The PM on CNN

Wow, Harper without a teleprompter is at least as good as Zero with one. Like buttah, baby.

"I'm fairly certain they [the coalition] wouldn't have been this good."

Fortunately, I doubt CNN would have wasted much airtime on them either.

Harper looked good, sounded even better and easily thwarted those little land mines Wolf was planting througout.
Great Job. Makes me proud he is our PM.
He is better than Bush and Obama put together.
No wonder the lefties in this country all have their shorts in a knot. Especially that idiot Craig Oliver.

He maybe used the verbal pause 12 times during the whole thing. Rush timed 8 1/2 minutes out of forty in arecent Obama session. Who's the better communicator?

I bet a lot of Americans who watched this were mightily impressed by SH. And many cdns too.

He would make and excellent political analyst when here retires as PM about 10 years from now but he has too much class for that. He will be a hockey analyst for fox sports canada instead.

Harper is in charge, a strong leader. He did us proud.

What did impress me was Harper's tactful, imperturbable manner.

He underlined Canada-US differences without stooping to the usual tired Canadian political tactic of insulting America. In other words, he defended our national interests without resorting to the sort of childish, nationalistic oneupmanship we associate with Chrétien.

He was generous about President Obama; he was neither besotted by him nor scornful. Whatever differences Canada might have with the new administration in Washington, that doesn't diminish for one minute our genuine understanding that President Obama faces daunting challenges and it's in our national interest to be seen as sympathetic to our closest ally and biggest trading partner.

Harper was both businesslike and statesmanlike in this clip - not very sexy but a very desirable combination in any PM. Harper is a statesman.

At the risk of raising the ire of some here, while I'm convinced Moe, Larry and Curly of the coalition troika would have come off as seriously lame in any such interview, I do think that Ignatieff would likely have acquitted himself well.

Politics aside, to my mind, Iggnatieff does seem to possess the necessary combination of diplomacy and tact for this sort of thing.

Let me get this straight, I am Prime Minister, starting now, and you want to know what I would have done in the past to prevent an economic crisis? Ie., in the time before I was Prime Minister?

So I don't understand. Can you repeat the question? What do you mean? If I was PM starting at the beginning of Mr. Harper's term, roughly two and a half years ago?

Compare that to what "the Shawinigan Strangler" would have sounded like. I don't get people who don't like Harper. He is the first PM we have had in decades who hasn't been embarrassing.

the sound of an economist instead of a community organizer , organized thought instead of organized community.

JJM: PM Stephen Harper "... not very sexy ..."

Well, that's OK with me! I'm not looking for a sexy PM. If sexy's what I want, I can go to the movies.

In a PM, I want gravitas, someone who can think fast on their feet, someone who's not either a showboat or a show-off, someone who doesn't play at politics but treats it seriously -- and the taxpayers of their country with respect, someone who doesn't muddy the waters by fraternizing with members of the MSM, someone who doesn't use their position to feather their nest and those of their cronies, friends, and family.

I can safely say that Prime Minister Stephen Harper fits that bill, and I'm proud of him.

but.... but.... the man's not cool, the O's cool.

Ppppffftt,Harper's cool, cool as a cucumber, and I actually understood what he stated, but I wasn't mesmerized... funny that.

But bruce, understanding what he stated is nowhere NEAR as inspiring as IMAGINING all the wonderful things that he didn't say or might've said.

You'll never become a liberal if you keep that up!

Now THAT'S class! Bravo, Prime Minister!

I'd take one of our PM any day to any number of Obamas. Wake up, Canada!

I forgot to mention....I didn't wet my panties

I think Harper did an excellent job.

I think that the world is starting to recognize that Canada is a stable country with a stable financial system. I think that if we play our cards right, Canada could emerge from all this meltdown stuff as the financial capital of North America and even the world. Financial success requires trust in your institutions and clearly the world has lost trust in US and British institutions and especially the people that run them. They are looking to Canada.

I read a very recent article from Victor Davis Hanson's blog about the complete criminality of the people leading the American banking system - complete lack of responsibility and accountability - rampant greed - the whole old boys club thing - AND - the complete joke of many of Obama's nominee's in terms of not paying taxes and scratching each other's backs shows the political equivalent. It is like the collapse of an entire civilization.

