Who’s watching? This picture of me helping a volunteer put up a roadside sign appeared on the Conservative web site on Halton. These days, nothing is private.
Day Twenty-four
Today I knocked on doors for six hours and covered a few hundred houses. I showed up on doorsteps less than a day after the stock market had committed suicide. In fact, on lots of stoops the daily newspapers were still splayed out, their front pages coated with words about financial Armageddon.
The area I knocked was solidly middle-class – a mix of row townhouses and single family homes I’d say were in the $250,000 to $400,000 range. For Halton, that’s very middle-of-the-road. In the driveways, almost all vehicles were less than two years old, and most houses had more than one. And a dog. And two kids. In this poll, there were not many election lawn signs – maybe three for the Conservative candidate, one Green and four for me. I was the only candidate so far who had visited these streets.
So, what happened?
Well, lots. A long discussion about the environment with a woman who refused my brochure on ecological grounds. An invitation to come in, have a drink and meet a one-day-old baby cradled in his young mother’s arms and surrounded by at least twenty admiring people. My first encounter with a Shipoo (poddle crossed with a shitsu). A guy who reads this blog everyday, and his smiling wife and child. A lovely elderly woman taking delivery of bushels of potatoes who spoke Polish to my wife. A man who asked me to put two lawn signs on his tiny patch of grass, “just to piss off that guy” (he pointed to a Conservative sign across the street). An unemployed factory worker in his fifties desperately unhappy to be at home. A woman with dreadlocks who smiled broadly as the door opened at 6 pm, and said, “I honked at you when you were on the roadside this morning at seven.” A conflicted voter who likes Harper for paying down $40 billion in debt but thinks he was a fool for 40-year mortgages. A couple who insisted on trotting out their two confused grade school kids to meet an MP. Scores of people who recognized me, took my literature and wished me luck (politely, or sincerely, I did not know). And one man, only one, who wanted to talk about the markets.
And herein, of course, is the dilemma for politicians. These folks are busy living their lives, while we live politics. They are more concerned – and rightly so – with their families, their pets and their gardens than they are with the federal budget, climate change policy or tax reform. Gas prices register as an immediate issue, and certainly financial security is always top of mind. But in a complex world with so many daily obligations, who’s got time to parse the stuff on Newsworld, CNN or CPAC?
In this environment, I find one message does resonate with my constituents. Simply, that I work for them. Not a party. Not a leader. Them.
Most seem to know my story, and why my signs are red in this election. Some hate it, the majority do not. Some think I am a hero for standing up to Stephen Harper and being independent-minded. Others believe it was the height of petulance. Meanwhile, a lot of Conservatives in Halton are torn between loyalty to their brand, and yet disgust at the way Stephen Harper forced a party-approved candidate on them.
Having said that, internal political strife or even the fascinating journey of a maverick MP will not determine the election outcome in Halton. I fully understand that. They will not vote for me or against me because of the Green Shift. They will not vote for or against the Conservative candidate because she’s lied about threats to their monthly child payments. They won’t vote for the Green contender because they choose a higher GST and 12 more cents on a litre of gas.
In the end, they’ll vote based on the perception of who will best protect what they’ve got.
And why shouldn’t they? It’s their country, not ours.
Stephen Harper would like this election to just pass. As Ken Dryden said in a speech, Harper wants a Seinfeld vote. An election about nothng. That’s why the Conservatives have issued no plan, made no substantive promises and worked feverishly to downplay worries about where the economy’s headed. We’ll know in two weeks if the strategy works. Let’s pray it does not.
I intersected with a lot of lives today. With each one I became more sure of my cause. A political brand won’t fight for these people. A guy in worn cowboy boots will.
* * *
Vote pick of the Day
This was a tight Liberal/Conservative race in 2006. The incumbent, former Conservative Garth Turner won by less than 2,000 votes. He was kicked out of Harper’s caucus and he is running for the Liberals in this election. He has been supportive of environmental initiatives. He has the best chance of defeating the Conservative. We recommend Garth Turner. — “Vote for Environment”
61 comments ↓
I just watched CBC’s X Challenge. Scott Brison has excellent debating skills and really brought the Liberal message forward. Poor Flaherty. He certainly didn’t do his party any good.
Of the audience, before the debate the Libs were rated at 33% and the Cons at 38%. After the debate, the Libs scored 52% to the Cons 29%.
