Fuck You Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper is pleading with traditional Liberal voters to support his Conservatives to stave off a “disastrous” leftist government headed by NDP Leader Jack Layton.

Oh, and if you do stumble into a Majority, come get some, shithead.  It ain't even fair fucking with you clowns unless the numbers are 10 to 1 in your favor.

Ontario Still Not There For CPoC Majority; Masturbagate Still Non-Story

NANOS shows the NDP down a bit; the CPoC up a bit, but not in Ontario, where they need to be if they want their majority.   Because who cares how high they soar in Alberta, as long as the people out there only get to vote once?

As for Jack's visit to the alleged "rub and tug"; I suspect if anything the story will only work to his benefit, this late in the game.  People will see that the CPoC (and of course we all know this stuff originated with the CPoC) is getting desperate.  Remember the Rob Ford campaign.  At a certain point, the stories about Ford's improprieties were all dismissed as the kind of garbage you would expect under the circumstances. 

And in the end, this story is roughly equivalent to Jack's getting pulled over at an intersection where people often speed, but  found to be not guilty of speeding. 

Fox News North Seals NDP Majority!

Just to get something out of the way quick.  Jack Layton's been a public figure in Toronto for as long as I've been here, which is over 25 years, and under the public spotlight that long.  This claim is bullshit, though I can't remember if its bullshit I've heard before--years ago--or not. 

And I don't know what the guys at SunTV think they can accomplish with this kind of nonsense.  |Maybe its simply a matter of bumping up their hourly viewing numbers into double-digits.  But you're not going to turn people against the NDP by running this blatent a smear against their leader.

Reality Stomps On Tory Good News Story Of The Day!

Real gross domestic product decreased 0.2% in February following a 0.5% increase in January. Manufacturing and, to a lesser extent, wholesale trade were the main sources of the decline. The decrease in manufacturing resulted in a 0.6% decline in goods-producing industries.

Actually, one months data doesn't mean much, but nevertheless every piece economic good news in the hands of a party that's running on its economic record  is a weapon.  Instead, the last weekend before election 41 Stephen Harper just got handed the equivalent of a bag full of crap. 

Interesting too, that growth going forward is expected to be pretty sub-standard, all based on high-gas prices and a lousy U.S. housing market.  If I were Jack Layton, I might want to let the Tories bleed a little before dropping them and forming the Layton/Rae coalition. 

Or perhaps, because he says he's going to run for something, the Layton/Kinsella coalition.

He Might As Well Go Back To Blogging

Some Fox News North Viewership Numbers.  Bolding is mine:

This past Sunday in prime time, SNN's Charles Adler drew 7,000 viewers at 8ET, Brian Lilley 4,000 at 9 and Ezra Levant 2,000 overnight, estimated 2+ viewers at 10 p.m.

HRCs/HRTs: Through American Eyes

There was a huge dump of Canada-related wikileaks today, which can be found here.  As it turns out, our American cousins have monitored the controversy over our federal and provincial Human Rights Commissions/Tribunals over the past couple of years.  There are several diplomatic cables given over to the topic, my favorite being this one re the Macleans Magazine/Steyn complaint:

The Maclean's case is only the second complaint to be brought under the discriminatory publications provisions of the British Columbia Human Rights Code. Officials informally commented to Poloff that the case proceeded to the hearing stage largely because neither party would agree to mediation, and because Maclean's refused to file an application for dismissal of the case, implying that both sides were looking to gain publicity for their causes.

Another interesting one from late 2009, stating that the issue was dead politically:

(SBU) Comment: There is little public debate over or political interest now in overhauling Canada's federal and provincial human rights legislation -- including Parliamentary abrogation of Section 13 language on penalties-- despite the earlier spike of interest in the Maclean's case.

And yet Ezra drones on and on.

NDP Wave Hits Ontario

...just in time to make this guy look silly.

The national numbers look increasingly crap for Liberals.  But the Ontario regionals are pretty much saying no majority for Harper as they start shedding votes to, it seems, both LPoC and NDP.  Anyway, cheer up Libs, pain builds character!  And think of what it means for ME.  I've lobbied for those Senate seats (for me and the wife) for ages now, and its all going to heck.  Who'd of thought I should have been sucking up to Jack?  I've already voted this time, but maybe it isn't too late to rename the blog LeftCoast Hipster and get out my old beret.  Just don't make me listen to Pete Seeger.  

Anyway, Libs will always have Moncton:

Just A Few Things

The Tyee has a nice piece on the real Bruce Carson scandal:
Harper's key political troubleshooter and problem fixer gets lobbied for money for a new university think tank.

He then leaves the Prime Minister's Office and becomes executive director of that same think tank: the Canada School of Energy and the Environment.

It's mostly funded by a $15-million grant from the Harper government.

The former senior advisor alters the school's mandate to permit government lobbying and policy development on the oil sands.

He then lobbies for more federal money, $25 million, and gets it.

And, in keeping with the on-line privacy stories that have been large in the news recently, Here's a list of iphone and android Apps that outlines the information they collect on their users and email bank to company HQ.

Patrick Muttart Strikes Back!

In the news release from Muttart's employer Mercury LLC, it sounds like Patrick is pledging fealty to Fox News North. Grovelling, actually. Excerpts follow:

The most disappointing assertion in Mr. Peladeau's column is his "belief" that Muttart sought to "damage the integrity and credibility of Sun Media and, more pointedly, that of our new television operation, Sun News."