Toronto is already the number 2 financial capital in NA and dwarfs places like LA, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. in terms of the movement of money. Toronto should go after NY.

Wretchard posits with extended metaphors.
Clowns? Norwegian submarines?

Imagine Dionky being interviewed by Blitz?
...-

"Tin foil hats

"The greatest tragedy of the current meltdown is that it may not have been caused by mega-villains, who sat like a Doctor Evil on a mountaintop fortress planning to bring down the system, so much as a fire caused by a bunch of clowns who thought it was a good idea to leave on the gas in the oven before lighting up cigarettes. A Norwegian friend once told me this joke. “How do you sink a Norwegian submarine?” I said I didn’t know. “Swim down to it in diving gear and knock to open the door.” And he told it with a straight face too."
http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/02/17/tin-foil-hats/
...-

Mao Stlong/Soros make an appearance:

" fred:

Doug and JF Sanders,

Maurice Strong is a creepy character. I did some other reading about the man. He absolutely hates capitalism and the United States with unbridled passion. It appears that his close relationship with Russian and Chinese Communists suggests that there is collaboration and cooperation between those two. Strong is a man who seems to bring people together in common purpose against a common enemy: us.

I read that he is an extremely bitter man about his childhood poverty during the Depression, and blames the United States for it.

He has a good working relationship with George Soros, and that means that he must have access, through Soros and others, to Barack Obama. The intersection of all of these dangerous and powerful men arrayed against us should give an indication of the kind of peril we are in."
...-

""Isn't the only hope for the planet that the
industrialized civilizations collapse?
Isn't it our responsiblity to bring that about?"
- Maurice Strong,
founder of the UN Environment Programme"
http://green-agenda.com/

It's a change just to have a PM that can express himself coherently, but Harper also sounds intelligent and forceful. Great job. And I have doubts about that budget, still, it would have been far worse under anyone else.

I was impressed by the PM's interview. Since before the election the opps have been saying how bad PMSH was and the CPC wanted to get rid of him. They can't beat him for the same reason he was good in this interview. Doesn't get flustered, doesn't make crap up and can hold his own. Iggy is better than the alternatives but so far I'm not really impressed and the latest "I'm with the west" deal rings hollow so far.

Lance - I agree with the premise that we are better off with Flaherty writing the budget than with Layton having a say in writing it. The same applies with stacking the Senate. Had the stooges gotten their way the Senate would now have the likes of Elizabeth May and a few Separatists in it. PMSH did the right thing in appointing the 18. He has now moved to institute further reform by formalizing in law the eight years and you're out rule.

As has NOT been said elsewhere many times, borrowing money now isn't especially painful as interest rates that the gov't would pay are ridiculously low. Compare that to the 20% being paid in the early eighties and the huge deficits we ran. Now, not so bad.

PM Harper: "a regulatory regime".

Socialist PM Harper wants a Mao Stlong Red-Green "regime"?

Canadian conservatives have been betrayed.
...-

"“In Canada, we've been wrestling for the last decade or so with our desire to try to have a regime, a regulatory regime, that would diminish our own carbon emissions. But we've been trying to do so in an integrated economy when the United States has not been willing to do so,” Mr. Harper said in an interview to be broadcast in two parts yesterday and today.

“I think quite frankly the fact that we have a President and an administration that wants to see some kind of regulation on this is an encouragement.”"
(G-M)

Stephen Harper makes Canadians Proud he is our PM.
He is clear and concise and speaks well, looks good, and represents Canada well.

Grok: yes rates are low now but I have met three economists and several financial analysts in the past two months an ALL of them agreed that double digit interest rates are probably less than two years away. Then debt will be very expensive.

PMSH has and is been an extraordinarily great leader of Canada. He can relate to the ordinary working person on a level that a person can understand and relate to the language without looking for hidden agenda's.

IMHO, Wolf and his bullpen of idiots should be flushed down the toilet just like the 'crap' they are.

Grown-ups, not celebrities, should run governments, and, in Canada, they (usually) do.

