Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Sarkozy Stomps Sixty Minutes

My Hero

Python Parallel 1: John Ivison's Liberal Suicide Squad


Link to National Post Article
Evidently this was an out take from the Life of Brian that was never screened.
I guess except for Nat Post columnists.

Latest Elly May Delusion

Here
Green Leader Elizabeth May says a dinner date with NDP Leader Jack Layton might provide the spark for a parliamentary plot to topple the minority Conservatives. [...]
"On a lot of issues – certainly the ones that I think matter the most like climate change – the Liberals, the NDP, the Green party and the Bloc have less in difference than we do in common," she said.
Um, ah, Elly?
What about that difference that the three opposition parties in the HOC actually have Members of Parliament? Sorry, I know it's a little thing, and I shouldn't judge your sanity so harshly.

And, as an aside, um, if you run a strong campaign (I know - it's unlikely) then won't any votes that you get be votes that the other real parties would otherwise get?

In other words, Isn't the best way for you to contribute to the non-election of Stephen Harper is to close down shop?

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Lemon: Naive is as Naive Writes

I agree with a lot of what his interview subject says, but:
This can seem naive: After all, humans have a long history of ignoring problems until they reach a dire crisis: With climate change, that will be far too late. And even the charismatic King didn't lead the United States into the promised land of civil rights.
Is radical Islam and its pursuit of global domination a dire crisis? Are we ignoring it? Doesn't The Star wish that we ignored it more?
And as far as besmirching the accomplishments of Dr. King, was the writer, Peter Gorrie, around in the 60's. Does he think that King died for nothing? Does he somehow believe that the USA is behind any country in the world in Civil Rights? Ask a Tamil living in Saudi Arabia. Or an Aboriginal living in Canada, for that matter.
As far as climate change - I hope it's too late to change it - It was freezing this morning.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Lemon: Miller Says Make Noise on Sunday

Is David Miller totally stunned?
Rhetorical, I know.
On what planet do I live?

Lemon: From the "Everyone Wants to Save the World and No One Wants to Help Mom Do the Dishes" File

Colby Cosh has got it right here.
While we will be freezing our proverbial collective asses across most of Canada for the next six months, the Liberal Party and thousands upon thousands of birkenstockers and Suzuki followers are trying to get us to save the world from Global Warming.
Give our heads a shake - for the economic well being of our children, Mr. Prime Minister, give every resident an SUV and a free gas card.

Lemon: "What was that Honey? You don't want to do what?"

Here

They got him

CTV just announced that the pedophile has been arrested in Thailand.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Lemon: Delusionals vs Realists

We are in a great global battle of interests that threatens the wealth of our species at a level unseen since we bonded together into tribes for protection from cave bears and sabre-toothed tigers. And it's not about our "planet" burning into a crisp.

It's whether or not reason ultimately wins or loses the debate against delusion.
With more and more evidence that the AGW/CC theory is bunkum and more and more earth scientists coming out of the climate closet to confirm that it's hokum, the delusional - embodied by Gore, Suzuki, May and their acolytes - are looking to change the terms of reference.

The Delusionals latest exercise
in propaganda is to change the topic of the debate from "Global Warming" to "Climate Change". Only words? Well, not really because Global Warming suggests only one outcome - that we will fry. But Climate Change is less specific - it gives them the flexibility to hedge their arguments with examples of how our desire to keep our houses warm and cars running will result in frying some of the earth while freezing other parts. In other words, if the world continues to do as it has for millennia, then it is due to human activity.

The Global Warming debate can logically be won by the realists on one simple argument; is it good or bad? If global warming actually saves lives that would otherwise be lost to freezing, if it results in massive increases in food production and reduced deaths to starvation, if it actually helps species survive then the best thing we might do for the earth might be to put an SUV in every driveway.

So the Delusionals wants to move our cheese.

Statements from one of our leading Delusionals after the Throne Speech night reflect the thin ice that they're treading on. From Elly May of the Green Party:
"A statement of fact that in 2007, after almost two years of Harper sabotaging global action and domestic action — we knew a year ago we couldn’t meet Kyoto," said May.
"It’s an attempt to sound like they’re committed to climate change, which we know they’re not, but he hasn’t used language that has made the implicit explicit, so on that basis, it’s not as bad as I thought."
Whatever that means...

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Lemon: Grits - Almost Too Much Bad to Report

One
Two
Three
Four
Five
And that's just today

Evening Blue Lemons Report - Speech from the Throne Oct 16

I am fast approaching middle age. And I have never been so proud to be a Canadian and a Conservative.
And, as the biggest critic of Michaele Jean, I am now among her greatest supporters - what a performance. I see why she got the job. What a glorious example of how our traditions can add authority and grandeur to a process that is degraded every day in Question Period.

The details of the Speech from the Throne will be said in every blog and MSM outlet for the next twelve hours or so. So let me provide my observations that the speech provided to me and likely, Canadians.

First off Aboriginals: Even my buddy stageleft has to buy into this program. Massive investment in the north in infrastructure, in security and in people. Our government will guarantee that those on reserves will have full rights under the Charter and faster resolution to land claims. Clean Water!!! Programs to allow aboriginals to benefit from resource development. And, he will make a formal statement of apology for residential schools. Never has our legislated under class of people received so much respect. There are very few votes for a party that pays this much attention to the small number of voters that are effected by such proclamations. But never has a government been so right. Our treatment of aboriginal people under Liberal rule has been embarrassing and inhumane. Finally, now, we have a government that will do what needs to be done.

Internationalism: Support for the military. More funds for Reserve forces. More support for veterans!!! Canada is BACK!! Canada as an international leader with action! Respect for Human Rights - honourary citizenship for Aung San Suu Kyi. Continuance in Afstan until 2011 in supporting Afstan people and helping them help themselves. Heroic.

Quebec: Respect as a nation within a united Canada. Constitutional jurisdictions respected. Limits on federal spending in areas of exclusive jurisdiction - provinces can opt out with compensation. This will sing like Gilles Vigneault in la belle province. If Duceppe hates it it must be good.

Crime: Omnibus Bill - wants prompt passage - sounds like an election issue. 2500 more officers for streets. Safety is a big non-issue, but PMSH is on the right side of this.

Environment: Clearly stated that Kyoto is impossible to meet (targets January 2008). Enviro-maniacs will bellow, piss and moan, but the plan to set enforceable and binding targets will make sense to normal citizens (especially given failure of Dion as Minister). Especially when the costs of the alternatives are laid out.

The speech dealt with other areas that are big, but more in passing in this agenda. Tax cuts - yes. Elected Senate - yes. Support for needy - big yes - help for elderly parents, homeless, and a registered disability savings plan. Infrastructure - yup - Coastal gateways, roads and bridges. Marketing Boards: Dust.

All in all - this is a 5% surge speech across the country. Big win for PMSH.

Hilarious to see David McGuinty avoid the question - if the environmental plan is so bad, why not vote against it? And Iggy evade a similar question.

Lemon: David Miller - Privacy Invasion Scandal

David Miller had a website to give feedback on tax increases a few weeks ago. We even posted a link encouraging others to provide their feedback.

Today I got a boilerplate response from my City Councillor.

HOW did they know who my City Councillor was ? I didn't provide my address or ward to them.

They could only have tracked my IP, and found out where I live.

Which means that they can now penalize me for criticizing them - reduce snow or garbage removal, selectively provide fines for parking, etc.

Never, ever trust a socialist. and never vote for them.