This assertion is false and downright bizarre.

For the record, Mercury was hired by Quebecor to assist Sun News with its pre-license branding and positioning. Muttart worked with a creative agency to develop the network's original logo (a modified version is currently in use). And he was the original source for the network's "hard news" and "straight talk" framing language. Even after Mercury's engagement with Sun News came to an end, Muttart was asked for and provided pro bono feedback on the network's graphics and on-air promotional spots. Muttart was so committed to the success of Sun News he proactively reached out to a number of current, former and prospective clients about advertising on Sun News and facilitated a number of introductions. Again, he did this pro bono as a supporter of Sun News.

Given the way Fox News North has been a bust so far, maybe Mr. Muttart's association with its graphic design team was enough to send Mr. Peladeau into paroxysms of rage.

Shades Of 1990?

Conservative leader Stephen Harper no longer enjoys a comfortable lead ahead of the surging NDP, as a new poll shows the left-leaning party swelling to within just a few points of the reigning Tories.

There are similarities to Bob Rae's surprise victory in Ontario that year: an election nobody wanted, NDP candidates from no-hope ridings who were just phoning it in but found (to their horror in some cases) that they might actually win. 

Probably not, but one argument against that does not convince me is the notion that the absence of a "ground game" will be an impediment in Que. and elsewhere.  I mean gee whiz: all you have to do is stumble down to a polling station. It isn't really that onerous a task.

CPoC Jerks Around Official Organ

...Pierre Peladeau claims Member of Canoe Network abused!

NOW On Jason Kenney And The Anti-Gay Comic

They take note of Kenney's appearance at Guy Earle's 2008 fundraiser.  Di Matteo says he emailed Kenney to see if he had changed his views  since the judgement dropped, but the Minister has gone to ground.

My Kind Of Canada

Serious.This would be cool.  Iggy gets his gold watch and a one-way bus back ticket to Harvard, and all LPoC Members--not just delegates to some booze and decadence soaked convention--get to choose his successor.  Which will be a less exciting process than you might think, because nobody will apply for the job but Bob Rae.

Coalition Leader Layton ditches that silly "O Canada" for "In-A-Gadda_Da-Vida" or maybe, if he's old school, "Your Land Is My Land" by Woody Guthrie.  And flat-bed trucks full of teamsters patrol the streets, distributing free beer.

Mind you, at the moment I am still predicting a larger Tory Minority.  But a guy can dream.

Michelle Erstikaitis Booted From Moore Campaign

One of the most bizarre incidents of this campaign is right, and first picked up by ARC (and me), who have updated their post as more (bizarre!) information has become available.

Best One-Liner Of Election 41

How true how true.  The volunteers move slower than a bunch of Union guys on coffee break filmed in slow motion.

h/t

On CPoC No Shows

Here's the official explanation from Ryan Sparrow:

We provide support for candidates to participate in candidates debates, but we don't instruct them not to attend debates. Most candidates would prefer to meet with voters one on one though instead of debating their opponents in crowds of committed supporters of the different parties.

And here is the rather extensive list.

PS.  This list first appeared here on the 19th.  It's grown considerably in the meantime.

Your Daily Nazi: Conservatives Pick-Up A White Supremacist Campaign Worker

Michelle Erstikaitis/Lisson Working for Kevin Moore?  It would certainly appear so.  She has taken to twitter on his behalf.  Here's a bit about her, from the T.O. Star, when she threatened to kill Debbie Mahaffy.  Here's her Facebook page, where she confirms the Lisson=Erstikaitis identity and notes her "White Nationalist" political views.

When Will Fox News North Sacrifice Their First Liberal?

In absence of anything more important happening this fine Sunday, I leave you with an analysis of Ezra Levant's chain-saw wileding technique. Also, Buckets wonders what might happen if crazy boy goes off on PETA. And how will he celebrate Trudeau's birthday? The anniversay of Woodstock?  Remember, Ez, only police are allowed to kick hippies.

News From Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers Support Harper And Hudak!

The Sri Lanka Daily News weighs in on the CPoC problems with Tamil Tiger supporters:

Since the war ended in 2009, remnants of the Tigers' large Canadian support base, based mainly in Toronto, have aligned themselves with the federal Tories and the Ontario Progressive Conservatives.

I suppose, as a LPoC partisan, I should worry that we've lost their support.

PS. I am informed the story quoted is a 100% rehash of this from the G&M.  Clearly, that means the SLDN trusts 'em to tell the truth!

And They Called It Hard News

To protest Earth Day Ezra Levant saws up a cedar shrubbery, a $19.99 purchase from Crappy Tire. Says more about Sun TV's tiny budget than anything. If it had been the real Fox News, they'd have napalmed an entire forest.

A Further Note On Guy Earle

A reader reminds that when comedian Guy Earle--recently judged to have physically and verbally assaulted two women for the crime of being Lesbians at a comedy night he was hosting four years ago in Vancouver--held his "Comics for Freedom" rally,

Jason Kenney, the federal cabinet minister and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, [was] there, along with his Director of Communications, Alykhan Velshi.

No shots of them at the event, unfortunately.  In any case, given the damning nature of the ruling against Earle, I doubt the minister will be attending any future events--to fund Mr. Earle's court appeal, for example.

Man Who Provided Financial Assistance To Air India Bombers

...chooses Stephen Harper:

[Ujjal] Dosanjh also said he was surprised that Young would be campaigning with Malik, who has admitted his link to the two men found responsible for the Air India bombing - Inderjit Singh Reyat and the late Talwinder Singh Parmar.

