American as I am, I must agree: Capt. Ed did not bring the govt. down.

Still, look at the SES poll (the most accurate one): http://www.sesresearch.com/election/SES%20CPAC%20January%2024%202006E.pdf

You will of course, notice the Conservatives first took the lead when these were posted:

http://china-e-lobby.blogspot.com/2006/01/our-endorsement-of-conservatives-again.html

http://china-e-lobby.blogspot.com/2006/01/if-conservatives-are-scary-what-does.html

You're very welcome.

(chuckle)

Who in their right mind would think Ed brought down the govt.? Indeed we should be thanking him for a valuable service, one we cannot do from this side without having serious repercussions. Thank you Ed. For all you do... this beers for you!
Now with the blogosphere, politicians will have to be careful they aren't lying, as there are literally thousands of people out there digging and checking. Any "dirt" will be discovered quick enough! It is thanks to people like Ed, and Kate that we have a voice, and perhaps a means of shaping policy, and of keeping politicians more honest.

As another Yankee, let me just say: if Ed Morrissey helped our Canadian brethren in some small way to get the information due by democratic right, and thereby advancing the cause of ejecting the grotesquely corrupt party in power, it's great. No medals needed! :-)

He, like myself and the vast majority of Americans have great regard for, and wish well to, the Canadian people.

Congratulations to (in a few days?) Prime Minister Harper, the Conservative Party ... and the people of Canada who wisely voted for change.

CONGRATULATIONS! A splendid conservative performance in Canada. It appears to me that Stephen Harper is a very fine man who is well-equipped to lead Canada in the right direction.

In my view, the Librano$ are responsible for bringing down the Liberal government. I think the election was the Librano$ to lose.

They lost it fair and square on their own. They finally became so corrupt and so scandal-ridden that the good people of Canada finally saw through their facade of being benign.

Additionally, Canadian conservatives came together and fought a splendid campaign. It was a case of the underdog outperforming the old regime. The blogosphere contributed significantly to the conservative victory, but I would say that Kate and The Shotgun and other Canadian bloggers were more significant that Captain Ed.

If there's one positive thing that the Liberals did in respect to American participation, it's that they poured enough anti-American drivel across the border so that we became aware of them. They put Canadian politics on the map in the United States and opened the door for counter criticism.

They excited America's criticism of Canadian politics, and they made America aware of all their foibles, and they are resonsible for the scorn with which Americans viewed their corrupt regime.

This is a wonderful, bright new day in Canada and a significant turning-point in the relationship enjoyed by Canada and the US.

This is a very significant election internationally, because it is a signal to all the statist, UN-licking countries out there that one very significant country has been down the socialist path and found it unacceptable. Once again, my heartfelt congratulations.

In all seriousness, Reynolds' error is actually based on the psychological effect of our history. One of the tenets of faith down here is that two Washington Post reports "brought down" Richard Nixon by exposing Watergate. Given the role of corruption in this election, most Americans would come to the same conclusion: he who exposed the corruption instigated the government's fall (additionally, most Americans don't realize the precise political definition of a government "falling" in parliamentary democracies - which would translate into Presidencies down here regularly "falling" every fourth year).

Reynolds' comment is more a reflection of American assumptions of how corruption scandals knock over governments that arrogance (although both require substantial ignorance of Canadian politics).

No - Ed did not bring the Government down. Though thanks to the really breif mention, on CTV of his Blog when the story broke, we did get the information that we needed. Politicians and MSM have to recognize a new player in the field which I certainly hope will end all the biased reporting and make everyone more honest.

New era in Canada ... let hope it lasts ...

I don't think 'major role' means Glenn thinks Ed brought the gov't down. Though I do think 'major role' is still an exaggeration - except for that short period when information was unavailable.
Ed did play a major role in getting that information out for that period.

Though it could be that Glenn thinks the information might have not ever become available if not for Ed - and that's why he said 'major role'? I don't know anything about Canadian politics either, and I did get the impression that they would have happily buried the information forever if they thought they could.

