Friday, December 16, 2005
Climate Change and Social Barbarism
Did desertification change a utopian idylic society into a harsh mean and brutal authoritarian one? My pal Larry Gambone asks the question and provides some links to this fascinating theory.
Progressive Bloggers down but not out
Progressive Bloggers and Liblog went down last night, came up gasped for air, and disappeared again. Server problems.....uh oh.... So if this page is slow in loading thats the reason. The links to PB are not loading. Wayne Chu was working on the problem when last I checked very early in the AM. Hey I hear that, ok the Blogging Tory's can quit cheering now.
Same Sex Marriage is here to stay
Well its nice to know that I am not the only one who interpreted Harpers comments on Same Sex Marriage in the debate last night as being an admission it's here to stay. GayandRight also came to the same conclusion.
"Stephen Harper has said the magic words. He will NOT use the notwithstanding clause to eradicate the right to same-sex marriage. So, what Harper has done is historic - it really makes SSM firm, and it also shows that this is NOT an issue that he is willing to expend a significant amount of political capital on."
Yep Harper staked the homophobic right in the heart......you will hear the screaming start in the morning. Once a few pundits and media types realise how he has extracated himself out this mess. By saying the Supreme Court directed parliment to decide, which it has, and that he won't use the Not Withstanding Clause, its done, fini. Non issue in the election. Except for the right wing which has a faint hope clause that a private members bill to overturn SSM would pass in the house. Fat chance. And after last night No Chance.
"Stephen Harper has said the magic words. He will NOT use the notwithstanding clause to eradicate the right to same-sex marriage. So, what Harper has done is historic - it really makes SSM firm, and it also shows that this is NOT an issue that he is willing to expend a significant amount of political capital on."
Yep Harper staked the homophobic right in the heart......you will hear the screaming start in the morning. Once a few pundits and media types realise how he has extracated himself out this mess. By saying the Supreme Court directed parliment to decide, which it has, and that he won't use the Not Withstanding Clause, its done, fini. Non issue in the election. Except for the right wing which has a faint hope clause that a private members bill to overturn SSM would pass in the house. Fat chance. And after last night No Chance.
Twelve Long Years of Scandal.....
In Ottawa......and Alberta. A tip o the blog to BBS who did this long massive documentation of twelve years of Liberal scandals. But I am still not voting for Harper.
I believe that the NDP electoral reform plan along with with Ed Schreyer's criticism today of the whole PMO/Cabinet/Treasury Board failures, presents the best way of cleaning up the Mulroney/Chretien/Martin mess.
Oh yes the Blogging Tories convinently forget that Chuck Guite did the same kind of dirty deals for the Mulroney PC government before his new masters gave him an open check book. I certainly would love to see a similar list of Alberta scandals done on King Ralph and the Tory Tyranny here. I mean in one month we have had more scandals in Alberta than Ottawa had in two years. And lets not forget BreX which ran up as a penny stock on the ASE and crashed big time.
The effort and outrage over the purported leak and profiting from the Income Trust Announcement is another issue the BT's are thumping their chests over. Now a lot of these folks are from Alberta so how come they ain't talking about the scandals in the Alberta Corporate Sector, the Alberta Stock Exchange and its monitor, the Alberta Securities Exchange Commission.
Here is a Tory appointed head of the ASC and he is fined for insider trading. To assuage his guilt over his illegal actions, he has a chat with Ralph who suggests he donate his ill gotten gains to the food bank. Yep thats just good old boy Alberta cronyism.
Now had the Liberals in Ottawa done this the howling of the BT's would have been blood curdling. But in Alberta, not a peep out of them. So if anything does come of the Goodale affair, perhaps he can take a page from Ralph Klein and visit a food bank.
But of course don't expect any outrage from the Blogging Tory's. Because what is s a democratic deficit, a tyranny, a one party dictatorship in Ottawa, applies in Alberta but even more so. But of course you know what they say about consistency and hobgoblins......
I believe that the NDP electoral reform plan along with with Ed Schreyer's criticism today of the whole PMO/Cabinet/Treasury Board failures, presents the best way of cleaning up the Mulroney/Chretien/Martin mess.
Oh yes the Blogging Tories convinently forget that Chuck Guite did the same kind of dirty deals for the Mulroney PC government before his new masters gave him an open check book. I certainly would love to see a similar list of Alberta scandals done on King Ralph and the Tory Tyranny here. I mean in one month we have had more scandals in Alberta than Ottawa had in two years. And lets not forget BreX which ran up as a penny stock on the ASE and crashed big time.
The effort and outrage over the purported leak and profiting from the Income Trust Announcement is another issue the BT's are thumping their chests over. Now a lot of these folks are from Alberta so how come they ain't talking about the scandals in the Alberta Corporate Sector, the Alberta Stock Exchange and its monitor, the Alberta Securities Exchange Commission.
Here is a Tory appointed head of the ASC and he is fined for insider trading. To assuage his guilt over his illegal actions, he has a chat with Ralph who suggests he donate his ill gotten gains to the food bank. Yep thats just good old boy Alberta cronyism.
