Through Andrew Leslie To The Troops

I don't have much to say on this. Other than the amount involved ($72,000) there  is nothing remarkable about it.  And if you look at the list CTV got hold of there are some other pretty big numbers on it ($38,000, $50,000) including another move within Ottawa (one Brigadier General King) that cost roughly $22,000.  Its obviously an attempted smear of the guy, but to what end?  Leslie has his suspicions:

"...What is disappointing is that this particular attack may raise questions over a military retirement benefit and I do not think veterans deserve to have another measure called into question."

The same thought was expressed yesterday on the army.ca forums (in a very enlightening thread that I encourage everyone read from end-to-end):

(As usual, its easier to read if you click on the image).

So, will the CPC use this issue to steal another benefit back from our troops?  Worth noting that they were already sniffing around the issue last year.

Finally, as to the amount claimed: though I have some small experience with the relocation program--I have occasionally fielded calls from service members involved in it re T.O. house prices--I don't really know what expenses it is meant to cover.  The general mentions "real estate" fees, and the army.ca conversation suggests that commissions may be covered.  If so, five percent on the sale of a $1,000,000+ house is $50,000 right there.  And as to the distance of the move, well, in T.O. a five minute drive can can take you from an "island of affordability" too some pretty ritzy digs (think The Guild vs. North of Kingston near Markham Road, for example), so that is a red herring.

The Most Appalling Column In The History Of Canadian Journalism

Is this the face of Fox News North? One can only hope that Mr. MCrae was stoned when he wrote this crap.  In any case, the column should be pulled, and Mr. MCrae should probably memorize the phrase "Will you have fries with that sir?".  And where were the editors on this garbage?

Michael Ignatieff — King Of Steamy Sex?



HOTPANTS Ignatieff?


Gimme a break.


Ignatieff’s resonance with Canadians is as a dull, boring, effete, elitist, fuzzy, professorial academic dweeb who, if he ever heard the word “sex” would think it was a mispronunciation of “six.”


Or to use the words of former Ontario Liberal premier David Peterson about Ignatieff: “Bill Clinton would want to drag you into the bedroom, he’ll drag you into the classroom.” There it is in a nutshell, Michael. Your public image. And what are you doing about it? Nothing. Michael, hear me out.


Do you not realize the goldmine you’re sitting on? Have you forgotten your 1991 novel Asya? Yes, the British mag Private Eye said it was “written by a classic Canadian bore,” but what do the Brits know, more precisely, what do the Brits know about sex?


SEX, Michael.


The Sex (wait for it Canadians) all through your novel. The sex written by YOU. Michael. Listen. SEX SELLS.


You want Canadians to buy you? You want Canadians to know the real you, not the dull, boring, effete, elitist, fuzzy, professorial, academic, dweeb?


Then you hit the hustings with your book. At every stop you read passages from your book. You have yourself introduced as Hotpants Ignatieff, and you read what you wrote. Such as:


“They stumbled out into the night together and shared a taxi home, resting in each other’s arms, Gaby’s nipples hard in Asya’s hands, her tongue licking her ears, her lips, her shoulders. They both came to the edge, and then they both pulled back.”


‘Your breasts are perfect,’ he said drily. When she looked down at them, at the little elipses with their raspberry nipples awaiting the touch of his hands, she began to laugh. He kissed them, making a ceremony of it, first one, then the other, and she wached him, feeling the echoes of a silent laughter rippling through her...”


“He watched, amused, as she explored him. She ran her hands through the crisp golden hair on his chest, put her tongue to his nipples, to the drum of his stomach, to his sex.”


“...she sat on the edge of the examination table, demurely covering herself, like the Meissen figurine of the shepherdess on his mother’s mantlepiece in Neuilly, small, delicate, white as porcelain, her nipples tiny and erect, the rectangular lozenges of her kneecaps stretching the skin, her tiny feet, with their high arches, just touching.”


“Her nipples were puckered and her skin was scoured pink from the beating of the sea. Curls of her wet black hair adhered to the nape of her neck and runnels of water slithered between her shoulder blades. Razumkin was seized by the keenest desire to lick her all over.”


“They had rolled onto the floor, their bodies smeared with dust, and had made love among the scattered volumes of a complete edition of Turgenev.”


“She undid his studs and slipped off his suit, and he peeled off her sheer black dress and carried her into the bathroom. He turned on the taps, and when the bath was full he laid her in the water and climbed in opposite. They sat facing each other in the tub, legs entwined. Her temples were pounding, the champagne surging through her like an electric current.”


“He pitched her onto the bed and they writhed and grappled, biting and laughing on the wet sheets.”


“She lay back on the bed and let him move the folds of her nightgown apart. She let him touch and kiss her. She pulled his head down upon her breasts, and, like a man at last granted his most cherished wish, he buried himself in her body...”