Deb says: Vrooommm..... Is it a Hog? >>>

Dear Prime Minister Harper
Since we first worked together years ago, you have grown from being a man of policy to being a man of the people, too. >>> more

Deb Grey, with Preston Manning and Stephen Harper at a reception in Calgary last year, says she has been impressed by Mr. Harper's knowledge of policy since he worked as her legislative assistant in 1989.
Photograph by : Tim Fraser, The Calgary Herald

Deborah Grey, Citizen Special
Published: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Dear Stephen:

Who'da thunk it? Do you remember sitting in my office on Parliament Hill back in the dark ages ... 1989? I remember when I first got elected -- not a clue about Ottawa, not a clue about Parliament. >>
http://www.rapp.org/url/?AYWDEX1F
via nealenews

Kathy K, that's a common misconception. If Justice Gomery had really wanted to bury the information, he had the power to hear testimony in camera (that is to say with no spectators). But he had reporters, political aides, and the general public sitting through all of it. He just didn't want the criminal trials to get thrown out of court for corrupting the jury pool with public testimony.

In the end, nothing was said that would bear on the criminal cases, and Gomery noted that the ban was unenforceable in any case, so it was lifted.

There remains a great deal of speculation as to how long the information would have remained out of the public sphere had Capt Ed not published it at the time. As we can't go back in time and replay it the other way, any conclusions either way will remain purely speculative.

But the key to the bigger issue is this: irregardless of Adscam, the Gomery Commission, Brault's testimony, CQ publishing it, and the subsequent drop in Liberal popularity way back in April, if Paul Martin has acquiesced to Jack Layton's demands in November of last year, would we have had an election at all right now? The answer is no.

The inability of Martin and Layton to make another deal like they did in the Spring is what offered the Conservatives the opportunity to run a great campaign and win the election.

Interesting comments by Althouse:
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/01/it-is-in-dna-of-this-harper-government.html
if yer curious about an American perspective on things.

The people of Canada brought about this new change, not one or two bloggers.

Ed did his part, though, to help, as did Surly Beaver, Angry, myself (only slightly), and sure-as-to-be-fit, Kate and the SDA crew.

Captain Ed lifted the lid then Canada saw the mess.

Thanks, Damian. I do follow Canadian politics to the extent of knowing the parties and who the Prime Minister is (easier than keeping track of our presidents). But I wasn't following details, so that summary did help clear up some misconceptions.

Kate, you are bang on. That is exactly how I discovered you, Angry and the rest. In fact when I started my own blog my first post was exactly about that discovery.

http://thegoodfighter.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-discovery-of-blogging-universe.html

now that Calgary is running the country - make all BQ members wear black stetsons. All green party members wear straw hats. all NDP wear hard hats and all Liberals wear pointy hats.

The Stampede board will supply white hats for the rest and Harper does not have to wear that tight vest.

I propose an amendment to The Constitution Act, 1867, 2.(a) Formal Opening of a Parliament:

That the phrase
"... the taking and subscribing of the Oath of Allegiance by Members and the election of a Speaker."
be amended to include
",immediately followed by a rousing and hardy 'yahhh hoooo'."

Man, this'll be more fun than when Joe Clark was PM.

BTW ... I, too, found you all through Capt. Ed (group hug).

FWIW: As an American blogger who knows a little about elections, it did not occur to me to credit Captain Ed, though I am grateful for what he has done. Instead, I credited the Canadian politicians who put the new Conservative party together and plurality of Canadian voters who this time resisted the appeals to fear.

Here's my post. And I'll have more posts on the Canadian election in the next few days, since I am fascinated by elections, wherever they occur.

Last but not least, congratulations to all of you.

Just a question?

How often does anyone here get dirty mail?

I just got a thank you note from my niece in Colorado that had two President Reagan stamps on it and the envelope was filthy dirty (as in thrown on the floor and walked on dirty).

Just curious, as I have never gotten mail in that condition before.

I have made a landing in the US, and InDCBill is now considering not hating Canada... please inform all yodeling, American bashing French women to stay in doors. Do not go out of the house, unless you intend to voluteer for my new "UN Aid Program". In which case, please step through this door which vaguely resembles a packing crate lid.