The one thing I would mention, and I know Scott told the example of a family of 4 living on an income of $20,000 would get a tax savings of about $2,300. I think the fact that this is a REFUNDABLE tax credit is NOT getting out. I don’t blame Scott for that as he had only a minute or so to explain his whole message. But, what I question, is if this message is getting out to the public. My point is that there are many poor among us and surely they would vote for the Liberal plan IF they knew about it.
I sent Brison an email congratulating him on the debate. I was born and raised in the Kings/Hants riding and I sure hope he retains it for the Liberals. He, like Garth, is one to put his constituents first. Hence, they have moved with him from the Conservative Party to the Liberals.
This issue with Harper and a plagiarized speech is very very troubling.
Take a look at what the Sydney Morning Herald is saying down under.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/canadas-pm-accused-of-plagiarising-howard/2008/10/01/1222651115816.html
Love the picture!
Garth, firmly planted in Halton for Halton. Literally, figuratively and pictorally (sp? shrug)
The ‘other’? (blue girl) Noticably absent and soon to be forgotten. Hope she remembers to take down her signs on the 15th!
*Who’s watching? This picture of me helping a volunteer put up a roadside sign appeared on the Conservative web site on Halton. These days, nothing is private.*
Creepy.
I’m so glad to see someone share the info from the X show on tv tonight. It was incredible. For weeks now, I’ve wondered if Canada changed and I somehow missed it. I couldn’t understand how my fellow citizens came to hate our country so much. All the rhetoric from the NDP and Conservatives has been disturbing. That’s right, disturbing. They HATE Canada. I have no idea why they want to lead it.
Garth, thanks for all the good work. My heart broke reading about the factory worker you met who was out of work. That sort of thing is what’s worrying me. So many people are suffering and more will be with the market meltdown going on. It’s just not right to follow the USA’s path. I dearly hope the Liberals win. I especially hope you and Scott Brison win your ridings. You clearly deserve it. Canada needs to get back to who we are – not divided, not hating each other, and not self serving or isolating provinces. I’ve had enough of all that from the Conservatives and NDP.
Hey Garth – you haven’t plagiarized any speeches, have ya?
Cripes, are there not anti-stalking laws?
This is the same kind of intimidation that we have seen in different places, and in different times. Vandalism of Liberal supporters’ homes in Guelph – with cut brake lines (Criminal mischief and reckless endangerment), stalking you, Harper has the media intimidated… There is a very ugly pattern here.
Fight the good fight .. and stay on the high road … not like that scumbag BobRae who dredges cesspools for dirt …!!!
p.s. .. have you missed posting several of my previous comments ..??
I’ve been working on this calculation since April (Brain, forgive me for stealing your style).
Examine the Harper Ten Percent Flyers — flyers that are paid for by Tax Payer’s dollars, yours and mine, yet he put “Compliments of Stephen Harper on the bottom right-hand corner of them. What’s going on? I paid for them, you paid for them, how can he claim they are “Compliments of Stephen Harper” ?
The flyers are amongst the many, many Conservative Election Financing Loopholes, where he gains Millions of Extra Dollars of Immoral Campaign Funding. But that section of his immoral funding comes from a Coalition of The Unwilling. And as usual, he tends to rub it in our faces.
The household flyers were, as you recall, a two year Campaign aimed cunningly at the unawares of the General Populace — for Two-Years-Straight… He kept our printing presses going in a very disrespectful Gimmick to Slander, Smear and Lie about the Honourable Mr. Stéphane Dion. Don’t let that pass unchecked — don’t let it work on your good family and friend’s minds. Straighten them out about this. Harper lies, cheats, slanders, bribes, plagiarizes and has been spewing some sort of Texas oil rig sized Neoconservative Snake Oil Sales Pitch to plunder Canada’s Resources. Why he fell for it, I don’t know, but I suspect the power he seeks is for his own socially conservative, very right wing agenda that we would not be able to swallow if he actually talked openly about it. So he has to please his masters to get the prize. Lucky for him his masters had been pulling the strings all the way so far. It will be lucky for Canadians should his masters suddenly cut the strings — out of sheer embarrassment. But not likely, there’s too much at stake, and they are like pit bulls unlikely to let go of the prize, no matter how much lipstick Harper puts on.
