Thank Gawd For Jack Layton,,,,,,,,,

.......replacing Dion for comedy relief

And Behind Door No. 2........

• Dion to be feted at low-key tribute as Liberals gather in Vancouver
  
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• According to some Liberals, the former leader didn't even want a tribute

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• Delegates will be asked to help ill-fated Dion shed $150,000 debt

YOU Have To Be Joking Lorrie.......

It's all about the money
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN
Have you noticed that when politicians, United Nations diplomats, environmental activists, radical scientists, journalists and even, lately, multinational corporations, talk about "going green" to save the planet, the only "green" they're talking about is the colour of our money?

Message To Left Wing Losers

Jonathan Kay: Stéphane Dion owes his party no apologies

Posted: October 20, 2008, 2:24 PM by Jonathan Kay
Filed under: Jonathan Kay

Stéphane Dion was right to announce his departure: When you lose this bad, the leader takes the hit. No exceptions.

But he can leave with his head held high — and without apologies. Dion delivered exactly the same left-wing bill of goods he advertised back when he ran for party leader in 2006. The people who should be spouting mea culpas are the Liberals who picked this earnest beta male in the first place. Instead, they’re cynically indicting the man for exactly the same qualities they praised so effusively two years ago.

The list of cynics includes my counterparts on the Globe & Mail editorial board — who deserve much of the credit for getting Dion elected Liberal leader in the first place.

Newspaper editorials don’t typically sway political races much. But the Globe’s Nov. 25, 2006 endorsement of Dion for Liberal leader was an exception. In the lead-up to the party’s December convention, Dion was running 4th behind Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Gerard Kennedy. The Globe’s endorsement probably translated into just a tiny handful of delegates — but under the circumstances, that small boost proved crucial. It allowed him to inch out Kennedy in the 1st and 2nd ballots, which in turn was just enough to make him a respectable destination for the orphaned supporters of also-rans.

What was it about Dion that the Globe liked back in 2006? His “defining attributes,” the editorial board declared, were “intelligence and principle.” Put another way, “He is arguably the most courageous Canadian politician of his generation.” Moreover, Dion “presented a compelling vision of a 21st-century environmental economy.” This was critical, the Globe concluded: Along with the unity file, the environment, was “among the most important” issue over which any leader might “exercise mastery.”

As Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion didn’t disappoint. The Green Shift was every bit the ambitious blueprint for a “21st-century environmental economy” that the Liberals’ green wing wanted.

Was it popular? What a jejune question. The idea of a carbon tax has received support from a long list of blue-chip academics, not to mention The Economist magazine. We are dealing here with “the most courageous Canadian politician of his generation.” As a man of “principle,” Dion didn’t pick policy according to what’s popular, but according to what’s right.

So when the time came to endorse a PM in this month’s election, who did the Globe pick? Why, Stephen Harper, of course.

Click here to read more...

An Insight Into Liberal Three Penny Opera

Liberals in Meltdown: Stephane Dion Won’t Go Quietly

These Libs are too much. Canada’s “Natural Governing Party” is in complete meltdown after the leader who presided over two disastrous years (who ever thought, after Paul Martin, that it could get worse?) not only refused today to step down as party leader, but showed a mind-boggling lack of humility by refusing to take even a shred of personal responsibility for his party’s ugly showing in last week’s election.

If you want to torture yourself, here’s the link to his entire press conference in RealTime format. Dion blamed: a) “Conservative Propaganda” that bamboozled the Canadian public about his personality; b) stupid Canadians failing to understand the brilliance of his Green Shift; and c) bad fundraising efforts that didn’t allow the Liberals to advertise his brilliance enough. I would argue that the loss should be blamed on a) the intellectual bankruptcy of the Liberal Party of Canada, which allowed the worst possible candidate to win their 2006 leadership contest; b) the inevitable, and well-deserved, unpopularity of any scheme that puts a financial penalty on carbon emissions; and c) the well-deserved financial bankruptcy of the party, whose own election finance rules made it impossible for its one solid remaining base (Canada’s business elite) to fund it through an election.