I think Torontonians should file complaints to the privacy commissioner.

ET: Canadian Awards - Best or Incest?

The Governor General Literary Award nominees have been announced. And as always, the same old, same old nominees will pull out the same old, same old tuxes and formals to attend the same old, same old gala as they attended for the Giller Awards a short while ago.

They are to be presented by the Canada Council, which Lemon ripped apart a few months ago.

There's a major problem in Canadian culture awards. And for that matter research awards. The field of reviewers is so narrow and so politically correct since it's a government funded award, that nomination packages can be recycled year to year.

Write a play, poem, novel or collection of short stories that focusses on a segment of multicultural society, on feminism, non-heterosexual, or victimization and you get nominated. Period.

That's a major problem with awards in Canada that are funded by the government. The system sets up review boards that fund, essentially, themselves, or clones of themselves, or non-threatening non-innovative work. All the awarders know all the awardees.

A second problem is that all reviewers must be bilingual, which cuts the 'population base' for reviewers to a small minority. And a third problem is that the big universities rely on these 'awards' to maintain their research centres and graduate students; these universities complain if the heads of these research centres aren't funded.

The result is that Canadian research is non-innovative, repetitious, locked in the postmodern ideology of the 1980s. All you have to do is take a look at Canadian journals in the social sciences and humanities, to see how deadlocked the ideas are. And - that's what gets funded, because award winners are selected by their friends. Mutual Masturbation at public cost.

MaryT: Pre Speech Mini-Rant

This morning all the blogs, comments, TV smiling heads and print media will be filled with reaction to the SFTT. Newman will have an extended program to explain it all to us, as I'm sure Duffy and others will. Garth has already been on TV to say NO.
So, to fill time till then I will change the subject, just because.

A few days ago a pipeline worker checked her 649 ticket, that she had been using as a book mark, and discovered she won 8 million plus dollars. Good for her and her family. She was on TV showing off all the bells and whistles in her new 133,000 dollar vehicle. Also shown were the cars/trucks she bought for her family. Good for them.
One minor problem, first she has to get a drivers license. In AB, first she must get a learners permit, after passing a test. This will allow her to drive, being accompanied by a licensed driver, for 2 years. Her hours of travel are limited, number of passengers are limited etc, until she gets that drivers license. By the time she is allowed to drive, by herself, where ever she wants to go, that vehicle will be over 2 yrs old. Wonder if she knew all that. Maybe she will hire a driver. It costs 40.00 to take the test for a learners permit, and many have to take it many times.
I should mention that this lady plans to set up trust funds to educate her 15 nieces and nephews. Wonder how many marriage proposals she has received in the past 2 weeks.
And, did you read that some Income Trusts have risen 17%.

Now you can go back to the big story of the day.

Nom de Blog: Is That an Elephant in the Waiting Room?

The Fraser Institute (FI) has an amazing observation. The think-tank found:
“That the time between being referred by a general practitioner and seeing a specialist grew to 9.2 weeks from 8.8 weeks in 2006, while the second stage of waiting -- between seeing the specialist and getting the operation -- edged up from nine to 9.1 weeks.”
The Institute has recommendations (drawn from European countries) that would go a ways to solving the problem - user fees, competition with a private system for publicly funded treatment and the establishment of a separate system that would siphon off some of the demand. (In other words a two tier system).

But we don’t have to look to Europe for solutions, just the closest strip mall and the veterinarian clinic and dentists office. In these healthcare fields we have competition and we aren’t held to ransom by government unions.
What's the cost to society of people in waiting rooms, in waiting for diagnosis and waiting for treatment?
Last week, sadly, I took my beloved (but elderly) pooch to the vet, to discover why he was losing weight.
That same day he had blood tests, x-ray and ultra-sound. Neither I nor my dog had to wait and agonize as to his status.
Because the invisible hand of the free market has made sure that in the veterinarian business there are enough human resources with the right skills backed up by the right technology to deliver what the customer wants for their pets.
The profit motive may not suit some people's philosophy, but it does a heck of a job delivering services to our pets.
I encourage you to visit this link for more.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Lemon: The Truth About Public Healthcare

Logic that would only boggle a baffled mind:
We all know that a Minister for Industry could not possibly decide how many computers we produce or how many investment banks we should have. We all know that a Minister for Food could not wisely decree what vegetables should be sold in which shops.

But we cling to the idea that a single organisation employing 1.4 million people, with the GDP of an entire Scandinavian country, run by politicians, can meet our health needs.
Suppose Sainsbury's cold meat counter was found to have helped kill more than 300 people, would the company survive? Yet the NHS sails on, dealing death.
Click to our friend Just Right for link to source

Lemon: War Between MSM and Blogs

Today Unambig Ambi linked to a piece in the Globe by Christie Blatchford.
This afternoon, Phantom Observer posted on Kady O'Malley's rant against our media.
A YEAR AND A HALF AGO - we wrote a piece on the supposed Death of the Blog.
Now Blatch is in the top .0001 percent of all columnists in Canada. Love everything she does and if she did it on a blog I'd put a link at the top of my sidebar.
Andrew Coyne is also in this .0001 percent group and he embraces blogs. Even honours CBL with a link. I owe him a link and will get around to it when I run into him again and let him buy me that beer he promised.
It's interesting that Kady should be so virulently negative about blogs when she is appointed to comment on them for Newman.

But where the two distaff writers noted above fail is that they are narrowed in their mutual focus as if comparing the pony express to email. Their perspectives are akin to comparing buggy whips to accelerators on Ferraris. They are comparing apples to bicycles.

Blogs are extensions of the traditional media that Blatch and Kady work for. Blogs are, collectively, McLuhan's "Global Electronic Consciousness". Everyone's point of view, expressed everywhere, all the time. Some valid, some not. Some partisan, very few not. Very few not making their partisanship known; whether their partisanship is for fluffy bunnies, or against pit bulls, or Democratic or Republican. This a difference from MSM which usually represents itself as neutral.

I can understand their points of view, because these are a factor of their perspective. They live and die career-wise on the basis of thousands of people buying newspapers and magazines. Just as blacksmiths depended on people using horses to plough.

Print media is in its darkest days. As I posted a few months ago, on a dark day when the New York Times had 1.1 million readers, there were 19 million blog posts on Virginia Tech. Hundreds of these posts were from the scene in real time. From places to which MSM reporters didn't have access. Like blogs now published in Iraq.

Traditional media will have a role until the Baby Boomers meet their final cosmic conclusion. Then, blogs in all their form, all the time.

