Advice for Iggy

Mr. Ignatieff, I know that your strategy is to release your platform idea just prior to an election and not before.   Your logic is that the Cons will spin your ideas like they did the Green Shift.

However, by not releasing your plan you have left the stage in the hands of the Cons who can ascribe anything they want to you as your hidden agenda and all the denying in the world will not help you.

There is not a single thinking person in this country who believes that Canada can eliminate the budget deficits that will build up in 2008-2011 without a new source of revenue or cutting programs.  To waffle or deny that given is just downright dumb.  Canadians want to be treated like adults... even some of the Cons... so do it.  Have a dialogue with them but make it an honest dialogue.  Then when Harper attacks -- and he will attack -- he will look like the liar that he is.

How to make government work

Michael Ignatieff has it right.  The Dippers and the Bloc have it wrong.  Harper just doesn't get it.

The IT is how to make government work given that we will probably never again see a majority government.in this country.

Cooperation and transparency.  That's IT.

Read the budget before you decide to vote against it, Jack and Gilles.

Talk with the opposition before you try to bully legislation through the House, Stephen.

Keep an open mind and your eye on what is good for Canadians, Michael.

That is the way to get government to work in Canada.

Advice for Mike Ignatieff

Hi Mike, I will see you at the convention in a couple of weeks but I thought I would pass on a bit of timely advice to you.

When dealing with the press in this country... don't answer any questions honestly. Be a politician that Canadians seem to desire. Lie through your teeth. Tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.

When they ask you for a statement on taxes... the answer is " No one wants to raise taxes. especially in this Conservative recession."

When they ask about Afghanistan... the answer is "I support the troops and the goals of the mission as they were laid out, but the Conservative government has failed in its vision and therefore failed the troops."

When they ask about bail-outs to GM and Chrysler... the answer is, "Canadians work hard for their money and a package that includes incentives for Canadians makes more sense than the bail-outs offered by the Conservative government."

When they ask you what you would do differently than Harper if you were PM... the answer is, "Just watch me!"

Keep 'em guessing and on their heels, Mike.

Wise words for Perfect PP

"You were given two ears and only one mouth. You should listen twice as much as you talk." My Grandmother told me this long time passing. Sage words I now pass on to Pierre Poilievre, the mighty mouth MP from Nepean Carleton.

Yesterday Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, in answering a reporter's question, stated that higher taxes were going to be needed to get Canada back to a balanced budget.

"Dastardly deed," spouted Perfect PP. "Iggy is the Anti-Christ," he continued, spittle flying from between his perfect baby teeth. "Over my cold dead body," he screamed in great pain. "You can't raise taxes during a recession," cried PP, blood pouring from scars on his hands and feet.

Oh, the horror of it all. PP is a saint sent to earth to protect us from life's detritus.

Oops, what's that? PP missed the rest of Ignatieff's answer? What ever did Iggy actually say?

"We will have to raise taxes, but not at the expense of hurting the recovery from this recession." He continued with, "An honest politician cannot exclude a tax hike as an option." He also stated, “I am not going to load a deficit onto your children or mine."

Oops, PP was being a dope! Where does he think the money will come from to balance future budgets. Will he just go and pick it off a tree?  It comes from taxpayers like you and me.

PP must be one of those dishonest politicians to whom Iggy referred.

Cons go to the attack... again

It took the Cons about 30 seconds to whip out the attack ads against Ignatieff.  This comes about 20 seconds after Harper declared that he wanted cooperation between the "major parties".

Great!  And the talk shows are pushing it along.  Mouthpieces like CFRA's Michael Harris are convinced that they know more about being a Liberal that do real Liberals.  The grassroots of the party are beginning the long road of expanding support for the party.  The fact that the leadership at the federal level is settled (and it is settled, Michael) means that the local executives can get to work with no distractions.

Unless and until the talk show mandarins acknowledge that they are simply being mouthpieces for Adolph Harper, the real democratic process in Canada being eroded.