It must be a typo!

It was with nervous excitement that I read the Ottawa Citizen and the Globe and Mail this morning. I was looking to see what plum of a cabinet job was given to Nepean-Carleton's own Perfect PP, MP. After all, PP won his riding with the second highest vote tally in the entire country. He was a stalwart Defender of the Faith in the first Con MinGov and a defacto-leader of political jihad against all things not blue. He would at least be Minister of Propaganda.

But no, sorry to say, PP did not make the cut. He was edged out by women and minorities, especially one that was FN from the frozen north. How's that for just deserts? Rejected after giving the best 3 minutes of his young life - how can he hold his head up after being turfed into the Hill's refuse bin by Uncle Stephen?

It not often I feel sympathy for Con politicos but I will make an exception this time for PP. He is a sad little person but at least he has the bar at the Legion to fall forward on.

On the bright side, PP - you are in good company with the likes of Gary "Keene-killer" Lunn, who was demoted to the Minister of State for Running and Jumping.

Flaherty's slip sliding away. But not fast enough!

Jim Flaherty is the poster boy for the consistently bozo-types. Here is a FinMin telling us that he will not force a surplus on the backs of Canadians. What to hell does that mean? Is he so inept that he does not understand that there is only one taxpayer in Canada. The corporation pass their taxes on to the public through their prices. We, the citizens, pay their taxes! It is only us, the people of Canada, who pay taxes. Get it Jimmy? YOU GET IT?

Flaherty fled Queens Park to Parliament Hill in 2004 leaving behind a $5.8 billion deficit, all the while claiming that Ontario was in surplus. That cost the taxpayer of Ontario billions to fix and forced the Libs to re-introduce the health levy.

Flaherty was no sooner on Parliament Hill as FinMin in 2006 when broke a solemn Con promise and taxed Income Trusts, costing pension plans of retirees tens of billions of dollars.

In 2008 he began a one man crusade to destroy the economy of Ontario by telling anyone who would listen that Ontario was the last place he would invest.

He continued sniping at Ontario by claiming they were the only jurisdiction that did not reduce corporate taxes when he wanted them to. That would have been a tax reduction for profitable companies at the expense of Ontario's real taxpayers, Jimmy.

Now. Jim-Bob wants us to believe him when he says that deficits are not bad things - even if two weeks ago he and his boss, PM Harper, were telling us that the economy is strong and that there would be NO deficit in the future.

He won't even consider canceling or reducing the $5 billion in subsidies that go to the (mostly foreign) oil companies. That would keep us in surplus but, of course, that would anger his constituents in the oil patch and on Bay Street (and I don't mean the voting constituents).

Remind me, will you? Why was this government returned?

Harper shares our pain

In peril of being called a cynic, I wonder what the real reason is behind the meeting that PM Harper has set up with Provincial and Territorial Leaders on November 10. He says that he wants to discuss the economy.

In the two and half years of his first mandate, Harper ignored the other leaders. He never even invited them to lunch.

Now, the economy, which Harper and his parrot, J. Flaherty maintain have strong fundamentals, is falling apart faster than a $2 haircut.

The cynical-MysteryMan wonders if Harper is using the occasion to try to share the blame for his bonehead moves of reducing the GST, and therefore his revenues, and increasing program spending at a rate three times the rate of inflation and twice that of the Liberals' more spend-wielding years, resulting in impending deficits.

Oh, to be a fly in the room on Nov 10. Harper will have to contend with the Premiers of NL. Ontario, Quebec and BC - gentlemen that he treated like cow manure during the recent election. I wonder if he will declare the agenda for the meeting as a confidence motion?

There are only a few recourses for Harper in the meeting.

1) He can treat everyone as his opposition and declare no consensus, and force an election to try to get a majority government;
2) He can suck up to the Premiers and offer them support in these hard-pressed times, then declare the meeting as an attack on federal coffers, resulting in loss of confidence and call an election to get another crack at a majority; or
3) He can cancel the meeting, declare no confidence in his own government and call an election to try again to get a majority.

