "As forces loyal to Libya's cruel and de ranged tyrant Moammar Khadafy re conquer one rebel-held city after an other, the Arab League and the Arabic press are calling for a no-fly zone over the country to tip, or at least even, the odds. While I'm inclined to help the Libyans on humanitarian grounds and to advance our own national interests, the American public's appetite is low for intervening on behalf of the rebels -- and it's largely the Arab world's fault." [...] "They might find that if they treated us more like the Kurds do, more of us will be willing to help them in the future -- rather than shun them as hostiles who deserve to be left to their fate. " You can read the entire article here: What About Our Hearts And Minds? Michael also has a new book just released: The Road to Fatima Gate

Here's a book review: Michael Totten is a master carpenter. His work is a long, slow process using only carefully selected quality materials, often acquired with difficulty. In terms of volume, he comes nowhere near the output of many of his colleagues, but what he does produce will stand the test of time because Totten does not seek to tell his readers (or himself) what they want to know – he informs them of what they need to know. [...] The Road to Fatima Gate is essential reading for anyone who wishes to look beyond the trite reporting of Middle East affairs and find out what really makes this region tick. It offers no easy answers, no instant solutions and little comfort or reason for optimism. But then again, that is precisely what makes it an accurate record and analysis of five years in the life of a region which, despite always being in the news, so few know much about. Even more importantly, Totten’s work will provide the reader with an essential basis for the understanding of future events in this region, the mechanisms of which are already in process.

Wiki-Waits (AKA The Trouble With Wiki-Leaks)

2010-12-16T00:03:00.002-04:00

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that at the current rate of release of the Cable-Gate files, the full release of these cable won't be completed until 2019? I mean, isn't the world supposed to come to an end in 2012? For those on the side of the debate that hail Assange as a genius, you've probably mistaken magician for genius: Someone who entertains you by diverting your attention to focus on what he wants you to see. To those on the side of the debate who hail him as a terrorist: You're very close. He's causing the same effect as the attacks on the Trade Towers on September 11, 2001. He's causing you to focus on yourself, asking the question on everone elses mind: "What about me?" It's been over two weeks now, and what have we learned that we didn't already know? Nothing. The only problematic fact is that these stories are no longer quoting anonymous sources, but real people. Many of those people are left in compromising positions now that will likely lead to death, as in the case of some of the arabic diplomats admitting that Iran is a bigger threat than Israel. Which leads me to believe that the biggest danger with the release of this information is the carrot dangling in front of us. Next we're promised bank leaks. UFO leaks. Lovely. While everyone's focused on Wikileaks, there's probably something ten-times more important that's happening that we're too distracted to notice or care about. If Assange wants to impress me, if he wants to be the brave man that he tries to portray, he'll have to do better. Release all the cables now. As an old farmer was once heard saying: "Shit or get off the pot".

Mad As Hell Tour - Part Two

2010-07-13T23:29:00.002-03:00

This type of story just seems to write itself.

"The bus carrying Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff broke down just outside the Eastern Ontario town of Hawkesbury Tuesday, just before 6 p.m. The breakdown occurred on the first day of the Liberal Leader's six-week, cross-country excursion to promote Mr. Ignatieff's and his party's fortunes."

It seems like the old normal in Liberal land.

Maybe someone could loan Ignatieff some roller blades.

Boom Shaga Laga Laga Boom Shaga Laga Laga....

2010-07-06T17:58:00.002-03:00

Isreali Defence Forces on patrol in Hebron

h/t Michael Totten.

They Try Every Saturday Night...

2010-06-11T21:21:00.002-03:00

...But I just say "no". Man Claims Cow Seduced Him. (Just when you thought we were evolving for the better)

The Mood In Turkey

2010-06-02T23:18:00.002-03:00

Michael Totten has been keeping us up to date with the reaction from the world community to the Israeli raid on the blockade runners. This particular article caught my eye: The Mood in Turkey I've been trying to think of something to say about this, but I've got nothing. With anger and sarcasm, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu lashed out Tuesday at Israel's attack on a Gaza aid flotilla and by extension the Obama administration's reluctance to immediately condemn the assault that left at least nine civilians dead. "Psychologically, this attack is like 9/11 for Turkey," Davutoglu told reporters over breakfast in Washington before going to the State Department to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. [...] "We will not be silent about this," he said. "We expect the United States to show solidarity with us. . . . I am not very happy with the statements from the United States yesterday." Michael, I've thought of it too. There is an important element of this to notice, so that the average person can differentiate between 9/11 and the struggle that ensued aboard the Mavi Marmara. It's not just the 3,000 lives lost versus the 9 lives on the Mavi Marmara. No, the real difference is that on Sept 11 of 2001, the Trade Towers didn't try attacking a foreign enemy, they were instead the unwilling targets. They weren't smuggling weapons through a blockade, thereby attacking an opponent. The innocent civilians had no opportunity to surrender and they certainly weren't offered any assistance from those piloting the airliners filled with innocent people. Comparing these two events is like claiming that the victims of the concentration camps asked for their death sentence. Every year, Jim Diamond (Mega-Genius) publishes his list of "Stupidest Statements Awards". It looks to me like Ahmet Davutoglu has first-place guaranteed for Jan of 2011.

