Saturday, January 28, 2006

There Is Only One Liberal Leader


Frank McKenna and John Manley have bowed out, Stephane Dion is playing coy. Sheila Copps has another job. Belinda is pondering it. But the fix is in. The Liberals do not have leadership contests they have royal accension and crowings with laurels of the the victor.

So please all you Liberal Bloggers, and those Blogging Tories, who are given to speculation as to who the new Liberal Party Leader will be.

Stop before you hurt yourselves. There is only one leader for the party.


It was a foregone conclusion, why speculate. It is Michael Igantieff. Now shut up and lets get on with the coronation.

Intelligent designs

If Paul Martin, the current prime minister and Liberal leader, loses on Monday, and Ignatieff hangs on and wins his constituency, he will be very well placed for a leadership contest. "There's no doubt about it. He's going to be one of the Liberal stars, and they're looking for a star," says Aileen McCabe, a parliamentary correspondent in Ottawa for the CanWest News Service. "With Trudeau, there was a glamour to it, and we haven't had much glamour since."

Ignatieff’s path to the top takes the long way
Canada asks Ignatieff: Are you one of us?

Mr Ignatieff had been widely tipped as a future Liberal leader after his surprise entry into the fray. That might explain his willingness to trade his chair in human rights at Harvard University for a backwater in western Toronto, a mixed district of wealthy mansions, poor housing estates and big eastern European communities.

The great bright hope
The idea of Ignatieff’s return to Canada seemed simple enough back in the spring of 2004, when a group of influential Liberal activists - lawyers, businessmen and others - met one night on the porch of Alfred Apps, a Toronto lawyer and party veteran, to discuss the state of the nation. Over some soggy Caesar salad, one of the businessmen, Rocco Rossi, mentioned Michael Ignatieff, whom he had seen giving a captivating lecture on the future of the Liberal imagination at the University of Toronto. “That man could be prime minister one day,” he said. The others agreed.

Oh and did I mention he is the Toronto Star's fave politico. So there, thats all done but the TV show; Liberal Leadership Idol.

Ignatieff says he'll deal with Liberal `mess'

Michael Ignatieff admits the Liberal government's "failings" and tells a voter he'll take a shovel to Ottawa to "try to clean up the mess" if he's elected as MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore.The former Harvard professor is using his rookie status to bluntly criticize the multi-million-dollar Quebec sponsorship scandal as he campaigns to keep the riding, held by Jean Augustine since 1993, in Liberal hands as voters express a desire for change.

Ignatieff's defeat would be our loss
Toronto Star, Canada - 2 Jan 2006
Whatever they do to Liberals across the country, voters in Toronto's Etobicoke-Lakeshore should rally to Michael Ignatieff. Why? ...



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Harpers Corns

A very good and very funny satire on the Harper going to the Hospital. In this case it's Ms. Prime Minister Designate going to the hospital for her corns. I know here it comes.....wait for it......... it's cornball humour. Oh and did I mention that it is poltical. Of course from one of our own Redmonton Blogging Tories. How could it not be. But still funny. Read it here.

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Chris McKinstry

A follow up on my article on the Canadian Cyberfreek that committed suicide in Chile, while livve broadcasting over the net.

Here are links about his life, death and the aftermath.
http://www.technorati.com/search/chris%20mckinstry

The repercussions have impacted the blogosphere in that at least one major software site has shut down its chat forums, because McKinstry left his suicide note on their Forum.

Folks weren't sure if it was a joke or serious. Those who did take it seriously contacted authorities in Chile. To late.

This is the reality of instant communications. That exist in real time. We are used to time slowing, the seven second delay on radio and TV.

When I read news on the internet for instance I am surprised to see it a day later as headlines in the papers. Sometimes articles I find in the news appear days later.

On TV same thing, the 24/7 cable news is the ever present now. Sometimes. Such as the BBC coverage of last years tsunami. Whereas it appeared on the American cable news channels hours later. After the obligatory car chase and missing kids stories.

And communications by email or even in chat rooms can be delayed though the later is almost instantaneous. Which makes it even more foreboding when someone does commit suicide on line. You have no time to talk them down. Unlike phone and face to face communications. You are talking to an anonymous entity in cyberspace who may not be real. And in that time that you have to judge the reality or seriousness of this persons threat, it may be the moments have ticked by already. Too late.

The fact is that McKinstry lived in cyberspace, and died in cyberspace. As I pointed out in my original article he was an alienated individual alone, and living in a world of his own making. His suicide note was an existential statement of his (alienated) individuality to the world outside of his own. He was alone and he was a cyborg.

Also see my articles:

Good Morning Dave


Gothic Capitalism




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So Long, Thanks For All The Fish


Not only are the Blogging Tories resigning from the blogosphere, now that their guy got elected. (What no more scandals to uncover? Just wait.) But now the last Chretienite Standing; Warren Kinsella, has folded up his tent and left the blogosphere to others.