See the trend here?

Hill Times Reporter Proclaims His Superiority

Hill Times Report Tom Korski, a man who never tires at leading with his chin on any issue, did it again in the current Hill Times (October 27, 2008).  In his writing he asks why Dion could not understand a simple question put to his by Steven Moore of CTV Atlantic.  Korski states that the question was very simple - "What would you have done that Mr Harper has not done?"

I would not want to contradict the genius that is Korski, but if your are going to argue a point, at least get the point straight.  The question asked by Moore was " "If you were prime minister now, what would you have done about the economy and this crisis that Mr. Harper has not done?"  The question is a bit cumbersome for the average Canadian, especially one who's native language is not English, but then again Korski is not your average Canadian.   He is SuperCanadian!  Able to leap to any conclusion, even without a basis in fact!
 
But Korski is just filled with gems dying to get out,.  On June 9 he lamented that the media was not picking up the signals that the economy was about to be flushed down the toilet.  This was at a time when the PM and his FinMin were telling us that the economy was strong.  Korski didn't bother to mention that the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail  were running stories on the failing Ontario economy and that it was the right-wing press at the National Post, the Sun and Ottawa Citizen that were sucking up the Con message.

Is the Cornwall sex inquiry a sham?

In 1995, John MacDonald approached Charles Hardwick, the newly minted Attorney General of Ontario with an allegation of sexual molestation against a local Catholic Priest.  His was not the first, nor the last, allegation against the priest and in fact it was a drop in the bucket in what has slowly turned into a bucket of crap that has engrossed the Church, the judicial system, governments of three political stripes and ruined the reputation and health of countless victims, policemen and politicians.  And for what?  Jollies and expediency?

It wouldn't even be funny if it was a joke.  And it is no joke -  and it isn't remotely funny.

John MacDonald was abused.  He wanted justice to be applied to the abuser by the system.  What John got instead was a brick wall to smash his head against.  Lies, politics, whitewash and abuse of power - that's also what John got.

The so-called inquiries into what happened in Cornwall have been going on for years.  They are currently in the fourth in a string of inquiries into the abuse of John and countless other young boys in Cornwall.  The current government has told the Justice in charge that the inquiry must wrap up.  Report to us in February or March, says the Premier.

Is the Premier pushing to end the inquiry because it is taking too long and has cost $50 million?  Or is it because the inquiry is getting a bit too close to revealing the involvement of police, CAS workers, politicians and former Ontario governments in the cover-up that has characterized this sewer of a situation for over 40 years?

Greenspan for town clown

Alan Greenspan, former Chairman if the US Federal Reserve, an economist who espoused the open and free financial market in the face of any opposition from US lawmakers, has announced the no-one could have foreseen the "once in a century credit tsunami". 

No early warning systems in the market, Al?  No little hint that there could be a small, even tiny, problem in the offing?

How about the push to advance credit to pet Chihuahuas or dead people or credit card issuers sending one hundred credit cards to a single address with one hundred different names.  How about giving mortgages on empty lots or $500,000 parking spaces.  How about bankers bundling mortgages into little brown envelopes and selling them at a discount to other bankers.  How about executives and brokers taking home seven-digit pay packages.

I am sure that you won't mention any of this when you give the lunch speech in Toronto in November.  I wonder how much you are charging for couple of hours of your time?  Maybe you give that payment to some of the victims of the "credit tsunami"!

A test for the new Blue-Sweater Harper

After spending the election trying to convince fellow-Newfoundland and Labradorean's to vote Anything But Conservative, Premier Danny Williams has decided to kiss and make up with PM Stephen Harper.  In a press release, Williams declared that the feud over Harper's broken promises was over and he wants to work in a cooperative way to improve the fare of NL and all of Canada.

