So an old-time Reform Party member has gone public and is pointing out that Harper has betrayed the original values of the folks who “brung him to the dance.” Lee Morrison was a Saskatchewan based Reform MP from 1993 – 2000 and points out his discontent in a thoughtful and damning Op-Ed in the Calgary Herald last Sunday.
Morrison called the cynical opportunism of an early election call by Harper that contradicts the spirit and sentiment of member of his own government, this also “defies statute.” That is a polite way of saying Harper has no respect for the Rule of Law or Parliament. Not the qualities of character you want to hold the most important and powerful elected office in the land.
Morrison skewers Harper for hypocrisy on fixed election dates saying, “My favourite is from Harper himself: ‘Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar simply for partisan advantage.’” OUCH!
I have been wondering when the original Reform Party members who have integrity and are principled partisans who led the charge to Ottawa with the slogan “The West Wants In” would start telling the truth about the deceit and deception of their current “Misleader.”
Morrison is the first. Not likely to be the last.
Monday, September 15, 2008
If Anyone is Too Risky to Rule Over Canada It's Stephen Harper
The American election is so much more interesting but not nearly as important to Canadians as our own election. The link between the Harper Con-Trolls and the Neo-Republicans in the States is becoming more and more direct.
Harper’s Americanization of political campaigning in Canada is hardly a subtle shift but one that will have profound impact on our democracy if citizens don’t show up and stop it at the ballot box this election. Harper is a clear and present danger to our Canadian democracy.
Just look at how he ignored and ran roughshod over any semblance of independence in his Supreme Court appointment just before calling the election. He made a big deal about vetting nominees before a Parliamentary Committee last time a Supreme was appointed. This time he stacked and disbanded the independent review process. Next he abandoned his own manipulated politically motivated judicial review process - and made the Court appointment all by his lonesome. Scary, unless you like a dictatorship!
If you want to know what Harper is likely to do next and how he will conduct himself, just look at the tactics and trickery of the McCain – Palin ticket for some clues. This article entitled “McCain and Palin are Trying to Take Political Lying to the Next Level” could be a sign of the Harper times to come.
As the American economy goes into meltdown, Harper will try a position himself as the master economic manager. He will continue to mislead Canadians about Dion’s Green Shift by ignoring the tax reductions that reach most of us and the shift of tax burden on those who behaved badly towards the environment.
The truth is obviously going to be the first victim in a Harper government. We need leadership we can trust and believe…that is not Harper.
Harper is a one trick phony and insists that he alone commands his universe and that he alone controls everything. Harper is the only economist of note who is out of step with the best economic minds in the country. His ideological folly like a minimal GST cut instead of income tax cuts is one example. The heavy handed ideologically driven wipe out of billions of savings for Canadians with his sneaky and stealth of Income Trust lying is another. His denial of climate change and anemic policy of deferral of any serious action until 2050 shows he is out of touch – and dangerous -he is - yet again.
Harper is not decisive he is dangerous. He is not a leader. He is a misleader. In times where trustworthiness is necessary, Harper prefers political trickery and tactics instead governance. As we move into increasing economic uncertainty we have a man who wants a Conservative dynasty and to destroy the opposition. His personal values in this campaign are based on political nastiness and mudslinging and gamesmanship instead of the truer Canadian values like peace, order and good government?
The purpose of an election is for citizens to make informed choices about who is worthy of trust and respect to lead our country and to speak for us as an entire nation, not just the Quebec nation. Harper is not that man. His record shows his penchant for bullying and bluster. He is an old-school command and control imperialist strong-man leader like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. He campaigns like a Neo-Republican that uses Bush-Rove machinations stressing emotion over information, half truths and outright misleading manipulation of facts to gain power.
If you are looking at where the real risk lies for Canadians as we decide who should govern us you need look no further than the Bush Mini-Me – Mr. Stephen Harper and vote anybody but him and his party.
Harper’s Americanization of political campaigning in Canada is hardly a subtle shift but one that will have profound impact on our democracy if citizens don’t show up and stop it at the ballot box this election. Harper is a clear and present danger to our Canadian democracy.
