Prime Minister Stephen Harper is prepared to put his minority government on the line over the future of the Afghanistan mission after he warned Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion that the Tories are preparing a confidence motion that could be voted on as early as next week.
A source told The Globe and Mail that the government is prepared to give notice tomorrow of the motion that Canada’s role be extended. If the government were to lose, it could plunge the country into an election.
Related: Dion ponders strategy.
More: Is he a leader, or is he a flounder? Perhaps a fishing analogy would be better.
Dion will contrive to have a bunch of his guys go down with food poisoning just before the vote
BRING. IT. ON.
I’d crawl in -40 degree “climate change” to the polling station to ensure that the Libranos are NOT returned to power. (and corruption).
A 25 minute meeting is not very long to find “common ground”, it must have went something like this:
PMSH: Stephane I called you here to discuss extending the mission past 2009.
dion: Arper you listen here, All da people of Canada want dis mission to end today.
PMSH: Stephane, when you say ALL the people what you really mean are the, Liberals, Bloc and NDP right?
dion: Dats right Arper, the important people to Canada not you Boosh luvin warmongers.
PMSH: Stephane, get the fuck out of my office before I kick your ass!
dion: Right away sir.
Way too early in the morning for your second link Kate. Orange juice all over my keyboard. Thanks for the early morning laugh.
Dion says he is sticking to his position. What position? The federal Liberal Party needs to accept that they can’t fix, STUPID! So hold a leadership convention and do away with this mixed up group. They are hurting my country and that’s
not funny
The white flag says it all….cut and run Citoyen Dion!
as the original “40 below Canadian” I totally agree with Mr. Eskimo.
Bring it on.
Dion will be a disaster in an election campaign.
Dion sticking to his position? Which one?
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2189&Itemid=29
The Dion option – holding white flag of surrender,
Taliban Jack holding two flags, The Yellow and green Taliban flag in one hand and the white flag of surrender in the other.
Denis Coderre and the block head Gilles Duceppe are there as well under the Taliban banner.
I predict we will soon be hearing from the LibSM that Harper is A Bully ……
The unwavering Stephane Dion…
check out the chronology over at dust my broom.
he (dion),flips and flops more than a fish out of water.
David Akin has on his blog that the Liberal caucus meeting is running late today and some Liberals will be voting with the govt. on this issue. Should be fun to watch them fight now.
The party leaders’ debate will be worth recording. Dion, when pushed by Harper & Layton, will collapse in a babbling, unintelligible (in either language) heap.
The comment of mine above is in reference to the next election.
I say Bring on this Election put Dion outta hi missery. and hope the cons will get the majority they deserve. I hate the way Dion refers to the Canadians don’t want this when. he has no IDEA what and what not canadians want. I hope that people like Mr manely comes back to politics and joins the cons. side.
“The Liberals are divided on the issue, but Mr. Dion has said that he will whip the vote, meaning the party must vote as one.”
This could lead to an election where the spineless whipped Liberals have collective John Turner moments: “But…but…I had no choice!”
or are subject to severe Party discipline: “No zoop for you!”
or a series of “urgent constituency issues” on “Whipping Day” will call them away at the last minute, causing them to miss the mindless Liberal body count.
I am with Fred and Eskimo. Let’s Roll!
P.S. I’d crawl over broken glass in -40 to keep the Libranos out.
Thanks sounder for posting that dust my broom site. This epitomizes why Dion is a complete train wreck and not fit to be our PM but it also emphasizes of largly what LPC has become over the past few decades. They don’t stand for anything if it doesn’t garner votes and power. Every speech, policy or stand is done with the polls in mind and how will it further our power base or chance of getting elected. Chretien perfected the don’t say anything until you’ve read a poll and determined what their based wanted to hear. Yeah, fine leadership and it appears Borat has been tutored well.
Excellent move by the PM. Get the Opposition to put up or shut up now that the non-partisan Manley report has been thoroughly reviewed.
Let’s all get a piece of white cloth and mail to our liberal mps. Print, with yellow ink, WE GIVE UP. Or another comment reflecting your thoughts.
If we have an election, go to liberal campaign offices and donate white flags. Go to candidate meetings and ask your local liberal candidate if they really want to cut and run, then ask the ndp guy, do you think using children and the disabled to blow up people are good tactics.
We can’t let these local guys not take flak for their leaders position.
Maybe mail them a white feather? That would be easy for everyone to do.
Atta boy Steffie! Show ’em who’s boss:
“…..
dion: Right away sir.
Posted by: GrantK1 at February 6, 2008 12:08 PM”
I liked that LOL!!
From reading Darcy’s post, Borat’s certainly a flip flopper but not a hip hop flip flopper ala John Kerry. He’s consulting with Taliban Jack and putting an audition tape together for Warren’s punk orchestra.