Evening Blue Lemons Report Newman Duffy Oct 15

Duff - Chretien hates Dithers. News? Not.
Ray Heard - old Turner dude. Really old Turner dude. (now Turner and le 'tit Gar were hardly buddies)
Says JC's book mention of Killing Fields is outrageous. Rhetoric of the gutter. Chretien should know goons, he was one, says Ray. Thinks party can't put this behind him. JC claims to be Godfather of Dion. Will just increase the bloodletting and says Liberals committing Hari Kiri.
This from a Grit who has been trying to sewer Grit election hopes for almost a year.
Says we need new generation of Liberal leaders. Ruby and Dom Leblanc?? That's the best they can do?
Donolo on Duff - Personal enmity goes waaayy back. Don't like Peter. Click.
Many former JC admirers are upset with Da Boss says Eyebrows LeDrew. That Chretien has lost some stature. That JC now has to reach up to tie his shoelaces and that Dion was elected to be a peacemaker for the party. An outsider to eliminate the internal wars. Pugnacious was Chretien says LeDrew. Party was diminished during Turner/Chretien wars.
We reported on this first!!! The Forty Year War.
LeDrew says internal battlers are gone, no challenge to leader, need to renew from policy perspective (forgot to mention financial, organizational and spiritual - in other words toe to la tete).
Party Whips - no point paying attention to these guys (Jay DOES have a nice blazer on, though). Okay for a few minutes. Joe Cromartin says that Grits are going to WIMP out. Redman says 'we' are a principaled opposition as opposed to NDP. Jay loves it - just watches - He's the only person I've ever seen who looks thinner on TV than in person. Throne Speech: $33 Billion in infrastructure funding, Tax Cuts. Poison Pill on Clean Air Act? (Count on it.)
The most powerful political party in the democratic world are now a stump of a rump. And everyone knows it.
Of course the smallest party in the House says that "Canadian People Don't Want . . .". What the 'people' don't want is the NDP. MAGNA TO GET UNIONIZED??? Is Frank listening to his little girl all of a sudden? Do Buzz and Stronach have a thing goin on? What's this about? Frank has spent his entire career and millions in legal fees to avoid unions.
New Poll - personalities an asset or weakness? Harper thumps Dion.
Press Gallery debate - Pat Gossage. Feud between PMO and PPG. But Newman says always this tension. Press Secretaries dream to control the message and allow PM to be unfiltered. When PM travelling Press Secretary always controls agenda. Only place that PPG has any rights is in their own place. Trudeau wanted to ignore Press Gallery. Every PM wants to. Trudeau tried to.
Gossage Whips The Star on leading with a story about a (wrong) statement that PM opening a new Press Gallery. This has been proven to be bullshit - and it got 70 pt headline above the fold in the Star. Gossage thinks PMSH was great in his Press Conference. Thinks he should do more of them. This lemon agrees - PMSH is the best I've ever seen in a free flow PC - stays on message, is great with a nod and a wink.
Marilyn Churley is on Duffy. Will someone rid us of this pestilent progressive? Failed politician. Terrible City Councillor. Mari - go back to working on getting 12 women on the Blue Jays like you said you would back in the early 90's (of course they couldn't have done much worse with same).
Prediction of SFTT from Flaherty - sound eco manage, continued support for manufacturing and reduce taxes. Bet on this and more.
Duceppe says PMSH is forcing election. Wow. is HairNet Duceppe's English improved - he should run for head of Grits. Garth is trusted with television? Dion has totally lost all control if he trusts Garth to represent him. Garth is for Garth.
As an aside, is it slander to call a politician a transvestite? Because of course if a politician were to charge defamation for being called a transvestite he would lose all those key cross-dressing votes. But I digress.
Garth will do anything to avoid an election - he's a dead poli walking. He admits that the Grits are incompetent because they haven't been preparing for an election in a minority scenario for the last 20 months.
Joel Denis and Tondra MacCharles on a new press centre - since denied - ain't happenin', Tondra. Press Gallery Prez & Dosanjh says a desecration of democracy. THE PARLIAMENTARY PRESS GALLERY DEMANDS THAT THE PRIME MISTER OF THIS COUNTRY COMES TO THEIR ARENA, HAT IN HAND, BEGGING TO BE WHIPPED BY A BIRCH BRANCH.
She thinks she killed it. She thinks she has some value in improving our knowledge. She's values her importance way too much.
The PPG are obsolete. They have no value, have no special knowledge, do not represent the public, are hated by all for their inaccuracies.
Darcey of our favorite blog gets a plug from Kady
(still looks like Peter Pan) on Newman.
A fair show at best - Jay Hill looked good in his blazer, but other than that the only highlight was MacCharles trying to take credit for the PM cancelling the new Press theatre. 4/10

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Lemon: Rick Mercer on Dion and Harper Cage Match

Guess who he thinks will win . . .

Lemon: Craig Oliver Proves CTV Grit Bias

This is the most outrageous act of any political commentator in Canadian history.
Worse than anything Travers or Delacourt has ever written or said.
Maybe Craig Oliver is just over the hill and losing his faculties. Maybe he doesn't remember Bob Rae as Premier of Ontario. Maybe he thinks only other old white farts deserve to serve in Parliament. Maybe he doesn't respect neutrality in reportage. Maybe he doesn't know that Bob Rae has to be voted in by Toronto Centre electors to serve in Parliament.

But definitely he should be fired for this statement and sent out to pasture where he belongs.

MaryT - Dalton breaks a promise

The msm from the east is full of stories about how our dollar being at par with the US is hurting tourism and business in general in Ont.
Hundreds of cdns are heading to the US for shopping trips, to buy cars, and probably to Christmas shop. Parking lots at US malls, close to the border, are full of cdn license plates.
So, what does McGuinty plan to do to stop this loss of business, raise the PST by 2%.
Those who voted liberal last week should be banned from shopping in the US, stay home and pay for your blind faith that he wouldn't raise taxes.
In addition there are stories out today that property taxes in TO could double in a year or so. Your mayor said by voting liberal you agreed to tax increases.
What is the record time for a govt to break a promise.
Think about this if we go into an election within a few weeks, liberals can't be trusted.
For those thinking of moving west, remember AB has no sales tax.

Lemon: Even Newman Thinks the Afstan Panel is Brilliant + Rae the Hypocrite

As the pale grey political Gandalf put it:
One that both bewildered Liberals and left them grudgingly admiring the political chess being played by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Like chess the object of the political game being played by Harper at the start of a new session of Parliament - a session that sooner or later will lead to the next general election - is checkmate.
And on Friday, it was Harper who at least into next year, has effectively called checkmate on potentially the most explosive of all political issues; Canada's military mission to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the 800 pound Gorilla in the Grit Parlour, Bob Rae (who really wants to knock Stephane Dion off), refers to the Afstan Panel headed by "Liberal Leader if he had wanted the job" John Manley comments that the panel is: "bypassing Parliament", "Has no one with experience in Foreign Affairs", is "little".
This from a NDPer who changed coats to be hired by Parliament to deal with the Tainted Blood Tragedy (as if he know anything about blood or the Red Cross ) and the Air India disaster (as if he knew anything about terrorism). In both cases in his recommendations he took the side of defending Liberals instead of protecting Canadians.

He's nothing but the worst Premier in Canadian history and the recipient of appointments to defend Liberal mismanaged mistakes because his brother is a big shot with Power Corporation.

Nom de Blog: Gazette Gets It

One of the better analyses of Ontario’s election can ironically be found in the Montreal Gazette here:

Webster says that McGuinty’s refusal to deal with FBS is code for not accommodating “immigrant Others”. That is a mouthful. Does that mean the end of multiculturalism as we know it? (CBL was second to point to Bigotry behind the McGuinty position).

John Tory tried to deal with FBS by way of an inclusive policy on education. But he learned that people are fed up with political correctness. People are indeed worried about what Webster calls “Islamic madrassas in Toronto the Good”. That’s because we don’t want to end up with the immigrant silos of Europe.

The debate should therefore be about more choice in education. The teachers’ unions are against that. Other provinces have more choice and are doing just fine. Let’s run the next election more clearly on a platform of more choice. Choice means that we should have publicly funded charter schools that teach Ontario’s curriculum, but aren't otherwise beholden to any centrally managed education bureaucracy or teachers' union.