Have a Heart!

2010-02-23T23:15:00.002-04:00

I find it hard to believe that Premier Danny Williams' choice to have heart surgery in the United States is still a story. Especially since, if you believe the liberal-lovin' media in Canada, conservatives don't have hearts. It's kind of funny. They were all kissing his underside when he was bashing Stephen Harper. Anyway, despite my dismay at what I consider his self centered attitude, I wish him a speedy recovery.

Afghanistan: Synonymous With Liberal Hypocracy

2009-12-11T01:17:00.004-04:00

In September 2001, after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Minister of National Defence Art Eggleton proposed sending 100 Canadian Forces members to identify and neutralize al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan and topple the Taliban regime. The purpose was to defend Canada's national interests, ensure Canadian leadership in world affairs, and help Afghanistan rebuild. In October 2001, Canada announced it's contribution to Operation Apollo. Shortly thereafter, Operation Anaconda began. It was during this operation that Canadian snipers broke, and re-broke the kill record for a long distance sniper kill. In 2003, Canadian Forces moved to Kabul as part of ISAF. In 2005, Defence Minister Bill Graham doubled the troop deployment to 1200 members. In 2006, Canada was a leader in southern Afghanistan with TFA commanding a multi national unit. It was during this time that Canada extended it's commitments with the introduction of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams. This leadership was not without a cost: recognising the resolve of Canadian Forces members, the Taliban began to fight back. Numerous missions followed, as did numerous deaths. Smothered by freedom, the Taliban resorted to roadside bombings. The Taliban wasn't the only party resorting to dirty tricks. Back in Canada, the NDP and Liberal parties were suffering at the hand of the electorate and started resorting to their own dirty tricks by trying to pin the deaths of Canadian soldiers on Canada's newly elected government. Fast forward to December, 2009. Falling badly in the polls, with the Conservative leading by a margin at times as large as 14%, the Liberal Party under the direction of Michael Ignatieff attacks the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper for covering up the war crimes of Canadian soldiers that out of the other side of his mouth he says they didn't commit. It's said that war is hell. So is watching our official Leader of the Opposition during Question Period. He say he supports torture when he's not leading a political party. Now that he's leading one, he wants to make his opponents pay for what his own party didn't take adequate steps to prevent. You can accuse the Conservatives of trying to hide something, but when it comes to Liberals the evidence speaks for itself. It's tragic enough that so many Canadians died because they actually believed that they could bring peace to Afghanistan, but the real tragedy is the cheap political points trying to be scored by opposition leaders at home. They betray their own countrymen with false indignation. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff wants you to believe that he thinks Canadian soldiers did everything right. He also expects you to remove yourself from reality and accept that they were somehow guilty of deliberately handing really nice Afghanis over to Afghan authorities so that they could be knowingly tortured. Luckily for us, it only took three years to mention it. Not so lucky for someone getting thrown in a prison over there after getting a wicked spanking. Regardless of your political leanings you should ask yourself the following: without the wisdom or willingness to envision a positive future for Afghanistan, what makes Liberals think they have the moral authority to govern Canada?

Back At The Ranch.....

2009-12-10T23:38:00.002-04:00

The Duke boys were all feelin' merry. But Mary didn't like it, so they all jumped for joy....

No; actually, I'm being over-run by leftards. Anyone wanna join the fun over at MacLeans?

It's a great time. You get to read how so many Liberal - Lovers explain how they admire the sacrifices of our Canadian soldiers who have done everything right, but they can't explain how those soldiers that did everything right also did everything wrong and somebody got beaten with a shoe.

Remember, folks: these are the same idiots that cheered when George Bush was beaten by a shoe.

I'm sure they mean to mean well.

A Closer Look At The Truth

2009-11-20T02:26:00.005-04:00

All over the country, Liberals are crying foul over the recent ten percenter mailed out to constituents featuring what appears to be the Liberal consensus on Israel's treatment of it's neighbors. Let's look closely at what the pamphlet really says.

On the top Left of the insert, we see the Conservative claim that the Government of Canada has led the world in refusing participation in Durban 2 hate fest against Israel. Upon reviewing our recent history, this appears to be true. We define proof as "evidence sufficient to convince". The evidence here seems to indicate that the first statement is true.

On the top Right of the insert, we see the claim that Liberals willingly participated in the overtly anti-Semitic Durban 1 Conference. According to Wikepedia, after four days of deadlocked negotiations, the United States and Israeli delegations withdrew from the conference. "The draft documents had stated "deep concern" at the "increase of racist practices of Zionism and anti-Semitism" and talked of the emergence of "movements based on racism and discriminatory ideas, in particular the Zionist movement, which is based on racial superiority". Alternative proposals, which the U.S. had supported, from Norway, acting as a mediator, and Canada were rejected by Israel. Apparently, Israel wasn't happy with our government. Our Liberal government, of which Jean Chretien held a majority. Is there any truth here? You decide.

On the Left middle of the insert, the Conservative claim that the Government of Canada led the defunding of the Hamas led Palestinian Authority. According to CBC, Peter MacKay said: "Not a red cent to Hamas," MacKay said on CBC's Inside Politics. "This is a terrorist organization." If the CBC printed it, you know it must be true.