Dion may sound like a simpleton and a rube when he speaks, but he’s not stupid. He’s staying put until someone ponies up his still-standing $100,000+ debt from the 2006 leadership race - only then will he walk away gracefully. Ripping apart his own party at the seams in the meantime doesn’t seem to matter to him (which is fine with me). According to Bourque, Michael Ignatieff’s people are already planning a coup for later this week. Bob Rae has been positioning himself as the lone serious candidate for months. Vainglorious ones like Martha Hall-Findlay, Gerrard Kennedy, Denis Coderre, and Joe Volpe are still floating their own names around. Some are pimping Frank McKenna, John Manley or - gasp - Justin Trudeau - as Liberal Messiahs capable of lifting the reds out of the dumps. It’s getting ugly - and funny!

What does it all mean? With a lame-duck Leader of the Opposition, we’ve got at least 8 months of an effective Conservative majority ahead, and at least two years of Conservative minority rule until the next Lib leader would even consider going to the polls.

And some would have you believe that Harper somehow lost the election!

Let's Give Him A Break......

....he still needs to keep a roof over his head and food on the table.

IGGY WANTS DION VOTED OUT THURSDAY Bedrock Liberal Ray Heard, last night waxing lyrical on the Mike Duffy TV show, of all places, prior to John Turner "Memories of Winston's" dinner, confides to Bourque that forces loyal to ambitious Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff want caucus to vote Stephane Dion out this coming Thursday. Meanwhile, the curious are wondering aloud why CTV Ottawa bureau chief Bob Fife keeps pimping the quaint leadership prospects of Lib MP Dominic Leblanc, of all people. But back to the Turner dinner, 'damn fine steak', as one attendee reported, and where the "keep the faith" take-home chocolate bar was a big hit. Spotted among the rabble, no less than both Iggy and Rae, each doing what they could to hide their cheshire cat grins while tenuously cobbling their links back to the Turner era and cautiously gauging support for their own respective imminent leadership runs.

Going For the Sympathy Vote

"We all knew Dion would fail....."

This was a comment highlighted in a comment posted on my blog by, evidently, someone whose life revolves around S &M or as defined in most circles as left wing losers.

I Know I Said I Wouldn't BUT......

...but all this crap about Dion being "ambushed" on CTV is just that..CRAP! It was a simple question and Dion blew it. He has been critical of Harper's economic position on a number of occasions and where I come from if you are going to knock someone's comments you had better be prepared to offer you position/alteratives.

John Oakley: Dion's Katie Couric moment reveals the worst of the Liberals

Posted: October 12, 2008, 8:48 AM by John Turley-Ewart
Filed under: canadian election

Now that Stephane Dion’s campaign team is into full damage control over that Bud and Lou bit with CTV Halifax, it’s apparent these guys think the best defence is a good offense.

Unfortunately, the transparency of their approach makes the plate spinner on the old Sullivan Show look like a piker. Blaming it on a hearing impairment when there was, effectively, a team of flacks who were in the room signing the questions for him, seems disingenuous at the least. Or that the studio was too loud, as if maybe he had his Whisper 2000 turned up to 11. But then reverting to the victim card has always been a favourite Liberal fallback, we just didn’t know they’d deal it for themselves. Might as well go for the trifecta and shoot the messenger(s) while you’re at it. Whether CTV betrayed certain broadcasting conventions by airing B-roll, or in first granting a mulligan, which implies that the first tee-up was null and void, could be fodder for an ethics in journalism course. And claiming that the Harperites were showing their true stripe as blue meanies by ginning up Dion’s Katie Couric denouement is also a stretch.