Ditto the hospital workers unions were against John Tory’s plans to have more Shouldice clinics. So let’s be clear, we want to open that up. We have 4 years to make our message better understood.

It is time Ontario stood up to these government monopolies and their unions. John Tory tried to do that and oddly even Conservatives were calling him un-conservative. That misses the point of the larger issue of conservatism really standing for freedom of choice.

Lemon: Hall FIndlay Would Support Eliminating ALL Catholic & Jewish Schools

I've editted the clip from Mike Duffy Live on Thursday down to the exact quote of Martha Hall Findlay stating that she supports the elimination of ALL faith based schools in favour of one public system.
The Main Media have not picked up on this - when they hammered John Tory for a much less volatile position. She needs to be held accountable for this. I'm not holding my breath.

MaryT's Nightly Rant

Today has been interesting going thru the blogs and comments, especially for a Saturday.

Lots of pros and cons re algore's peace prize. Pros and cons re the Afghan panel.

On Monday, we Albertans will be electing mayors, aldermen/women/councillors, school boards etc. Will Bronco, in Calgary, run for the liberals in Art Hangers riding, if he loses his mayorship? I think if he runs for the liberals again, he will lose. I think he will wait to run for the leadership, someday, to outdo PMSH.

Dion is being panned again re doing nothing re Kyoto. Where are the billions he allotted to buy carbon credits. Is it possible, that JC signed Kyoto, with the intention of doing nothing, and letting GHG emissions increase, so he could reward his liberal friends in China by buying those credits from them. How much adscam money went to China to set up the plan, just wondering.

Did you hear Rae, on CBC blaming PMSH for denying him his seat by not calling a by-election.

Sure would laugh if he lost the election, along with Martha and Kennedy. Have any of those 3 paid back all debts re the leadership race.

Anyone willing to join a petition to have Susan Delacourt and MHF do something with their hair? What would you suggest?

Our yard was vandalized last night, so have just had the RCMP here. They can't do anything, but as they said, if this isn't reported, they can't catch anyone. In addition to other things destroyed, 10 large bags of leaves were dumped and spread all over. I am leaving the mess, in hopes the culprits come back Oct 31 and undo their damage and put all the huge flower pots back on their stands. (ha)

Tuesday evening should be fun tv, with the SFTT the main attraction.

Poor Dion has a huge decision to make, and will be panned regardless of what he does.

How many women have died from lead poisoning from using red lipstick, or even gotten sick.

I thought we had freedom of choice in Canada, but someone is always thinking of ways to take away those freedoms. Even our MPs no longer will have freedom to eat what and how much they want. Some chef has made that decision for them. Tofu, ugh.


Nom de Blog: Saving Health Care

Lorne Gunter can sometimes be very critical of the lack of conservatism from PMSH. However, today he seems to agree that PMSH’s long run strategy of de-centralization, resulting in more accountability in the Provinces for Health and Education, will be tantamount to a conservative agenda.

De-centralization also has the benefit of a nice by-product … national unity.

Gunter comes close to talking about the elephant in the room when he says:

“A wise federal government permits provincial administrations to design social programs that appeal to local tastes and ideologies. Those provinces that like Ottawa's advice will still be free to take it, while those that prefer to make up their own plans can do so without being threatened to conform.”

But the elephant in the room is:

Why would the ROC, other than Quebec, have allowed over the years Ottawa to keep their money to bribe them to do its bidding? In other words why have Provinces ever allowed Ottawa to have strings tied to transfer payments?

For example, are we saying we don’t like and trust our own Provincial governments to deliver Health Care? Are we saying that we don’t want another Mike Harris government to “gut” our Health Care system?

But it is a myth that Harris was “gutting” Health Care. That myth is precisely why PMSH should redistribute spending powers. In fact Chrétien and Martin dropped funding on Health Care from 50 cents on the dollar to 13 cents in the 1990’s. That gave Harris an enormous double whammy problem along with the hemorrhaging deficits left to him by Bob Rae (potentially the next LPC leader). But the Harris government actually increased provincial spending on Health Care, over its mandates, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP. It was the Ottawa Liberals that downloaded the problems.

Consequently, the elephant in the room is based on the myth that if we don’t have Ottawa as a backup then another neo-con Harris government will come along and gut Health Care. But that argument should be turned on its head. The facts are that it was Chrétien and Martin that caused Health Care problems. So if we want sufficient funding for social programs we need the tax revenues to be in the hands of the Provinces who actually deliver the programs, Ottawa doesn’t delver them , they just take credit when things are going well and blame the Provinces for any shortcomings.

The only way we are going to get accountable government is to make it clear who does what. That means following the advice of the Fraser Institute here.

MaryT: The Chretien Book

Seems this book hit the shelves days before the scheduled launch, next Monday.
Reporters who got an advance copy had to sign a paper promising not to reveal details till then.
However, CTV has just had a story on the book, as the reporter said he bought a copy and said it is fair game.
Chretien really slams Martin in this book, and Sandy says he is kinder to Brian.
Martin says it appears the two of them remember things differently.
Guess I will have to read it.
Dion will guest on the giggles show tomorrow.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Nom de Blog: The Irresistable Force of Common Sense

Torontonians will soon be clamoring for a bridge to the Island Airport so that we can keep pace with Newark New Jersey.

Here we have an announcement from Porter Airlines:
“Porter Airlines announced yesterday it is launching a new service from Toronto's City Centre Airport to Mont Tremblant, North America's No. 1 ski resort on Dec. 22 - eight days after Continental Airlines initiates daily non-stop flights from its Newark hub in the New York area.”

Our Marxist Mayor Miller won an election against John Tory over the issue of a bridge to the airport. But now it seems we have one of those “build it and they will come” concepts at work here. I’m betting there will be a bridge within a year.

Ditto Faith Based Schools or alternative schools will become Ontario curriculum inclusive; it is only a matter of time. We will go to the next step which is school vouchers. As soon as more people know that vouchers work elsewhere in Canada, we’ll get them in Ontario. Ditto more Shouldice type clinics for private delivery of Health with a Public OHIP card. Ditto more clean nuclear energy instead of tilting at windmills.

Why is it that John Tory is right but too far ahead of the curve to get elected?
Back to the Bridge
Is he “a bridge over troubled waters” or “a bridge too far”? Maybe the bridge to victory is through another medium other than the snail’s pace of politics. Maybe Tory should be a broadcaster instead of a politician. Maybe he should have the Tory Show that augments the Michael Coren Show. That way Tory could sell his ideas the way Hugh Hewitt does in the USA, by repeating them over and over on a car radio. Eventually they will sink in with an overtaxed electorate who are extremely busy working or driving the kids to soccer or waiting for the ferry to take them to Porter Airlines.

Lemon: The Non-Confidence Vote Flu

Let's look at how severe the Flu will need to be to avoid an election call.
Standings:
CPC 126 LPC 96 Bloc 49 NDP 30 Indy 3 Total 304
If the BQ and ND and 2 Indys vote against SFTT, then the Grits can have a maximum of 44 people in the house vote against to guarantee passage. This means 52 cases of the flu (not counting Martin, Belinda and the other place holders who won't show up)
What if 10 Tories have a cough and cold - then 62 flu cases are needed.
What if an extra 50 Tories get food poisoning (what with the new menu in the Parliamentary cafe and all)? Then only a dozen Grits can vote against.
But then, what if there's no place to park and traffic around the Hill is bad and another 20 Tories are no shows...
We go to the polls.
And who will be to blame - the Parliamentary Restaurant, lack of Cold FX and Traffic.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Reid: CP agrees with me. No election over SFTT

This really comes as no surprise. Especially considering the latest Ipsos-Reid poll.