[Ripudaman Singh] Malik was found not guilty of all Air India charges in March 2005, but financially supported Reyat's family for years according to documents filed in both B.C. Supreme Court and Surrey provincal court.

The Perils of courting the ethnic vote.

"The West" Issues Threats

Excerpted from The Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB)'s news release:

(Calgary) The Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB), Calgary's largest and Western Canada's fastest growing business and taxpayer organization is warning Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton to honour their previous commitments and respect the wishes of Canadians if May 2 results in another Conservative Party minority.

"Western Canada will not tolerate a purposeful slap in the face if the government they chose is rejected by Canada's Central Canadian parties. The threat of the West organizing to separate is real and reared it's head in a serious way last time the coalition threat occurred. Unlike Quebec, the West can afford to leave and even pay its share of the debt on the way out" stated Craig B. Chandler, Executive Director of the PGIB.

[...]

"We are fighting for Canada and want to keep this country together, but, will no longer be ignored or relegated to the sidelines. We are fighting hard this election for a united Canada, but, we ask the rest of the country to finally listen to our cry. The West has free trade with the United States and even Mexico, but, endures inter-provincial trade barriers with the rest of Canada. The West contributes billions and receives less back as part of being part of confederation than any other region. We will no longer be ignored. Either we Re-federate this nation to be a confederation of equal provinces where no one province has special status or power over another, or we part ways. We believe Stephen Harper can and will unite this country. A vote for any other party put's us on a course none of us expected or may have even wanted", concluded Chandler.

On Easter too.  How nice!

Question: Which Harper Adviser Said This?

As I predicted a few years ago, the escalation of police response from a polite knock on the door and discussion to SS type raid is the direct result of gun licensing and registration coupled with the pogrom of cultural genocide that has been going on for the last decade and more.  Sooner or later they are gonna start shooting us first and asking questions later.

Answer: Mike Ackerman, on the government's fire-arms advisery panel.

As noted in the comments: Mr. Ackerman also suggested that Ryan Keon painted cross-hairs on his own signs.

Harper Pursues Angry Old Guy Vote

...a defibrillator in every rink, for when you're done screaming at your grand-kid's ref.

Guy Earle Loses

Guy Earle is the "comedian", and I use the term loosely, who went off on a couple of Lesbians when they had the nerve to kiss during an impromptu comedy night that he was MCing several years back.  I've written extensively about the case here, and the (107 page) decision itself is here.  However, if you want a hint as to why the Tribunal blew off Mr. Earle's defense, try this:

• Mr. Earle made two sets of comments from the stage at Zesty’s, to and about Ms.Pardy and her friends, and recorded above, including referring to them as “fucking cunts”, “stupid cunts”, “stupid dykes”, and “fucking dyke cunts”;

• Mr. Earle cornered Ms. Pardy and continued to physically intimidate and verbally abuse her by the bar as she returned from the washroom, including referring to her as “fucking stupid dyke, stupid fucking bitch”, and he grabbed and broke her sunglasses;

• The Zesty respondents failed to restrain Mr. Earle, protect Ms. Pardy from his verbal or physical assault, or otherwise take effective steps to remedy his treatment of her.

And believe me, there's plenty more of that in the ruling.  Mr. Earle, you are not only a lousy comedian, you behaved like a thug.

An interesting bit from the ruling.  As you may know, Earle has claimed that  Ms. Pardy was drunk and obnoxious in the club that night, and thus he was just "slapping down" a heckler:

[83] I do not accept Mr. Miedzinski’s evidence that at first Mr. Earle was “professional” in addressing the three women as “hecklers”. As will become apparent, no other witness said that the women were heckling at that point, and none of Mr. Earle’s words in response to anything they did or said subsequently could fairly be called “professional”.

And further:

[494] Though the incident in May 2007 was relatively brief, six months later, in his YouTube interview, after the complaint was filed, Mr. Earle publicly made false and inflammatory statements about Ms. Pardy’s conduct at Zesty’s which seriously exacerbated and prolonged the effect on her of his earlier actions.

It was in this video that Earle referred to Pardy as a drunken heckler.

Update: Guy says he's taking it to the Supreme Court.

This Made Me Cry

Because I laughed so hard I threw my back out:

I have a crush on Ezra so it is really hard to say anything that can be construed as critical. Ezra, I adore you but do you remember that dinner back in October in Ottawa hosted by the Canadian Centre for Policy Studies? Remember the story Mark Steyn told about what it was like to be a guest on the Glenn Beck show? How Glenn would wax on and on about the guest and whatever the guest wrote/spoke out about but never actually let the guest speak?


Yeaaaahhhh.

Sorry buddy, but you need to let your guests speak a bit more. I know you have a lot to say and I want to hear it. Maybe you could let your guests speak a little more - you have lots of airtime coming to you so you don't have to get everything out there in the first week.

It's like the time I told my friend Lula that she needed to get her upper lip waxed. It was hard for me to say and it was harder for her to hear it but it had to be said.

Ezra, I tell you this because I love you.

One Thing About Brad Trost

...he doesn't speak through his hat on socon issues. If he is saying that Planned Parenthood will be defunded, but this can only happen after the election, then that event is in the cards. Remember, he is the guy that told the world that Diane Ablonczy had been demoted for appearing in a photo with transvestites.  And, when the dust settled, it turned out she had been.

