I’m reminded of the opposition parties in our own Parliament who slagged our troops in the field, accusing them of handing over Bin Laden trained fighters to be tortured in captivity. I shudder to imagine what kind of country we’d have under an NDP led government. Our military would be shrunk to Boy Scout capacity.

Pray as we go through this day for the best possible election result for the stability of this country, a Conservative majority.

Well said.

the opposition parties in our own Parliament who slagged our troops in the field, accusing them of handing over Bin Laden trained fighters to be tortured in captivity.

That, of course, is a lie.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2007/04/27/afghan-detainees.html The people on the ground making the decisions were troops and not politicians… Taliban Jack would never enter a war zone nor would iggy

Wow! So much said in so few words Stephen.

Standing up for democracy and for Canada means getting out to vote. Let’s do it.

Don’t know why you linked to that particular article… It’s from 2007 , when the CPC was ratcheting up their snow-job over this issue, and nearly 2 1/2 years before Richard Colvin’s testimony confirmed that while Day was waving his hands around, improper transfers were still occurring.

The people on the ground making the decisions were troops and not politicians.

Nice try but wrong. The detainee handover issue is about what directions and guidelines (y’know – orders?) the government had given to our troops in Afghanistan, when they knew that such detainee transfers could result in torture, and when they issued different orders. If the troops are following orders, and the orders are problematic, then whoever is giving the orders is responsible.

Quite interesting to see how many of you simply can’t take a short pause and offer some small thanks that bin Laden is gone, without trying to whip it into a partisan attack.

O/T … but I was watching CBC Newsworld just before 9:00 pm ET and I swear they gave out results from Atlantic Canada. Then there was an announcement that the channel was experiencing technical diffulties, so I switched to CTV, where Lloyd Robertson said that despite the fact some of their panel would look great in handcuffs, they couldn’t give out any results before 9:30 pm because it was illegal.

So, did CBC break the law?

I’m pretty sure they did. My husband and I were watching the CBC when you were, Gabby, and they definitelyhad begun to announce election results on the East coast. We looked at each other and wondered, are they allowed to be announcing these results? At about that time, we got the message, “due to technical difficulties, etc.” and the screen went dead.

‘Wonder what Elections Canada will do about this? I’m nor holding my breath. It might have made a difference — just one more example of how the CBC interferes, in the name of media privilege, aka freedom — and if so, would Elections Canada care?

I doubt it, just like Frank Graves of EKOS, being so off in its predictions about the CPC’s majority, said, ” … while we do our best to try and understand our failures it requires analysis and time and nobody is really interested in that.”

Uh huh.

” Canada, has never had a major war. After hockey, Canadian’s would probably have found it dull.”
Jim Bronson – former American Major League baseball pitcher.

An interesting night with a spectacular outcome, but one that proposes intriging posibilities. My predictions and evaluations of the next four years;

1. Of the current Leaders, only May will lead her party into the next election. The PM who richly deserved his majority, will finish his work and move back to the last, best, west. If he was as power hungry as the media trys to make him out of course, he would never do that and cling to power with his dying breath, but the media is beyond help and verges on insanity. Duceppe has already let us know he is gone and Iggy is now the same. With Iggy, that is unfortunate. He was brought in only because he had nothing to do with ADSCAM and could be presented as “pure” but his outsider status, if he could throw off his Toronto handlers, would present the Libs with the best chance of the serious and foundational rebuilding they so desperately need. Iggy’s was the best of the concession speechs. They will be back.

2. Layton, at 60 has also fought his last campaign. Already his health is starting to fail and assuming the government remains in power for a full four years, he will retire having set a new bar for the Dippers. That success will not be repeated. While the Liberals will still be rebuilding in 4 years, Quebec is notoriously fickle for those who do not perform (ADP anyone?) and Jack, despite thinking that it was him that won the election and nont Harper will have no power, and no way to get that performance – moreover, like it or not, Jack entered the big league and that will mean he now gets the microscopic examination that the others have received. His 19 year old members and those who take vacations in the middle of elections will damage the party and drive them back out of Quebec.

3. Andrew Coyne said that there had been a techtonic shifting of the Political plates in as much as “Ontario has joined the West.” While I wish it were true, it must be remembered that Ontario supported the Liberals for decades. Time will tell but Ontario has a lot to prove to the West before we can beleive the rape has truly stopped. Even Goodale pointed out that the NDP platform would move 21.5 billion out of the west and you can be sure Jack will still be trying to do that.