OTTAWA - Liberals won't bring down the Harper government over next week's throne speech, even if it effectively abandons the Kyoto climate-change pact, the party's environment critic says.
"The Liberal Party of Canada isn't going to be goaded into the boxing ring with Stephen Harper," David McGuinty said Friday. "We're not that gullible or foolish."

Of course you're not going to enter the boxing ring with Stephen Harper. Why would Peewee Herman want to go up against Lennox Lewis?

Link to CP Story

Lemon: For Late Nighters - Dion/Star Really NEED New Copywriters



Link

Nom de Blog: Too Late to Send out the Clowns

We've got Crusty and Bozo for another four years...

I can’t find any media coverage on this but a friend told me he heard on the radio that our tax and spend Mayor Miller was commenting on the $160,000 corporate “gift” from MasterCard. Some details are in this press release.

MasterCard appears to be still awaiting a thank you.

Crusty Miller should be trying to stir up some corporate competition on other ideas to fund Toronto’s entertainment scene. But instead of sounding grateful toward MasterCard Miller went into his usual Danny Williams victimization role of “woe is me” and “why do we need to have Corporate sponsors when we could just tax everyone into doing what I want them to do?”

Maybe Crusty ought to do a tour of some American cities …starting in San Francisco and work his way across to New York. He’d find all kinds of corporate sponsorships which is what happens when you don’t tax everyone to death and they choose to stay in your city because it is clean and vibrant and competently run

But not our Mayor. He has immediately jumped on the bandwagon spouting: that a vote for Bozo McGuinty was a vote for Miller’s tax and spend plans.

What were we smoking when we voted these clowns in?

Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman Duffy - Oct 12

The excitement is palpable. With Manley maybe pulling a Wajid Khan. Claims he still a Liberal.
This is big time pro politics - beyond any strategic move on the hill in my time as an observer.
Big Time Support for Harper!!! 12 Point Lead over Grits. 40% benchmark hit (except in Maritimes). 60% on right track. "Blue" Ribbon Panel, okay with Dion so long as the panel doesn't actually do anything.
Layton calls Dion a wimp. As if he should be called anything but...

Bob Rae on Newman. NDPer helps out Grits, Liberal helps out Tories, Dogs clean cats' litter box.

Rae who did such a good job screwing up Ontario he subsequently got a chance to screw up Iran, the Red Cross, and the Air India explosion now getting a chance to help screw up the Grits more than they already are.

Rae claims that PM's panel is bypassing Parliament. Does he forget when Chretien hired fellow incompetent NDP premier Roy Romanow to do health care report? Maybe he wasn't paying attention. He wants more debate in Parliament to decide it - Dion has already announced they they will vote against any military role beyond 2009.
Says that no one on the panel has any experience in foreign affairs. Manley? Burney (Former Ambassador)? Wallin (Former Consul General)?
Early onset Altzheimers.
I guess Bobby's just disappointed that he didn't get asked, then he wouldn't need to suck up to Dion.
Notes that Coderre just back from Afghanistan, though I don't know what good it would do Canadians to get a recent status reports on mess tents and latrines. Also explains how he has been there himself.
Hmm, funny. Everyone seems to have gotten an Afstan Riviera Holiday except Dion...
Refers to the group as a "little panel". Oops. His boss says "I have a strong regard for many of the members of this panel, especially the president of the panel," Dion said.
Looks like Rae's neck and neck with Iggy to be the spash Don with some seltzer.
Newman wonders how Rae can criticize the panel for not being elected when HE hasn't been elected. But Bobby's ultimate flop was when he criticized Harper for not quickly calling a byelection.
Bob wasn't exactly very anxious himself to do so when a dummass Ontario population made the mistake of electing him premier. He always waited until the last day.
Layton says, Panel is a delay tactic and partisan - Manley was in cabinet with Dion when mission was started. Says only elected people should be on panel. Wants only elected people. Jack smoking too many cigars - Got his Barry White voice. Looks like Bloc will have sub-amendment. Will Jack vote with the Bloc? Will it be embarrassing? Jack says he has no confidence in government. Fantastic.

Then he has to vote against the SFTT, Steffi's benches will need to look emptier and emptier to avoid an election under 45 Grits can show up and vote against to avoid same - means 61 empty chairs. Legionnaire Flu Outbreak called for.

Bill Casey: What will EDA do? Blames government for causing split. Roddy Macdonald's PC party gonna work for whoever runs against Casey. Roddy stabbing Bill in the back? Well, yeah. It's politics not bingo at the Amherst Lions Club.

Jack calling Dion a wimp. Better vote against throne speech.

Rajotte, Dewar and McGuinty.
McGuinty says waiting to see what the throne speech will say when he's already said that he's gonna vote against it.
McGuinty Too says Canadians dont want tough politicians they want politicians who breaks promises.

Dewar comb your hair. Oh, forgot, he's a dipper, they dont believe in combs.

POLL:
CPC - 40
Lib - 28
NDP - 16
Green - 7
On Right Track - 60%

Dalton as the next Grit Leader? Please.

Scotty and Timmy - expect fireworks
Scotty no longer raccoonish not rakish but a lot less Hyish.
Duff says Tory workers dispirited due to JT loss no energy for another election race - Tim says what race? Reid admits Harper the smartest guy in the room. Tim says Scott belittling Manley and panel members with Bush memes. Scott says PMSH is a Carbon Copy of George Bush but says Panel a good idea - oops - contradicts Rae.
All the Grit advisors know that they're on the wrong side on Kyoto. Brison and McGuinty and Goldenberg have all admitted that Kyoto won't work.
Newman's Press Panel.
National Post's Don Martin - an actual non-Grit-Sycophant on Newman's Panel - could knock me over with a feather.
Delacourt notes how interesting it is that Manley agreed with to serve on panel for Harper but not as Ambassador for Martin. Manley's a closet conservative. Susan gives Harper a lot of credit for Panel idea and for showing real well lately. The more people see him the more they don't want to hide in a storm cellar. Needs to rein in his tendency to look a little mean (ie Casey Affair).
Don Martin - Majority territory - Harper trying to figger out how do I do it and Dion how do I avoid it.
28 is below traditional Grit basement. Will be interesting to see if CPC can maintain that poll level.
Suggests that polls do influence public opinion.
Looks like runway is clear. Afstan issue dealt with, Atlantic Accord half dealt with. Only Danny the Clown left.
No upside for Grits in QC - have to focus in Ontario. Already campaigning - Tax cuts, harbours in Nunavut. Party of nostalgia - only have old Trudeau liberals.
Grits theme going to be "dream team" and "national interest" but need to clean up mess in Quebec and Ontario before allowing trip to the polls.
New poll a disaster for Dion. How do they stand up while sitting down? Throne Speech is set up to make Grits look like wimps.
Very content rich two hours of bafflegab.
Looks like PMSH is on his way to a majority and Dion to the Sorbonne.
7/10

Lemon: Tories at 40%

As predicted here a few days ago - trend upward continues. CPC - 40%, Grits - 28%, You gotta be kidding party - 16%
We stand behind our prediction of 159 CPC seats on December 3.