On the Right middle of the insert, the Conservative claim that Liberals were against the defunding of Hamas and asked that Hezbollah be delisted as a terrorist organization. Well, there are two sides to this story. First, there's no doubt in my mind that Liberal Irwin Cotler does not support Hamas. He's rather sane. Then there's Michael Ingatieff. Here's how one person analyzed Michael's claim that Israel committed war crimes. I don't actually believe that Mr. Ignatieff hates Jews, but his own words didn't help him here. As for supporting Hezbollah, line up in the parade. The Conservative claim of Liberal support for Hezbollah is true, if you can believe the Canadian media. If you can't read, there's plenty of video footage.

On the bottom Left, the Conservative claim that they strongly backed Israel's right to self-defense against Hezbollah during the 2006 war: Guilty as charged.

On the bottom Right, the Conservative claim that Michael Ignatieff accused Israel of committing war crimes: In his own words, Michael admitted it. Why would anyone make this up?

Now, would someone ask Joe Volpe where in these two pages it say that any Liberal is an anti-Semite? Pizza lovers, yes. Anti-Semites, no. Perhaps it's just guilty feelings.

UPDATE: Ariela Cotler explains the truth from her point of view. You may not like it, but it's only fitting that I post this in defence of her husband, Irwin Cotler. As I said above, his feelings toward Israel were never up for interpretation to me. Of particular interest in the opinion piece is the following line: "If the Conservative mailer is asking me who is a true leader, my answer is an ethical and moral leader who can apologize when they err, and not a leader who distorts the truth and cynically divides Canadians for partisan gain."

I asked myself that question before casting my ballot the last few times, and it was my decision along with many others that resulted in the Conservative Party of Canada forming government.

Thanks for bringing it up, Ariela.

It's Enough To Make You Sick...

2009-11-03T22:23:00.003-04:00

There has been so much discussion about the Government of Canada's response to the H1N1 virus that one could be led to believe that we are living on a different planet, or perhaps under seige by Visitors of unknown origins. ( Sorry, but I had to plug the new ABC tv series, it's a great distraction from all the good things we have to appreciate about living in Canada.) According to Flucount, Canada is suffering approximately 3 deaths per million infections. According to MADD, it is significantly less than the fatalities from Alcohol related accidents in Canada. Here's a simple truth: we could argue extensively about whatever cause we believe in until the cows come home without ever changing enyone elses opinion. For example, the anti-American's in our government will use the death of Canadian soldiers to promote their hatred and misunderstanding of our southern neighbors. They will point to statistics, just like I did in the first paragraph. They will not tell you how many farming accidents resulted in death in Canada during the same period, nor will they call for a ban on farming. Here's another truth: Until we have a majority government, under any political banner, you will enjoy more of the same governance. A government constantly at war with itself is in the difficult position of having to defend everything while accomplishing little. If you are unhappy with the current government you will have the opportunity to vote them out. If you are unhappy with the opposition MP's send them a message. They and their advisers can do much better than calling people liars, especially when they've held the opinion that doing less and doing it later more than met their expectations. People need healing, not hypocrisy.

Media Gone Crackers

2009-07-08T16:02:00.002-03:00

I couldn't help notice the latest 'scandal' in the Telegraph Journal. Here is a sample: "When Harper took the host, "everybody just paused and said, 'What did he do with it?'"‚" said one official who watched the pool feed with reporters who were not inside St. Thomas Church in Memramcook. "You could see he was, 'Uh oh, I don't know what to do with this.'"‚" The curiosity among Catholics has not gone unnoticed among Liberal insiders in Ottawa, either. Henneberry said he has received a call on Harper's actions from a concerned Catholic, and he doubts that she is the only one puzzled and perturbed. "She said she was very upset," he said, adding he had not seen the footage. "She said, 'All weekend long it has been bothering me and I know I can't do something about it, but someone should.' "She can't be the only one in this country that is thinking that." Why not? Is Mr Harper supposed to bow to every religion? "The issue was initially raised by Monsignor Brian Henneberry, vicar general and chancellor in the Diocese of Saint John. “It's worse than a faux pas, it's a scandal from the Catholic point of view,” he told the Saint John Telegraph-Journal." Harper's in Italy today, where their Prime Minister is accused of banging anything with a heartbeat, and our scandal consists of "Did he or did he not eat the wafer?" It's no wonder that other people see Canadians as bland and boring. I guess that's how the cookie crumbles.

History Repeats Itself

2009-06-26T02:33:00.002-03:00

RIP MJ. For those of you not old enough to remember, this isn't the first time that a superstar has died.

Who Pays For These Studies?