Darling you got to let me know
Should we stay or should we go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should we stay or should we go?
Always tease tease tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine, next day is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should we stay or should we go?
Should we stay or should we go now?
Should we stay or should we go now?
If we stay it will be trouble
An’ if we go there will be double
Kate: He’s neither a leader or a flounder, but a flounderer. The flounderers’ theme song is sung by none other than… “Dion”:
Oh well I’m the type of pol who will never settle down
Where Gritty pols are, well you know that I’m around
I kiss ’em and I love ’em ’cause to me they’re all the same
I hug ’em and I squeeze ’em, they don’t even know my name
They call me the flounderer – yeah – the flounderer
I roam around around around around
Oh well there’s Jack on my left arm and there’s Stephen on my right
And Lizzie is the girl well that I’ll be with tonight
And when she asks me which one I love the best
I tear open my shirt and show a Chretien on my chest
‘Cause I’m a flounderer – yeah – a flounderer
I roam around around around around
Last night on Duffy, one of the panel commented on a clip of Alan Rock, saying how polished and smooth he still is.( gag, puke)
Duffy, without hesitation stated “that’s what the Liberal leadership USED TO BE like.”
There will be no election call. All of the opposition parties stand to lose seats – the BQ and the ND especially. Expect a lot of the backbenchers to catch the flu on the day of the vote.
I wonder if this issue will be enough to trigger an open revolt in the Liberal ranks.
Harper’s my MP. Go get ’em, Steve.
Dionski says he’ll whip the vote. What a sight that would be, Stephi with a whip.
He’ll more likely whip himself into a frenzy, he has boxed himself into one tight bind and he’s scared sh*tless. The Liberals are in not position to go to an election, the brains of the outfit, the two or three of them, know that fact.
The surrender Monkeys are all lined up. Looks like Layton will lead the white flag bearers, followed by Duceppes and Dion and who knows how many more in the Liberal ranks.
New Poll @ ctv.ca
“Is it worth calling a confidence vote over the mission in Afghanistan”
Feb 06/08
Yes 49%
No 51%
@ 4:08 Eastern
gellen @ 2:09; If any one requires a white feather fouled (fowled?) with the requisite chickens–t, I can acquire some from the floor of our friend’s chicken coop. I think that kind of white feather says it all.
Hmm. Interesting.
It seems that the majority of Canadians don’t want an election at the moment; the majority are reasonably satisfied with the Conservative government. Despite the best tactics of the CBC, CTV, Liberals and NDP…
And the majority are, more and more, becoming comfortable with Canada’s post-Liberal position of taking on international responsibilities in the world – then, for the Liberals to force an election over this particular international committment, might not be greeted with much fervour by that same public.
The Liberals, Bloc and NDP would stand to lose seats.
liz:
I think Dions handling of this by enforcing a whip could possibly trigger a defection in his ranks, Iam just speculating of course & iam by far not a political master. But i do really think that there are some in the Liberal party Given all of his antics that are fed up & are truely there(parliment)to do the best for their constituents & who are very close to center in their beliefs which is more & more the PM’s. They know that this could just be the hair that brake’s the camels back in such its a Political Bombshell, Wave a White Flag or Continue to fight Terrorism.
A CTV website article makes mention of the divisions within the Liberals on this issue, with one Liberal MP being quoted as saying he’ll vote with the Tories if it comes down to that.
I said some time ago that the Liberals’ standing in the polls goes up only when Dion hides in his bunker and says nothing. Now that he’s been forced to come up with an idea of his own, the infighting within the Liberal party will flare up again, resulting in another slide in the polls.
Good for Harper – it is a gutsy move. I admit I would hate to see the Libs back in power over an issue where Canada is certainly in the right, but getting sandbagged my most of our NATO “Allies” (US, UK and Netherlands excepted). Still, no point in having principals if you don’t stand by them. I KNOW for a fact that the guys in the Army appreciate Harper’s and Hillier’s leadership. The fact is the Tories have not handled the file perfectly, and need to tighten up their media response machine, but they are doing the right thing. The days of unarmed/lightly-armed peacekeepers in blue berets is over. Actually it was over with the end of the Cold War, but it took Bosnia and Rawanda to make people realize it. Since most conflicts these days are intra-state, if it is safe enough for the blue berets, then frankly soldiers would be a waste and what you need is CIDA, USAID, World Bank etc. and its time to send the soldiers where they are actually needed.
If Dion tries to whip the vote, he’ll likely sell out his own leadership. It would be a slam-dunk for the Rae/other guy (senior moment, LOL) to lose the vote, defeat the whip, and immediately put the party into a leadership convention, without a long handwringing process, thereby giving the party some cohesion before a real election comes up.
http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/6/3508574.html
Yeah some Libs are realizing obstruction is not the same thing as opposition.
I’m with Eskimo:
Bring it on, Prime Minister Harper!