Any one want to place a bet on Harper's answer to Williams being different in public than in private?  Methinks the blue sweater will show a bit of tatter.

To sweeten the offer, Williams invited Harper to come pay a visit to him on the rock - in winter.  I will lay odds that Harper will reject the idea because it would be bad for the environment - both physical and political.

And so it begins

Local Con MPP Lisa McLeod has begun here re-election campaign in the same style as that used by her federal counterparts.  Attacks and character assassination.  In email messages to selected constituents - it seems that not all of them are Lisa-fans - the intrepid Lisa started her invective.  Without acknowledging that she does not understand finance, management, economics or anything connected to common sense, Lisa blames the job losses in Ontario, the high Canadian dollar, Free Trade, federal mismanagement of the banking industry, US and work economic turmoil, tight credit and genital herpes on Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario.

Your shrill message will wear thin soon, Lisa.  Don't waste your ammo this early on.  Otherwise people might start asking you questions, such as:

• When Dell started to lay off 1,100 call centre workers in Ottawa, you demanded an economic stimulus package, while at the same time calling the Liberal tax and spend.  Isn't that a bit contradictory?

• You slammed the government of Ontario for their funding of a crack pipe program in Ottawa when the city had decided not to fund it because it was a health issue not a municipal one.   You called the government's intrusion a "slippery slope to Big Brother".  But when the real Big Brother, Con Screamer Baird, interfered with the Ottawa N/S LRT project and leaked confidential contract information to the press, what did you have to say about it?  Nada, Nyet, Nothing.  And it was not as if it was a non-issue for constituents.  Your act of ignorance -  and that of your boss at the time, the fabulous Pefect PP - will leave the south Ottawa community of Barrhaven without LRT for at least the next 20 years.  Thanks Lisa.

• In 2006, you demanded the Ontario government eliminate the health care premium calling it a tax grab.  That $2.1 billion program helped to erase the $5.8 billion deficit left by your party as they fled Queen's Park.  It also helped keep the province out of deficit until now.

The teeth are bared and the finger nails are sharpened.  The rhetoric is being ratched up and the attack is about to begin in earnest.  Lisa is on the move.

God help us all.

Time for the Cons to 'fess up

Guess what? The Cons do not have any idea about what to do about the state of the current economy than does my cat, Peckerhead.

In Renfrew County, the elusive Con MP, Cheryl Gallant, stated in a press release on August 15, 2008, that she was "looking forward to working with all Municipalities who have identified infrastructure improvements as a priority in their communities." Those infrastructure issues will take lots of money to address, won't they Cheryl?

In the same region, on October 21, Ish Theilhiemer wrote in StraightGoods.ca: "Last week, all the local pulp mills and fibre board processors — the end users of sawdust and chips from local sawmills — shut down indefinitely due to market uncertainty." He went on the point out the obvious, "Hundreds of people will be thrown out of work. They won't pay taxes or buy very much locally, which will put a pinch on government revenues, the local market economy and the bigger economy, which depends so badly on consumers who feel free to flex their plastic."

The disconnect between Cheryl and her plan is the fact that the feds only kick in 33% of infrastructure funding. Does anyone think that thew province of Ontario, which also needs to pony up 33%, can contribute at the same time as they are going into deficit? Can Renfrew county kick in their one-third when their tax base in shrinking badly?

Time for a wake-up call for Cheryl and the rest of the Cons - and, for that matter, this whole bloody country.

The cupboards are bare. Time to tighten your belt and suffer a little pain.

And Cons, it is time you came to grips with the obvious. You forced a $300+ million election so that you would not be tagged with a recession, but you failed.

Financial geniuses are the root cause of our problems

On January 2, Joe the Speculator, purchased a short-positioned stock contract. He figured that Acme Plumbing Corp.'s stock was worth only $50 per share. Short selling consists of borrowing someone else's Acme stock and selling them. You would do this since you believe that the stock will drop in price, which will allow you to buy it back at a cheaper price. It is the same concept as "buy low, sell high" but in reverse order. Joe did not really understand what this transaction was all about but since his broker at the firm of Tipit, Ripit and Dumpit recommended it to all their clients, he went along with it.