“...he drew her down to the grass and made love to her...Her dress lay around her hips. She put her hand between her legs and smeared his lips till they were wet. Then she began to cry.”


“She hungered for him. Her fingers dug into his back. ‘More,’ she whispered. More and more, until he was afraid.”


Oh, Michael, you sex maniac stud, you.


Go for it, Hotpants.


earl.mcrae@sunmedia.ca

As yellow as yellow journalism gets.

PS.  The newest iteration of blogger continues to suck, and has dicked with the links above.  Here's the story here.  Quebecor, "tabbing it up".

Harper War Room Cranks Up Smear Machine

[Sinister music. Deep voice. Grainy footage of a deep fryer.]

Onion rings.

They’re round.

Know what else was round?

Hitler’s head.

Apparently there's 10%er in the works as well, in which the onion ring is accused of anti-Semitism.

McCallum's Answer Was Crystal Clear

"It's the government."

And presumably any Parliamentary investigation into the detainee issue would be focused upon the behavior of the political players involved. If the Harper Government truly believes that malfeasance on the part of any of these players entails the guilt of our troops in Afghanistan, then let them be the ones to make that argument and pursue the consequences.

As to the behavior of Canada's military in this whole affair, it seems to have been in line with the high professionalism we expect of our soldiers. The detainee "problem" was raised within the ranks (and in our diplomatic core, and elsewhere) and our civilian leaders were informed. The outgoing Martin government did not act, and the incoming Harper government did not act quickly enough.

Again, if there's more to it than that, let Ezra and the gang lead the witch-hunt.

Prominent Tory Calls For Tory Heads To Roll Over Casey Smear

An excerpt:

I was Tory as a University Campus Club member, as supporter and member and worker and then Member of Parliament and after losing (to the usual Liberal tactics of making the electorate fear the Tories more than them and so vote for the lesser of two evils, the Grits) a Riding President, Regional Chairman and a Subject Chairman at an Ontario Federal Policy Conference.

At no time during the 40 odd years between 1960 and 1993 was there any occurrence to my knowledge or recollection that in any way, shape or form was of a nature such as the actions taken against Bill Casey - actions out of ______, you provide a rationale for I can not think of one that makes any sense from a political point of view.

There may be those receiving this who do consider the actions taken as not being unworthy of Tories and are not disturbed by the headlines.

There may be those who do not believe, as I do, it is incumbent upon the decision makers in the Conservative Party of Canada to determine who those responsible for the Black Ops without purpose were and eject them from your Party. These may well take exception to this post being sent.

We all make choices. To do otherwise than act against the 'Black Operatives' who perpetrated these misdeeds, not only going to he RCMP but blacking out and circulating their report, is to sanction their actions as being acceptable to Tories.

Joe Hueglin
Member 29th Parliament
Niagara Falls Riding.

Here's Joe's bio from wiki.

And God Said: Pull Down That Website!

And Diana Read-Miedema, owner of the Third Watch Ministries website, tormentor of Independent MP Bill Casey, yet still listed as official agent for the Conservative riding association in Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, did at last obey.

Update: A link to the infamous "Stephen Harper Is God's Arrow!" email. Hot stuff! Try and avert your eyes as you read!

This Smear Job Was Approved By Jesus Christ

Max pointed out this morning that Diana Read-Miedema, the nice lady and Tory volunteer/riding operative who accused Bill Casey of embezzlement, is a follower of Charles McVety. In fact, she does a little prophetic writing for Third Watch Ministries, the Lord having


placed a "Deborah mantle" upon Diana Read-Miedema to sing the Song of Deborah over Canada - 'AWAKE! AWAKE, UTTER A SONG! ARISE and LEAD AWAY YOUR CAPTIVES!' (Judges 5:12).

In 2004 Diana was given the mandate to create a web site to edify a global "Deborah Company" with prophetic writings, devotions, testimonies, and book reports from proven ministry. This will help those who do not have the means, time, or ability to travel to conferences and/or buy books and tapes.


Here's a sample of her writings (and dig the screen-cap below):

Stephen Harper as The Arrow of God? Holy Crap! How crudely phallic! Could someone please start referring to me as the left nut of Beelzebub?

Torys Accidentally Smear Fellow Tory

Peter MacKay's communications director Dan Dugas apparently shares his master's delicate political touch. On Tuesday he smeared Paul Hobson, an economist who has argued that a cap on how much equalization and offshore revenue the province can receive if it opts into the Tories’ new equalization system would cost the province about $1 billion.

Dugas wrote in an e-mail to the Chronicle Herald:

"Don’t you think your readers ought to know that the author of a study on equalization is Paul Hobson, a Brison riding executive member (president) who went to the Grits with Brison? I’m saying it’s the kind of context in a political story that people should be aware of every time you mention him, don’t you think?"

However, Mr. Hobson shot back that:

...he’s not a Liberal. In fact, he donated $100 to the federal Conservatives in January.

