That Damn Dhaliwal has too much chutzpah.

Well that $50 K is in Zimbabwe dollars. Nice way to run a country Mr. Mugabe.

Kate: Mark Collins at Damian Penny's blog linked to a great column in The Ottawa Citizen.

"Why the Danish cartoons are works of art"

"It seems Western commentators have come to a rough consensus about the Danish cartoons that unleashed fury all over the Muslim world. The rioting and death threats are excessive, but the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, is also at fault for commissioning and publishing the cartoons. It was a juvenile stunt intended to do nothing more than offend. The editor is an idiot."

"A few have gone further and argued that this is a case where free speech must give way to tolerance and communal peace. But the dominant view in the media is one of grudging support for Jyllands-Posten's legal right to do what it did while deploring the newspaper's stupidity and insensitivity."

"It's a remarkable contrast with 1999."

"The controversy that year began when the Brooklyn Museum of Art hosted an exhibit called Sensation, featuring the sort of disturbing and strange work that delights modern art fanciers while leaving most people bewildered."

"The most controversial piece was The Holy Virgin Mary by British artist Chris Ofili, a portrait of an African Virgin Mary done in oil paint and elephant dung. Sprinkled throughout were pictures of genitalia cut from pornographic magazines."

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=7e1e8e6e-a937-4924-89b5-8af99d06a2d7

Read it all

Let the Gum die; not with a bang; a simper.

Gum-Gum-Gum*** Registry

Exhibit # 01. (Revised as of 23 January, 2006.)

Registry On Last Legs

By TOM BRODBECK

It was one of the biggest financial boondoggles of the 1990s.

But now, after years of public backlash and auditor general reports highlighting the program's disastrous financial management, Canada's failed long-gun registry will be coming to an end.

It's not a question of "if" the new Conservative government winds down the gun registry, which has cost taxpayers well over $1 billion to administer, with no benefit to show for it. It's a matter of "when" and "how" -- questions the new federal Justice Minister Vic Toews gave the Winnipeg Sun some insight into.

"We've been very clear in terms of our desire to abolish (the gun registry)," said Toews. "How we can actually accomplish that remains to be seen ... but we'd like to move on that as quickly as possible." >>>
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Columnists/Brodbeck_Tom/2006/02/08/pf-1430754.html

*** H/T Dingwall/Chretien/Martin Liberal $1.29 cud of gu... er, $500,000 cud of gum. (Spit)

If the Vancouver Kingsway Liberal riding association is seeking money, I suggest they contact David Dingwall...I hear he's pretty flush these days

The Zimbabwe story reminds me of the state of Germany during the Weimar inflation. And we all know how that resolved itself.

I receive a weekly email from Cathy Buckle, who wrote African Tears after her farm was overrun by thugs. The latest email was delayed due to daily electricity and telephone outages. Apparently the phone system is in dire need of substantial repairs, but spare parts are simply unavailable. It's only going to get worse as Zimbabwe slides into the stone age. Robert Mugabe has claimed that he is moving Zimbabwe towards true socialism, and it looks to me like he's getting his wish. Mugabe may think he's got a real winner with his land "reform" programme, but I fail to see how switching from farming with modern equipment to farming with a donkey plow can be considered "progress".

What's more appalling is how African leaders still lavish praise on this moron, while Western leaders offer nothing more than verbal rebukes to Mugabe and a few meaningless sanctions. I suggest that a dozen cruise missiles delivered to his palace one night would be a good way to start Zimbabwe on the path to renewal.

Re: David Emerson article - canada.com

"Curman said about 300 volunteers rallied to work on the Emerson campaign, giving up time with family, friends and their businesses.

"They believed in the ideals of the Liberal Party and wanted you to represent Vancouver-Kingsway as our Liberal MP," Curman wrote. "Your actions have made their gifts of time meaningless."

It is so rich to hear about Liberal Party IDEALS given the occurrances in Ottawa over the last decade or so.

When did POWER, POWER, POWER, at any cost become an Ideal?

The Liberals are a desparate bunch. It is too bad that Mr. Emerson children have been on the receiving end of all this.

I do believe that our new Prime Minister is playing his cards right. In fact he has been using an age old rule - do the tasks that seem impossible and get them out of the way. The rest will be easy. On day one of the campaign he mentioned the issue of SSM. The MSM and political pundits hashed the subject to death. By the 23rd of Jan. this subject was so boring nobody was listening. He has done this again. He has Mr Emerson cross over and brings an unelected Senator to caucus. The MSM and all are having a field day with this one. What brilliance PMSH has. By the time Parliament resumes this will be one boring subject. Once he gets to the job of cracking that ice berg we all will be back to watching the faces of the opposition. This is going to be fascinating to watch. A great way to finish off this blasted winter.