4. There is a chance for a more peaceful Parliament. The past minority Parliament was a failure with a disloyal opposition trying to usurp the duly elected government and able to do so as it was a few seats short of a majority – that, thank God, is over. The boondogle of the Long gun registry is gone – if province’s want it, they can enact it themselves. Nationally, we will finally grow up enough to have an elected Senate. Equally, there will be more seats in Ontario and the West as we reorganize the political spectrum and move towards a true democracy where a vote in PEI is worth the same as a vote in BC recognizing the population growth in that part of the country as if it were part of the whole.

5. Finally and most momentously, the Linguistic tail will stop wagging the dog. As they are utterly entitled to do, Francos in Quebec will keep Bill 101, and be able to work in their own language. Equally, Official bilingualism will be realigned to reflect that people wo come from the east and the west, might like to participate in their own federal government. Public service hirings and promotions can be once again based on merit rather than language.

6. As mentioned the Liberals will be back but they will have a different face. Many of the Toronto area pundits (CBC included) tried to sell us the drivel that dissaffected Liberals would sooner vote NDP than Conservative. Layton’s gains were in Quebec not Ontario, so very clearly the pundits were utterly wrong. If the Liberals cannot rebuild, will the left of the party join the NDP and the right of them join the Conservatives? If that happens, the electorate will be faced with a clear choice between left and right – my guess is that the right will win, but by that time I hope to be on my boat in the Caribbean. Perhaps I”ll check in by satelite

Batb, I guess Elections Canada will look into it only if there’s a formal complaint from one of the parties.

Given the Conservatives got their majority anyway, I wonder if it would be worth the bother for them to file an official complaint. Let’s not forget there are many people, including conservatives, who object to the ruling that no results can be broadcast to jurisdictions where polls are still open, so it would be inconsistent on their part to now complain about the CBC glitch.

Great post, Stephen!

You’re probably right, Gabby. And isn’t it wonderful, now that the CPC has a comfortable majority, for Prime Minister Harper and his party to have the luxury of being able to sit back and not have to go on the defensive?

It’s fantastic to contemplate four years of competent governance from the CPC, without the constant yapping of the Opposition chahuahuas and their canine counterparts in the consensus media (h/t Ezra Levant). Or, at least, if the chahuahuas yap, the CPC can, essentially, ignore them or pull hard on their leash — and we’ve got SunTV to set the record straight.

This c/Conservative majority has been so painfully long in coming, I’m having a hard time taking it in! It’s wonderful to see PM Harper so relaxed and Laureen smiling (through her tears). The Disloyal Opposition and the Consensus Media Party not only dragged PM Harper through the mud in the past five years, they also degraded his family in their treatment of Mr. Harper. Now, the Harpers have at least four years of stability in their lives, which must be a source of some satisfaction for them.

I get a kick out of people saying the “Center-Left” should unite. There is no Center-left. There is the extreme left of the NDP which still maintains plenty of Marxist-Leninists, and what is left of the Liberals after they got too close to the extreme left and got eaten by both sides. Look at the way the seats came out. The Conservatives blasted through the Liberal strongholds in Toronto – the only reason the NDP got additional seats was because of Quebec. If the Conservatives had held onto their seats in Quebec it would have been a rout.
It’s actually pretty hilarious, the media kept telling everyone how the NDP was exploding – and they’ve been trying to tell us for years that the NDP and Liberals were both “center-left.” If not kissing cousin’s, then identical twins. Then with the threat of a surging NDP, the small L Toronto and Ontario Liberals swarmed to the Conservatives. The fact is that the Conservatives hold the middle ground – the choice right now is to go to the extreme left or stay in the middle. Given that only the Extreme left of the Liberals will go to the NDP, the remainder will stay and strenghten the Conservatives. And Jack has a bunch of kids, bartenders, and bakers to lead into battle. Already the CBC has started to switch their allegance to the NDP from th eLiberals but by the time the next election comes up, Layton will be decimated in Quebec and back to 40 seats on a very good day.
Hey, where’s Kenn2?????

All national broadcasters have the ability (if they so choose) to control what is transmitted to what region at what time. I wasn’t watching at 9 PM EDT, but if someone saw results coverage in an area where the polls were still open, that was a technical or human error. Most likely they switched a region over to election coverage before they should have.