Lemon: Video - Hall Findlay Would Eliminate Jewish, Catholic & Other Schools

She tries to talk her way out of it - but listen to her (and Tiny Perfect NDPer Joy McPhail). She clearly states that she wants an end to ALL religious school funding. Which would include Catholic schools.


Check out Bernie Lord's bemused grin while Martha gets thumped thoroughly by Joy and jabbed to the nose by Duffy.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Lemon: Comments on Biased CP Story

An anonymous CP writer was the conduit for the other Grit McGuinty whining about PMSH's upcoming throne speech. Now remember that the Liberal mantra is "we won't comment on the Throne speech until we read the throne speech."
But this doesn't apply, I guess, to the other Get Smart replicant:
Liberal MP David McGuinty told CTV Newsnet Thursday that the Conservatives are "playing games" with next week's throne speech.[...] McGuinty, the Liberal environment critic, says he doesn't know what will be in the speech, but that he has heard that the prime minister may try to force Canada to abandon Kyoto altogether.
But, commenters on the CTV story aren't being fooled.



MaryT's Nightly Rant

Julie V.D is reporting that there will be a shadow cabinet shuffle. Says Coderre will probably stay (maybe in Afstan). Gee JVD has spent some money on her hair style.

JVD also reported on election talk in the back rooms. Some say yes, many say no. Goldenberg says don't fall into PMSH's trap, pick your poison to defeat him on. Guess the throne speech will pass.

There is a blogger who shall be nameless who has attacked me, (viciously) over my comments in the past re media bias and misreporting. Perhaps he/she should visit Little Green Footballs, and read the list of 101 times the media and it's imps, have published and manipulated lies. Especially phony stories by phony soldiers.

Just read an article, in our local paper, (from Montreal) that a study has been done, and it says girls who have been verbally abused by their teachers are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse at an earlier age, beccome delinquent and drug addicts. Wonder what boys who are verbally abused by teachers become. Probably Liberal candidates.

Put on your thinking caps, who will Dion move and who will stay. Would he move Iggy, I doubt it. (Surprise, Surprise - Iggy got the can in favour of his lifelong friend who he no longer mentions). Maybe that is why Coderre went on his useless trip, he heard he might get sacked and needed to keep his name out there. Not too many cdn troops were anxious to talk to him.

Garth got promoted? Kiss of deader than death. Where are all the women? Why appoint candidate Bob Rae when there are lots of Female Grit candidates - a third for sure, right, Stephane.

Lemon: The History of Civilization

This might be old and no attribution is available. Still is a good time to be recycled.

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girliemen.

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.

Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history: It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it. A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to tic them off.

Lemon: Loss was Predicted and Predictable

All the pollsters had it right - as they usually do. And as always, when all is said and done, more will be said than done. McGuinty will accept this as a huge mandate to continue to lie, cheat, steal and accomplish nothing.

John Tory would look great in the CPC caucus (except for his red toryness and the possibility of him being seen as the leader per se of such members of the federal party).

The PCO campaign started out with a simple conclusion from a simple poll.
Popularity of the two main parties was even while Tory was considerable more popular than McGuinty.
So all campaign messaging was Team John Tory rather than Team Tory.
When John lost his edge with the FBS perception he and the party were dust.

But the most frightening aspect of last night's coverage was a poll of kids- 62% would have voted Liberal and 18% Green (to make them the official opposition). It might be a long time before we see the PCs regain their traditional rule in Ontario.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Lemon: We Won!!!

But the agency's effort to remain non-partisan resulted in a campaign that failed to capture the public's imagination, Arita Droog, a member of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, charged last week.
"It's so neutral, it's so unbiased, that it doesn't say anything . . . I understand their position (Elections Ontario) that they want to be neutral and unbiased, but in doing so, they went beyond (providing useful information)," Droog said.


Ah, Anita, there's this thing about democracy that requires non-biased elections. I understand you pissed away months of your life believing that you were doing something that would make the world a better place and your life worthwhile. Toooo bad it didn't work out.

Of course, if the electorate were really knowledgeable and EO were doing their job to your standards then Dalton McGuinty wouldn't have a job right now.

Lemon: The Last Polka - Part One of Seven

A tribute to all Leutonians everywhere:

Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman & Taber Oct 10

Newman!!! Taber!!! Williams!!! Help!!!

Roddie Macdonald gives up Atlantic Accord begging, comes to agreement with PMSH and tries to get us to believe that it has nothing to do with the Newfie election. Won't make Bill Casey happy – there will be a CPC candidate in Amherst and it won't be him says the PM. Amherst will be sad, and likely so will the Tories if Bill runs anyway. Not room for two toryish candidates along the Sunrise Trail.

So Danny wins a landslide. So. There are more electors in any Toronto riding than the whole rocky mistake of a province. So what – lose 2 seats? Danny – you gonna keep jabberin' and blamin' someone from away for the next four years so you never have to own up to your own failure to behave like a civilized human being? Dork. I used to like Newfies but you are one helluva piss poor role model. Danny is out of control - the story of his personal impropriety is enough to rotten the soul of the province.

Jamie Carroll quits and Dom Leblanc says it's over. Dom, it's not over until Mike Duffy sings.
The Carroll Affair was a symptom not a disease. Grits all over smile that Dion's version of Scott Reid is toast, errr ahh, popcorn.

Lorne Calvert on both shows at once. Double the doofus, double the boredom, double the duplicity. Way too stereo. I lived in and loved Sask and knew thousands of people there and not one, not a single Saskatchewanian, was as irritating as Lorne. Enjoy your days in the sun, Lorne, you're on your way home to Moose Jaw at about 8:03 pm on the next flat land EDay.

Both shows do previews of Ontario election.McGuinty talking about McGuinty. More ugly stereo when even mono McGuinty is way too much. According to Duff, the NDP thinks they're gonna get Tory and Grit sluff.

Paul Dewar says that NDP is gonna read the Throne Speech first before they criticize it but says that they're gonna vote against it anyway. I thought this was Dion's mantra. Dion was let off the hook by not being hammered by the media for admitting he criticized the budget without reading it.

Confidence votes in house? From James Moore, "If a party with 30 seats can bring down the government then so be it let's let the public have a chance to change its makeup." Newman draws comparison with Joe Clark on governing as a majority. Jimmy Moore, "It is too laugh. Joe Who?" Bloc has five demands, Layton has four demands and Stephane has three sides on every issue. Will see in a week what we see. Even Newman says that the NDP is cheeky for being a pain in the rump.

I hear rumours that the Throne Speech is gonna address every one of the opposition's demands. Yup, each one will be addressed in its own way.

Fife and MacCharles confirm that the PM will accept no messin' around.
Travers with Newman - Harper following up on Martin in cutting side deals. According to Travers it's equalization that holds the country together... Really, Jim. I thought it was our Hockey and Health care. Williams is irrelevant in the rest of Canada and Newfoundland is lost. No big deal. Fife wants to bring John Crosby out of retirement. According to Fife Canada is set up such that Saskatchewan should look forward to sharing it's oil revenue with the ROC.

We're in a phony war and these are phony shows. Nothing biting edge or interesting. Everyone's sitting and waiting and making conversation. You heard it here first - Election December 3rd. CPC 159 seats. Grits 90 seats. NDP 18. BQ 41.

This show - 2/10

Reid: Breaking news - Calgary NE MP Art Hanger won't run for re-election

I don't really have any details on this other than Art is announcing today that he won't run for re-election. I'll update once I get more details.