At the same time as Joe bought his short position, his neighbour, Pastor Billy-Bob Schwartz, leader of the Church of Perpetual Agony, contributor to countless charities and parent to twelve foster children, decided to get into the stock market in a small way, investing a portion of his meager savings. The Pastor bought 100 Acme Plumbing shares at $50 each.

In the meantime, the Bank of Somewhat Dodgy Returns, commonly called BSDR, had purchased 1,000,000 shares of each of Acme Plumbing and Greasy Donuts about a week before a fateful lunch of TR&D's principals.

On January 10, Acme announced a major contract with a large building contractor and the news appreciated their stock value from $50 to $55 per share. The Pastor was happy but Joe was not. You see, if the price continued to rise and Joe's short-position was not sold at a price below $50 per share, then Joe would be a loser - and so would all the suckers.. er, I mean... clients of TR&D.

What to do, what to do?

"I know", says Tipit, seated between Ripit and Dumpit at the Cigar Bar on Bay Street "We know that the firm of Jumpup and Dy holds 1,000,000 shares of Acme as a hedge against potential losses on a short position in Greasy Donuts, which has been appreciating ever since Greasy decided to eliminate trans-fats, what ever to hell they are. And since we hold 1,000,000 shares of Greasy and have already made our profit, we sell Greasy at the same time as J&D sell Acme. Both stocks will go down and we can all cash in out short positions." "Brilliant", says R &D of TR&D. "We all win on both stocks. There is no downside that I can see. Let's do it."

So, TR&D sold their positions in Greasy, while J&D sold all their Acme shares. The result? Both stocks took a nose-dive because no-one really understood why holders of large block of each company are were dumping. "Do they know something that we don't?" ask the panicking investor?

In short order Greasy shares had dropped to penny stock and Acme did no better. To make things even worse, the Acme big building client canceled their deal with Acme fearing that the company was not viable, due to the share price plummet, putting 50 people out of work.

The bottom line? TR&D and J&D, and their clients, had successfully manipulated two stocks on the Exchange and made a wonderful profit. Joe was elated. He had made over $5,000 in less than two weeks.

But what of Pastor Schwartz, Joe's neighbour? With the meltdown of Acme, the Pastor had to file for bankruptcy, which, in turn, resulted in his Parish demanding his removal as their Pastor. His wife of 10 years walked out on him and finally Social Services came in to remove all the foster children from his care - because he could no longer feed them. Pastor B-B Schwartz was a broken man who took to a life on the streets. Neighbour Joe bought his house for the taxes-owing.

And what of the Bank of Somewhat Dodgy Returns? When the market fell and they lost their liquidity the government stepped in to keep them viable with loans of taxpayer money at a very low interest rate. William C. Lomax Jr., the Chairman of BSDR, was so elated that he gave himself a $1,000,000 bonus and went out and bought a new Porsche. One night after drinking a bit to much, Chairman William C was driving home when an object appeared in his headlights. He swerved but could not miss hitting the object. The object turned out to be a street bum, later identified as former-Pastor B-B Schwartz, who died at the scene.

The moral of this story? I have no idea what the moral is here! In fact I find the whole thing immoral.

But it is what is going on all around us right now!

Pass the.. er.. we used to call it cheese

Canada is in discussions with the European Union to set up a free trade deal.  But what the parties are discussing is more than free trade.  Under the agreement, Canada and the EU will be harmonizing standards.  What that really means is that Canada is going to have to agree to whatever standards the EU can think of.  Take for example what can be classified as cheese under EU rules.  Canadian Cheddar with most likely become One-world-economic-order-dairy-based-product in English and more than likely Fromage-faux in French.