I digressed. What was my calculation? I wanted to know how many times Stephen Harper has lied to Canadians. The answer: As many times as he sent his Canada Post “Top Priority Ten Percenter” flyers to unwitting Canadian households, paid for by us. Harper, by a long shot broke the Essence of the Rules. For all we know, his flyers with the words “Compliments of Stephen Harper” printed on them, brings the tally to well over 50,000,000 times that Harper Lied to Canadians.
Okay. I’ll give him some slack, one more chance…
… I say one more lie and he’s definitely out.
“… a family of 4 living on an income of $20,000 would get a tax savings of about $2,300.
I think the fact that this is a REFUNDABLE tax credit is NOT getting out.”
BY MARG 30.08 10:56pm
Garth, I totally agree with Marg, it has to be emphasized about these particular benefits of The Green Shift for lower income families, as well as the many other benefits for children, child care, and the ability to green up our households.
The plan is so simple, the benefits so great.
One thing is for sure — the more CRAP tears down yours, and other’s signs, the more people know what harpo et al are really like — thugs, and will be turned off by their childish behavior.
If the Libs. would make a half-hearted effort to capitalize on these ‘terrorist’ tactics, then publicize them, CRAP’s support will decline — it is already wilting like a flower in the hot sun.
Diana Cabbot seems to be doing okay here — Ron Cannan runs ads in both papers as he has the financial backing, but the New York Rangers are proof positive of this — they were filthy rich at one time, had one of the highest payrolls in the NHL and one Stanley Cup to show for all that money in three decades or so.
So it’s not about money, it’s about hard work, door knocking and talking with folk — find out what’s happening in neighborhoods.
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It’s getting bad when hits like this happen, and money probably has a lot to with it.
http://tinyurl.com/4kbd45
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Here is a person who investigates and finds things out for himself, conspiracy theorists included!
http://tinyurl.com/44tx8c
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A major and quite unexpected scientific breakthrough! The chances are very good that this is the back of hairy’s head! See for yourself!
http://tinyurl.com/3j74bd
Jean Chretien did something very important when it came to Iraq.
He listened to Canadians.
BY DEE 30.08 3:58 PM
With the known oddities and illegalities in the two previous American elections, you have to admit that McCain Palin could win.
If that happens, there is precedence that a Palin presidency would willingly go to war again. Should that happen, a Majority Harper would be right behind her, with no handcuffs required to do so.
Is that a Next generation Uniform? Really Garth, we all know the red shirts get killed first.
Scott Brison was not excellent, he looked as animated as Harper. Lucky for him he was next to Flaherty, a worm would look better than him.
The elections pass by most people because there is no will on the part of the feds to bring them in. The wall is huge and seems impassable and its getting worse. Citizen participation is a thing of the past until a crisis occurs, we’re in one, but we’ve been told to stay out of it.
I’m in a dipper riding, so will vote accordingly, but even if I was in a liberal riding, I wouldn’t vote for them because the Jason Cherniaks of the world are growing up to be exactly like the spoiled brat MP’s of old. Just turn me right off!
Good Luck to you though Garth!
How & why have so many politicians forgotten that this whole election is about the people , the constituents , & not about the drive for a majority or the unwavering willingness to please a leader.
The people have become lost in the shuffle & their only use to most politicians is for the vote only.
Herein lies the rub–the people on the street still hold the ultimate power , the vote & they need to remember that they do control the force of government & the politicians within.
As a result I have no patience for people who do not vote & who waste their only opportunity to have their say.
Remember , it is all about the people , so vote & do it wisely.
If I lived in Halton , the guy in the worn-out cowboy boots would be my choice because he knows what being an MP is all about—you & I.
Dr Mike Popovich–former-life-long Conservative.
The Financial Collapse
It was Bush who caused this, in June 2002. Read and/or watch his speech at that time RIGHT ON THE WHITE HOUSE
WEB SITE:
Of coarse when Harper was elected he jumped right in and joined the circus with their nothing down and 40 year loans. Imagine where we,d be if Harper gained power in 2002 instead of 2006. We,d be royaly screwed just like the U.S.A. is now. Copying Bush financial policies and Australias right wing Neo Con speeches and policies makes this so called economist the right man to leed us through major difficult times to come. Scares the hell out of me !
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020618-1.html#
and you’ll see that he proposed major aspects of the crisis in which we are now drowning. Here are some examples, directly from the transcript of his speech
“And so what are the barriers that we can deal with here in Washington? Well, probably the single barrier to first-time homeownership is high down payments. People take a look at the down payment, they say that’s too high, I’m not buying. They may have the desire to buy, but they don’t have the wherewithal to handle the down payment. We can deal with that.”