Now had the Liberals in Ottawa done this the howling of the BT's would have been blood curdling. But in Alberta, not a peep out of them. So if anything does come of the Goodale affair, perhaps he can take a page from Ralph Klein and visit a food bank.
But of course don't expect any outrage from the Blogging Tory's. Because what is s a democratic deficit, a tyranny, a one party dictatorship in Ottawa, applies in Alberta but even more so. But of course you know what they say about consistency and hobgoblins......
I Thought of Kinsella
I came across this blog and immediately thought of Warren Kinsella. Don't know why that would be...he said sarcastically.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Green Party Seal Hunt Flippers
Another Green Party member in Newfoundland has quit.
The party had nominated Jane McGillivray, a Happy Valley-Goose Bay medical doctor and environmentalist.But McGillivray, who was only in the race for the Jan. 23 election for two weeks, has the left the campaign, saying a ban on the seal hunt would be unfair to people on Canada's East Coast.
Last week they lost an organizer now its a high profile candidate. And its all over the seal hunt, which party boss Harris (no relation to Mike) has insisted is party policy. A party policy that was adopted by the executive not the members. But it sells well off the Rock.
And just in time too because of course in the midst of the election the annual seal hunt will happen. And the usual suspects will launch their international fundraising campaigns against the hunt, see Green Opportunism: The Anti-Sealing Lobby
The good doctor complained about the lack of consistency in the Green Party platform on the enviornment and climate change.But hey consistency is the bugaboo of political opportunism."I don't see the Green party standing up and banning feed lots in southern Ontario, which are clearly contributing to all sorts of greenhouse gases and in fact are very inhumane in terms of the way pigs are treated and cows are treated."
A tip o' the blog to GayandRight for this
The party had nominated Jane McGillivray, a Happy Valley-Goose Bay medical doctor and environmentalist.But McGillivray, who was only in the race for the Jan. 23 election for two weeks, has the left the campaign, saying a ban on the seal hunt would be unfair to people on Canada's East Coast.
Last week they lost an organizer now its a high profile candidate. And its all over the seal hunt, which party boss Harris (no relation to Mike) has insisted is party policy. A party policy that was adopted by the executive not the members. But it sells well off the Rock.
And just in time too because of course in the midst of the election the annual seal hunt will happen. And the usual suspects will launch their international fundraising campaigns against the hunt, see Green Opportunism: The Anti-Sealing Lobby
The good doctor complained about the lack of consistency in the Green Party platform on the enviornment and climate change.But hey consistency is the bugaboo of political opportunism."I don't see the Green party standing up and banning feed lots in southern Ontario, which are clearly contributing to all sorts of greenhouse gases and in fact are very inhumane in terms of the way pigs are treated and cows are treated."
A tip o' the blog to GayandRight for this
Wow That Is Rapid Response
First off the mark is the NDP with no less than five rapid responses to comments made in tonights debates. Wow that is fast fact checking. I may give them a hard time about not blogging, but this blows the Liberals out of the water...their's is old news from yesterday. The Conservatives have just issued a press release tonight about the debate, but no Reality Check since Dec. 14. Yep the NDP is fast tonight....
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Layton Scores In Debate
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Gilles Duceppe claims he supports the development of French language communities outside of Quebec
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Paul Martin to Worried Acadian – Move!
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Martin's Health Care Claim
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Paul Martin’s Child Care Promises
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Layton Scores In Debate
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Gilles Duceppe claims he supports the development of French language communities outside of Quebec
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Paul Martin to Worried Acadian – Move!
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Martin's Health Care Claim
Thu 15 Dec 2005
Paul Martin’s Child Care Promises
And The Winner Is......
Jack. Yep it was Jack who scored the most hits on Martin and Harper and Duceppe, in tonights debate. He appealed to the Quebec audience as an alternative to (best line of the night) "Duceppes Canada without Quebec, Harpers Americanized Canada and Martins Canada for Liberals."
And while the media and the other leaders complained in the scrum that the format of the debate was dull, Jack loved 'talking to Canadians', and enjoyed the debate format. Cause you could actually hear the policy differences.
This format could be tweeked as Duceppe said to allow more direct encounters, and probably should be for round two. But it was a refreshing change from last years English language debates that went over the top due to bad moderators and format.
Distraction of the night will he or won't he use the not withstanding clause. Harper backing off using it, which means that he would hold a useless free vote in the house. Martin demanding he anwser will you won't you use the accord. Jack got the hit in during the scrum, its a moot point, parliment has passed SSM and you don't take human rights back.
Goof. Martin claiming that a cut to income tax is better than a cut to the GST. Huh? The GST is a regressive consumption tax. And this guy was finance minister.
Best punchline goes to Duceppe 'We must punish the Liberals'. He said punish over and over again with relish. In Quebec it's code for Vote BQ. In the ROC its a call to vote NDP or Conservative so its not much of message. Of course the pundits and commentators give the win to Duceppe, but thats a given if all you look at is his ability to debate in French. What he had to say, was not as effective as Jack.