The EU has skirmished over currency, sausage and anything that they can possible dream up to fight about.  If the EU decides to ban US beef, will Canada have to follow suit?

Consequences.  Think about it Steve.

Frankly, I'm for Frank

With the election out of the way and M. Dion about to jump overboard, it is time to think about the future of the Liberal Party and the Liberal brand.

I talked with a colleague in Alberta yesterday and one on Manitoba on Thursday.  Both agree that Frank McKenna has great appeal in their regions - and not just with Liberals.

McKenna was the Premier of the only bilingual province in Canada.  He promised that he would retire after 10 years - AND KEPT HIS WORD.  He balanced budgets, listened to the people and ran a clean caucus.  He became The Canadian Ambassador to Washington and now sits on the Board of a major Canadian bank. 

Sounds like a winner to me.

Former Tory Premier Bernard Lord, in a interview, stated that McKenna would make a good Lib Cheif, but not right now.  Is that because Lord covets the Tory leadership position and doesn't want to fight against McKenna?  I am just asking.

The Liberal party needs a house cleaning, starting at the highest level and going right to the local level. 

McKenna... McKenna... McKenna!

Reality Bites for Harper

The election was on Tuesday and by Friday the veneer of the Harper government has already begun to be stripped away.

Harper mocked Dion during the campaign that his (Dion's) five point plan to address the issue of the economic problems Canada is facing was the result of a Dion panic attack.  Within 40 minutes of the end of the election, Harper announced a six point plan, essentially parroting what Dion had proposed.  One pivotal point in Harper's plan was to meet and consult with the provincial premiers, something that he did not in the previous 2 years.  Seems that the premiers are meeting next week, in part to discuss the economy, and guess who is a no-show?  Harper's  has to take the kids out Trick or Treating to get back into the wife's books of his wife.  Laureen really likes arts and theatre galas.  I guess a hearty handshake is not enough for a woman scorned.

But not satisfied with only being a bozo, Harper decided that he would would make himself into a liar by musing that the government might have to go into a deficit in 2009-10; and maybe even for the following three years - a situation that he claimed would never happen with his fiscally prudent government.  After all, he is a economist, so he knows.  Time to turn in your Canadian Tire diploma, Steve?

Stay tuned.  I bet this gets better.

Wal-mart for PM?

From CBC.ca: "Wal-mart is closing a tire-and-lube garage in Gatineau where workers won a major victory last August when a Quebec arbitrator imposed a collective agreement on the company. The precedent-setting contract was the first ever forced on the Arkansas-based retailer by an outside agency. The agreement affected eight workers at the garage on Maloney Boulevard in Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa."

This is the second outlet that has won bargaining status for their members (the firs one in Jonquiere, Qc, was not forced by a labour board) and the second outlet that has been closed by Wal-mart. See a trend here?

Since Wal-mart came into Canada a bunch of years back, they have driven thousands of small businesses in the toilet and put thousands of people out of jobs. What did they replace them with? Mega-stores with the personality of a dead fish and low paying jobs with few benefits.

And let's not forget that the "Wal-mart effect" has forced the closure and merger of hundreds of small community hardware stores into like Canadian Tire and Rona.

Now, Wal-mart wants the government of Canada to give them a Class A banking permit. The people of Canada want the govt of Canada to tell Walmart to piss off.

Who speaks for Canada?

We'll see.

Continuing story on Gas Prices

On July 10, 2008 the price of oil peaked at $146/barrel. On that date the average price of gasoline in Ontario was $1.36/litre.

According to gasbuddy.com on October 16, the oil price was $75/bbl, a drop of 49%. On this same date, the average Ontario gas price was $1.04/litre, a drop of only 24%.

Where's the rest of the money going?

And they can find no evidence of price gouging? It is right in front of your face! In case you think I am making these number up, check out the chart from www.ontariogasprices.com.

The election is over?