Stuff happens…

Hey, where’s Kenn2?????

Thanks for asking. Miss me? Alcohol and spring activities have kept me occupied. Besides, didn’t wanna interrupt any festivities here…

and [the media have] been trying to tell us for years that the NDP and Liberals were both “center-left.”

I have absolutely no idea where you’re getting that from. Until the last couple of week, the NDP weren’t on anyone’s radar as a federal contender, much less a “center” party.

Then with the threat of a surging NDP, the small L Toronto and Ontario Liberals swarmed to the Conservatives.

Uh, not really what happened. The federal Liberals have been AWOL, the opposite of a cohesive and energized party. Harper’s campaign message was tightly held to low, reassuring platitudes and murmurs, with very few specifics, and in most Ontario ridings outside of union towns, the federal NDP is identified with that same churchlady/hippie/social worker who shows up every election.

For most Ontarians not already predisposed to vote NDP, the middle-class choice is between Liberal or Conservative, and if one candidate’s with the incumbent party and the other doesn’t show up…

Despite the large advance polling, the low voter turnout (~60%) still suggests many Canadians aren’t engaged or motivated to care about federal politics. So it’s still really hard to say that some sort of major sea change has occurred. Harper may have drawn some otherwise centrist voters, but the real center is still very much up for grabs. Will Harper dull some of his sharp edges and risk pissing off the hard-right to win and hold the center for the CPC?

BTW, your comments on Ignatieff were very balanced, and, if I may say so, considerate. Not at all what I expect from this forum when he’s mentioned. Canada can’t afford to chase people of his calibre away. World experience and achievement is an advantage, not a crime.

Ahhh, I thought perhaps the other night may have turned you to drink. Not to worry, your vaunted Liberals will either die off or be back. But if they come back, it will be a very different bunch, and that is all good. The NDP surge will be a four year surge and then Quebec will go back to what it does so well.

The concept of both the Liberals and NDP being “center left” is driven by every pundit, informed or otherwise, who claims they should “unite”. Layton, despite the absurdity of it, claims he leads a center left party – so too do the Liberals. Do I think it ridiculous? Yup, but it ain’t me that’s making the claim. The biggest danger to the Liberals is not Stephen Harper, it is the fact that they exist in the political ground between two other positions – history shows us (see England for an example of their Liberal party) that what happens to a party in the middle is that they get eaten away from both sides. They have to first turn themselves back into a party that can be trusted i.e. get rid of Apps and the rest of the backroom goons, and then stake out a position that can be sold to the Canadian voter and does not leave them exposed on both flanks.

I don’t think you can claim the Federal Liberals were AWOL;
“The Conservatives received 44 per cent of popular support in Ontario this election – up five points from 2008, and 13 points from 2004. And in each of the ridings they took from their opponents, they got thousands more votes than they did last time out. The fact is, they’re now Ontario’s dominant federal party. And if they’re able to capitalize on divisions among their opponents, it’s because they’ve got a lot of other advantages over them, as well.” – Adam Radwanski – And if the G&Ms Political junkie is acknowledging it the starkness of that must be profound. If the TorStar says something like that I’m heading for a bunker somewhere because clearly the world is about to end.

As to Harper’s “Sharp edges”, you might be surprised. While he certainly harbours no love for the Liberals, you might remember the way the Liberals went after Manning & Stockwell Day. Harper was simply playing by the rules they laid down. Moreover, he is now unencumbered by a “Dis” Loyal Opposition trying to manufacture outrage and scandal in committee and in the Media in order to give them an excuse to bring down a minority Government. His thoughts can tend towards the strategic rather than the tactical. You see me in a hockey game where the other team is playing that dirty and you might be surprised at my sharp edges too. And Harper is a far nicer guy than I am.

I do have some sympathy for Iggy, though not overly much. When Apps and his odd couple went down to dig him out of Harvard, Iggy should have told them to pound sand. He was being set up, and he let his Harvard ego get the best of him when he said yes. The Liberals simply needed someone who wasn’t associated with ADSCAM, the Long gun registry, Shawinigate, the Grand Mere affair, the HRDC boondoggle etc. etc. etc. to become the new face of the Party but they tried to do it without changing the rotten foundation, I mean come on – Paul Martin, the leader of the party registering his ships outside Canada? If that isn’t an utterly monsterous ego and sense of entitlement by the “Natural Governing Party”, its hard to know what is! Can you spell Chutzpah???