“We need more capital in the private markets for first-time, low-income buyers. And I’m proud to report that Fannie Mae has heard the call and, as I understand, it’s about $440 billion over a period of time. They’ve used their influence to create that much capital available for the type of home buyer we’re talking about here. It’s in their charter; it now needs to be implemented. Freddie Mac is interested in helping. I appreciate both of those agencies providing the underpinnings of good capital.”
The speech plagiarism issue is going around the world and tonight and tomorrow, during the debates, it will be top of mind.
From time to time during the debate, mr dion should simply ask mr harper, “is that your own idea, or did you steal it from someone”?
Point made
Harper majority a concern to more than half of Canadians: poll (G&M)
A wise educated person who died last Grey Cup day at the wonderful age of 99 told me this when I questioned her on a decision I was about to make…..David, in doubt don’t ….that women was my mother.
By HARRY S on 09.30.08 11:53 pm
We all know how the PMO has its fingures in the media. Surely, when Harper was leader of the opposition, his office would have been similarly involved.
Someone must have seen or read Howards speech, given how close Harper and he are. Someone, other than the token speech writter who fell on his sword for the leader, knew the words Harper was about to speak had already been spoken?
The guy may have pinched the words, but I would hope that I was going to be the one to read them, I’d review them first.
In fact when I’ve given any speech written by others, I’ve rewritten them into my own words.
Surely, on such an issue as entering the war in Iraq, I would expect a leader to do the same; use his own words.
Harper is not a leader!
By Barb the proofreader on 10.01.08 12:58 am
Hi Barb, somehow I do not believe that Americans will vote the McCain/Palin ticket….the polls are not counting the 18 million votes of first time voters and those under 29 to which Obama has 95%, if there are long lines on election night and advance polls y’all can rest assured they are for Obama. People may say what they will but 200,000 people standing to listen to any politician is news…world news and they know it. Doubt will remain in the black and white world…. let’s hope people are over that. You are so correct about Palin, Bush was conned read it here http://www.zfacts.com the national debt will blow your socks off….you will all see a good glimpse of a Harper as well, past and future.
PS.
Now if Mr. Harper had started said speech, “Mr. Speaker, as Australian Prime Minister Howard said a few days ago……….,” it wouldn’t have been plagerism..but then no-one would have listened to him!
Keep up the energy and continue to meet your constituents on an individual greeting.
When politicians begin to receive individuals as a homogenized lot, they lose authenticity and sincerity.
Most folks care for an ear for their concerns. And deserve the respect in listenting and appreciation of their individual circumstance.
Hey Garth – you haven’t plagiarized any speeches, have ya?
By Blah Blah on 09.30.08 11:37 pm
Garth,
Is this Leasa?
Well blows me down.
After listening to an Adler interview with Vincent Bugliosi, I went out and got his book. It disturbs me now even more that our PM became so involved.
http://www.hotpotatomash.com/2008/07/vincent-buglios.html
ABC
Fight the good fight .. and stay on the high road … not like that scumbag BobRae who dredges cesspools for dirt …!!!
p.s. .. have you missed posting several of my previous comments ..??
By HARRY S on 09.30.08 11:53 pm
Harry,
No one dredges cesspools better than your glorious leader.
Comments like yours simply serve to remind us that Stephen Harper firmly entrenched himself as Canada’s dirtiest politician ever when he accused Paul Martin of supporting child pornography.
Let’s pray it does not. – Ken Dryden
Sorry, Ken and Garth, praying has little to do with it as I’m sure the Cons. are praying as well.
Only hard work will make sure Harper doesn’t return as PM.
Dan Gardner reviews the record of Harper’s leader – “George W. Bush goes out with a bust”, at http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=547b3fbd-ebbf-4886-9ccf-0bd4dfa5a8eb
By James- Chatham on 10.01.08 7:05 am,
I suspect that this issue has more serious implications. I wondered whether some right wing think tank, financed by the defence industry or some other vested interest was not supplying basic talking points and speeches to sympathetic leaders. It has been suggested in the media that this is being done.
How often are such speeches being used by political leaders? Who are they speaking for?
I was not aware that political leaders totally rely on speech writers. I always throught they worked with speech writers to polish speeches but that the basic content was their own. What this incident has illustrated is that is not the case. Someone else is speaking for them.