Politics is pugilism and Dion, in the absence of a Mills Lane intervention, needed a guardian angel when he was on the ropes A good handler covers their boy. Dion’s entourage reeks of rank amateurism. To borrow from Brando, they shoulda looked out for him just a little. He coulda been a contenda…

National Post Editorial Board: Language skills count

Posted: October 11, 2008, 12:00 PM by Kelly McParland
Filed under: Editorial,Full Comment,canadian election

We’ll admit to having some sympathy for Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion in his disastrous interview with Steve Murphy, news anchor at ATV, CTV’s Atlantic affiliate. Mastering the subjunctive tense in a second language is extraordinarily difficult. Our sympathy is all the more acute given the snide, sophomoric manner in which the Tories attempted to capitalize on Mr. Dion’s struggles -- chortling that the interview was “worthy of an SNL (Saturday Night Live) skit” and delaying Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s departure from Winnipeg by an hour so he could use the broadcast of the Murphy-Dion interview to suggest the Liberal leader is unfit to govern.

But that being said, the worst behaviour in this incident belongs to Liberal campaign organizers who first tried to suppress the question-and-answer session by leaning on CTV not to air it, then sought to portray Mr Dion -- who has a mild hearing impairment -- as the disabled victim of a vicious attack from Mr. Harper. Pardon us while we roll our eyes.

Click here to read more...

What Double Standard?

The question was "What would you have done.......?"

Dion hit with linguistic double standard: Duceppe

Dion thinks we are stupid
The video speaks for itself. This has nothing to do with his command of the English Language, and nothing to do with a supposed hearing problem.Listen to it yourself.He was asked a clear question, and he didn't give a clear answer. Dion talked about is 30/50 plan, which has nothing to do with his supposed economic plan.Dion clearly showed that he had nothing new to add, that despite his bluster,
Right As Rain

Would The Opposition Be As Charitable If It Was Harper

I doubt it......it was a very simple question.

Don Martin: A Dion gaffe that shows Harper's mean streak

Posted: October 09, 2008, 9:34 PM by Ronald Nurwisah
Filed under: Don Martin,canadian election,Liberals

WINNIPEG — It’s the new low in a snake’s belly of a campaign.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion misunderstands a complicated question and the Conservatives trot out leader Stephen Harper to declare it the definitive proof this Liberal leader is unfit to serve as prime minister.

What, wondered CTV’s Steve Murphy in a Thursday interview, would Dion do differently to help the economy if he was prime minister today?

Mr. Dion is clearly having as much trouble grasping the concept of him being prime minister as the rest of the country, so he sought clarification. Did that mean being elected in 2006, now, or on Oct 14?, he wondered. Two more times the question was put before Dion sputtered the pat answer about how he’d launch a 30-day economic consultation, etc.

But the reaction was almost more telling about this campaign and its characters than the incident itself.

Click here to read more...

Not Stéphane Dion's finest hour

Posted: October 09, 2008, 9:21 PM by Jonathan Kay
Filed under: Jonathan Kay

This is obviously very embarassing for Stéphane Dion — the guy looks confused, dull-witted, old. The Liberals are trying to play it as if the whole thing was about Dion's hearing problems. But that doesn't make sense — given that Dion looked and sounded just as confused after one of his own people patiently explained the rather simple question beign asked of him. Not his finest hour — although it's still not as bad as this.

p.s. Good for CTV for airing this footage.

p.p.s. Obviously, not everyone agrees.

Liberal Supporters Will Find It Embarassing.....

....but it seemed like a simple question and Dion appears to have screwed up royally. I would cut him some slack but he has been very vocal about putting the heat on Harper on the same subject.

CTV Just Won Dion The Election
This is worse than the Chretien face-paralysis attack ad. CTV just won Dion the election.

Stephane Dion: The armchair quarterback melts under real pressure

Thursday, October 09, 2008 at 09:46 PM Comments: 25

The question was not really that hard to understand. Sure, it was bit more complicated than "What's your favourite colour?" or "What's the average air speed of an African swallow?"

But really, it was an important question. In fact, it was the most important question you could ask Stephane Dion under the circumstances.

What would you have done differently?

And Stephane Dion couldn't answer it. He couldn't even understand it. All he could do was bob his head and grin.

It was painful and embarrassing and thank CTV we could all see it before a terrible mistake was made.