Certainly teaching or travelling outside the country isn’t, in and of itself, a detriment, but Iggy had spent almost all of his adult life outside the country – there has to be a better connection to the Country than what is says on the cover of your passport. And Canadian patriotism has been growing slowly since the ’80s. Iggy lacked the granular knowledge to jump into this arena and leading a party that was on the verge of bankrupcy certainly wasn’t a help. The speed at which the party dumped him is unseemly – while he isn’t a leader, they should be putting their money where their mouth is and believing their own reasons for digging him out of Harvard in the first place but the backroom boys still don’t see a problem. If they had an ounce of sense, and Iggy believes anything of what he said about the “ancient party” in his conssession speech, Iggy should replace Apps and take over the rebuilding of the party concentrating on the younger Canadian’s he feels so comfortable with. Iggy didn’t get screwed by the public, he got screwed by the Liberal party and its backroom organization. But with that said, its far better that they screwed him, than the rest of us.

So while we’re concerned about Jack Layton’s kiddie MP’s we have his main man in Quebec Thomas Mulcair making the first bimbo comment as a member of the Official Opposition of this country to embarrass us all.

I guess I don’t agree with the pundits … neither the ones who say that the NDP and Liberals are both “center-left”, nor Radwanski who you suggest is somehow saying that the Libs weren’t AWOL but rejected…? no, I still see just a crater in the center of the political spectrum, that sooner or later must be reclaimed by a party or two.

Iggy didn’t get screwed by the public, he got screwed by the Liberal party and its backroom organization.

yes, that’s essentially what I’m driving at when I say the Liberals were AWOL as a party. More absence than malfeasance, basically.

I mean come on – Paul Martin, the leader of the party registering his ships outside Canada?

This has always been a non-starter as a legitimate criticism of Martin. Just about every serious maritime shipping company registers their ships under flags of convenience. It’s an aspect of “globalization” that’s existed for decades.

Fun shipping fact – did you know that when it’s time to refit a “laker”, many Canadian or American ship owners find it cheaper to sail/tow the laker out the St Laurence, down and through the Panama canal, and over to China… than to use a Canadian or American shipyard.

I guess I don’t agree with the pundits … neither the ones who say that the NDP and Liberals are both “center-left”, nor Radwanski who you suggest is somehow saying that the Libs weren’t AWOL but rejected…? no, I still see just a crater in the center of the political spectrum, that sooner or later must be reclaimed by a party or two.

There’s more than a bit of irony in that comment. Most of us have been telling you for ages that the pundits are full of it – here at least, you agree. The fact is that the Conservative’s to very clearly most of Canadians, offer a closer view of what they consider the “center” than any of the others – I’m also convinced that the Liberal downslide was caused by them getting too far off the center to the left.

This has always been a non-starter as a legitimate criticism of Martin. Just about every serious maritime shipping company registers their ships under flags of convenience. It’s an aspect of “globalization” that’s existed for decades.

True, but why is it it is done? The reason companies register their ships under flags of convenience is twofold, first to avoid paying onerous taxes in their home country, and secondly because it costs a lot to build a ship to national specifcations. To put Martin forward as a leader when he was so vunerable on both those counts was not the idea of the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Fun shipping fact – did you know that when it’s time to refit a “laker”, many Canadian or American ship owners find it cheaper to sail/tow the laker out the St Laurence, down and through the Panama canal, and over to China… than to use a Canadian or American shipyard.

It’s not as funny a fact as you might think. There isn’t enough space on this board to explain the problems with Canadian shipbuilding and I’m unfortunately extremely conversant with a good deal of it. BC Ferries Corp, just went to Germany to get a few ferries built – it was cheaper and far more dependable to get them built there and bring them across the Atlantic, through the Panama and up to BC instead of getting them built here. True, some of it is the Government’s fault, (most of it at Liberal hands) but a good deal of it is their own. If you ever get a chance to sit down with Peter Cairns for an unedited assessment, it makes for some interesting conversation. That said I haven’t been keeping up, so Peter may not still be the President of the Canadian Shipbuilding Assoc. Harper has precisely the right idea, but we need a good yard – and one on each coast. All of them cannot be sustained. Let some die so that others can live.