Jack looked at the camera and said that there was an alterantive to Duceppe and the Liberals and it wasn't Stephen Harper. Points for that.
Straight Answer Please. Harper the policy wonk has a hard time anwsering simple straight forward questions. Tonight was another gaffe on the same level as his failure to say he loves Canada. Asked if he would swear on a bible to keep his election promises, he said he didn't undertand the question and talked around it.
Jack on the other hand said 'absolutely', no hesitation there.
Check out the CBC Blow by Blow Report on the Debate.
And while the media and the other leaders complained in the scrum that the format of the debate was dull, Jack loved 'talking to Canadians', and enjoyed the debate format. Cause you could actually hear the policy differences.
This format could be tweeked as Duceppe said to allow more direct encounters, and probably should be for round two. But it was a refreshing change from last years English language debates that went over the top due to bad moderators and format.
Distraction of the night will he or won't he use the not withstanding clause. Harper backing off using it, which means that he would hold a useless free vote in the house. Martin demanding he anwser will you won't you use the accord. Jack got the hit in during the scrum, its a moot point, parliment has passed SSM and you don't take human rights back.
Goof. Martin claiming that a cut to income tax is better than a cut to the GST. Huh? The GST is a regressive consumption tax. And this guy was finance minister.
Best punchline goes to Duceppe 'We must punish the Liberals'. He said punish over and over again with relish. In Quebec it's code for Vote BQ. In the ROC its a call to vote NDP or Conservative so its not much of message. Of course the pundits and commentators give the win to Duceppe, but thats a given if all you look at is his ability to debate in French. What he had to say, was not as effective as Jack.
Jack looked at the camera and said that there was an alterantive to Duceppe and the Liberals and it wasn't Stephen Harper. Points for that.
Straight Answer Please. Harper the policy wonk has a hard time anwsering simple straight forward questions. Tonight was another gaffe on the same level as his failure to say he loves Canada. Asked if he would swear on a bible to keep his election promises, he said he didn't undertand the question and talked around it.
Jack on the other hand said 'absolutely', no hesitation there.
Check out the CBC Blow by Blow Report on the Debate.
Klein Endorses Jack Layton
Yep its true, I must have missed this in the article. But here it is the NDP released it on their web page today.Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has been reported as saying that Jack Layton has a “genuine stance on protecting universal public health care” – and the other leaders don’t.
“Klein suggested there is little to differentiate between Martin and Harper on what Canadians claim is their leading policy concern in this federal election.
"‘I think that both Mr. Martin and Mr. Harper understand that the system is not sustainable. They don't want to address it and they don't want to talk about it, but they're going to have to at some point in this campaign.’
Ouch! Coming from The King of Privatization thats a shot......of the truth. King Ralph knows who will stop him if elected and it ain't Martin or Harper.The New ED P
I know it actually spells NEP, clever eh. So the NDP has seen one Ed off only to welcome another Ed back. Ed Schreyer will run for the NDP in Manitoba But can he rap dat hip hop thang like Ed Broadbent did last election?
Well he certainly carries weight, as the first ex GG to run for MP in the Commonwealth. He stepped into the ring today with several boxing references, showing his political pugilistic ecumen. And he is the first candidate of any party in English Canada to attack the Liberals over AdScam. Which I thought this election was all about, you know the moral trupitude of the Liberals meant they had lost the trust of parliment.
"I believe for starters that we cannot really get at the main issues in a way that is meaningful until we manage to straighten out and clean up parliament and parliamentary control of cabinet, and through cabinet, control of a Prime Minister's Office, a PMO, that is getting out of control and almost presidential. That's step one," Schreyer said.
With all the announcements on GST cuts, Tax Cuts, Day Care, Health care Military Spending, etc. etc. Gomery and Ad Scam seem to have been pushed to the side until Ed came out today swinging. He picked up right where Broadbent left off, on the ethices and morality of government. And he attacked the PMO, Cabinet and the whole parlimentary edifice. Something the Conservatives failed to do. But of course as an ex-GG he is in the know. This looks like it could get real exciting real fast.
Well he certainly carries weight, as the first ex GG to run for MP in the Commonwealth. He stepped into the ring today with several boxing references, showing his political pugilistic ecumen. And he is the first candidate of any party in English Canada to attack the Liberals over AdScam. Which I thought this election was all about, you know the moral trupitude of the Liberals meant they had lost the trust of parliment.
"I believe for starters that we cannot really get at the main issues in a way that is meaningful until we manage to straighten out and clean up parliament and parliamentary control of cabinet, and through cabinet, control of a Prime Minister's Office, a PMO, that is getting out of control and almost presidential. That's step one," Schreyer said.
With all the announcements on GST cuts, Tax Cuts, Day Care, Health care Military Spending, etc. etc. Gomery and Ad Scam seem to have been pushed to the side until Ed came out today swinging. He picked up right where Broadbent left off, on the ethices and morality of government. And he attacked the PMO, Cabinet and the whole parlimentary edifice. Something the Conservatives failed to do. But of course as an ex-GG he is in the know. This looks like it could get real exciting real fast.
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