I heard Mr. Dion say this on “The Hour”, and wondered why it hasn’t become a Lib slogan as it just jumped out so wonderfully in his chat with George..
“TAX WHAT YOU BURN, NOT WHAT YOU EARN”
Nothing complicated in that!
Money talks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j37sePKTZlM
Fight the good fight .. and stay on the high road … not like that scumbag BobRae who dredges cesspools for dirt …!!!
p.s. .. have you missed posting several of my previous comments ..??
By HARRY S on 09.30.08 11:53 pm
Oh, Harry – try some research…Harper has been on this path for some time…he has US envy. Loves US more than Canada.
“Your country [the USA], and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world.”
- Conservative leader Stephen Harper, then vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition, in a June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think tank.
After reading constant trash and bash by the CONS (at taxpayer expense) – Rae was within his rights to remind us. After all, it was ONLY 5 years ago. A little rich for Tories to whine about it.
You reap what you sow….if you can dish it out you better be able to take…what you give out, you get back ten fold….
Harry – enough of your partisan whining – go back to the Tory war room bunker and get some new talking points.
I was at the Gatineau PSAC all candidates’ debate last night, and let’s just say I was annoyed a bit. Denis Tassé, the local Conservative candidate, originally got in the news for saying that he wouldn’t show up, and then showed up (with his small contingent of paid? cheering supporters who sat at the back and were virtually the only ones to clap when he spoke) and got in the news again as a result (how can you believe anything this guy says?). He then tried to justify himself by claiming he doesn’t like the directors of the union (because they have an ABC campaign) while he ‘admires’ the rank-and-file public service workers. Only his answers (for some of the questions) and his closing statement got booed and shouts of “lies!” and “that never happened!”.
As the other readers of this blog may or may not know, a recent local poll indicated the Bloc candidate was leading in public opinion with 32% support, followed by Cons, Lib and NDP all around 21%, and then by green at 5%. All I hope is that the Opus Dei member doesn’t get in.
Another example of Harper’s respect for Canadians and Canada:
“I was asked to speak about Canadian politics. It may not be true, but it’s legendary that if you’re like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians.”
- Conservative leader Stephen Harper, then vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition, in a June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think tank.
An exploration of Dion’s troubles with the English language -
Joanne Chianello, “Why Dion’s message gets lost in translation”, at http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=047d162f-6cb8-4c51-b080-2e1bd0070523
Garth,
Finally the conservatives on the defensive with the plagiarism affair.
We need more of this. Looks like liberal HQ needs more researchers….Got a job for me Garth?
By the way, Im counting on you to take Halton!!
good blog
Well, once again we find that Harper HATES TRUTH. Wakeup Canadians…You are following a man who is NOT one of our own, but a surrogate planted and supported by a globalist organization who will take away your freedoms and impose undemocratic laws on us all.
Fight the good fight .. and stay on the high road … not like that scumbag BobRae who dredges cesspools for dirt …!!!
p.s. .. have you missed posting several of my previous comments ..??
By HARRY S on 09.30.08 11:53 pm
Harry! If anyone deserves to be called a scum bag, look in the mirror & see the reflection of a real cesspool scum bag.
Btw Stevie, have you published your hockey book yet? Just curious.
I heard Mr. Dion say this on “The Hour”, and wondered why it hasn’t become a Lib slogan as it just jumped out so wonderfully in his chat with George..
“TAX WHAT YOU BURN, NOT WHAT YOU EARN”
Nothing complicated in that!
By TS on 10.01.08 9:14 am
While I agree with this posting, it did not come from me.
TS
strategicvoting@yahoo.ca
I always throught they worked with speech writers to polish speeches but that the basic content was their own. What this incident has illustrated is that is not the case. Someone else is speaking for them.
By C. B. Innes on 10.01.08 8:50 am
I thought that, too. I think your last line should have read, “They are speaking for someoneelse.”
But as we know, which gives credance to your thoughts, Harper used the same backroom guys who helped Bush and Howard get elected. Who were/are these guys? No doubt members of a right wing think tank, and it is for these that Harper, Howard and Bush represent and speak.
But as we know, which gives credance to your thoughts, Harper used the same backroom guys who helped Bush and Howard get elected. Who were/are these guys? No doubt members of a right wing think tank, and it is for these that Harper, Howard and Bush represent and speak.
By James- Chatham on 10.01.08 10:43 am
And now those very same Back Room Boys are managing the McCain campaign.