There’s more than a bit of irony in that comment. Most of us have
been telling you for ages that the pundits are full of it – here at
least, you agree.

Oh pulease. I’ve been saying for ages that I’m not Liberal partisan and I don’t parrot “pundits”. So, doubly ironic that you’ve finally noticed.

The fact is that the Conservative’s to very clearly
most of Canadians, offer a closer view of what they consider the
“center” than any of the others – I’m also convinced that the Liberal
downslide was caused by them getting too far off the center to the left.

Heh. When Reform beat the progressive out of PCs and MacKay plunged the knife in, the conservative party lurched to the right. From that vantage point, everyone else looks “left”.

I won’t take anything away from the CPC for this election win. It was a very precise and well-executed campaign. Nonetheless… the numbers say that the CPC gained a majority of House seats with only 40% of the popular vote… and only 60% of eligible voters voted. So… that means that of all eligible voters, only 40% of 60% = 24% of eligible voters voted CPC, 60% 0f 60%=36% of eligible voters voted for a different party, and 40% of eligible voters didn’t bother to vote.

So, the numbers plus the poor showing of the Liberals don’t convince me that the CPC has successfully engaged the center. Rather, I see alot of nose-holding and choosing percieved stability and the incumbent over unknowns. With 4+ years, Harper will of course have ample opportunity to appeal to the center. Will he, or is he still itching to engage in ideological reform? I’m betting he’s now a huge fan of first past the post, so there will not be much in the way of electoral reform.

True, but why is [registering the fleet under a flag of convenience] done? The reason companies register their
ships under flags of convenience is twofold, first to avoid paying
onerous taxes in their home country, and secondly because it costs a lot
to build a ship to national specifcations. To put Martin forward as a
leader when he was so vunerable on both those counts was not the idea
of the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Q. When is a smart businessman not acceptable as a political leader?

A. When he’s not a CPC conservative.

Hilarious that the right would criticize Martin because he followed accepted business practices. If he registered the fleet in Canada and patriotically ran his business into the ground… would you then show him some love? This whole ship registry slam is just another out-of-context fact spun to resemble valid criticism.

Where I see irony is in how the Feds give $1B/yr in subsidies to the oil patch, for a commodity that has insatiable demand, but are happy to let shipbuilding (and other areas) slip away. We need to be more than a “trading nation” (which is code for “providers of cheap resources, and some still-solvent banks”). We need to be innovators and experts.

60 percent of Canadians voted against Stephen Harper, 69 percent voted against the NDP, 81 percent voted against Liberals…

No one used the argument that the Liberal$ won only 40% (acutally, 39.something) when they won a majority back in the early ’90s. I remember remarking to my husband that the only reason they won a majority is because they came up the middle. This appears to be what the Harper/CPC win did this time, in addition to a very tight and well-run campaign — and that the choice was between the CPC and the NDP.

How come there are, all of a sudden, “questions” about the Harper/CPC majority, when there never were with Chretien/LPC majorities under similar circumstances?

‘Rhetorical question, BTW.

Interesting isn’t it? The media tried to interview the brand spanking new MPs and the NDP told them to bug off – “they were too inexperienced.” You’d almost think that the NDP were “controlling the message” and “keeping they’re MPs on a short lease” or that Jack was like a “Control freak” as he parrots how pleased he is with his new, young, caucus. If there is a more two-faced, hypocritical Jack (ass) in this country I sure couldn’t name him. And the media swallows it alll up.

Jack and the Consensus Media are jackasses. Thank God we’re not going to be held hostage by them for the next four years.

I’m loving SunTV. It scratches the itch every time!

Don’t get your knickers in a knot. Nobody’s gonna mess with your nice new majority. I was simply pointing out that the numbers don’t support the argument that the CPC has captured the centrist voter.

This quiet time might be a good time to brush up on some basic reading skills.

As rhetorical questions go, that was still a dumb question.

But, but… the media are ALL biased! How could they possibly be doing anything negative on Liberals or NDP??

(the new parliament is hours old, and you come out with this? Really? Campaign’s over, summer’s coming. Take a break. Go watch SUN)

Just what U of T needs, a failed politician to teach political science.

Ewwwww. May I suggest Lanacaine.