Just look at how he ignored and ran roughshod over any semblance of independence in his Supreme Court appointment just before calling the election. He made a big deal about vetting nominees before a Parliamentary Committee last time a Supreme was appointed. This time he stacked and disbanded the independent review process. Next he abandoned his own manipulated politically motivated judicial review process - and made the Court appointment all by his lonesome. Scary, unless you like a dictatorship!
If you want to know what Harper is likely to do next and how he will conduct himself, just look at the tactics and trickery of the McCain – Palin ticket for some clues. This article entitled “McCain and Palin are Trying to Take Political Lying to the Next Level” could be a sign of the Harper times to come.
As the American economy goes into meltdown, Harper will try a position himself as the master economic manager. He will continue to mislead Canadians about Dion’s Green Shift by ignoring the tax reductions that reach most of us and the shift of tax burden on those who behaved badly towards the environment.
The truth is obviously going to be the first victim in a Harper government. We need leadership we can trust and believe…that is not Harper.
Harper is a one trick phony and insists that he alone commands his universe and that he alone controls everything. Harper is the only economist of note who is out of step with the best economic minds in the country. His ideological folly like a minimal GST cut instead of income tax cuts is one example. The heavy handed ideologically driven wipe out of billions of savings for Canadians with his sneaky and stealth of Income Trust lying is another. His denial of climate change and anemic policy of deferral of any serious action until 2050 shows he is out of touch – and dangerous -he is - yet again.
Harper is not decisive he is dangerous. He is not a leader. He is a misleader. In times where trustworthiness is necessary, Harper prefers political trickery and tactics instead governance. As we move into increasing economic uncertainty we have a man who wants a Conservative dynasty and to destroy the opposition. His personal values in this campaign are based on political nastiness and mudslinging and gamesmanship instead of the truer Canadian values like peace, order and good government?
The purpose of an election is for citizens to make informed choices about who is worthy of trust and respect to lead our country and to speak for us as an entire nation, not just the Quebec nation. Harper is not that man. His record shows his penchant for bullying and bluster. He is an old-school command and control imperialist strong-man leader like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. He campaigns like a Neo-Republican that uses Bush-Rove machinations stressing emotion over information, half truths and outright misleading manipulation of facts to gain power.
If you are looking at where the real risk lies for Canadians as we decide who should govern us you need look no further than the Bush Mini-Me – Mr. Stephen Harper and vote anybody but him and his party.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Cherniak on Politics - Is There Layton/Harper Collusion?
Cherniak on Politics
Here is an interesting set of clips that makes one think. Layton wants a Harper minority with him in the balance of power. Hence his vehemence about siding with Harper to exclude May from the debates.
Canadians were enraged by both of them and they folded like old lawn chairs...but the mutual benefit of feigning a fight is still being played out on the political stage.
Layton is betraying NDP principles and is after personal political power just as much and aggressively as Harper is.
So much for Mr. Social Justice. This strategy by Jack Layton is going to erode his personal credibility and tie his trustworthiness to the same level as Harper...virtually Zero.
Here is an interesting set of clips that makes one think. Layton wants a Harper minority with him in the balance of power. Hence his vehemence about siding with Harper to exclude May from the debates.
Canadians were enraged by both of them and they folded like old lawn chairs...but the mutual benefit of feigning a fight is still being played out on the political stage.
Layton is betraying NDP principles and is after personal political power just as much and aggressively as Harper is.
So much for Mr. Social Justice. This strategy by Jack Layton is going to erode his personal credibility and tie his trustworthiness to the same level as Harper...virtually Zero.
The Canadian Voter is "Up for Grabs" - Nik Nanos
I am encouraged by Nik Nanos’ survey showing that 60% of Canadian voters are “up for grabs.” This means that most of us could change our votes if there is a reason to do so.
This will auger well for end of campaign strategic voting. We saw this in 2004 and the shift away from scary Harper’s control-freak version of Canada with him in control of everything. It could happen again. It must happen again.
The citizens of Canada need to ensure the Harper Conservatives do not get a majority government. If they do, Harper will make into Canada into a one-party NEO-REPUBLICAN STATE. That is ENOUGH REASON enough to vote ABC – Anything But Conservative.