The NDP Surge: An Alternate Take

From Pundits Guide:

Next comes the impact on the Conservatives' hoped-for majority. Suddenly it's not a dozen extra seats required, but two dozen. A much taller order.

I frankly trust the PG people more than your typical journo but, unfortunately, there's this:

Also in the mix is the impact on the Liberal Party's likely succession planning, soon or in the future. With Martin Cauchon out of the game, and now probably Justin Trudeau as well, will the party have anyone to turn towards, and will anyone want the now-truly-serious rebuilding job.

The LPoC has, it seems to me, always been more about pragmatics then passion.  If re-tooling looks like a long, miserable process, will the party rise to the task or will its members drift towards the NDP or CPoC according to their own individual political compasses?  Ed Broadbent during an election campaign long ago once argued that it would be more natural for Canadian politics to align along a natural  Left/ Right axis, with the Liberals kind of fading away in the middle.  Hopefully, this will not come to pass.  But, certainly, the balance of power in any post election merger talks will shift, should these results hold up.

Stephen Harper: I Will Destabilize The Government Until I Am Given A Majority

I can't help thinking that this:

RIVIERE-DU-LOUP, Que.–Stephen Harper is rejecting the notion of working with the other parties to come up with a compromise that would save a Conservative government from defeat if his party wins another minority.

...is a bit of a cock-up on the strategy/tactics front.  It really seems that Harper refuses to play with the other kids in the sand-box unless he gets all the buckets and all the shovels.  Incredibly arrogant sounding.

Lets Be Clear...

CPoC star Chris Alexander lays out the agenda quite clearly.  Businesses first.  They're always first in Toryland.

PS.  Was this taped on St. Patrick's day or does the guy always dress like a Leprechaun?

And So It Begins

“What cannot be doubted is that the power of anti-BQ language quickly morphs, among some, to broader anti-Quebec sentiment,” Wheeldon writes. “This experiment suggests the demonization of the BQ as expressed by our political leaders in 2008 has been internalized by many Conservative supporters. It continues online and may threaten the basis for the reasonable compromises required to govern a diverse country like Canada.”

As I wrote the other day, the scariest thing about a Tory Majority, insofar as it is created by stirring up anti-Quebec sentiment in the way the old Reform Party did to establish a foothold on the prairies, and insofar as it will be driven by that same anger... is that it may literally result in a broken country.  Duceppe, Marois and Co. (assuming, as now seems likely, that the latter will become Quebec Premier), will play a merry game of "poke the yokels" to draw an intemperate response.  Meanwhile, the Harper Tories have already committed themselves to a series of legislative initiatives that can effortlessly be portrayed as anti-Quebec (ie the whole "Block the Bloc" argument against the vote subsidy, for example.) .  Remember, while these guys know how to exploit angry voters, they are not near smart enough to control the fallout.

Avast Ye!

If anyone is using Avast! as their virus checker, and you're finding it won't let you visit all sorts of legitimate websites, and is instead giving you MALWARE BLOCKED message, this may be the problem, although it was supposed to have been fixed last week. At the moment, Avast's servers appear to be overloaded and I can't get at the update that is supposed to correct the issue.

Update: visit the avast blog and you can see that I'm not the only one reporting that the problem is back.

Run Away!

Tory MP Colin Carrie declines to debate!

Wally's Weird Words Make MSM

From The Winnipeg Free Press:

Reached Sunday night in Split Lake, Ashton said Daudrich's comments are not new to people in the north who have seen his campaign literature and comments in the Thompson Citizen. Ashton called the comments "bizarre."

"In many ways, this is the real Conservatives, unmuzzled," said Ashton. "In the north, we have so many issues that need to be talked about. This should be about issues, not angry, personal attacks." Daudrich could not be reached for comment by The Canadian Press last week or by the Winnipeg Free Press Sunday.

By the way, the point of researching Wally Daudrich is not to prevent him from prevailing in a riding where he has no hope.  Stories about wing-nut candidates always have the potential to throw a bit of dirt in the gears of the national campaign.  That's why you do 'em.  See for example: Andre Forbes.

Mike Sona IDe-d In Guelph

His presence is no longer alleged.

Monday Quick Notes

Gruending has a nice post on the antics of Christian Zionists, who support Israel so as to hurry along the end-times.

Meanwhile, Rabble has launched the Sun Media Watch blog, which is

...committed to dispelling myths perpetrated by ideologically driven reporters and sensationalist media; to correcting the misinformation presented as fact in their effort to further a particular agenda.


I'm not sure one blog will be enough.

A Harper Majority--A Fractured Country?

Warren's column this morning gives an idea of what we might expect out of a CPoC majority, but I think he's missing something:   the next Que. provincial government is likely to be Separatist.  Given that the Harperites traffic in divisive rhetoric, and their party platform includes a number of measures (repeal of the gun registry, elimination of the per vote subsidy) that are vastly unpopular in that province...do you really want these guys governing unchecked over the ROC in advance of another referendum?  Look what happened last time.

Even More Wally

I think the progressive blogosphere can collectively claim credit for this story, although why they chose to focus on Wally Daudrich's opinions re Barack Obama vs. his really weird opinions re MP Niki Ashton is beyond me. But whatever.

Also, I'm still not entirely  convinced that the moral and legal way to run a polar-bear watching tour is to display your customers like so many fries in a McDonald's happy box , but there's a few true Manitobans reading this blog that dispute me, so I must respect (though I don't quite yield) to their greater authority.