Richard Colvin confirmed what ? What did his “testimony” prove?

Last time I checked the Prime Minister and the government of the country send our troops off on missions, they do not give orders on how to conduct their operations in the field of battle.

If Mr Colvin and his shills need a bit of a heads up on matters concerning Afghanistan they can have a chat with our new Conservative MP from Ajax-Pickering, Chris Alexander who knows more than a bit about that place, he spent time there, alot more than a month.

The whole detainee thing had nothing to do with anything beyond another in a long line of gotcha games being played by desperate Liberals at the same time the bastards called Taliban were blowing up our troops in their cowardly fashion. The bird who was on the file and up slagging our troops over it for weeks was Dosanjh who was defeated this election. Don’t bother to say they weren’t slagging our troops, they were and the troops were well aware of it.

You lie like a rug.

Kind of thick on rules of engagement, too.

More details, please, kenn2. You can’t accuse someone of lying and not back up your accusation without proof. What has Liz lied about? You are obligated to be specific if your comment is to retain a shred of credibility.

‘Funny, no mention of the “nobodies” being the legacy/consensus media. You, kenn2 may not be messing with the CPC’s “nice new majority,” but the media’s trying to — sans SunTV.

‘No matter. They can yatter on as much as they want while the “nice new majority” goes clickety-clack, clickety-clack down the governing track with the full support of the CPC Senate majority, a Senate, BTW, which PM Harper and his government fully intend to reform.

No knickers in a knot, BTW. Just rather pi**ed off (there’s a difference) with the double standard in the media. Liberal$ get a 39.something per cent majority and there’s no hue and cry that 59.something per cent of Canadians didn’t vote for them. CPC get a 40 per cent majority and the media’s all over them, suggesting it’s not really a majority.

‘Same old, same old crap. ‘So glad Prime Minister Harper and his party can now, figuratively speaking, give them the middle finger. I know that’s what I’m doing … It’s a rather lovely feeling, actually. I might just have a glass of Pinot Grigio to celebrate while I watch Ezra in a few minutes on The Source.

The details abound (including links to Hansard), both in this forum and elsewhere. It wasn’t true in 2007, or 2009, and it wasn’t true last spring and guess what – it’s not true now. Or do you live in a world where truth is pliable, and by lying long and loud enough, something becomes true? Or do you think we’re dumb enough to forget?

The only thing worse than actually throwing unjust accusations at our troops, is deflecting blame from yourself by pretending that a legitimate question directed at yourself is an unjust attack on our troops, as our brave heroes MacKay and Harper did in Parliament. Proud, proud moment. (And FYI, a majority won’t make it go away, kids)

So…keep that f%cking lie to yourselves. Most of the other bullsh!t I can ignore, but not this. Some of us actually do care about the troops, as more than just a political smear for everyday use.

I do hope that’s clear.

Uh-oh, I’m double replying.

Y’know what’s remarkable about Liz’s luvly lying? It grows with the telling. Last time she brought it up, it was “Taliban” that were being handed over. This time it’s “Bin Laden trained fighters “. What’ll it be next time – “baby-eating Islamic wife-beaters”?
Pinocchio
springs to mind.

Back to earth please – the issue is handover of Afghan detainees. Like combatants, who might be Taliban. Or farmers in the wrong place at the wrong time. If Liz knows otherwise (har har), then it’s up to her to provide the details.

War and our troops are too important to be used as cheap fodder for your cartoonish political rants. Cut it out.

CPC get a 40 per cent majority and the media’s all over them, suggesting it’s not really a majority.

Where? (links!) I’ve seen/heard no such thing.

No, it’s not. Links please. Quotes, please. Specifics, please.

Your response if full of accusations and generalities and short on facts.

But, but… the media are ALL biased! How could they possibly be doing anything negative on Liberals or NDP??

Uhh, that was precisely my point – if it had been Harper doing that, there would have been CBC reporters all over the place dropping dead from the big one. The sky would be falling, facebook would be collasping under the weight of the outrage, dogs and cats would be making out together in the streets. “The horror, the horror….”