Read more...

The fear factor

The Economist: Why Stephen Harper does not deserve to be dumped. IT IS not easy to be a successful Conservative in Canada. Perhaps it is the effect of living next to the United States. MORE... Harper's plan offers us hope The Record: So much has changed in the world, so much has become frightening and dangerous since Prime Minister Stephen Harper called a federal election one brief month ago. MORE... Mother Harper to the rescue Don Martin: For intensely private Prime Minister Stephen Harper, it's not easy to introduce his own mother as damage control in a campaign that seemed an easy win for the Conservatives just three weeks ago. MORE...

The Blasphemy Of Loyal Opposition

Green Shit Update

The main plank in Dion's election platform is in danger of rotting away......

Liberals distance themselves from the Green Shift

The carbon tax has come back to haunt B.C.'s Liberals

The idea of a carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is dying politically in the place where it was born: British Columbia. MORE...

Would You Rehire Someone With This Attendance Record?

Sandy: Liberals absent 43 times!

The Liberals under Stephane Dion were absent for 43 House of Commons votes. And, they say the last parliament was not dysfunctional. They should be docked pay for not doing the job they were sent to Ottawa to do. [...more]

The Star Comments On Liberal Leadership

....Jack is waiting in the car and both of you can talk about your futures.

In For A Nickel In For A Dime

Hebert: Dion election platform built on carbon (2)

OTTAWA–With the Green Shift plan, Stéphane Dion and his party have crossed the Rubicon. As of now, there will be no turning back from a carbon tax scheme. Should it come to that, the Liberal campaign ship will sink with its captain. Far more than a climate change strategy, the plan unveiled yesterday is really a gutsy, but risky substitute for the old Liberal Red Books. For better or for worse, it is the platform that the party will take into the next campaign. [...more]

A Question For Johnathon Kay......

....can the country afford any of the fiscal plans being put forward by the parties?

Jonathan Kay: Sorry to interrupt — but does anyone want to talk about Dion's plan to bankrupt the country?

Posted: September 19, 2008, 1:56 PM by Jonathan Kay
Filed under: Jonathan Kay

This just in: Stéphane Dion's campaign promises have now topped the $80-billion mark. Even if Dion borrows every penny, he'll still be pushing the country into deficit because he'll be adding $4.5-billion in annual interest payments to the government's budget (assuming 5.7% cost of borrowing).

But hey, who cares, right? I mean, the country has more important issues to talk about — like an isolated gallows-humor quip from a cabinet minister while on a conference call about product safety.

That's certainly the way things are seen at the Globe & Mail, which today had two articles on the product-safety incident (including this Miss Grundy-type finger-wagging editorial), but none on Dion's profligacy. Nice to see the big boys focusing on the issues that matter.

jkay@nationalpost.com

p.s. Was Gerry Ritz's gag really more tasteless than this one from Dion: “Do you know Bam, the Dog? The car goes by, and bam, the dog."

Whether It Is Dion Or May Selling It......

Green Shit if still Green Shit. It makes you wonder if Dion's latest "it's not my major campaign platform" comments tells us even he can't stand the smell.

Liberals Rehash Promises They Never Kept In 13 Years...

...and of course the ndp can make as many promises they want because they know they will not form a government and if they did, like bob rae did in Ontario, they won't be able to keep their promises and I think Jack will have a problem implementing Layton Days at the federal level.

Child and family issues dominate election trail

Normal For The Left.....Compete For 2nd Place

Grits, NDP pulling even?

The polls are starting to reveal a new race this federal election – for second place. MORE... Election 2008 - Days 6 & 7 Still No Sun Spots: The Ice Age Cometh. Jackie today was big on platitudes, small on substance. That seems to be the NDP’s matra. He’s going to “take on” big oil, and “watch your backs”. He’s also going to “oversee” gas prices. As usual, no talk on exactly HOW he’s going to bring down gas prices, HOW he’s going to stop big oil. Oh erwingerrits.com