Update:

The press conference has recently been concluded. Art Hanger, 64, has been the MP for Calgary NE since 1993. First elected as a Reform, then a Canadian Alliance, and finally as a CPC member in the 2004 election. No specific reason has been given, but after 14 years as an MP I can understand why he'd want a rest.

Art has served his constituents well over these past 14 years. As an ex cop I think he brought a perspective to the Parliament regarding crime and justice issues that really hadn't been represented before by the multitude of lawyers who became MPs.

Lemon: Rae's Coat of Many Colours

Bob Rae has no business saying anything to the New Democratic Party - all we ever hoped for Rae was that the door would not hit him in the ass on the way out!!!

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Lemon: The Overprotected Generation

What will these kids grow up like?
"We had an incident because of an unknown substance in the school," he said. "Unless they are 100 per cent sure what the substance is, they shut it down."
How about Lockdowns.
PJ O'Rourke called them safety nazis.
The forces of safety are afoot in the land. I, for one, believe it is a conspiracy - a conspiracy of Safety Nazis shouting "Sieg Health" and seeking to trammel freedom, liberty, and large noisy parties. The Safety Nazis advocate gun control, vigorous exercise, and health foods. The result can only be a disarmed, exhausted, and half-starved population ready to acquiesce to dictatorship of some kind.

Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman Taber - Oct 9

New Decima Poll
National:
CPC 35 --- LPOC 28 --- NDP 17 --- Green 10
Grits can lose 20 seats based upon the 2% loss of support. This shows a trend that could - in a well run campaign - result in 42%+ for the CPC.

Quebec:
BQ 35 --- CPC 26 --- LPOC 14 --- Green 12 --- NDP 11
Lessard says expect big gains for CPC in Rural Quebec. Green support is phoney.Almost no Francophone in Quebec will vote for Dion; his own tribe has abandoned him. Lessard says that Harper will find a way to get Dion to vote against Throne Speech and we'll go to the polls.

Ontario:
LPOC 38 --- CPC 34 --- NDP 18 --- Green 10
This is a bit of a smokescreen - ridings are not evenly population distributed, urban ridings are strongly Grit and Dip, which skews the provincial figures. This is likely a dead heat.

On Bob Rae going into Shadow Cabinet - Ditchburn says it's a great idea which probably means it's a dumb idea.

Beaver Goodale, Peggy Nash and Peter Van Loan collectively contribute nothing of interest. Am not going to even bother reporting on political hacks in the future. Not worth the digits. Will cover Reid and Powers on Friday when I get a chance. Other than that - not worth it.

Newman says that McGuinty should be a little less confident in declaring victory two days before the vote. Ecker, Cordiano and Churley. Didn't Marilyn look in a mirror? Maril - it's national TV not the Coren show. Comb your hair. And stop interrupting.

Conclusion on Ontario - Faith Based Schools have destroyed Tory's Tories victory chances.

Supposition that Throne Speech may state that the Grit/NDP Clean Air Act "will be repealed". This would likely force the Grits to defeat the Throne Speech. Note to self - cancel lunches and dinners from October 26 to Dec 3. Party Hardy on Dec 3rd - 8 pm til 3 am.

LeDrew, Robin Sears and Anderson - Rae on Shadow Cabinet - Robin: form an entire govt without electing anyone - election sign; LeDrew - no election - Dion still in trouble and not enough for a CPC majority.

Laghi and Weston with Taber - Thought no election - Have Grits been snookered? They will be playing for time. Choose your executioner - can't get worse for Liberals - now or March. Clean Air Bill gone forever. Talk about Majority might move people to vote against McGuinty. Weston thinks Tories cooked.

Mostly a waste of air time. Poll was interesting but could be felt in the air - there's been a surge since Dion blowed himself up. No surprises, pat assumptions, basic analysis. Bad hair. 1/10

Friday, October 05, 2007

Lemon: Incredible Insult of Our Heroes on TBS

Caught my last thirty seconds of post season major league baseball on TBS tonight.
Frank effin Blue Jay Thomas on a panel with Never won a world series in the most games ever played in history Cal Ripkin were reporting on a gnat attack in Cleveland.
The report "They're called Canadian soldiers, they fly around ya but never bite".
When did Cal Ripkin ever risk his life for anything, or for that matter Frank Thomas who currently makes his living in Canada (let's hope that ends in the off season and he gets tossed on the scrap heap where he belongs).

A formal apology from TBS (and possibly from the former husband of Hanoi Jane Fonda) should be the least that is forthcoming.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Lemon: Polish Princes Never Stag Hunt in October

Here
The phrase comes from a few centuries ago when the peasants, enjoying the harvest and the effects of the fruits of the hops, would find Prince's palaces unprotected and take certain liberties.
Rather apt analogy I think.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Lemon: If Katrina was so All Powerful . . .


What's he still doing here?

Lemon: Pauvre Petit

W a t c h i n g h i s p o l i t i c a l d r e a m s g o d o w n t h e t o i l e t . . .

Awwwww.

Lemon: Globe's Simpson Agrees With CBL

CBL
On Friday
The Liberals have had internecine warfare now for a generation - from the time Turner and Chretien had their tangles, through Paul Martin's first run at the top job and after Chretien had pushed Turner out, on through the Martin/Chretien war and to now where there are three, maybe four, blocs within the party. All fighting for a throne of dubious value.
The current Grit leadership group(s) and roster of functionaries have never known a period of peace in their party. New Liberals (those under 60) expect to fight enemies within before they fight enemies on the outside.


Jeffrey Simpson
Today
For most of the past 23 years, since the end of the Trudeau era, the Liberals seldom have been an entirely happy bunch fully behind their leader. There was unity for the first five or six years of the Chrétien era, but then the Martinites became restless, then more restless, until their man finally left the cabinet, thereby making the split open and final.

And the sky didn't fall.

Lemon: Greenspan a "Special Person"

Just arrived at my gate at Pearson.
Was in line at security and who should move to the front of the line?
Eddie Greenspan - who just Monday got the Tainted Blood criminals off the hook.
He makes a living getting the most disgusting human beings in Canada free from justice.
In the name of protecting all citizens through the application of our legal system.
But he doesn't do it to protect society - he does it to make money.
Lots and lots of money.

He's a disgusting human being in a profession that he and his ilk make reak like sewer water.

Before he cleared security I asked the guard why he was getting special service. She said he has a "special pass".
Likely from someone who he got off for something or other, as a special person.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Lemon: LCBO Ripping Off Customers

Previously posted but needs to be resaid.
Say you drink a bottle of Grey Goose a week at C$50/ea here and about US$35 in the US. That's $780 a year the LCBO is stealing from you. On that one product.
But look at their rationalization:

The Star advised tonight (in one of their few positives acts in history) that the LCBO is gouging Ontario wine-buyers:
Redelmeier said one reason why prices in Ontario haven’t really gone down is because the LCBO, which has a virtual monopoly on the purchase and sale of wine in Ontario has a floor price that it won’t sell below. A spokesperson for the LCBO said the floor price is based on legislation and the need for social responsibility.
Where does it say in the LCBO mission as a government department that they have to take advantage of lower costs of product and deem it in the interest of the public to keep us somehow from abusing the privilege. Are French and Italian wines really the preferred treat of drunks? Or is this a money grab.
Or is this a rhetorical question.
I would suggest that interested parties chat with the private vendors to see if THEY will pass on a saving that we should be entitled to as consumers.
Otherwise, us this as a reason to dump the LCBO completely and privatize.