When our election started 36 days ago, the Americans were approaching the end of theirs.   Our is over - and the Americans?  They are still approaching the end of theirs. I have no idea why I bring that up - it just seems a bit odd.

But what is the downside and the upside of our election.

The downside is that we have another minority government at the cost of $340 million tacpayer dollars.  The upside is that, being a minority government, the Cons cannot run crazy across Canada doing what they really want to do.

The downside is that almost all of the incumbents in the election were re-elected drowning out new ideas and voices.  The upside is that the new ideas were put into the public domain during the campaign.  Sure many of them were distorted and ignored for political gain - but at least they are out there.

The downside is that Steve, Stephane and probably Liz and Jack will lose their jobs.  The upside is that Steve, Stephane and probably Liz and Jack will lose their jobs.

It may be time to talk about a Unite the Centre Left movement.  This election like many before it shows that Libs, Dippers and Greenies are not so different that could not work together under a single flag.  The Right did this with the CPC and Reformers.  The time may be right.

Is it time to seriously discuss an Ontario party - the Blonct, shall we say?  Ten percent of the population of Canada control twenty percent of the seats in Parliament because they concetrate their work in one province.  Is it time for us to do the same?

Take me out to the Greeenspan

Here is a good one for you.

Former PM Harper decried that well healed Canadians were going off to arts "galas" to complain at the lack of arts funding from his government. Let's assume for a second that Harper is correct and galas which raise money to support the arts and buy musical instruments for kids are immoral.

I wonder then what the PM thinks about the TD bank sponsoring a $450.00 per person, tax deductible as an expense, lunch, with wine, in November so that the well-heeled financial guys, who just received a massive $25 billion bail-out (with more on the way) from Canadian taxpayers, can rub noses with Edward Greenspan, former US Fed boss?

A word to the blind, if you please.

I have a fabulous idea that I would like to share with Stephane Harper.  Instead of giving the $25 billion to banks to "buy up" their dodgy mortgages, why don't you give $10,000 to each and every taxpayer in the country and let them spend it as they see fit.

The reality is that consumerism drives our economy.  If buying tails off, our economy collapses.  Business does not support the economy - citizens do.

If the taxpayer decides to use the $10,000 to pay down debt or apply to their mortgage, the money ends up in the pockets of the banks.  That's better than a taxpayer-funded bail out directly to the banks.  Right?

If the taxpayer decides to just put the money in the bank to earn interest - the banks get more liquidity.  Right?

If the taxpayer decides to buy food, or a new car, or a new stove, the $10,000 will help out retailers, who will then not need to borrow as much from the fat-cat bankers and put people to back work - and the economy survives.  Right?

But no, you pull a "W" and bail out the banks with taxpayer money.  The bankers then, without even a word of thanks to Canadians, take a vacation in Florida.

Kinda makes you nostalgic for the days of Conrad Black.

Con FinMIn in panic mode

Shortly after declaring that the Canadian banking system is sound, the Cons interim government bought up $25 billion in marginal mortgages from the Canadian banks. 

Can you say bail-out?

Now, after our tiny perfect Finance Minster Flaherty ran around the country parroting King Steve that the economy is strong, comes news that Flaherty wants to move more quickly with billions of dollars in infrastructure programs. “We need to get those projects expedited because they will have a beneficial effect in the economy,” Mr. Flaherty said in an interview in Washington.

Can you say panic?

And just in case you have forgotten, the feds only contribute one-third of the amount needed for infrastructure projects, except for that bridge in Montreal that they are ponying up the full $1 billion.  That means that to coincide with their panic, they need the provinces and the municipalities to come up with matching amounts.

Can you say tax increase?

So sayeth the Father

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s disturbing statements to the media that he will undemocratically not permit anyone to reopen the debate on abortion are a stark betrayal of conservative principles and should prompt electoral defeat in his riding in the coming federal election, says the editor of Canada’s national Catholic magazine of news, analysis and opinion. In addition, Father Alphonse de Valk, editor of Catholic Insight magazine, is calling for the removal of Harper as Conservative party leader.