The Cons have the most hard-core group of voters…ignoring the Bloc which don’t count for the rest of Canada who are outside Quebec. Half of Harper’s partisans are true-believers and “Very Firm” in their voting intentions…and they will show up at the polls for sure. If the rest of us stay home, that is enough to give Harper a majority government
The Greens are the next most solid group of party supporters at 43% Very Firm, but there are not a lot of them. The Greens are ironically the most fluid group too with 18% saying they are “Not At All Sure” if they will vote for their party.
The NDP support for Layton is about 50/50 overall with 44% saying they are “Somewhat Firm” compared to 39% in the “Very Firm” category and 7% who are really unsure of voting along party lines.
The Liberals are even softer than the NDP. The only have 36% of true believers and the largest group of Somewhat Firm (47%) and Not At All Firm at 9%. This is an obvious reflection of ambiguousness over Dion’s leadership and the lack-lustre campaign so far.
My guess is the election is all about Harper and if he can be trusted as a person, not just as a manager. Readers of this Blog know I think the answer is unequivocally NO! I think his is also a danger to democracy.
If others agree then strategic voting will become the norm to stop Harper in the last week of the campaign. For many reasons Layton will not be the beneficiary of this strategic voting, not the least of which was his agreeing with Harper to keep May out of the debates.
Here is how I see it happening. The Liberals will hold their noses and rally behind Dion. Greens will stay with May in her own riding and where they are competitive like Linda Duncan in Edmonton Strathcona but most of them will shift to Liberals. The NDP will split evenly between staying with Layton and shifting to Liberals to void vote splitting and giving a majority to Harper.
The cynical and disengaged may get scared by Harper’s sly, negative an conniving campaign style and show up to stop him. This will be because they begin to see the disaster that will befall them if they do show up and vote against Harper’s lust for personal political power. Anyone who thinks this election is inconsequential because it is essentially unnecessary and stay away from the polls is sleep walking to a disaster. That disaster is a Conservative majority government led by a power hungry control freak by the name of Stephen Harper.
Time to show up and vote Canada and make sure that does not happen!
This will auger well for end of campaign strategic voting. We saw this in 2004 and the shift away from scary Harper’s control-freak version of Canada with him in control of everything. It could happen again. It must happen again.
The citizens of Canada need to ensure the Harper Conservatives do not get a majority government. If they do, Harper will make into Canada into a one-party NEO-REPUBLICAN STATE. That is ENOUGH REASON enough to vote ABC – Anything But Conservative.
The Cons have the most hard-core group of voters…ignoring the Bloc which don’t count for the rest of Canada who are outside Quebec. Half of Harper’s partisans are true-believers and “Very Firm” in their voting intentions…and they will show up at the polls for sure. If the rest of us stay home, that is enough to give Harper a majority government
The Greens are the next most solid group of party supporters at 43% Very Firm, but there are not a lot of them. The Greens are ironically the most fluid group too with 18% saying they are “Not At All Sure” if they will vote for their party.
The NDP support for Layton is about 50/50 overall with 44% saying they are “Somewhat Firm” compared to 39% in the “Very Firm” category and 7% who are really unsure of voting along party lines.
The Liberals are even softer than the NDP. The only have 36% of true believers and the largest group of Somewhat Firm (47%) and Not At All Firm at 9%. This is an obvious reflection of ambiguousness over Dion’s leadership and the lack-lustre campaign so far.
My guess is the election is all about Harper and if he can be trusted as a person, not just as a manager. Readers of this Blog know I think the answer is unequivocally NO! I think his is also a danger to democracy.
If others agree then strategic voting will become the norm to stop Harper in the last week of the campaign. For many reasons Layton will not be the beneficiary of this strategic voting, not the least of which was his agreeing with Harper to keep May out of the debates.
Here is how I see it happening. The Liberals will hold their noses and rally behind Dion. Greens will stay with May in her own riding and where they are competitive like Linda Duncan in Edmonton Strathcona but most of them will shift to Liberals. The NDP will split evenly between staying with Layton and shifting to Liberals to void vote splitting and giving a majority to Harper.
The cynical and disengaged may get scared by Harper’s sly, negative an conniving campaign style and show up to stop him. This will be because they begin to see the disaster that will befall them if they do show up and vote against Harper’s lust for personal political power. Anyone who thinks this election is inconsequential because it is essentially unnecessary and stay away from the polls is sleep walking to a disaster. That disaster is a Conservative majority government led by a power hungry control freak by the name of Stephen Harper.