Agreed, Gord. I locked in my mortgage. There's only so much money and it's all being lent to gov'ts. That means that there are only two possible outcomes: increase demand or print more.

The first means that the interest rate goes up, the second means money is devalued which results in inflation.

Supply and demand is still how the world works regardless of the stimulus packages that mean to rewrite the rules.

Cheers,
lance

"I forgot to mention....I didn't wet my panties."

Gee, Bruce wears panties? That really is TMI.

Our PM is a leader, not necessarily a politician. When he talks he has substance, not flowery generalities like the Gang that couldn't shoot straight in the opposition benches. I only hope the Great "O" actually listens to him instead of primping for photo ops for the folks back home.

lance: "That means that there are only two possible outcomes: increase demand or print more. The first means that the interest rate goes up, the second means money is devalued which results in inflation."

And inflation also means higher interest rates. Many economists have pointed out that, as bad as the trillions are that Obama is and will be adding to the national debt, worse will be the servicing costs in a high-interest environment. This represents a rare competitive opportunity for Canada.

I don't think that Obama makes the policies; he sells them. I think the policies and programs are developed by the Democrat backroom boys.

Their focus is on socialism because socialism empowers the few and enslaves the majority, making the electorate dependent on government agendas. In a nation where power requires elections, the ability to manipulate the public is important - and, realizing how 'far is too far' is also important.

That's why, for example, Obama is softening his 'Fair Speech' doctrine where newsrooms would have to present 'both sides' (as if there are only two sides to an issue!). Now, the anti-pork reaction is emerging; we'll see what happens.

Ignatieff is similar to Obama in that he is also an elistist, assuming his own superior ablity to 'guide' the people. There is no need for either to explain their policies and programs and both engage in ambiguity, emotional rhetoric and evasion.

By the way, Obama's media scrums are scripted. The questions are not ad hoc but prepared in advance and given to Obama; he also uses a teleprompter. Harper uses neither; he thinks for himself and knows what he is talking about - and provides the facts not fiction.

I suspect Bruce was impersonating a Canadian male "journalist".

To those who keep saying that they are disappointed with the budget - I beg to disagree (if your contention surrounds some of the current deficit financing).

When all the countries around you are pumping money into their economies, I think there is really no choice, and you have to do it to.

Stephen Harper was very good in that interview. I wish he could run for President of the US.

One question: Why did they do a 2/3 split screen and show adoring images of Obama during PM Harper's responses?

Economists and financial analysts, not to mention experts predicted oil at $200.00 a barrel by now as well as a very strong stock market and huge global demand for all commodities. Remember ethenol making eating of food unaffordable as well as astonomical prices for all metals not to mention costs for fertilizers, rubber shortages etc.

Hey Kyla - re Obama images - got to keep the crowd watching I guess. Harper is well known for not being, shall we say, telegenic. He avoids the press, and just does his job, and very well, I must say.

And that's why many left-leaning people in Canada don't like him. They like charisma and pizzaz, and seem to choose that over substance. Me, I like results.

I like the graphic as well, Ottawa, Canada, and a Canadian flag, with only a sliver of Canada showing, but many NE US states - just in case people forget where Ottawa is.

He did a great job, and I'm proud of him

For those slamming PMSH about running a deficit, replay the clip again.

Harper clearly states that the idea for ‘stimulus' by ALL countries was a committment Canada made at the G20 meetings.

And, as he points out, it it nowhere near the level of what the US is in.

The US is in a mess on three fronts ... its banking system, its housing bubble and an economic slowdown.

Canada only has to deal with the third issue, therefore a $40 billion jolt is nowhere near per capita than a $785 billion jolt, mainly directed at the housing issue.

Harper is the best option Canada has right now and it's pointless to mention the other alternatives, because that would just degenerate to juvenile name-calling.

set you free - yeah, what you said.

Erik, to paraphrase my mom:

"If every other G20 leader committed to jumping off a bridge, would you do it too?"

:P

I shutter at the thought of Dion having an interview with anyone.

Harper should have invited the ignorant twit that is Lou Dobbs to Canada so he could show the dimwitted xenophobic protectionist all the US products in Canadian stores.