His work here is done. Like the BT, WK was a one trick pony, out to dis PM as PM. But wait perhaps he isn't really gone. Hard to tell from his blog, where he announces his imminent retirement only to come out of retirement to say people are asking him not to retire.

Yeah I know its confusing but it's WK. It's like his politics. He really isn't a liberal. He is a Liberal of convenience.Its all about getting work for his lobbying and research business.

He has moved on now to provincial politics with Dalton McGuinty's Liberals. And as usual scandal follows.

Harinder Takhar broke Integrity Act: Commissioner

Takhar won't quit post despite his promise

Land deals behind Sorbara probe

McGuinty staffer gets job with lottery group

WK is the Typhoid Mary of the Liberals. Has no one figured out that when it comes to scandal, it follows WK around. Apparently not.


A tip o the blog to Bowie Call for this

My blog articles on Warren

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Conservative Morality


Here is a fine example of Conservative morality. It's ok to lie to the media. It's ok to lie. Sounds familar doesn't it. Sounds like the moral values of Dr. Goebbels. "If you tell a lie, tell a big one."

In this case outspoken American rightwhingnut Paul Weyrich admits he lied to , lied not misled, a Canadian reporter during the election, about the American Right wing involvement with Harper and the Conservatives, according to the Globe and Mail.

And he is rather proud of himself for it too. So if you lie, then why should we believe anything you say.

Mr. Weyrich acknowledges in the commentary that he evaded questions last week from Canadian journalists who called asking him about an e-mail he wrote to fellow conservatives urging them to stay mum if they were asked to comment on the coming Canadian vote.

In the e-mail, copies of which were obtained by The Globe and Mail and The Canadian Press, Mr. Weyrich said that voters in Canada had been led to believe that U.S. conservatives were "scary" so it would be best if right-wing leaders kept their mouths shut before crowing about a likely Tory win.

Last week, Mr. Weyrich declined to confirm that he wrote the e-mail and said he did not know Gerard Chipeur, the Calgary lawyer and Harper supporter who had asked Mr. Weyrich to get the no-interview message across to other U.S. conservatives.

But in this week's commentary, Mr. Weyrich recounted the story with some gloating. He explained how Mr. Chipeur had contacted him "out of concern for what the left-wing Canadian media could do to obtain from some unsuspecting United States conservative an off-the-charts quote which could be hung around Prime Minister-elect Stephen Harper's neck."

Mr. Weyrich described how he had asked his associate, Bob Thompson, to write up the e-mail seeking to muzzle his fellow conservatives until after the election, only to discover that the message had soon been leaked to the press.

"After speaking with two Canadian reporters, I chose not to return such telephone calls. In the end, there just wasn't enough there to make a fuss, although there was potential to blow this sky high. Conservatives did not conduct interviews. Small victory."

And he accuses Canada of being cultural Marxists, there's that shade of Dr. Goebbels again hovering in the rhetoric of the American right.

The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it.

Goebbels.

Poor American rightwhingnuts can't tell the difference between social democracy, socialism and Marxism. But what the hell do you expect from cultural conservatives who take the bible literally and think dinosaurs lived with men.

Here is another ironic comparison between Dr. Goebbels and Mr. Weyrich;
both of them suffered from disabilities.Perhaps their outrageous views are a compensation factor, or it could just be a coincidence of history.

And yet because of his disability Weyrich supports public ownership of rail and transit, by right wing standards that would be a form of National Socialism.

Who is Paul Weyrich and why should you care? Read this; Harper: Free advice from Weyrich, godfather of the right


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Hamas Refuses To Recognize Harper


An unnamed spokesman for Hamas today told this blog that the new Hamas government in Palestine will not recognize Stephen Harper as Prime Minister of Canada or his new Conservative Government.

"We had a landslide victory and Harper refuses to recognize us as the legitimate government of the Palestinians, what a joke. He has a squeeker of an election and a minority government and he wants recognition. We certainly have more legitimacy then his government. "

The unnamed Hamas spokesman suggested the Conservative Leader and PM designate was unduly influenced by Canadian Blogger Warren Kinsella and expatriates like David Frum.

"Now that Carolyn Parrish is gone they only have Hamas to kick around" the unnamed spokesman said.

Harper,the new Canadian PM designate is upset over the issue of the Palestianian armed struggle.

"He is mad because we have a military and he doesn't." said the unnamed spokesman.


The Palestinians' democratic choice must be respected

The excuses given for refusing to deal with Hamas will not wash. This is a chance for Europe to have an independent role

Jonathan Steele
Friday January 27, 2006
The Guardian

A tip o the blog to BBS and Arabian Dissent for this, you guys inspired me.

Yes this is a satire.

For a good non-satirical article see: The government of Hamas should be recognized!

Previous articles on Hamas

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Blogging Tories Jump Ship

As I predicted the Blogging Tories no longer have anything to say now that their boy Harper is in the House.