2009-04-21T11:10:00.003-03:00

From CTV News: Resuscitation at birth increases risk of low IQ. Children who have to be resuscitated at birth appear to be more likely to score poorly on IQ tests, even if they appeared healthy at first, report British researchers. The findings, published on the website of The Lancet, come from Dr, David Odd of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, U.K. The authors looked at children who had been resuscitated at birth but had no symptoms of neonatal encephalopathy, a term used to describe the signs of acute brain injury, such as seizures or altered responsiveness or tone. They also looked at babies who had been resuscitated and had received neonatal care for symptoms of encephalopathy in their first month of life. They then compared the two groups to more than 10,000 children who had not needed to be resuscitated. The researchers gave the children IQ tests when they were about eight years old. A low IQ score was determined to be less than 80. The researchers found that the children who had developed symptoms of neonatal encephalopathy had more than a six-fold increased risk of a low IQ score compared with the children who had been born healthy. But even children who had appeared healthy after birth but had been resuscitated had a 65 per cent increased risk for a low IQ score. I now know why ignorance is bliss. "He's not going to ace his SAT, so let him go!" Given the choice, I think I would rather be stupid than dead. Just ask some of our politicians.

Duffy's Defence

2009-02-14T11:57:00.002-04:00

From The Guardian: The comments in Halifax came on the heels of sensational comments at a Conservative meeting in Winsloe last week, and again in the Senate, where he suggested Ghiz may get the “shaft” by getting in bed with the premier of Newfoundland, and that the sight of two politicians in bed was “... a grotesque scene.” According to a reader poll in the same newspaper, seventy five percent of Prince Edward Islanders think that Senator Michael Duffy's comments were unfairly directed at them. This is complete nonsense. If people had read the transcript, available here in hansard, they would understand that the Senator was speaking on their behalf, not against them. You can use all the metaphors you want to; none will matter if you can't understand the substance of what that message is. If success is defined as the realization of a goal, then Sen. Duffy succeeded. He wanted to draw attention to the fact that Premier Robert Ghiz was lending his support to Premier Danny Williams. What's the big deal if other premiers jump on the bandwagon with Danny Williams? None, if they want to get thrown off the wagon and run over by the horses upon their first disagreement with him. In this particular case, Mr. Williams is unhappy about the recent changes to the equalization formula. It was a fine formula back in the days when Newfoundland & Labrador were have not provinces. The agreement of the Mulroney government in 1985 changed that. Our friendly neighbors to the North of us were given rights to the federally owned oil fields so that they may some day develop them and reduce their dependence on the rest of Canada. A proud moment for them indeed, but not good enough for Danny. He wants it all: revenue from off shore oil and revenue from equalization. Perhaps Senator Duffy should have explained it more clearly, that by conceding to Mr. Williams, PEI would be a net loser under the equalization program. Perhaps our usually jovial Senator thought that the 75% of Islanders that accuse him of thinking they're stupid thought that they really were intelligent. Therein lies the true error.

InAWEguration

2009-01-21T12:29:00.006-04:00

Was there a human being on this planet that wasn't consumed with the inauguration of President Barack Hassan Obama?

After briefly flipping through the channels, I remembered something.

UPDATE: Obama popped into Canada for a minute, and the world went nuts. Andrew Coyne has all the details.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-30T00:07:00.002-04:00

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

2008-12-05T00:22:00.000-04:00

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

For Those Of You In The House Of Commons

2008-12-04T15:05:00.004-04:00

...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

2008-12-03T00:29:00.002-04:00

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

How Many Members Will Cross The Floor?

2008-12-03T00:04:00.003-04:00

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

2008-12-02T00:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-22T12:36:00.004-03:00

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

2008-10-22T01:33:00.003-03:00

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

2008-10-19T03:39:00.002-03:00

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

2008-10-14T12:40:00.002-03:00

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

2008-10-13T00:55:00.002-03:00

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!

2008-10-09T21:20:00.006-03:00

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!

2008-10-04T01:47:00.002-03:00

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

2008-10-03T01:03:00.002-03:00

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

2008-10-01T23:21:00.004-03:00

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

2008-09-30T23:58:00.002-03:00

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

2008-09-21T01:07:00.002-03:00

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

2008-09-19T17:40:00.003-03:00

....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

2008-09-16T00:26:00.002-03:00

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

2008-09-12T11:40:00.002-03:00

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

2008-09-12T01:25:00.002-03:00

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

2008-09-08T22:26:00.004-03:00

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:

2008-09-06T21:50:00.004-03:00

CONSERVATIVE

LIBERAL

'Nuff said.

ABC or L, Anybody?

2008-08-30T02:09:00.003-03:00

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."

2008-08-22T02:54:00.002-03:00

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....

2008-08-06T14:56:00.005-03:00

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

2008-05-31T20:41:00.003-03:00

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

2008-04-25T10:27:00.002-03:00

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

2008-03-27T00:00:00.002-03:00

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

2008-02-29T23:50:00.002-04:00

"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.

Good Will Hunting

2007-12-24T19:45:00.000-04:00

I know the title's been used before, but I must confess that it seemed appropriate for this little item on National Newswatch. US actor Will Smith has stunned fans by reportedly declaring that Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was essentially a "good" person. "Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'Let me do the most evil thing I can do today," Smith told the newspaper in a wide-ranging interview. Maybe it's just the influence of the season, but I have to agree with Mr. Smith's hunt to find something good in everyone. It may be considered the "Norm" to jump all over Will Smith for his statements regarding Adolph Hitler, but he wasn't entirely wrong. We all know that Hitler was personally responsible for deaths of millions of people of the Jewish faith, but does anyone know Hitler for his unwillingness to allow his troops to use poison gas on Allied soldiers during World War II? Will Smith wasn't defending the actions of a psychotic, it seemed more like he was merely expressing his belief that maybe Jesus Christ knew something that we forgot: we're all born in sin. It's what we do from then on that makes us who we are. I like Will Smith, and can't really think of anything good about Hitler, so I'll just skip to the reason of this post: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Al-salaamu Aleikum.