Lemon: Perspectives on Nuit Blanche

Moi Meme
Some of these festivals are great events but most just serve some deep-seated need that Toronto politicians and residents have to feel wanted or special or world class.[...]
The city employes 34 people (figure another $5 million a year) in its special events division to produce this pointless, heartness and spirtless event.
It does help David Miller get his residents' minds off of a bankrupt and dirty city with a useless transit system, though.

Mayor David Miller called the event "unbelievably successful."
"If anything, we had too many people. It was just extraordinary and it was clear Torontonians have an incredible appetite for modern public art installations, including offbeat and weird ones," he said.

Read about the mundanity of it all

Perhaps most telling of all:
Reid said. "Staying up all night is a big thing.

That's Toronto...

Monday, October 01, 2007

Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman Duff Oct 1

Does The Ceeb have any viewers under 60 - all their ads are for Grey Power Insurance, how to save your money, Magic beds, reverse mortgages and sit-down bathtubs...

Duffy on Tainted Blood - Krever Findings
Murderers had both Greenspans on defense team. Best defense that money can buy.
Judge praised doctors - said were cautious and careful, unbelievably said that would be worse to blame doctors than the poisoning of thousands of people.
Duff is totally confused and flabbergasted - everywhere but in Canada people went to jail!!!
Courts protected the system.
Mike McCarthy of Hemophilia Assoc - they in shock - facts were indisputable.
Mike says the judge got sucked in by legal eagles. Unusual innocent verdict - almost never happened before - always acquittal or not guilty.
Judge says victims suffered because of "a confluence of events". as if the muderers deciding to "use up" blood they knew was infected with HIV and HepC was just bad luck.
Now the victims are suffering because of a judge's rotten to the core decision. WOnder what the benefit is for her?
How will McGuinty and Spanky deal with this just prior to Election Day - I'd be all over it if I were on Tory's team. Weak on crime - weak on criminals - if you can afford the best lawyers you get away with murder.
Duffy describes it as an "Horrific Day". An "Incredulous Day". Recalls how Chretien and Allan Rock passed an order in council prohibiting any politician from being held responsible for any angle of the bad blood crimes.

Hezi Coderre - begging to go to Afstan. Whey doesn't he offer to carry Stephane Dion's bags? Says he wants to represent different angle. What angle does he want to represent? Hezbollah - or does he only support them in Canada? The leadership opponents of Steffi Dion? The Rotary Club?

Peter Harder and Jim Travers on how best to surrender in Afstan. Thinks Karsai saying he'll negotiate is good politics but not real - is encouraging dissent in Taliban and good message to public. JimTravers - military expert - not. He barely gets Canadian politics - what would be know about Afstan politics or the Taliban.

Peter Shurman smacks down Kathleen Wynn. She thinks it's laughable... But she's really funny-lookin. Looks like a young Granny Clampett but not as warm and cuddly. Click - can't stand to watch her. He's not any better - a face made for radio.

Seance with Party Whips - Redman and Nathan Bobblehead Cullen. No Jay Hill - expect them to get along great - feel the love. Cullen does a great job on the Blood Disaster - Redman takes credit for the great and compassionate job the Grits did. Duffy on destroyed minutes of meetings where decisions to poison thousands were made. No response.

Newman on NWT Election - a hot day in Yellowknife - 19 members for what - 30,000 people?

Akin, Joel-Denis and Duffy - expecting a lot of shucking and jiving - only front bench will vote and then against Throne Speech. Lot of thought among the Grits that they might get slaughtered - Quebecers not sure whether to wait or go - go now and lose Dion (yippee), go later and maybe Dion won't go at all.

Newman reports on Joan Tintor - no mention of Kinsella, no mention of Cherniak (although she showcased HIS blog). She tries to go with the argument that journalists can't do this. Blah blah Flannigan. KINSELLA IS A BLOGGER KINSELLA IS A WRITER IN THE POST KINSELLA IS PAID TO CONSULT TO GOVERNMENTS AND PARTIES. No double standards at the Ceeb.

Ellie May had hip surgery - wondered where she went to. Probably takes a long time to walk from New Glasgow to Toronto on a bad hip to avoid burning carbon.

Duffy and I were both distracted by the Bad Blood findings.
I'm way past tears, gives be a good reason to keep being cynical.
No rating for this program.

Lemon: Tainted Blood Murderers Found Innocent in Travesty Judgement

PUBLIC TO PAY MULTI-MILLION DEFENSE COSTS FOR MURDERERS

Just announced that the whole collection of murderers who killed thousands of Canadians (including my brother) and poisoned tens of thousands of others with tainted blood have been acquitted.

Perhaps the biggest effect, other than monsters getting away with murder, is that it creates the lowest possible standard of acceptable conduct for drug regulators. Those responsible can turn a blind eye, destroy minutes of meetings, have secret conversations and be called 'very professional".

This is not surprising - Politicians were in their pocket and the bureaucrats were in the pockets of politicians.
Deny, Deny, Deny.
So it was all a big accident that all this human tragedy happened - no one made decisions to not test or treat blood (although they did and it was not to because it cost too much), no one destroyed minutes of meetings that could have revealed the conspiracy (but someone did), no one decided that they shouldn't tell the public about the risk of the blood system (except the people who were charged), no one decided that people shouldn't be allowed to make self-donations (except these guys).
I predicted 10 years ago that no one would ever go to jail over the tainted blood disaster. I was right.
The released murderers are free now and old men. May they die soon and rot in hell

Lemon: Ontario - Home of Hidden Bigotry

A caller on Bill Carroll's show on CFRB this morning nailed it on the head - "Ontario is filled with hidden bigotry".

Here in the capital city of the universe, with the world's biggest collection of liberal, tolerant and self-righteous do-gooders exists among the globe's worst racists, xenophobes and hypocrites.
No white hoods, no burning crosses, no lynchings but just as evil in many ways as was Mississippi in the 60's.

Ask people of colour who try to integrate if they believe they are treated differently because of their skin tone. Ask them if they think that by being identified as a member of their ethnic group in the interest of creating more equality if they feel more equal. (Whatever equal means.)

Ask white people if they treat people of other colours differently. And of course they will deny it.
Ask parents who send their kids to a Catholic school if they really do it for the religious education.
Some do. Others might prefer the much cleaner schools or smaller number of left-wing teachers.
But, I betcha, there are a whole lot of these parents who send their kids to the Catholic schools so that their kids don't have to mix with foreigners who might be different. I betcha.

McGuinty owns these votes.

Lemon: Bloggers are a Different Species

and are obviously too rednecked, partisan and stoopid to provide communications advice or write a speech or report?

This Ottawa Citizen reporter thinks so.

What a dumbass and stupid piece by the OC.
There are only about a million bloggers (who are not constrained by ethics rules - as he puts it) who can write circles around this McGregor illiterate and Joan Tintor is certainly one.

And the Liblogs, and Dippers, they would never do something like this (Cherniak) and there has never been an MSM (as we call mainstream media) writer who has EVER been in a conflict of interest in a story. Never.

And, does this self-righteous prig think that the CPC should maybe hire a Grit hack or an NDP hack or for that matter a neutral journalist who is really a Grit or NDP hack but doesn't admit it, to be a communications consultant for them?

Note the difference - Joan charged (I think) $240 on a $10 k agreement - a Grit consultant would have gotten a $100k agreement and charged $2 mill and gotten the government to pay for it.