Adam Giambrone On Fox News North?

Man, I know some people from his old ward that will kick their tvs in first time they see him, and every time after that.

On a related note, he may be walking to work.

How To Not Get Stalked On-Line

A week or so ago I wrote about Creepy, a neat bit of software that allows you to locate and map the movements of people through the geo-tags in their twitter feeds and the pics they snap on their smart-phones. Here is a short post on how to disable the GPS in your phone so as the pictures from it won't reveal your location so easily. Its from an archeology blog I occasionally read, and its interesting to note that the problem these people have with inadvertently sharing information does not come from stalkers, but from people using lat/long coordinates contained in the pic meta-data to find and loot artifacts from newly uncovered sites.

More Wally Daudrich

I find it hard to believe that this is legal.

What Is Wally Doing?

Meet Wally Daudrich, CPoC candidate for Churchhill, Man.

I guess this is what you would call an example of the mask slipping.  Suggesting, as Mr. Daudrich does, that Ms. Ashton's loyalties are to China is about as low as you can go.



Alberta, Canada: 65,000,000 Years Ago

Stockwell Day's life has been made into a movie.  It can be found here.  They leave out that bit from Stock's childhood when he claims to have seen Jesus ride in on a Pachycephalosaurus.

Meir Weinstein: His Decline Continues

The Jewish Defense League (JDL) is attempting to organize an April 15 protest at the offices of Pride Toronto (PT). “During the Nazi era, many high-ranking Nazis were gay,” the JDL Facebook invitation reads in part.

This, incidentally, is all to do with the decision finding Queers Against Israeli Apartheid not in violation of City of TO hate speech regs.

Curious Going's On At The National Research Council (More Leaked Documents!)

Media Culpa has done some digging into the recent goings on at the National Research Council. Specifically, a leaked document recently emerged suggesting that the NRC will turn its focus from "curiosity science" to the stuff that makes moolah (to employ a non-technical term). Several of its new "poster child" projects relate to adapting to AGW and developing Carbon Capture technologies:

• Doubling the productivity of wheat farming, by developing strains of wheat that are highly tolerant to environmental and climate stress;

• Using algae to soak up carbon dioxide from large-scale emitters such as power plants or the Alberta oilsands. In theory, the algae could then be converted to fuel on an industrial scale, and still reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions...

But the funny thing is, the stories related to the NRC's new direction were denied by the NRC, and pulled from some of but not all of the media sites that first published them.  The document was not the NRC's official position, and etc.

Media Culpa traces the odd career path of new NRC President John McDougall, and some of the lobbying he did previous to his appointment there on...wait for it... Carbon Algae Recycling.  Certainly, the "poster child" initiatives in the NRC document reflect Mr. McDougall's personal concerns.  Here's what he said before becoming NRC President:

“What prevents us from thinking about greenhouse gases as an untapped resource that is already being produced?”

“Will algae become a tool for capturing carbon and a feedstock for new products such as bio-fuels, food and other products?”

I know very little about the possibilities/drawbacks of carbon algae recycling...for example, doesn't turning the algae into feedstock after it has done its work defeat the purpose of carbon sequestration, which is to keep theCO2 in the ground?  And I don't really have a problem of the nation turning its scientists to the task of greening the tar sands.  But theres' a $700,000,000 plus budget involved, and a good deal of discretion on Mr. McDougall's part as to how the money should be distributed.  So: should the NRC become a vehicle for his own personal obsessions?

CASMO Cleans Up

After complaints to the York Region Police, the Canadian Shia Muslims Organization has finally pulled the interview with ex KKK-leader David Duke from its website.  Some rather slow learners over there, I'm afraid: hanging with the lunatic fringe eventually means joining  the lunatic fringe.

Bring Your Ethnic Costume!

“We … are trying to create a photo-op about all the multicultural groups that support Ted Opitz our local Conservative candidate and the Prime Minister,” reads the email sent Tuesday night by Zeljko “Zed” Zidaric with the subject line: “Opportunity – Thursday night with the Prime Minister.”

QUAIA Gets Go Ahead

The term "Israeli Apartheid"

...and of itself does not violate the City's Antidiscrimination policy as it does not impede the provision of services and employment provided directly by Pride or the City to any group on any grounds provided for in the Policy. There is no legal precedent that the phrase constitutes a hate crime under the Canadian Criminal Code.

For the use of messaging containing the term "Israeli Apartheid" to contravene the Ontario Human Rights Code, it would have to be judged by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) to contravene Section 13(1), which prohibits any notice, sign, etc.that indicates the intention of the person to infringe a right under Part I of the Code...

I doubt an appeal to the HRTO would go through.  The provincial section 13

...is infringed by a person who publishes or displays before the public or causes the publication or display before the public of any notice, sign, symbol, emblem, or other similar representation that indicates the intention of the person to infringe a right under Part I

...and I doubt anyone wearing a t-shirt bearing, for example, the words "Stop Israeli Apartheid" on it is telegraphing any such intention.  To giver a specific instance, nobody would suggest that a person wearing such an item of clothing (or waving a banner similarly inscribed) wants Israelis to be denied employment.