"Iraq has been taken over by the imperial powers of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks."

2007-12-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

Michael Totten has a new article over at Commentary. I just returned home from a trip to Fallujah, where I was the only reporter embedded with the United States military. There was, however, an unembedded reporter in the city at the same time. Normally it would be useful to compare what I saw and heard while traveling and working with the Marines with what a colleague saw and heard while working solo. Unfortunately, the other Fallujah reporter was Ali al-Fadhily from Inter Press Services. You can read "The other Fallujah Reporter" here.

The Unseen Angle

2007-12-12T00:30:00.000-04:00

American - Canadian Acid Rain Agreement. Support for Nelson Mandela to end Apartheid in South Africa. The reunification of East and West Germany. The introduction of televised Question Period in the House Of Commons. Helping to stop the genocide of innocent Muslims at the hands of the Bosnian Serbs. The liberation of Kuwait. These are just six of the accomplishments of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. Of all the things that we are expected to believe of Karlheinz Schreiber's testimony in front of the ethics committee, it is perhaps easiest to understand why he felt it was important for the Progressive Conservative's to regain the trust of Canadians and once again lead this great nation. Apparently, the governments of Germany and France felt the same way. After reading and watching just about every news item dealing with this topic, the one question that hasn't been asked about this whole affair is: "What if Schreiber's telling the truth?" Whatever trail you choose to follow regarding how Mulroney got $300,000.00 from Mr. Schreiber, none has yet to prove that any law was broken. That's a lot of bones, but it doesn't make a graveyard. So why didn't Mulroney admit that he got $300,000.00 from Schreiber? The answer is so obvious that everyone's missing it. Mulroney wasn't asked if he received any money from Schreiber for future consulting work. He was asked if he was paid any money for kickbacks from Airbus. In the legal world, wouldn't those be two completely different things? The proper answers, based on the sworn testimony of Schreiber and statements from Mulroney, are respectfully "yes" and "no". So if Mulroney was asked if he accepted any Airbus kickbacks, why would he mention transactions that weren't related? Why would anybody? Which leads to today's testimony. If Schreiber is being sincere, then there is definately the possibility that a conspiracy existed to remove Schreiber from his position of influence of politicians in both Canada and Europe. Who would have to gain from his removal? For starters, those companies that lost out to Airbus. If Canadian, German and French officials could be bought, why couldn't it happen again from politicians that had something to gain by the fallout? Just something to think about for the sake of excersizing your brain.

The Things We Take For Granted

2007-11-29T03:47:00.000-04:00

Between all the commotion of Karlheinz Schreiber, and the sagging fortunes of the Liberal Party of Canada, it's sometimes all too easy to overlook the things that matter most. Such is the case this week of the loss of a family member. In the room next to me is a greiving 18 year old girl, who has cried herself to sleep the last two nights. (Now I know that you're probably thinking about the joke about the blond girl, you know: I woke up 4 AM this morning and there was a beautiful blonde pounding at the front door;.....So I let her out!!)

Sadly, our companion of 18 years has left and not returned. After 54 birthdays, 18 Christmas seasons, 18 Easter Bunnies, quite a few marital disagreements, a couple of power outages, three graduations, good times and bad times; the one sane creature in our house has disappeared.

It's hard to say goodbye to a pet. I'm not sure I'm ready to yet.

Please come home.

It's Important To Have A Sense Of Humour

2007-11-27T00:42:00.000-04:00

Here's a headline from National Newswatch that caught my eye: Rarely used warrant sought to ensure Schreiber testifies Here's the first paragraph in the Globe & Mail story: "The federal New Democratic Party says it will table a motion today to use the little-known power of a Speaker's warrant to force Karlheinz Schreiber to testify in front of a parliamentary committee and block his extradition to Germany." Swallow whatever your drinking or eating, and then think about the above paragraph for a minute or two. Done yet? Okay, my query is this: If the NDP, proud supporters of our Armed Forces that they are, are so against sending Afghan terrorists (who kill and maim Afghans and United Nations peacekeepers) to Afghan jails; then what in tarnation (That's a cartoon word) do they think would possibly make Mr. Schreiber say anything that would benefit them? I think we all know that torture is out of the question. So just how can we be sure that he'll tell them anything? We can't. That's why it's important to have a sense of humour.