Dobbs is one of those really dull types who whine and cry about "exporting American Jobs" without realizing that America relies on trade as much as everyone else.

Dobbs is clearly under the impression that the US should be protectionist but that wouldn't apply to everyone else's countries who, of course, would still welcome American products with open arms.

History is also not one of Dobbs' strong points.

Obama notices the more solid banking system in Canada? Wow. Did he notice that in Canada, if you haven't got the income or the savings, there's no way in hell your getting a house.

A basic tenent that seems to slip past Obama's notice. Hopefully Mr. "Hartley" (as per NPR's announcement of Harper's win the day after the Canadian election) will be able to enlighten the "enlightened one".

I used to wonder if our country would ever have a Prime Minister I could be proud of,not anymore.

Canada has economic troubles, the US has economic troubles but neither are as bad a Basket Case as the European Union.

The US economy is more integrated with Canada's, yes but the EU is a big world player. Now that the Media has it's favourite puppy in the White House watch for it to reduce coverage of America's problems. A reduced fearmongering boogyman hanging over the American economy will help us also.

I wish PMSH would have quiped - the road to America's recovery is paved with Obama's expiry dates being rolled smooth under the bus. Our best hope is that Obama is more interested in looking good than in implimenting Socialism.

Warwick - yeah, after Glenn Beck left CNN, I thought I could substitute Lou Dobbs. I can't. He is an idiot who just panders to uninformed populism. He actually is an embarrassment and detrimental to Americans being rationally informed about the issues.

K Stricker - fair question - and not trying to be trite, but I think it depends on the height of the bridge, the potential of landing safely, and the reason for jumping in the first place, and the consequence of not jumping.

If the herd is big enough, and even if they are going in the wrong direction, if you don't follow, you are alone and unprotected.

Great job PMSH! After all the rubbish we hear spewed by the Liberal loving MSM, it's so satisfying to see our PM as the confident, well spoken leader he is. I think we should all be proud!

The comment earlier "Grown-ups, not celebrities, should run governments, and, in Canada, they (usually) do." is right on. It saddens me to think that in a country as large as the US, the celebrity status and "sex appeal" of a politician is more important than a the capabilities of a normal man.

Case in point. My elderly mother is totally infatuated by him. She also reads Celebrity Gossip and The National Enquirer.

I am very proud of the job Harper did on that interview.

Now if will abolish the gun registry and the CHRC I will treat him like a messiah.

Oh and I noted he has seriously back-slid from his past views on the Global Warming scam. It seems he's found the faith on that steaming pile.

Perhaps it's just he reality of the nut squeezing that goes on at that level ... we the people will never know what is really going on behind the scenery will we.

Unlike the Amercian porkulus bill Harper's deficit spending is focused on the next 2 years on one time projects that will not grow the size of government. In fact Harper's budget says that there will be cuts to government and a sale of up to $10.5 billion in government assets. Harper's budget could very well be the excuse to shrink the CHRC, sell the CBC and provide ongoing tax cuts.

Most of Obama's spending is down the road and adds to the size of government providing very little "stimulus" in the next year or two. It is setting up huge structural deficits that can only be resolved by massive tax increases and borrowing. As the Captain indicated in a post below Canada is setting up nicely for many American companies and entrepreneurs to come set up shop.

I disagree wioth Harper not being telegenic. I think he is very handsome and having met him in person he is charismatic. He has the bluest eyes, is always impeccable and has confident and commanding posture.

You won't hear this in the Canadian media but when him and Laureen went to Europe they made the front pages as the chic power couple and the media there was gaga over both of their good looks and fashion sense - reporting in detail about every outfit Laureen wore (Canadian designers) and gushing about how Harper looked like Kennedy and was so dynamic and handsome.

When he speaks at international meetings he is listened to and respected. In facft, he is now the most experienced leader of any G8 country - the senior statesman.

He makes me very very proud to be a Canadian.

Man, he's impressive. I sleep better at night knowing PMSH is at the wheel. As for President Obama...I have purposed to give him a chance. I think he and our PM will have a reasonable/reasoned tete a tete.