And if Rob Ford et al want to cut The City's $120,000 worth of funding based on more straight-forward (cost cutting) grounds, well, there goes another $90,000,000 for local businesses and 600 full-time jobs.

h/t

Your Daily Nazi: CASMO Brings The KKK

CASMO is the Canadian Shia Muslims Organization.  As noted in this National Post story, Bernie Farber and the CJC have asked that York Region police investigate the website for "willfully promoting hatred" based on the fact that it has been hosting (and still is, as of this morning) a recent interview with former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke.

Since CASMO has already received emails alerting them to David Duke's unsavory reputation, including from the folks at The American Muslim , one can only assume that they simply don't give a damn.

Incidentally, this blogger claims to have scooped the MSM on the story, and is now bitching that he hasn't been given credit.  Welcome to my world, kid.

Debate: Mostly Unedifying So Far

Debate here. All the principals don't look too bad. Harper appears a smug and unlikable robot, but hasn't been rocked so far as far as I can tell (I missed a few minutes about 7:30 PM). Iggy looks fairly human, and actually has a nice speaking voice. Layton rocked Iggy a bit about his attendance in the HOC. Layton addressing Duceppe's questions re immigration and multi-cult looked like he was swallowing a shit pill. Duceppe has looked a bit off his game for the most part, is actually warming up on immigration and Que. etc.  80 minutes in, no sticks have been moved, for me at least.

Update: Duceppe was nice on abortion.  If Harper gets a majority, why not smuggle in an anti-abortion bill as a private Member's bill, thus honoring Haprer's commitments but still getting a bill through? (A la gun registry).

A couple of puke-worthy's:

-Harper lamenting that copies of the AG's G20 report were "floating around".
-Layton on Carbon Emissions after the NDP at the federal and provincial level have spen years knee-capping any meaningful environmental legislation.

Update: Towards the end Iggy sounded good on Long Gun Registry.  I look forward to reporters asking Harper if he thinks gun crime is a problem that doesn't exist outside of "Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal", as I believe he put it.

The Sentinel Dispatch Is NOT A Real Newspaper

It is a mildly funny, The Onion-style news satire. At least that is what I would assume from stories like this one. Please treat it as such and not as a source for real and true election stories.

That is all.

The Most Important News You Haven't Heard

Elections can sometimes take your mind off more important stuff.  File this under "Things that will suck no matter who wins":

Saudi Arabia could need the oil price to average more than $100 a barrel by 2015 to sustain the big public spending rises it plans in an effort to forestall the political unrest sweeping the Middle East.

The oil market is growing increasingly worried about Riyadh’s fiscal needs as it fears that they could force Saudi Arabia to pursue oil policies similar to those of Venezuela and Iran, traditionally the price hawks at the Opec oil cartel.

The break-even oil price the Gulf kingdom requires to balance its budget will jump from $68 last year to $88 this and then $110 in 2015, according to new estimates by the Institute of International Finance, a leading industry group.

Obviously, it costs more to pay your security forces overtime, and toss money into the angry crowd.  It isn't like the Saudi leaders will dip into their personal funds for any of that.   Mind you, one salutory effect of the higher gas prices that result:

Emissions go down, as in 2008 and 2009.

3 Men, $50,000,000, No Rules!

...Industry Minister Tony Clement, the mayor of Huntsville, and the general manager of Deerhurst Resort chose the 32 projects that received funding -- with no regard for the needs of the summit or the conditions laid down by the government.

The fun will  come in connecting the 32 projects to the 3 people--who benefited from which project, and so forth.  For example, Tony's gazebo.

Rob Ford's Brain Makes Its Stand

...stumps for CPoC.  Remember: Rob believes what Doug believes.  There is no separation.

More pics here.

CPoC Candidate Ryan Leef's Past

...makes The Star. I think they missed the 2005 charge though.

Money lll Spent

...especially if this is the $176 "do".  Meanwhile, Nanos shows the Tory vote collapsing...Well, down in Ontario...and the Libs 2nd in Que.  Quick Iggy, promise them two new arenas.  And maybe a go-cart racing track!  And victory shall be ours!

The Younger, Thinner Version

A buddy sent some scanned pics from about 1993--me and  pals up at a cottage outside of Buckhorn.  Nice to see I've kept all my hair.  The t-shirt is from Lollapalooza 1992, I think.

This is Jamie.  When he shaves he can pass for Donny Osmond.  He still occasionally gets laid at parties because of that.

This is Carl.  Remember these pics are from years ago, when all real men wandered the bush with single shot BB guns.  I think Carl had just blown one of his own fingers off, an event which shaped my later views on gun-control.

Sue-Ann Levy: One Angry, Crazy Lady

...but she fits right in at The Sun.

What Stephen Harper Does In His Spare Time

...follow free pornpics on twitter? Finally, me and the PM may have something in common. Not enough to make me vote for him. Maybe something to talk about if we wind up in a prison cell together.

More realistically, what might this amount to?  The guy tweeting for Harper getting a bit randy on the plane?

Whoopsie! There Goes the Tory Good News Story Of The Day

A surprise decline in jobs? Actually, the numbers aren't too bad. Full-time work was up alot, but part-time work down even more, which can be interpreted to mean that temps are being added to the payrolls permanently, ie. the quality of work is improving. In any case, the gov. will probably emphasize the full-time work figure and a small decline in the unemployment rate; the opposition will lean on the straight job loss number. Whichever way you slice it, the professionals were expecting a much stronger performance.