Schreiber: Not Leaving Without A Bang

2007-11-13T01:10:00.000-04:00

It's interesting to view the controversy surrounding the dealings that Brian Mulroney may or not have had with Karlheinz Schreiber. In the latest story from CTV, we learn that now Mulroney himself is calling for a public inquiry. Considering the mountain of material that Mr. Schreiber claims to have available, it appears that Mr. Schreiber came to a decision over a decade ago that if his dealings ever raised suspicion in Germany, he wouldn't go back there without a fight. We don't know all the facts yet, but we are privy to some of the opening arguments: Mr. Mulroney accepted payment for professional services after he left office. This alone begs the question: Do the public hate Brian Mulroney so much that they would attach what happened in 1994 to the government of today, and moreso to a current Prime Minister who left politics when Brian Mulroney was still in office? It's definately a great magic trick when an alleged criminal can bring down a democratically elected government because he knows how to con the voter as well as his fellow Germans claim that he conned them. It's a great side show, but it doesn't belong in the House of Commons, it belongs in the justice system. Let's hope that government lawyers don't spend as much of our money getting to the truth of this as they spent investigating the Somalia affair or Peppergate. It would be a travesty of justice if this is the only thing that could get an elected Liberal member of Parlaiment out of his seat to actually vote on something.

Subliminal Warfare Or Just Plain Stupidity?

2007-10-31T21:50:00.000-03:00

From CTV: Tory 'mini budget' passes with Liberal abstention It's a story that any Canadian would want to hear. Lower taxes. Unfortunately, the writer has subliminally slipped in a message of tax INCREASE that shouldn't be there. Is it more of the mainstream media attack that we've grown accustomed to seeing against this current government, or is it just grammatical masturbation? Here's what caught my eye: "(Dion) on Monday drew a line in his sandbox," said Harper. "The line was he would never tolerate an increase in the GST, and today he is going to let one pass." Nice screw up CTV. In case you thought that we wouldn't notice, the GST wasn't increased, it was decreased, by 16.67%. You'll have to be more subliminal to pull the wool over my eyes.

Dr Who And The War On Terror

2007-10-25T23:39:00.000-03:00

Remember the predictions of flying cars that we were all supposed to be using at the start of this century? Meal in a pill? How about personal robotic maids that every family would have? Sure, these are all things that may someday come to pass. To date, the predictions made in such eminent magazines and newspapers such as Popular Science and The New York Times haven't been very accurate. Sure, maybe there has been a flourishing civilization on the Moon since 1990, but neither you or I have been shown any such evidence of it. So what's the point of this particular blog entry? From a link in National Newswatch: Tories accused of lying about time needed to stabilize Afghanistan OTTAWA - The Conservative government was accused Thursday of painting a misleadingly rosy portrait of the situation in Afghanistan that contradicts the view of its own military experts. The Tories say Afghanistan should be stable enough to handle its own security by 2011 - a view reiterated late Thursday by a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But opposition parties pounced on far less cheerful assessments of the situation from two leading authorities: Canada's top soldier and the head of NATO. Gen. Rick Hillier declared it will probably take "10 years or so" for the Afghan army to meet its security demands - and NATO's secretary-general suggested it could take far longer than that. The opposition accused Harper of ignoring his own military experts and allies because the truth makes him politically uncomfortable. Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre said: "Mr. Hillier is the expert and he knows better. Someone lied there." On Afghanistan, the throne speech said Canadian troops should remain deployed for four more years - and then, by 2011, Afghan forces should be able to defend their own sovereignty. But the NDP wanted to know whether Hillier or Harper was telling the truth. "This is a very serious matter and I think the Prime Minister needs to respond," NDP Leader Jack Layton said afterwards. "We got glib responses . . . This is an enormous discrepancy and it does come down to who's telling the truth about this war." Now for my point. For years we have been treated to various experts, psychics and seers telling us the future. We don't need politicians doing it. If politicians could successfully see the future results of war then Adolph Hitler probably wouldn't have invaded Poland. Saddam Hussein probably wouldn't have violated 17 U.N. Resolutions. To hear Jack Layton paint a point of view or an opinion on something that may or may not happen as a lie is ludicrous. To take him seriously is even moreso. It was Winston Churchill who once said "We will never surrender". I don't recall him ever saying in 1941 that "We'll win by May 8th of 1945; news at 11." It's time we stopped making ridiculous demands of our leaders as to when the wars in Aghanistan or Iraq will be over. Just because we live in a microwave world doesn't mean the rest of the world does. UPDATE: CTV gazes into their crystal ball, determined that either the Prime Minister or the Chief of Defence is a liar. "Now we've got a situation where the chief of defence staff is saying one thing. The prime minister and his spinmeisters are saying another. It raises serious questions about whether we have adequate civilian control of this mission, Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Friday after question period. "The soldiers deserve better. They deserve effective leadership by the civilian elected government of this country and they are not getting it." The only lie being told in this story is that either the military or the government aren't telling the truth. I don't see anything conclusive offered by the media to suggest that both couldn't be right. Perhaps both are wrong. Perhaps it'll take seven years, instead of four or ten. Only time will tell.

Mike Duffy Live: The Progressives get Regressive

2007-10-16T18:22:00.000-03:00

If you're not watching Mike Duffy Live on CTV this Throne Speech night, you should at least take a peek when it's rerun later tonight. The show's only been on for minutes, and I was already treated to the perfect example of why one should be cautious about voting Liberal or NDP should an election arise. Here's the link here.