 

“For Mr. Harper to state that he would not personally support a law limiting abortion is one thing,” said de Valk. “But to go so far as to strong arm his own MPs from supporting the right to life and even, as his spokesperson suggested, whip his cabinet on the matter, is unconscionable.”

De Valk noted Harper’s latest statements follow a bevy of other statements and actions during his prime ministerial tenure that have betrayed conservative and democratic principles. Earlier, Harper undermined Bill C-484, the Unborn Victims of Crime Act, which polls demonstrated is supported by a majority of Canadians.

He also squandered the parliamentary vote on so-called same-sex marriage, failed to rein in human rights commissions run amok and has not taken steps to overturn the naming of Henry Morgentaler to the Order of Canada, he said.

It is a falsity to suggest most Canadians support the current state of affairs wherein abortions can be committed right up to the moment of birth, said de Valk. In fact, he added, polls show most Canadians want restrictions on it, as demonstrated, for example, by a 2006 Environics Research Group survey that revealed 64 per cent of Canadians support laws to protect human life before birth.

“Mr. Harper’s position should reflect this,” said de Valk. “That he will not act conservatively and democratically on a crucial life and death matter disqualifies him from serving as leader of a conservative party. We encourage the voters of Calgary Southwest to defeat him in the election.”

From Catholic Insight Magazine, October 6, 2008

Geez, Louise.  It is something when the right doesn't even support the right.

Watching your back?

In an interview yesterday former PM Harper said this: "The Tories are prepared to spend as much as is necessary to keep the country's military safe in Afghanistan."

What an odd turn of phrase.

If your aim is to keep the military safe, it would better that they were not in Afghanistan.

A new skit for 22 Minutes

The scene opens with the Govenor of the Bank of Canada driving up to a major bank.  He opens his trunk and reveals bundles of cash.  The bank managers grab the cash and run into their building. 

"Whoa," yells the Govenor, "that money is to be used to ease up the credit non-crisis here in Canada.  Lend it to Canadians at the lower rate that we loan it to you."

"Screw you," answer the bank managers as they slam and bolt their door.

Funny, eh?  No?  Too realistic?

Harper slides to the pits

Former PM Harper told a Toronto business crowd today, "If you are making up policy in response to the latest news, or the latest changes in the stock market, then it is obvious you really don't have a plan."

I am just guessing that his statement does not apply to the arts. He decided yesterday to drop the Bill C-10 censorship provisions which Quebecers don't like.

Guess it is just coincidence?

Blogger's vote for sale

Just a quick note to former PM Harper. 

Since you are trying to do it with Quebecers and Ontario's manufacturing workers, I just want you to know that you can buy my vote.  For a mere drop in the bucket compared to what soft separatists will cost you, you can have my solemn promise to say nice things about you and your MPs - including that ferret (oops, sorry) Pierre Poilievre. 

I can take cash, Canadian Tire money or even Canada Savings Bonds (although it might take a lot of each).

Harper for US Fed Chief!!!

The Con web site states: "Prime Minister Stephen Harper understands the global financial crisis."

He must be the only one who does, cause even US economists and administrators close to the crisis have admitted that they don't really know.

"Who's smiling now" - goes the song

From the Globe and Mail - "Ten years ago this fall, after his government rejected a pair of proposed bank mergers, the financial community was awash in dire prophesy: Canadian banks were too small to compete with their bulked-up neighbours to the south, the critics complained. They were too insulated to remain relevant in a global economy characterized by lightning change and mind-bendingly complex products. Yet today, amid the worst financial crisis in a generation, those predictions have been turned squarely on their head. While Wall Street titans succumb to a credit meltdown, spreading their contagion to the Canadian banking system has emerged as the most stable and best performing in the world."