BTW, what will all the opinionated MSM pundits do for a life AFTER the election? LMAO! What a bunch of self-serving egomaniacs. I could not care less about their opinions, I have my OWN as a thinking human being.
By David Bakody on 10.01.08 6:52 am
“A wise educated person who died last Grey Cup day at the wonderful age of 99 told me this when I questioned her on a decision I was about to make…..David, in doubt don’t ….that women was my mother.”
—–
Smart lady, smart son.
I miss the wisdom of my mother too.
——
The plagiarism story is everywhere. There’s still the sputtering protest that the whole incident was years ago, but they miss the point (intentionally, I imagine).
Harper was a member of parliament and speaking as the leader of the opposition. If he did not actually write the speech, he must have at least read it once before delivering it. If he didn’t agree, he should have refused to read it.
He didn’t.
The other blather is that Michael Ignatieff also supported the Iraq war. That’s true, but he was not in Canada at the time and not a politician. He was ensconced in Harvard, wrapped up in post-September-11th trauma/fervour and also having seen first-hand the Kurds who had been gassed by Saddam Husseing.
He made the mistake of actually believing what the Bush/Cheney cabal were saying. He certainly wasn’t the only one. All the American newspapers and newscasts were singing from the same hymnbook. The dissenting voices were lost in the clamour.
But when he returned to Canada, and probably before that, the doubts were creeping in.
In his NYT article of August 5, 2007, he said the following:
Getting Iraq Wrong
“…I’ve learned that acquiring good judgment in politics starts with knowing when to admit your mistakes.”
“…[I]n political life, false ideas can ruin the lives of millions and useless ones can waste precious resources. An intellectual’s responsibility for his ideas is to follow their consequences wherever they may lead. A politician’s responsibility is to master those consequences and prevent them from doing harm.”
“…[A] good compromise restores the peace and enables both parties to go about their business with some element of their vital interest satisfied. A bad one surrenders the public interest to compulsion or force.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/magazine/05iraq-t.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=michael%20ignatieff%20august%205&st=cse&oref=slogin
That’s the problem with Harper. He’s never wrong. One set of ideas, never taken out and re-examined, one course (Afghanistan) never swerved from, one right-wing vision for the world.
The ideas of others don’t have any validity.
Just look at the near-100% turnover of his staff in the last two and a half years. Would you want to work for a company whose staff left with such regularity?
Would you want to vote for somebody whose own partisan supporters can’t stand him at close range?
—-
Re upcoming debates:
Harper will make a big deal of the troubled economy and the necessity of “not changing horses in midstream”.
Who wouldn’t change the horse if it was the one that threw you into the water in the first place?
—–
Campaign signs: four parties are now represented. The Cons have five in one place alongside the one each for NDP and Green. Two large Lib’s – the mayor’s lawn and across the street from the two schools.
One small Con sign on the well-tended lawn of a small house. The other sign on that lawn?
“House for sale, by owner. Phone…”
By James- Chatham on 10.01.08 10:43 am
Thank you for the correction. Maybe it should read “the frontmen are speaking with someone else’s words and thoughts.”
“…by Saddam Husseing.”
Sorry for the typo – should have been Hussein. I think my fingers automatically put a “g” after an “in”.
Fight the good fight .. and stay on the high road … not like that scumbag BobRae who dredges cesspools for dirt …!!!
By HARRY S on 09.30.08 11:53 pm,
I know that it is very difficult for such a loyal follower to understand that to an academic like Rae integrity is important.
What is shocking to those of us who really understand the issue is that the individual who is claiming to have written the speech should never have even considered such a blatant unethical act.
If Lippert wrote the speech he has tainted, not just the new Conservative Party, but all of the institutions with which he is associated. That includes the University of Notre Dame, Indiana which awarded him a PhD. The Fraser Institute, UBC, Carleton University, the Canadian Department of Justice, the National Democratic Institute, the Globe and Mail, and any other organization that might hire him. Besides that he is supposedly an expert on intellectual property rights and his published on the subject.
As a major right wing advisor to two Prime Minister’s this individual is not some zealous kid working on the Prime Minister’s staff.
The uneducated, either formally or self-educated, may dismiss this incident but for people who understand the issue it is shocking that someone would ignore everything he supposedly cherished in such a careless way for some nebulous political advantage.
There are a couple of rather crass terms that are relevant here.