(the new parliament is hours old, and you come out with this? Really?
Campaign’s over, summer’s coming. Take a break. Go watch SUN)

Actually I’m not perturbed, I find it refreshingly familiar. Geez, lighten up, take a valium or something. Haven’t seen SUN yet, I guess I’ll have to try it…

Bob Rae: ”
“Obviously, I’m disappointed we have a
Conservative majority. I don’t think that’s what the majority of
Canadians wanted, but that’s what we got,” said Rae.
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/1001861–toronto-centre-rae-retains-seat-but-not-resoundingly

“There is a simple and difficult fact and that is that 40 per cent of
the Canadian people … have voted for Mr. (Stephen) Harper, 60 per cent
have not,” Rae, a former NDP premier of Ontario, told the CBC.

“There has been a lot of common ground between that 60
per cent. Now, is there a willingness at this particular juncture to
discuss what comes next? I can’t tell … My own view is the dialogue
needs to start with Canadians and with others.”
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/ignatieffs-fate-appears-grim-after-historic-liberal-defeat-121135349.htmlLots of coverage in the media of Bob Rae’s sour grapes about the 40% of Canadians who voted for the CPC and “dialogue” that needs to start with Canadians and others, which strongly resonates with me about coalitions.Check out Bob Rae on Evan Solomon’s Power and Politics, May 3, 2011: http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/includes/powerandpolitics.xmlNOW, kenn2, you might kindly provide me with links where I have asked for them.

Correction to above post: There has been a lot of coverage in the media of Bob Rae’s sour grapes, etc. …

Everything’s out there. If you or your little friends want to make the serious accusations you’re doing, on a public website… you substantiate. As I’ve mentioned, my argument is there and backed up with links for anyone interested enough to look.

bat, that’s reporting on the opinion of one guy (Bob Rae) . ONE GUY.

How does this conflate to “the media’s all over them”?

Relax, m’kay? The universe is unfolding just like you wanted.

If you say so…

Cop out.

Yeah, stuff happens. Kind of like the Afghan detainee business….
Did the detainee issue only begin in 2006 when Colvin decided to “report” on it, just shortly after the Conservatives won a minority?
Why has nobody investigated the policy of handing detainees from 2002-2006 when the Liberals were in power? That’s what shoots your arguments to h–l in a handbasket.

Thank you for saying “Afghan detainees”, instead of some over-hyped distortion as is popular with other posters when referring to this situation.

The answer to those piercing questions rely on knowing the following:
- who and when detainee policy was set, reviewed, changed, through the history of this conflict.
- a summary of the allegations against the Afghan authorities, and the UN and NATO observations
- the history of how this issue has been repeatedly brought to the military command, and where it went from there
- and of course, the chronicle of the CPC government’s oh so courageous efforts to avoid dealing with the issue.

…whoops I can hear the yawning from here. Frankly, I sympathize; alot of it is drawn out and dull. But if you understood more of those points, you’d already know where I’m coming from.

…thing is, you’re not that far from the truth. To simplify, yes the detainee transfer policy started under the Liberals, and yes the CPC did finally amend them, and there really isn’t much to blame the CPC about this. (Unless there’s something far more damning under the surface… which I doubt). So the question for me has always been, why wouldn’t they just air this out and move on, like back in 2007? Why the stonewalling and trying to smear the people reporting allegations, and defying Parliament? Like most government scandals, the original issue is rarely the problem, it’s the inept actions that are done trying to evade any discussion of the truth.

Hopefully, with a majority now, maybe Harper will relax a bit and try out that accountability/openness thing.

Seeing as there’s been no new thread since PM Harper’s and the CPC’s astounding — and fantastic — victory last week, I’m posting this here (comment from another blog).

If you’ve got an hour, take a look at the video from TVO’s The Agenda,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnCrJT–bE
(h/t Dr. Roy)

Surprise! Surprise! When talking about how they need to rebuild the
party — and realizing it won’t take months but years — they never cite
Preston Manning and Stephen Harper’s amazing feat — nor the blood,
sweat, and tears, not to mention the opprobrium both took from the
chattering class/legacy media — it took to rebuild the Conservatives
after Mulroney gutted them. I guess they’d have to be too magnanimous to
acknowledge the Alliance/Reform/CPC miracle — never a trait for which
the Liberal$ have been known.

Preston Manning rocks!

Prime Minister Stephen Harper rocks!

Nope, not just the opinion of one guy. It’s all over — maybe it started with Rae but a lot of media hacks are spouting it. Check out the latest Mclean’s; this opinion is peppered throughout the articles on the CPC victory.