The Six Million Dollar Man

2007-10-16T17:08:00.000-03:00

Thank you fellow Islanders for voting in a Liberal government here on Prince Edward Island. It's been so long since we've last had a deficit in the area of the $42-million just announced in today's provincial budget. I know, it's not like the last liberal budget deficit of $71.4-million that we had back in 1993, but at least they're making the effort. Of special interest is the $4.4 cents per litre I save every time I put gas in the car, and all you fellow Islanders that have never even driven a car get to pay for it, to the tune of $6 million this year. Plus interest. Here's the details on CBC's website. The deficit tops any brought in during the Progressive Conservatives' 10 years in power — with a peak of $39.5 million in 2004 — but it is not the largest budget deficit ever on P.E.I. In 1993, Liberal Premier Catherine Callbeck brought down a deficit of $71.4 million.

Two Good Reasons To Read Azure

2007-10-16T03:56:00.000-03:00

This is the first. This is the second. See if you can find more reasons.

Throne Speech Eve Prediction

2007-10-16T03:07:00.000-03:00

Will Stephan Dion be the next Canadian Prime Minister?

Controlling The Message

2007-10-16T00:04:00.000-03:00

This story from CTV has to be one of the most ironic I've seen yet. The Prime Minister's Office has no plans to build a government-controlled briefing room, which would supplant the current National Press Theatre. A news report on Monday said a plan, with an estimated cost of $2 million, has been in the works since at least last year. The Privy Council Office and the PMO have been working on the "special project for the PM, otherwise reffered (sic) as the Shoe Store Project," said the documents obtained by the Toronto Star under the Access to Information Act. The Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles, who first reported the story said she requested the documents about a year ago and received them late Thursday night. "There was nothing in there that indicated that the project was not going to go ahead and ... today the Prime Minister's Office is saying they're not pursuing it," MacCharles told CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live. I urge you to read the comments section that CTV's website has on this article. They're still looking for commenters, but if you put anything of any truth there to set people straight, they're not likely to post it. I've tried. I've given up. Same thing at the Globe & Mail. Could it be that the media has become what the mental midgets commenting on this article claim that Stephen Harper has become? Could it be that the media is taking a fascist position and filling our minds with liberal propaganda? Nah. But as Little Johnny once said, "I like the way you're thinking". Another point of view here, here, here and here.

Once Again, The Critics Are Full Of B.S.

2007-10-10T12:50:00.000-03:00

From the Ottawa Citizen: Throne speech timing will cut off critics, opposition says. Opposition MPs are accusing Prime Minister Stephen Harper of manipulating Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean and her speech from the throne next week to maximize government control over news at the expense of opposition parties. But the Proclamation Summoning Parliament to Meet reveals Mr. Harper has broken longstanding convention by scheduling the speech to be delivered at 6:35 p.m., at least three hours later than the tradition. Liberal leader Stéphane Dion may have the most to lose because the late start means his Commons response to the outline of government intentions for the new session will be pushed into the evening. More important, his divided party may have difficulty hammering out a clear and prompt response in time for nightly television broadcasting and newspaper publication cycles, says the NDP. "It's all about spin," said Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale. "It's all about trying to enhance the government's message by focusing on prime time and then minimizing the opportunity for response and reaction. It's bending parliamentary convention and protocol to suit the government's convenience." It's not easy at first glance to see who's more upset at this after-supper delight; the opposition parties or the media. The media tells us what the response from the politicians is. In the case of the Throne speech, it's the media that are going to have to stay up late(r) to present to us the various responses to the speech. This begs the question: If 9/11 had occured at 6:35 PM, would there not have been enough reporters around to give us the story? It still happened, just as this Throne Speech will happen. If it's so important that the critics have a chance to pour their opinions on us, they'll just have to do what most Canadians in other fields of work have had to experience: work overtime. The funny thing about this speech from the Throne is that everything points to it being a positive speech that will be acceptible by the majority of Canadians. If you can't attack the message, and you haven't been able to put a dent in the messenger, what else is left to attack but the delivery of the message? H/T National Newswatch. Update: I'm not the only one with this opinion.

"I think he's just out to get the Jewish vote."

2007-10-08T03:34:00.000-03:00

From the "Ya Think?" Department: ( Michelle ) Kofman was one of several Jewish people who have expressed discomfort with the colourful greeting card sent out by the Prime Minister's Office to celebrate the religious new year holiday. She feels the Rosh Hashanah card is an attempt to exploit her religion for political gain. "I think he's just out to get the Jewish vote." Actually, this story is from The Gazette. Read the whole story and then ask yourself this question: Is Michelle really concerned about the fact that the government could obtain her name and address from any number of publicly available resources, or is it just that she's reinforcing a dislike for Stephen Harper and doesn't know quite how to admit it? Let's be realistic, Michelle. ALL politicians want your vote. It's how they survive. If you don't like the card, send it back. H/T National Newswatch

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now …

2007-10-07T23:43:00.000-03:00

Christopher Hitchens has an excellent soul-searing story in this months Vanity Fair. The title, A Death In The Family, says it all.

Any Chance We Could Hire Gen David Patreus?

2007-10-03T02:26:00.000-03:00

Gen Rick Hillier is being replaced, according to this story from CTV. I thought that he would have been kept on as Chief Of Defence Staff, but somebody high up apparently knows something I don't. Whatever it is, I hope they keep it to themselves. This man has served his country and continues to do so. The only ones who should celebrate the news of his departure I think would be the Taliban.

