Politics-Federal

74 Year Old Toronto Liberal Changing Colours

Mulder

My friend (and co-worker) Eric was telling me about some time he spent with his 74 year old father over the holidays. Eric’s father was a big supporter of Trudeau and Chretien and he was especially fond of Paul Martin. He has been a staunch Liberal for decades.

He mentioned to Eric over the break how he thought our new prime minister is doing a fine job, that he is one of the best true leaders this nation has seen in ages and that he is by far the best dressed PM.

I can’t think of a more glowing endorsement considering the source.

Are Loose Lips A Sign Of Partisanship Or Treason?

Mulder

Throw the lot of them in jail. I could care less if they are partisans or not. To release government documents without an appropriate ATI (access to information) request could quite possibly be considered treason and to a stickler for rules like me, it is most definitely a breach of security.

I hope this investigation comes up with some names. And I hope they make examples out of those that leaked the documents so that any other partisan employees don’t “liberate” documents without a proper ATI.

Rideau Canal Opens Thanks To John Baird

Mulder

“John Baird has been Minister for the Environment for less than a month and he has already lowered the temperature by 15 or 20 degrees.”

– – Lowell Green of CFRA – –

I heard that quote last week from Lowell and noticing that our high was -15C yesterday, I thought I would share that with you.

Keep at it Mr. Baird. If you keep on mother nature the way you did the Liberal Senators changing the Accountability Act, we may have another ice age on the way!!

Only Five Days Left To Make A Difference

Mulder

I didn’t see Christina Blizzard’s original column on this back in December, but the Ontario Lt. Governor, the Honourable James K. Bartleman is asking Ontario residents to donate children’s and young adult books for the native communities in Northern Ontario, Yukon, Nunavut and northern Quebec. The empty library shelves and 3rd world literacy rates in some areas can really use a boost from those of us who have better opportunities and well stocked libraries.

The drive ends January 31st, but you can drop off new and gently used books at any OPP or Toronto Police Services detachment in Ontario.

With the support and assistance of the Canadian Forces, other voluntary organizations, and shipping companies, these books will be shipped and distributed to aboriginal communities.

It sounds like a great cause to me. Time to raid the kids bookshelves!!

H/T to my friend Sandy

ADDENDUM: I want to commend my children because I mentioned this cause to them and T-Bone pulled out over 40 books by R.L. Stein’s Goosebumps series and told me that he loved these books and figured someone else may love them as much. Cookie dug through books she has had sitting on her shelf since she started reading so there were books ranging from Bugs Bunny learn to read books all the way up to some Judy Blume and various Lizzy McGuire and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen books she has gone through.

As a dad, I am proud that a) my kids appreciate how important reading is and b) how compassionate they were in giving them up.

I took the three bagfuls over to the Teron Rd. OPP dispatch here in Kanata and was pleased to see dozens of bags and several boxes of books waiting to be picked up.

The Perley Holmes Endorsement of Stephane Dion

Mulder

First cocaine, now guns. Stephane Dion has some winners endorsing him.

This page was removed from Dion’s site. (But it wasn’t removed from Google cache)

Just in case the Liberal lawyers manage to remove it, I took a screen shot.

(click image to enlarge)

And what the heck, here is the text directly from the site cache!!

“Stéphane Dion’s ability to gain the confidence of both previous Prime Ministers despite the serious rift in the party, bespeaks his ability to pull the party together. Ontario has some excellent leadership candidates but we will never run this country without the support of Quebec. Ontario has always been fairly evenly split between the Conservative party and the Liberal party. A strong leader will sway it one way or the other so it is fairly market neutral but the weight of a Francophone Liberal from Quebec would possibly be the demise of the Bloc Quebecois party, ‘and good riddance’, this certainly would tip the balance in our favour in the next federal election. I also feel Stéphane’s commitment to environmental and social causes will pull support from the NDP out West. His combination of strengths have him way ahead of any of his contenders. Therefore, if we are to have a realistic chance of forming the next Government it only makes common sense to support Stéphane Dion.”

— Perley Holmes, Vancouver, BC

You can find a ton more on this at Steve Janke’s site.

Environment Won't Always Be "Hot" Topic

Mulder

Last night while watching Gallery Talk on our local CTV affiliate here in Ottawa (CJOH), Norm Fetterley was on with Mike Duffy and Robert Fife for his weekly Friday night 5 minute chat.

They were briefly discussing the recent polls that indicate Canadians are most concerned about the environment this election. Being a strong skeptic that this issue is forefront because of the left leaning media, my ears perked up when Norm pointed out that in his many years he has noticed that the environment only becomes an important issue when the economy is strong. In times where the economy wasn’t so strong, the primary issue usually turned to things like healthcare.

Mike Duffy said that he tended to agree with that statement indicating that this may just be an aberration.

This made me smile because I immediately thought of all the left leaning peaceniks like David Suzuki who come crawling out of the woodwork when the economy is good. Their hands held out (so to speak) to get public speaking engagements and to create a swarming effect and buzz around the government. And swarming is exactly what it is.

Earlier today I was reading this article (H/T Jack’s Newswatch) which outlines how the media circus around the Picton trial is easing up as the throngs of journalists from overseas head on home. The swarm around a trial where almost 50 people were allegedly murdered by a single man has broken. How long before the press moves on when it comes to the environment?

My guess is that it may last through the next election, but it won’t last forever. The ice will eventually come back.

Stephane Dion Just Can't Get It Right – Flip Flops On Marc-Yvon Côté Remarks

Mulder

FlipFlopsAfter the backlash in the press yesterday Citoyen Dion is backtracking on his comments about reinstating banned party members.

“Certainly, you cannot exclude forever people who made mistakes,” he was quoted as saying. “And someone who has even, I believe, recognized their error.”

Yesterday, Mr. Dion backtracked, insisting that he would have no involvement in reinstating Mr. Côté and suggesting it probably will not occur.

“I am not seeking to reopen that issue and there’s not an application [from Mr. Côté] as far as I know. There is a procedure we follow,” Mr. Dion said, asserting that party officials would handle any such case. “I’m not recommending anything.”

Dion is quickly building a reputation as the “wrong choice” for Liberal leadership.

Mr. Dion’s aides acknowledged privately that the leader is trying to bring the controversy to a quick end and is unhappy that his misstep could raise the spectre of the sponsorship scandal again — noting that his leadership campaign had stressed that he was a veteran Liberal with untainted integrity.

Aides said his comments were an off-the-cuff answer to an unexpected question.

< sarcasm > That’s what I want in a leader …… good solid off the cuff answers!! < /sarcasm >

Liberals Redefine "Life"

Mulder

This is huge.

Stealing a page from their judicial definition of “life”, the Liberals have redefined the term to mean “some arbitrary time we see as being fit”. Today, Citoyen Dion says he would not be against letting some of those banned for their part in the Sponsorship scandal back into the party.

Specifically speaking about bag man Marc-Yvon Côté, who dispersed over $100,000 in illegal funds to several Liberal Party candidates, Dion says he would consider letting Côté and possibly others back into the party after they were banned for life.

Here we go again. Listen to CFRA newsclip below.

ADDENDUM For a crude English translation of Le Soleil, click here.

Liberals Flopping Like A Dying Fish On The Deck Of A Boat

Mulder

I’m getting pretty tired of the flip flopping.

The Liberals WILL endorse the budget. Either some or all of them. They can’t trust that every Tory and every Dipper and Garth will vote for it.

And despite their sabre rattling, we all know they won’t take down the government.

I hope Jack Layton gives his dippers a free vote on the budget. I really do. I also hope the Clean Air act negotiations do NOT take us back in to Kyoto.