Let’s find out if these polls putting the CPC on a par with the Librano$ are the pure crap I think they are. (Remember: You can manufacture the results you want, depending on the questions and the those polled.)
The Librano$ have no money, no grassroots support, no ethics, no policy strategies, no brains, and no leader. They DO have the skullduggery-rife MSM on their side, but I think Canadians are beginning to get wise to them.
Anyway, here’s hoping! The only way forward is a majority for PMSH and the CPC. Otherwise, Canada is left with its foot nailed to the floor, going round and round in cirlces.
Round n Round!
Rodney Dangerfield…
“Boy my Dad was tough on me…
I told Him once that I couldn’t get anywhere
I felt like I was just going round in circles
He told me to shut up or he’d nail my other foot to the floor! ”
I’m wondering if Paul Martin will have the stones to show up for the vote,and will he support Dion’s position?
NO election is in the works yet, mes gars.
There is NO friggin’ way the Libs are gonna go into an election with the mess their party is in right now.
Dion will tell his Beaumonts that on the day the motion is introduced they will find themselves absent from the House. Stephane will then be heard mumbling “This time is out of joint, oh cursed spite, that ever I was born to make it right”.
As much as I hate to say it, I see this ordeal going down one of these two chronologies if the Liberals do not abstain from voting:
Government falls due to lack of support for war bill.
Conservatives win a minority government.
Conservatives propose bill to extend mission in Afghanistan.
Liberals abstain from voting.
Afghan mission is extended.
or
Government falls due to lack of support for war bill.
Liberals form government.
Afghan mission is extended past 2009.
Harper has this all calculated. I hope there is an electin over this. My feeling is that people in this country like the take action Government that Harper is leading. Anothr 3 months give or take and Harper has the longest surviving Minority Gov. in Canadian history. So with that in mind, why wouldnt we want to see Harper have some “stroke” when impementing legislation.
I for one am looking forward to seeing the CPC win a majority.
As for Dion… “if you dont have anything nice to say , say nothing at all.
Afghanistan is an easy out for Grits, given a significant number of them support the mission, which, of course, Liberals sent our troops to in the first place.
I also believe that, once we have a debate, Canadians will support our continued involvement in mission, in whatever capacity down the line.
I find it hard to believe Dion will fight an election on this issue; or that Harper will be totally unwielding either. There will be some sort of save face compromise that allows us to continue the combat mission until at least 2009, with some choppers and other better equipment.
No confidence on the budget.
Voting no confidence on Afghanistan presents way too many problems. They don’t want this as an election issue.
And then there’s the crime bill being held up by the criminal Liberal senators, that could become a confidence issue.
On raising the age of consent, I saw one fat pig Liberal senator on Mike Duffy actually say that she’s against it because it would drive all the 14 year old prostitutes to go underground, so therefore they wouldn’t be able to get any help from the street workers.
That’s low life pathetic. Who are these wretched people?
I say bring it on, Dion is a buffoon and cannot stand up in an election and not make a total jack ass of himself on a daily basis. I’m just wondering what kind of drinking game we can invent for a leadership debate.
Stephen Harper has always displayed the right stuff where leadership is concerned. Remote personality or not, he’s the right man at the right time.
The way I see it is that the LIberals have about two or maybe three people with any sense.
Those are outnumbered by the incompetents and loons and out gunned for now by Dion.
The best possible thing for Canada would be to have Dion screw up and allow an election to go ahead right now.
I’m betting that not only will the Libs tank but that the Dippers and Blockheads get their political asses handed to them.
I’ll support Canada’s troops in combat missions only if we can strap every Conservative cabinet minister (starting at the top) and general on the front of the APCs as hood ornaments.
It’s time to give the troops a break from combat and either pull back, or pull out of Afghanistan. Let the Americans fight the American war and let the Canadian military do a job in this world that makes a real difference while making Canadians proud. Clearing some of the millions of landmines buried around the world that kill and maim children would be a very good place to start.
http://www.minesactioncanada.org/home/index.cfm?fuse=Home.Start
Re: The Lib senator against crime bill as it will drive 14 year-old prostitutes underground. Posted by: irwin daisy at February 6, 2008 7:52 PM
I saw that too. Unbelievable, imperious, arrogant, ass. Does she actually feel that way?
This bill has been through Parliament, passed by the representatives that we actually voted for. It’s been looked at from all angles. This is obviously Liberal partisan bullshit. I can’t think of any reason good why they wouldn’t pass it.
The Senate should be abolished.
Libforlife, Do you remember who put our troops into Afghanistan? MR. Chretien.Do you have any clue about soldier’s duties?They are trained for war not construction.It is a NATO and UN war not an American war.Wow,How can one be so naive?……I would crawl over Mike Duffy and Libby Davies in -40 temperature to keep the libs out of office.