Good to see the Cons are wasting all that money on signage. Now, let’s see how much of it was OUR money and GET IT BACK!
C.B. and James-Chatham,
there is no such thing as an independent think tank, or a major politician who writes a major speech.
Think tanks (even those at universities) are funded by governments, political parties, or the “invisible hand” of other interests pursuing specific agendas. The CIA is great at pushing US interests in other countries by providing financial support, resources and guidance to aligned local groups, providing information to selected press and politicians, and darker operations if warranted. (It would be fascinating to know the size, resources and tasks of the “Ottawa Station”, which no doubt does not exist.)
A major politician does not have the time to research, draft and polish a major speech. (The same goes for corporate leaders.) Speeches are written by selected staff members if there are no speechwriters on the payroll. A good speechwriter only needs the subject and nature of the audience to go to work. He will already know the boss’s way of thinking, his opinions on most subjects likely to crop up, his usual way of expressing himself, his style of delivery, and any problems in public speaking. From this, he will do his research, find out any specific points the boss wants included, write a draft, polish it, present it for approval, and revise as directed. The boss will make it his speech by approving what is presented to him or demanding the revisions he needs to approve, and deliver it. Regardless of wrote it, the boss owns it when he delivers it.
Of course it was stupid to lift sections word for word from Howard’s speech, and Lippert should not have done so without Harper’s approval. An interesting question is whether Harper had heard of or read Howard’s speech. The ideas expressed by Howard certainly were in common parlance at the time – thanks to US diplomacy or the CIA – and were fully supported by Harper or he would not have expressed them. That is the real problem.
I meant to add…’Talk about AdScam!’ between the 10%er’s and the signage AdScam was a mere pitance of wasted Taxpayer money. AdScam (the Liberal version) helped keep the country together. AdScam (CRAP Version) is trying to tear the country apart!
I heard Mr. Dion say this on “The Hour”, and wondered why it hasn’t become a Lib slogan as it just jumped out so wonderfully in his chat with George..
“TAX WHAT YOU BURN, NOT WHAT YOU EARN”
Nothing complicated in that!
By TS on 10.01.08 9:14 am
While I agree with this posting, it did not come from me.
TS
strategicvoting@yahoo.ca
By TS on 10.01.08 10:32 am
Maybe it might be said this way:
Pay for what you burn, not what you earn.
Couillard book review here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/10/01/couillard-book.html
I have another suggestion for the green shift
Save on what you earn, pay on what you burn.
And now those very same Back Room Boys are managing the McCain campaign.
By Bill-Muskoka (not anymore) on 10.01.08 11:23 am
Well, they failed Howard last time, it looks as though they are going to fail McCain, maybe because the voters on these countries got fed up of the right wing agenda after 8 years.
Our problem is we’ve only had Harper for 2 1/2. While we know whose agenda he is following, most Canadians don’t.
We have to ensure they fail in this country, too!
If you want to see why Harper follows the Bush and Howard doctrine to gain power, view this short video from Sicko.
Remember how Harper keeps telling us he is “STRONG” leader. Strong does not mean “RIGID” and “CONTROLLING” which he is.
Before getting into the meat of things it is instructive to see a short clip form Tony Benn (a former British cabinet member) on how ignorance and apathy is generated by the sterilized press which paralyses most us all to some extent (given that the freedom of press is now largely the freedom to supress information on behalf of the Establishment).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnserZOf1-4
U.S. National Debt Exceeds $10 Trillion
mother will they drop the bomb?
By Daryn on 10.01.08 9:54 am
That’s pretty lame… Instead of wasting time trying to find faults with anything Conservative, I believe it would be best to talk and promote what the Libs are bringing to the table. Otherwise, it makes the Libs like the Cons…
As for Couillard’s book – who cares? I wouldn’t trust her in any shape or form. Just look at her background. She’s self serving and is in it for the money. Nothing more.
By Pedro on 10.01.08 3:27 pm,
I think we know where the Liberals stand on the issues. Where do the Conservatives stand? It appears that all they are telling us is that they will maintain the direction they have already started (e.g. program cuts, deregulation, privatization, etc.) and that the problems in the U.S. won’t hurt Canadians.
One has to wonder why a party with so little to take to the people would ignore their own fixed election dates to call an election.
Are those stats for your riding or Quebec proper? Also, I thought the Opus Dei candidate was in Montreal. Have you got one in your riding too?
It’s okay, Garth, boots can be re-soled!