Gruending On Climate Change

Another fine read from Dennis Gruending, of which my favorite bit is:

We have to modify our profligate habits of consumption if we are to reduce carbon emissions but politicians are afraid to tell us that. In addition, the carbon industry has an immense amount of lobbying power in Canada. It effectively bankrolled the creation of the Reform Party, where our current prime minister apprenticed in politics.


The title is "Make climate change an election issue", and I guess my question to Mr. Gruending would be "How?"  He mentions 80 people in a church basement who are advocating prayerful contemplation, but I guess they have faith that I do not.  Unfortunately, I think Jeffrey Simpson has our current situation pegged pretty clearly, at least for the election cycle now underway. 

Was Awish Aslam An NDP Plant?

Of course not.  But this guy thinks otherwise, and since his post is "getting around" it might be a useful exercise to figure out why he's dumb.

Mr. Knight's contention is  is that he's got hold of (mysteriously!) a revealing link or code or some high tech shit like that,which shows how back in 2008 some guy named Brad Field, associated with the Federal NDP, sent out a mass email with  awish@hotmail.com as one of the recipients.  Hence, Ms. Aslam must have been an enemy infiltrator that night when Mr. Harper's staffers ejected her from one of his speeches.

Well, lets assume the email is indeed Ms. Aslam's:

1) If being on an NDP list means being an NDP supporter, than I must be one too.  I'm  getting emails from them two or three a day lately, mostly from a guy named "Lavigne" who is constantly begging for money.   Come to think of it, I must also be a CPoC mole, because over the years I've managed to work my ways onto all sorts of their  email lists.  Who knew?

2) More importantly, the email is dated Dec 2, 2008, which would have made Ms. Aslam about 16 years old at the time.  Now, she seems like a clever young lady, and for the clever ones its usually at about 17 or 18 when they realize that voting NDP is like smuggling your ballot home and feeding it to the pet hamster.  For other people it takes a bit longer, and then there's the lifers, of whom it would be impolite to speak further.

In any case, the point is that Harper treated a possibly winnable vote as an enemy.  And this is the larger issue around the CPoC's horrendous behavior at its own rallies.  It is made even clearer in the story of Ali Aref Hamadi, who was tossed from a Harper event for having an NDP sticker on his van.  Mind you, he also had a sign for CPoC candidate Paul Calandra on his lawn, so who knows--maybe all those years of "ethnic outreach" were set to pay off?  But, in the case of Mr. Hamadi, that's clearly work gone down the drain.

Prime Minister Harper gets it.  After waiting much too long, he finally issued an apology to anyone ejected from his rallies.  If the Tory grassroots want to continue to wallow in dark paranoia, well, I guess that is their right.

Today On The Campaign Trail

And Elizabeth May Is The One Being Excluded From The Debate?

The NDP is now sitting at 16.1 percent, the Green Party at 9.3 per cent and the Bloc Quebecois at 6.9 per cent nationally, according to the survey of voter intentions.

The horse has left the barn on this one, but still an injustice.

Your Daily Liberal White Supremacist: A Few Words On That Guy From Quebec

Good on Iggy that he dumped Mr. Forbes within 12 hours. That should make it at best a one or two day story. But JayZZZussss the guy was picked to run in that riding over a year ago, and all the NDP oppo researchers had to do to get him turfed was , if not merely run a few google searches, then delve into the on-line archives of a couple of Que. newspapers. In other words, Mr. Forbes rather eccentric opinions were not buried very deeply. I understand that in some parts of Que. its hard enough to get a warm body to run LPoC, but still, an otherwise fairly well-oiled LPoC campaign machine fucked up bad on this one.  The guy should never have been made a candidate.

Did John Baird Just Propose A Carbon Tax?

Maybe its just that he had the bullshit valves cranked to 10, but this:

Appelé à clarifier sa position, John Baird a expliqué que son gouvernement, s'il est réélu, se concentrera sur la réglementation «plutôt que sur un système de plafonds et d'échange, qu'on préfère appeler un "système de plafond et de taxation"».


...translates into this:

Asked to clarify his position, John Baird said his government, if elected, will focus on regulation "rather than a cap and trade, we prefer to call a" ceiling system and taxation ".


Since a carbon tax has exactly the same effect as a cap & trade system, and its effects would be distributed across the country in about the same manner as a carbon tax, I can't see how the Tory's latest proposal on this file would be anymore or less divisive than Iggy's.

When CPoC Candidate For The Yukon Ryan Leef Would Take His Clients Wolf Hunting

...he would typically employ both bait stations and "spot and stalk techniques". That is all.

Well not quite all.  More on Ryan here.

But They've Got One Too--Why Iggy's Cap And Trade Plan Shouldn't Get Him In Too Much Trouble

Ed Stelmach is whining again: the Liberal's enviro proposals are a scheme "to plunder Alberta", and so forth.  But I don't think we'll see a repeat of the 2008 "green shift" debacle for the federal Liberals, largely because, as the LPoC party platform notes, Harper and Co. themselves promised to set a price on carbon before the 2008 election.  Their plan was and is called "Turning the Corner" and you can read all about it on the Environment Canada website

However, the Lib platform is not being entirely accurate when they say the Tories have done nothing to implement Turning the Corner.  An inventory of Canadian emissions, which you need before implementing any carbon pricing mechanism, is still ongoing.  Just last month, as a matter of fact, the following RFP appeared on the MERX site:

2010 Inventory of Emissions from Commercial Marine Vessels in Canada

[...]