Mulroney: The Not So Great Debate.

2007-10-01T04:40:00.000-03:00

Over at Calgary Grit, there's a bit of a debate over the legacy of Brian Mulroney. CG's certainly willing to expand his horizons, but not everybody in the comments section is. Anybody wanna help? With all the talent at Blogging Tories, surely somebody will take a stab.

The Difference Between NDP Surrender & Afghanistan Democracy

2007-09-29T23:32:00.000-03:00

Jack Layton says we have to leave Afghanistan now. Right now. Yesterday even. President Karzai says he's open to dialogue with the Taliban, even offering them a place at the government table, providing that they accept that the United Nations and NATO will remain to provide assistance to the impoverished people of Afghanistan. One says "Let's get the hell out of there." The other says "Please don't leave, we need you." Both say negotiations with the Taliban are encouraged. Which brings to attention this article from the Globe And Mail. Defence Minister Peter MacKay says the Taliban will have to renounce violence and accept the NATO mission in Afghanistan if it wants to work with the Afghan government. Afghan President Hamid Karzai renewed his call Saturday for talks with the Taliban after a deadly suicide bombing in Kabul. Mr. Karzai said he wants to meet with Taliban leader Mullah Omar for peace talks and is willing to consider giving the militants a position in government. Speaking at an enrolment ceremony for new military personnel in Halifax, Mr. MacKay says any co-operation must include the preconditions that Mr. Karzai has laid out. Those include the Taliban's renunciation of violence and acceptance of the fact that NATO forces aren't leaving the country any time soon. If you haven't yet read the article, I suggest you do so. I must warn you though that you may suffer significant blood loss from the tongue if you choose to read the comments. Read cautiously, and remember that the people who commented aren't necessarily idiots, it's possible that they just haven't acknowledged the truth yet.

Jack Bauer: Keeping America Safe ( Except On Weekends )

2007-09-26T02:06:00.000-03:00

Yeah, yeah. I know, you're probably sick of hearing about the plight of over-paid actors who make the same stupid mistake that any of us could and then it becomes a big news item. Honestly, I've learned to ignore the O.J. - Britney - Paris - Etc garbage that the media thinks our life revolves around. I just couldn't ignore this one. My favorite television actor, Keifer Sutherland, got busted again for DUI. Him getting busted isn't the problem. The problem is my first reaction, which is "Damn. There goes another good show." Kinda selfish, isn't it? H/T: The missus, and National Newswatch.

Federal Election?

2007-09-24T13:27:00.000-03:00

As hard as it may be for the Conservative Party of Canada to avoid a Fall election, it must be even moreso for the Liberal Party of Canada. I must admit that I recognize that Mr. Dion is a very intelligent man but this didn't help him in Quebec. The unfortunate aspect of this is that with such a dismal performance, the eager beavers ( or is it puffins?) lining up behind him with knives up their shirtsleeves may decide that it's better to get rid of him sooner rather than later so that they may take another shot at fullfilling their own leadership campaigns. It's doubtful that the Bloc Quebecois will support another Throne speech, they've got to show that they have a backbone. The NDP have good reason to feel a little cocky right about now, considering their success in Outremont. This leaves Dion at the mercy of the party apparatus. I may be wrong about the prospect of a Fall election, but since I'm gambling here I may as well go out on a limb and suggest that if the Liberals do force a Fall election, Quebec is likely to pull over the car and tell the Libs to get out and walk.

There Goes The Neighborhood

2007-09-24T03:49:00.000-03:00

From FOXNews.com: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Arrives in NYC for Controversial Visit Ahmadinejad, who has called the Holocaust "a myth," encouraged the destruction of Israel and supported terrorists in Iraq, will address the United Nations General Assembly and a Columbia University forum but will not be allowed to tour Ground Zero. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Alie Hosseini appeared dismayed that Ahmadinejad's request to visit the site of the World Trade Center attacks was rejected. According to all the so-called experts that I've seen on t.v. today, the purpose of the Iranian President's visit to Columbia and his initial plan to visit the WTC site was to reject America's threats against Iran and to offer us capitalist infidels information that he feels is vital to our understanding of his society. I think the experts are missing the point. In much the same way that the 911 terrorists distracted us from the plans of Bin Laden, I believe that this too is designed with the same purpose in mind. That is to say that while America's liberals are debating about what to do about this poor, misunderstood soul, his country will be able to pursue its nuclear strategy unhindered. Those of us who can see the truth for what it is won't be fooled. Those looking to win elections despite the blood, sweat and tears of our brave militaries will.

Ice-Age Hits Anbar

2007-09-18T16:09:00.000-03:00

Apparently, sometime between February and August of 2007, Hell has frozen over. Bumps in the road are now officially seen as more hazardous than insurgents and terrorists in Ramadi. (There is a lot of hard metal inside a Humvee that you can bang your head up against.) I have my doubts about the relative dangers of each in the real world. Ramadi isn’t totally safe yet. But this kind of juxtaposition is absurdly unthinkable in Baghdad. Read Part 1 and Part 2 of Anbar Awakens. You won't find anything like it on CNN.