How the Globe duped Toronto.
Jim Travers gives up on Paul Martin.
“I guarantee that you�re going to see things on this blog that will appear nowhere else on election night.”
Silent Running’s Shire Network New has podcast up on Canadian blogging.
Drop your own in the comments.
“The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, the Pravda and Isvestia of Canadian journalism,…”
Well, he sure got that right…!
Check this updated front-page headline story in today’s Star Phoenix that’s not mentioned elsewhere, I suppose to make room for McKay’s “gaffe” about knitting, or the CP story with this objective lead: “Prime Minister Paul Martin twisted the arrow in Stephen Harper’s Achilles heel Friday, hoping his warnings about a Conservative government’s positions on abortion and same-sex marriage will tighten the race in time for Monday’s vote…”
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y14E2418C
Conservatives want Axworthy dumped
“The national head of the Conservative election campaign is calling on Paul Martin’s Liberals to dump Chris Axworthy as their candidate in Saskatoon-Wanuskewin after someone in his campaign office called a cable TV debate Monday night to falsely accuse Tory incumbent Maurice Vellacott of sexual assault…”
It includes some juicy tidbits, although it avoids stating that the affadavit names a Liberal campaign worker:
“The Conservative party’s claim that the alleged caller is ‘a well-known associate’ of his is a bit of a stretch, Axworthy added.
“‘I’ve known him for a long time, that’s all. Maybe I’ve seen (him) twice in the last 18 months.'”
And how about this blame-the-victim classic?
“‘These kinds of accusations are not good, obviously, but I just think that volunteers do things out of anger and frustration sometimes that you can’t control. Mr. Vellacott is the kind of person who generates extreme responses to his extreme positions,'” Axworthy said.
Yeah, sort of like the sexual assault victim who dressed provocatively…
Submit his voice sample from that phone to that station. Experts can analyze both tapes and confirm it is or it isn’t the same voice. NOT rocket science.
The Libs just aren’t saying. I didn’t make that up.
Vive la difference – There should be a difference between a Conservative and a Liberal. Mr Harper is very soft spoken in this campaign. It’s hard to tell him apart from the Liberal’s platform. I have no other choice but to vote for a middle of the road Conservative.
Maybe when he get’s a majority he will speak louder?
Re my previous post, I meant to say that the Star-Phoenix avoids “naming” the campaign worker.
Most upsetting is the full, two page ad the G&M ran attacking Harper from the Think Twice Moonbats.
http://warwicknews.blogspot.com/2006/01/think-twice-and-gm.html
Clearly, the election GAG LAW only applies to conservative bloggers!
I like the UrbanRefugee’s attitude.
Bet you won’t see him deleting comments on election day…
Interseting bit of reading before bed this morning. LOVE!! the header under “Silent Running” on that page… spot-on!!! Shouldn’t be any confusion there! :oP
…and we thought “Mike from Canmore” had a comprehension disablility…
– how about “(insert name) from Toronto”…
Andrew Coyne’s envoi to Mr Martin: ” Goodbye and good riddance”, Jan. 21
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=53474&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
Mark
Ottawa
Michael Coren: A Conservative win is Canada’s only hope.
http://tinyurl.com/94e88
Hey Rob,
“NOT rocket science.”
No, but it does contain several elements from rocket science. In particular, you can cram a bunch of hot air through a tiny hole and make them propell (backwards in the liberals case). And #2, safety is of prime importance, particularly a) always wear safety gloves when handling, and b) aim away from face when firing.
It seems to me the Liberals messed up the whole thing with their faulty science when they called into the Shaw cable debate in Saskatoon. Their handlers decided it was “gloves off”, they still provided much “hot air”, and for whatever reason, they decided to show their face.