The Government of Canada continues to take action to understand and reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Commercial marine vessels are a significant source of these emissions, to different degrees for different substances. To support ongoing assessment of program effectiveness, Environment Canada requires an updated inventory of emissions from Canadian and foreign commercial marine vessels in Canada during 2010, and associated hindcasts and forecasts. Where appropriate the work will make use of the Government of Canada’s “Marine Emissions Inventory Tool” (MEIT)

And when I contacted Neil Charbonneau, Environment Canada's procurement officer, I learned that this is the first time such an inventory has been compiled for both coasts under one project banner--the first national inventory of marine emissions, as it were, and under the Harper regime!

So, sorry Ed, if Iggy has plans to rip-off Alberta, so too does Stephen Harper.  The main difference is in the speed of execution

Flop Sweat Time At Fox News North?

They are asking, nay begging, fans to write their cable provider and demand that the network be offered.  Below is the form letter they provide:

Victory Is Ours!

...or at least a slightly less inglorious defeat.

I have stopped trying to interpret the twitches.  But if I was still doing that, I'd say that the fear of a Tory Majority is kicking in.

Note that there's a lot of wasted Tory votes out West, and Libs have edged ahead in Ont. 

Here Comes The Clampdown!

They're scanning your Facebook Page; they're checking out the bumper stickers on your car. You got the wrong political "ties" some sweaty, unshaven guy from the alleged Greek mafia comes along and boots you out of the CPoC rally.  I suppose that's alot easier than trying to convince you to vote for them.

PS. As a few people have noted, Harper and Co. spend more time vetting the kids that show up at their rallies then they do their closest advisers.

Laurie Hawn Announces Hatred Of Babies

...promises Tories will build more baby prisons, if elected.

Harper Goes Neg, Unleashes Ninjas

"Vote CPoC or risk a kick to the brain," seems to be the message.

Say No More

To Free Dominion Members
Congratulations on your Free Dominion Banquet


As the leader of the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance, I want to thank you for the volunteer work you are doing to promote principled conservatism. Thank you for providing a discussion forum for the Alliance's National Council Candidates. It is through hard working volunteers like yourself that we will defeat the Liberals.


The internet will continue to play an increasing role in the interactive citizen government e-relationship. Free Dominion is on of the many steps in that direction.


[...]

Sincerely,

Stephen Harper
Canadian Alliance Leader

Free Dominion.  Where the secret agenda is right out in the open.

PS. Link to original document is here.  Blogger has sure picked the wrong time to suck again.

Titus Andronicus In T.O.

...which I missed.  The review is here.  And this one is off their latest, The Monitor:


You can hear the Springsteenisms.

Ryan Leef: Update

...to this post. Apparently, the 2009 charges were not the first against the CPoC candidate for the Yukon:

In 2005, Leef was charged under the Wildlife Act, as an outfitter, with failing to furnish a return.

The charge was stayed.

That's It?

David Akin clarifies where you can find Fox News North on the dial:

If you currently receive Sun TV (check local listings), you’ll be able to watch Sun News Network on that channel until August 31. For example, Channel 213 on Bell TV or Channel 15 if you’re on Rogers in Toronto.


Doesn't sound like a lot of outlets are carrying them...and what's with the Aug 31 deadline?

A Tory Candidate With Issues (Legal ones)

CPoC candidate for the Yukon Ryan Leef advertises himself as  a correctional officer, long-distance runner, and cage fighter.  Although perhaps not a very good cage fighter.  Here's a story about him getting decked out in the 2nd round of his 2nd fight.  Apparently he lost the 1st one too. (PS. he's the bald(er) guy in the pic.)

But more importantly for our purposes, back in 2009 Mr. Leef was charged with illegal hunting:

Two former police officers have been acquitted of illegally using ATVs to hunt sheep in the Ruby Range.They have also been acquitted of reporting false or misleading information to officials.

Greg McHale and Ryan Leef once upheld the law, but found themselves under investigation for breaking it after a complaint from area hunters was made to Haines Junction conservation officers.

And while, as the above article states, Mr. Leef was originally acquitted, this ruling was eventually overturned:

[10] The Crown has asked that a verdict of guilty be entered. I would, of course, have the power to send this matter back for a new trial. The evidence of the respondent at trial makes it clear to me that there is nothing to be gained by submitting the respondent to the cost and inconvenience of a new trial. His own evidence is such that the only result could be a finding of guilt.

[11] Accordingly, I find the accused guilty.


PS. For balance, here's a .pdf of the original judgement acquitting Mr. Leef (and then overturned).  Its also worth noting that even when the original ruling was overturned the judge felt that Leef and co. had been careless, rather than intentionally deceptive.

Updated: here.

A Note On That EKOS Poll

Green Party: 8.7%
BQ: 8.5%

BQ leader Gilles Duceppe: headed to the leader's debate.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May: going nowhere.

T'aint right, sez I.

Stephen Harper: Putting Canada BACK On The World Stage

NNW Insider: NNW has learned that Don Cherry has agreed to represent Canada at this month's royal wedding in Endland. Yesterday, PM Harper sent his regrets to Prince William and Kate Middleton, saying that he will be unable to attend their wedding, due to election timing.

Usually at these things people talk about what the bride is wearing...

Dalton McGuinty Can Rest Easy

...and maybe sleep in a little this morning. One thing about newly minted PCPO candidate for Carleton-Mississippi Mills Jack MacLaren; he, like mentor Randy Hillier, has seen the inside of a police station.

Update: A PCPO blogger senses doom.