Ten years ago?  Who was Prime Minster at that time?  Was he an economist?  Nope.  Could he speak great English? Nope.  Did he have good advisors and actually listened to them?  Yes  Who was that PM?

Liberal PM Jean Chretien must have a big grin on his face right about now.

Harper compromises principle for votes?

States the Globe and Mail - "Canadian artists scored a victory Tuesday after Stephen Harper abruptly pulled the plug on a controversial clause in Bill C-10 that would have given government free rein to censor film and television projects it found morally offensive. The Conservative Leader's about-face comes as Tory hopes of a majority fade, and support for the party is sagging in the crucial battlegrounds of Quebec."

The Federal Cons fumbling of the "Arts" issue is very similar to the bone-head move by Ontario Cons when they blew the last election on faith-based school funding - except that Harper learned faster on how to cut the losses than did John Tory.

What are the Cons going to flip-flop on next?  Let's stay tuned, shall we?

Ottawa Citizen stands for obfuscation

The Ottawa Citizen editorial board has been weighing in on the federal election with their recommendation. Most of the recommendations have been simple to understand. The politician with the best track record, best platform, best hairdo, etc. But the pick they have made for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell is a bit of a puzzler... or do the editors have an agenda?

The current MP, Con Pierre Lemieux is battling with newcomer Liberal Dan Boudria. Dan's not exactly a newcomer. His dad, Don Boudria, held the riding for 200 years.

Pierre appears to be a nice guy. He certainly not afraid to take federal largess into his riding. Francophone east and south of Ottawa have been treated more than fair with Pierre at the controls. But when the Citizen's board asked him about the controversial bylaw in Russell that enforced bilingual commercial signs, Pierre scrambled for the exit, claiming no proficiency in either of Canada's official languages.

When Dan Boudria was asked the same question he stated, without any hesitation, that he favoured it. That was when three board members suffered heart attacks when they leaped to the phones to make sure that Pierre knew of the Boudria's stand. In their endorsement of Lemieux, the board made sure to say that it was nice for Boudria to have an opinion - but it was the wrong opinion. Funny thing though - I was not aware that the editorial board was running in the election.

In any issue there are a minimum of two sides. That is the essence of democracy. For the board to categorically say that Boudria's side was wrong is to try and set an agenda.

You have to ask - is the Ottawa Citizen francophobic? Can the Citizen be relied upon to be objective?

Talking about panic!

Here is the message coming out of the Cons with respect to Newfoundland and Labrador: “Voting ABC (Anything-But-Conservatives is a Danny Williams initiative) will hurt Ottawa, but it will hurt Newfoundland even more. Isolating ourselves from Canada is not an option.”

Too bad that Harper didn't think of that before he decided to treat NL like a puppy by smacking it in the nose for not fetching his favourite blue sweater.

How can not having a Con MP in Ottawa hurt them?  Harper can always name a Senator from NL and put him in the cabinet.  He is quite experienced in that activity. 

And anyway, what does it matter?  Harper and the Cons are struggling to a minority government so he will just quick snap another election anyway.  After all, if you don't give it to him when he asks, he will hound you until you do.  Just like a kitty, bawling for kibble.

Plagerism and other Cons bloopers?

This Harper plagiarism misunderstanding should be a wake-up call for Cons.  Harper does not do his own work on major topics.  He parrots what others tell him.  I have written many speeches for politicians and I can tell you that if I wrote a speech on taking a country to war, I would not be the only person in the room.  The candidate, other writers, political operatives and a half dozen lawyers and generals would also be there.  But there is no telling facts to a Con.  A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

Harper will not take responsibility for the mis-speak from Gerry Ritz, Minister for Bad Meat Jokes.  A joke is a very serious thing.

Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.  

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

By the way, the quotes in italics are from some obscure political guy, W. Churchill (get the picture now?).  But I don't think that I need to attribute them 'cause my Prime Minster doesn't think that it is important.