At least Mr. Dugas, unlike his boss, had the class to issue an apology. But you've got to wonder about a government that can't even hurl slime accurately.

What Was Kim Bolan's Role In The Smear?

Kim Bolan, the Vancouver Sun reporter who broke the story that Stephen Harper used to smear Liberal MP Navdeep Bains with, as well as the whole Liberal Party and Mr. Bains' family, has come out strongly in her own defense, claiming that, basically, she was not being employed as a useful idiot by the CPoC when she wrote her now infamous piece.

Quite possibly. Bolan said in a comment on The Gazetteer:

I wrote the story and there was no leak. It was very apparent from sitting through 19 months of the Air India trial who would be the obvious choices for investigative hearings - all the names came out during the evidence at the trial.

[...]

I have covered this story since 1985 so there are few mysteries or secrets.

No mysteries or secrets, maybe, but I think the question Ms. Bolan needs to answer before anyone can determine whether her reporting was irresponsible or within the bounds of sound journalistic practice, is: was there a list with Darshan Singh Saini's name on it (Mr. Saini is Navdeep Bain's father-in-law)? She writes in the original Sun story that:

The Vancouver Sun has learned that Bains's father-in-law, Darshan Singh Saini, is on the RCMP's potential list of witnesses at investigative hearings designed to advance the Air India criminal probe.

Okay, Ms. Bolan, is it a potential list of witnesses or a list of potential witnesses?

In the first case, which is the way the wording goes in your story, you are claiming that Mr. Saini is on a list that is merely "potential". In other words, he may be on a non-actual list. In other words, there may be no list at all. This interpretation is supported by the claim in the first paragraph of your comment in the Gazetteer: those people who are "obvious choices for investigative hearings" would be "apparent" to someone who has been covering the story as long as you, whether or not you were privy to any list.

But then you are being grossly misleading. Though your story may not yet be "false". Indeed, it would seem difficult to determine the truth or falsity of a statement concerning an non-existent object.

Or, in the second case, there is a real RCMP list and Mr. Saini's name is really on it. In which case, how do you know about it, did you get a look at it, and if so who showed it to you (or just told you about it)? A probe may indeed be in order to determine these matters.

So which of these two scenarios is the right one?

(PS. I have never seen one of these "probes". I hear they are like the kind they use for an endoscopy. Enjoy yourself, Kim!)

Update: Red Tory makes similar but not identical points here.

Fury Grows Over Tory Smear Job

The Tory attacks on Ralph Goodale over the Income Trust non-scandal seem to have backfired. From Susan Riley in today's Ottawa Citizen:

...sometimes the prime minister's refusal to concede an inch just looks petulant. Example: his response to the vindication of Ralph Goodale last week. After 14 months, the RCMP finally concluded its investigation into an alleged leak from Goodale's office right after the former Liberal finance minister decided not to abolish income trusts. The RCMP laid one charge against a senior Finance Department bureaucrat with no ties to the Liberal party.

Instead of pulling French-language Tory attack ads that continue to link Goodale to what is no longer a political scandal, Harper reacted belligerently. He even had the audacity to claim that "Goodale owes Canadians an apology" for insisting no one in his office, or department, had done anything wrong -- as if Goodale could have known about one errant public servant. If, that is, anyone did err.

That is another troubling thing about Harper's response: The assumption that because the RCMP has charged someone, a crime has been committed. The Arar affair should have taught us to be circumspect about RCMP investigations -- especially this one, which sank an already badly listing Liberal ship when it was announced mid-election campaign.

And, even more startling, an editorial from today's Vancouver Sun:

But the Conservatives certainly should issue an apology and cease running the ad. After all, the scandal regarding the allegations likely had a significant impact on the last election since the RCMP investigation was announced during the middle of the campaign, and came on the heels of the sponsorship scandal. To keep this issue alive in case of another election, even after the RCMP has determined no criminal wrongdoing on the part of Liberal politicians, amounts to dirty politics.

Further, one certainly can't assume that the RCMP is somehow protecting the Liberals by failing to lay any other charges. After all, the Conservatives have cultivated a strong relationship with the RCMP -- so strong that the timing of the announcement of the criminal investigation led to a complaint being lodged with the RCMP commission for public complaints.

At this point, if the Conservatives fail to take the RCMP's word for it that it's not appropriate to charge any Liberal politicians, then the Conservatives are essentially saying they distrust the RCMP. This is certainly not a message the Conservatives want to send.

Make no mistake, the Sun and the Citizen are Conservative, not to say Ultra Conservative, newspapers. If they are advising Harper to dial back the venom, this is not from the goodness of their hearts. Rather, they see those cursed epithets coming back: scary...harsh... mean-spirited.

All of which makes me pretty blase about the Conservative Party financial advantage. To paraphrase Churchill: never has so much money spent by so many dummies to so little effect.