Time to show up and vote Canada and make sure that does not happen!
Lies Our Father Figure - Stephen Harper - is Telling Us.
In wandering around the various comments and posts in the election I ran across the posting today of Dr. Dawgs Blawg on the lies that Stephen Harper has used to hide his true intentions.
Harper is trying to show he has a softer, gentle, metro sexual side in some sinister misleading media manipulation of political packaging. He is trying to be our father, here to protect us and comfort us and lull us into a false sense of security under his paternal power. In reality he is no protector. He is just a mean-spirited power monger with a personal agenda to control us like he controls his caucus.
This election is not because Canadians want it nor need it. Only Harper’s hidden agenda of taking advantage of a disengaged electorate who he is betting will not show up to vote. To be lulled into complacency or fooled again by Rovarian cancerous political lies will only lead to giving Harper his domination over us. We centralize too much power in the PMO and Harper is out to take advantage of that.
Just look at his recent Supreme Court appointment. He made that personal appointment just before the election call. He cancelled the normal independent judicial review process and replaced it with a pure political process of MPs and then he disbanded that process and made the decision all by himself. that is just the start of how this man will abuse power if he get it...especially the majority government he is after.
He down plays his hidden desire for a majority but gives no reason why it is sound fiscal management for him to cost taxpayers $400,000,000.00 to run his election only to return another minority government. Don’t be fooled by this charlatan again. He is after a majority despite his talk to the contrary.
He is also out to break and bankrupt the Liberal Party of Canada and hopes it will disappear. He is after this goal just like he got rid of his other partisan hated political party, the former and now defunct Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Peter McKay, as mistrusted Harper loyalist, was the deceitful sock puppet of Harper who engineered that disaster.
Harper wants the Liberal Party of Canada to disappear next. That is another Harper hidden agenda behind his breaking of his own fixed election dates law and this waste of taxpayer money for his own personal political power purposes.
I don’t think Canadians are impressed with him – or any of the leaders. The polls show that. Harper is a special case…because he is not only unimpressive he is monumentally untrustworthy. Harper is actually dangerous to democracy given his real purposes in this election.
If you value your freedoms and love Canada, you will follow Danny Williams’ advice and vote ABC – Anything But Conservative.
Harper is trying to show he has a softer, gentle, metro sexual side in some sinister misleading media manipulation of political packaging. He is trying to be our father, here to protect us and comfort us and lull us into a false sense of security under his paternal power. In reality he is no protector. He is just a mean-spirited power monger with a personal agenda to control us like he controls his caucus.
This election is not because Canadians want it nor need it. Only Harper’s hidden agenda of taking advantage of a disengaged electorate who he is betting will not show up to vote. To be lulled into complacency or fooled again by Rovarian cancerous political lies will only lead to giving Harper his domination over us. We centralize too much power in the PMO and Harper is out to take advantage of that.
Just look at his recent Supreme Court appointment. He made that personal appointment just before the election call. He cancelled the normal independent judicial review process and replaced it with a pure political process of MPs and then he disbanded that process and made the decision all by himself. that is just the start of how this man will abuse power if he get it...especially the majority government he is after.
He down plays his hidden desire for a majority but gives no reason why it is sound fiscal management for him to cost taxpayers $400,000,000.00 to run his election only to return another minority government. Don’t be fooled by this charlatan again. He is after a majority despite his talk to the contrary.
He is also out to break and bankrupt the Liberal Party of Canada and hopes it will disappear. He is after this goal just like he got rid of his other partisan hated political party, the former and now defunct Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Peter McKay, as mistrusted Harper loyalist, was the deceitful sock puppet of Harper who engineered that disaster.
Harper wants the Liberal Party of Canada to disappear next. That is another Harper hidden agenda behind his breaking of his own fixed election dates law and this waste of taxpayer money for his own personal political power purposes.
I don’t think Canadians are impressed with him – or any of the leaders. The polls show that. Harper is a special case…because he is not only unimpressive he is monumentally untrustworthy. Harper is actually dangerous to democracy given his real purposes in this election.
If you value your freedoms and love Canada, you will follow Danny Williams’ advice and vote ABC – Anything But Conservative.
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