So one of the founding members of the aggregator known as Blogging Tories has hung up his blog and forums and gone into retirement, job done. Liberals trashed. Conservatives victorious.

Time to grow up and take care of lifes responsibilities like the wife and kids, and the grass in the back yard.

Now if the rest of them would follow suit.

Conservative Life is saying goodbye

After two years of blogging I've decided to hang up the gloves. It has proven to be a lot of fun and a lot of aggravation. I have two young children and a wife that deserve more attention than I've been giving them (especially during the election). I would like to thank my fellow bloggers for all of their contributions and all those who bothered to comment on my opinions.

A few days back CL crossed the 1,000,000 hit mark and the forums reached 1,000 members. It will be hard to let this website go but it is something I must do. I will still be involved in the maintenance of the Blogging Tories website and will comment lots in the member blogs.

Thanks everyone. It has been fun..

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Whew that was close

It seems all the worry about the Harpers asthma attack was for not.

Harper illness prompts false asthma report, raises issue of political privacy

He hasn't had asthma since he was a kid. Whew. Had me worried there.

But he did check into a local hospital emergency ward for antibiotics, he had a chest cold and didn't want it to turn into pneumonia. Just walked into the public hospital and waited in Emegency. Just like that.

Harper treated in Ottawa hospital

Damn good system we have here with socialized medicine. Just walked into the hospital and got service. No HMO's, no extra billing, no credit card, no getting kicked out cause you don't have any of those things.

Nope he just walked into the hospital. The PM designate of Canada. Just like any other Canadian.

For now.

New Conservative Gov't Issues Warning to Alberta
Friday, January 27, 2006 9:05 PM

A spokesman for the incoming Conservative Government says Alberta can go ahead with all the health reforms it likes.

But William Stairs says the province must stay within the rules of the Canada Health Act.

Stairs was responding Friday to suggestions by Alberta Premier Ralph Klein that some of the province's reforms might violate the federal legislation.

Stairs says Stephen Harper has made his position clear - "any changes should be made within the Canada Health Act."


Alberta reforms could violate health act: Klein
CBC Saskatchewan, Canada - 18 hours ago
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein says his government is ready to move forward with health-care changes that may violate the Canada Health Act. ...
Alberta health-care reforms must obey medicare rules, says Harper ... Canada.com
Alberta's Third Way on the horizon CBC Calgary
Calgary Sun - all 52 related »


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Friday, January 27, 2006

Harpers Cat is a Liberal


The Harpers own cats. Could it be that Harpers cat is a closet Liberal out to get the newly elected PM? Sneaky cat. Just kidding we all know cats are real libertarians (unlike Mr. Harper).Harper Own Worst Enemy?

Or could it be that Harper was stupid in posing for this picture which resulted in this; Harper goes to hospital with asthma attack, no lasting damage

If this had been the U.S. they would have run 24/7 news on this, as it was it was a sidebar story in the media.

Harper treated in hospital for asthma attack
CTV.ca - 3 hours ago
Prime minister-designate Stephen Harper, a longtime asthma sufferer, was taken briefly to an Ottawa hospital Thursday night after suffering an attack.
Harper goes to hospital with asthma attack National Post
Harper briefly hospitalized with asthma Reuters Canada

But wait asthma is a serious condition that is brought on by stress, furry animals and air pollution.

What would happen if under undue stress, such as Americans invading the Arctic, Harper got another attack that imobilized him? Harper rebukes US envoy over Arctic dispute

Shouldn't he have been honest with voters and told us of his condition before he ran for PM?

Didn't we have the right to know that we might have a physically challenged PM. Who at moments of crisis could end up using Canada's public health care system. The one he wants to privatize.

Which might not be such a good isea in light of the fact that asthma is a growing childhood disease.
Asthma now hits one in 10 children, study says
 Globe and Mail - 7 hours ago
 The rate of childhood asthma in Canada has soared fourfold over the past 20 years, to a level where more than one out of every 10 children is now diagnosed with the respiratory ...
First Report on North American Children Finds High Asthma Rates Environment News Service
 Number of Canadian children with asthma jumps fourfold over the ... Canada.com
 CBC News - all 11 related »

And besides fluffy animals what else causes Asthma, why air pollution. You know emissions, the stuff the Kyoto accord is all about. The accord that Stephen 'asthma' Harper wants to cancel. He might want to reconsider that since it could be bad for his and our health.

)Future of Kyoto cash, climate plan still in doubt
Toronto Star - 10 hours ago
Stephen Harper's government will give Ontario $538 million that the Liberals pledged last year to help comply with the Kyoto Protocol.
Will Kyoto die at Canadian hands? BBC News
Canada's withdrawl from Kyoto seen as unlikely Vancouver Sun (subscription)
New Scientist (subscription) - Green Consumer Guide - all 8 related »





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Al Gore and Big Oil


It's funny to hear Al Gore lecture Canada about
the political influence of Big Oil, Gore accuses big oil of bankrolling Tories when he is a shareholder in Big Oil.




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