Lobbyists prepare for new regime
Rule changes expected if Conservatives replace Liberals in power
…The Tories would extend the prohibition for ministers lobbying their former government from two to five years. They would also extend the cooling-off period for senior bureaucrats and ministerial aides from one to five years…
http://tinyurl.com/bovy8
2005/10/07 N/A
Hopefully this will prevent the current situation, whereby, on October 7, 2005, eleven senior Magna leaders register as lobbyists for various government ministries (including HRDC) while Belinda fills a Ministerial Cabinet position.
This inside lobby group includes Belinda’s ex-husband.
http://tinyurl.com/btznq
Afstan update: “An uplifting country, a worthy cause � but the mission will never work”, The Times, Jan, 21
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1065-2002348,00.html
Excerpts:
…
‘We [Brits] are going there because the Americans want to pull out. They will keep their enormous base at Bagram to continue their hunt elsewhere for Osama bin Laden; but they will hand over other �peacekeeping� duties to Nato. Ours is to be the biggest contribution to the Nato International Security Assistance Force � Isaf. Most other Nato members have run a mile from this but the Dutch had agreed to help. Now they are having second thoughts: their parliament will decide next month. Two suicide bombs killed 25 people on Monday. The effect on the decision may be guessed at…
There is a UN mandate for peacekeeping there, and the international nature of the effort has drawn some of the sting of �US-led occupation� from the Isaf operation. But I found that ordinary Afghans still hated the presence of foreign troops in their country. As other countries� troops avoid areas of insecurity or withdraw altogether, British heads look likely to appear ever higher above the parapet. And now we are sending some 3,000 more…
We are there as peacekeepers, Mr Reid says, though rather confusingly he has also insisted that we have no combat role and will not be chasing after Taleban fighters…’
The Canadian Forces in Kandahar will initially be under US Operation Enduring Freedom and will have a combat role. They will then, spring or summer, move to NATO ISAF command, with a British overall ISAF commander.
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/new…s_e.asp? id=1703
According to DND the Canadian battle group at Kandahar will be part of an ISAF brigade under Canadian command. A British battalion is planned be under that brigade command.
The Canadian troops presumably will continue to have a combat role. But according to the Times story above UK troops will not. So will the Canadian part of the Canadian-commanded ISAF brigade at Kandahar have a combat role, but not the British component? Crazy.
And The Times mentions Dutch wavering but not the Canadian 2,000 soldier commitment.
Mark
Ottawa
This commenter has reached the basis of Anglosphere thought re governance of a nation.
Citizens: Elect a government to administer public affairs; return to civic society & carry on your lives. At regular intervals, 3-4 years, call the government to account; hold elections; repeat. >>
Posted by: springer |
Canadians, contrary to the MSM’s construction that we prefer minority governments, in fact loathe minority governments.
The mere spectre of enduring another 18 months of more of the gong show we’ve just been through is of itself a highly motivating factor in this election. Canadians hate, no, make that detest hearing about federal politics 24/7. Some will vote for the obvious winner in order to make sure it’s four years until we have to go through this again. The obvious winner is the CPC. >>>
http://andrewcoyne.com/2006/01/last-call.php#comments
Large segments of the media have completely lost credibility during this campaign. It’s become abundantly clear that we simply can’t trust the media anymore. What’s most disheartening is that the CBC, which is mandated to reflect _all_ Canadians, not just soundbites from their favourite socialists, with its priveleged access to Members of Parliament, has failed miserably in holding the Liberal government to account. CBC TV has become irrelevant. It’s continued presence is an insult.
Sorry posted this elsewhere, probably belongs here though…
Here’s a silly thought, and I hope it’s just as result of my stomach rumbling before supper…
If, and a BIG IF, Landslide Anne and other centres like Surry and such are found to be a result of voter tampering, can Mr. Martin approach Metro Jean and declare this election as (whatever the technical word is) over and continue the government?
Man, just thinking that is giving me indigestion…
cheers
tom
Well well well, take a look at this:
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/
“Don’t let Calgary decide for Quebec.”
That’s what the Bloc is warning people about in their ad, running in Quebec papers today.
Remember when, in 1997, the Reform party was roundly denounced for running ads that showed photos of Jean Chr�tien, Lucien Bouchard and Jean Charest, suggesting they were all in favour of special rights for Quebec. The TV spot demanded a “voice for all Canadians, not just Quebec politicians”, but federalist leaders claimed that it was an unfair accusation.
Yes, there’s a difference between that Reform ad and this one: The Bloc is unabashedly running as a Quebec Power party, whereas Preston Manning was running, ostensibly, as a federalist egalitarian. But since the Bloc cannot ever hope to win a government, isn’t this advertisement essentially an exhortation to block the Tories, who presumably (by the ad’s logic) would deliver less to Quebec than, say, a politician from that province?
And, um, wasn’t that exactly Manning’s point in the first place?
We conclude our series on the Peter kent Challenge with the tale of 2 headlines for one Winnipeg Free Press story, one in the actual newspaper and a different one published online- that may make you wonder.
http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2006/01/gord-sinclair-ushers-out-peter-kent.html
Canadian Dirty Tricks
I used to think the US had the worst dirty tricks in politics but Canada seems to be setting new lows. I think it shows how bad it is when one party stays in power for so long. In Saskatoon-Wanuskewin…
Zerb is in S&D: shock & denial. The rest of the piece is incredible. This hack gets paid for this, no? >>
http://www.rapp.org/url/?W2NQKA4R
Update:
Navan Family’s Fight Over Deportation Costly
Cindy Clyne
Saturday, January 21, 2006 9:02 PM
The fight continues to keep a Navan family from being deported back to Belgium.
However, the fight isn’t cheap. There’s word the Van Hauve family is struggling to keep their farm amid mounting legal fees which have now reached seventeen thousand dollars.
The family’s application to remain in the country was denied due in part to a 20 year old shoplifting charge laid against 44 year old Michele Van Hauve.
The Ontario Landowner’s Association is right now helping to hide the Van Hauve family. >> cfra.com
http://www.ruralrevolution.com/website/
Ontario Landowner’s Association
Pravda speaks; Pravda is the Truth. Da, Comrade. >
Friday, Jan. 20, 2006
Prohibited blogging
Blogging on election day is going to be a tricky thing. In this election, unlike the last one, Section 329 of the Canada Elections Act will be in effect, meaning it will be effectively against the law to blog about election results until 10:00 ET, since blogging is considered transmitting “to the public.”
Writing e-mail or instant messaging or for that matter talking on the phone about election results is fine, since those aren’t public transmissions.
But what if you’re blogging election results on your LiveJournal and protecting the posts so that only your LJ friends can read it? How big does your friends list have to be before it’s considered transmitting to the public?
Antonia Zerbisias discusses the implications of S. 329 on bloggers: “So let’s say that, on Monday night, the Conservatives start sweeping through the Maritime provinces or Newfoundland. Will the Blogging Tories be able to contain their glee and stick to the law before the polls close in B.C.?”
“You have to wonder how Elections Canada is going to be able to monitor this,” she writes.
On Small Dead Animals, Kate invites bloggers who plan to write about results to contact her, and various bloggers are discussing the law in the comments for that post.
Some commenters predict that Captain’s Quarters, an American blog that has taken interest in Canadian issues before, may be willing to post election results. The Act doesn’t apply to websites, or broadcasters, outside of Canada.
Election Results Canada, the website that contravened the Act in 2000, has a timeline Paul Bryan’s fight against the law, all the way to the Supreme Court.
Predictive blogging
Political bloggers love tracking poll numbers and trying to predict seats, but it can be tough to do. Take 1993. Getting 15-20 per cent of the vote could mean 52 seats, could mean two seats. Crazy first-past-the-post parliamentary system.
But bloggers might not be the best predictors. Damian Penny listed 11 predictions on his blog in June 2004. Only four of them predicted a Liberal victory. >>>
cbc.ca