Laura Ingraham is a better reason to pay for Sirius than Howard Stern...

No one can soundbite like her.

Bullets kill another Toronto girl
By CHRIS DOUCETTE, TORONTO SUN
Rivers will talk on guns to Tories

Another innocent teenager with her whole life ahead of her has been killed by gunfire in Toronto. >>>
via cnews

And a good column from the Daily Telegraph, Feb. 8, "Free speech? Labour cares more about the Muslim vote", by Matthew d'Ancona
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/02/08/do0802.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/02/08/ixop.html

Excerpts:
...
'...Mr Blair's ministers and spokesmen have trimmed and mumbled over the cartoons controversy, passing the buck to the police and prosecuting authorities, shirking the statesmanship that was so desperately required. Listen, and you can still hear the sound of hands being washed: this is a government on auto-Pilate.

The tone was set on Friday by Jack Straw, who condemned the republication of the cartoons of Mohammed, but not the protests that had started the night before, at which outrageously violent slogans were brandished on placards by militant Muslims...

...which is it to be, Home Secretary? Were the police right not to make arrests [at the protests]? Or did they lack the necessary powers? The confusion was compounded yesterday by the conviction of the radical cleric Abu Hamza. That verdict was entirely welcome. But if it was right to convict Hamza for inciting murder, why were those calling for beheadings and terrorist acts not arrested?..

...But it is not political correctness that lies behind the ministerial blether and evasion: it is electoral statistics...

...Now, as flames engulf embassies and British Islamists call for their enemies to be slaughtered, ministers are taking no chances. Nothing must be done to alienate the Muslim vote...

...On Monday's Newsnight, Anjem Choudary of al-Ghuraba - the group that organised Friday's rally - showed in a series of furious outbursts how empowered extremists feel by the impunity they have enjoyed. In response to Jeremy Paxman's point that he might be happier in a country where sharia law was in place, Mr Choudary raged: "Who said to you that you own Britain, anyway? Britain belongs to Allah." And just to make clear what he thinks of the British, he continued: "If I go to the jungle, I am not going to live like the animals. I'm going to propagate what I believe to be a superior way of life."..

...Every politician, as Mr Blair observed a decade ago, resembles Pilate. But not all of them, when the moment of decision arrives, choose to wash their hands...'

Mark
Ottawa

Canadians can stand proud that Mugabe is still ruling Zimbabwe thanks the the Right Honorable Jean Chretien. It was a joke then and a worse one now.

FROM MAPLE LEAF WEB
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's President for the last 22 years, was recently re-elected in elections earlier this month. Mr. Mugabe had been facing a strong challenge from union leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

President Mugabe has been criticized for rigging the election. He placed severe limits on independent press, denied entry to foreign media, and put in place new citizenship rules He Said, She Said

“If those thousands of people are not allowed to vote, this is a stillborn election.”
Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change
that eliminated foreign nationals from voting in the election.

President Mugabe had also accused Mr. Tsvangirai of treason. Last year, a Montreal-based political consultant firm implicated Mr. Tsvangirai in a conspiracy to assassinate Mugabe. In a controversial videotape of a meeting in London with firm representatives, Tsvangirai is said to be calling for the “elimination” of President Mugabe. However, the accusation is suspect as the Montreal firm is alleged to be in the employ of President Mugabe.

President Mugabe's actions and the Zimbabwe election were at the forefront of the Commonwealth meetings earlier this month. Britain, Australia, and New Zealand called for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the Commonwealth immediately. On the other side, a group of African countries have argued that the Commonwealth has no business meddling in Zimbabwe's domestic affairs.

A deal put forth by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien eventually aided in breaking the deadlock. The deal deferred a decision on suspending Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth until after the election. If the election proceeds fairly, then no action would be taken. Canada also has personnel in Zimbabwe observing the election.

Western observers have suggested that the March 9th election was unfair. President Mugabe slashed the number of polling stations in the major cities by a third, while dramatically increasing the number of stations in the countryside. Tens of thousands of people in the country's cities were unable to vote. Mr. Tsvangirai's main base of support is in the cities. Zimbabwe's government abruptly ended the election on March 11th. Police in riot gear cleared out lingering voters and arrested opposition workers.

While no decision has yet been made on the status of Zimbabwe in the Commonwealth, many countries have made moves to penalize the African nation. Canada announced that it will continue the sanctions it placed on Zimbabwe last year after violent invasions of white-owned farms by militant supporters of President Robert Mugabe, and the offices of a Canadian aid agency were also raided. The United States and several European nations have refused to recognize the re-election of Mr. Mugabe.

The main reason liberal voters are upset is they are afraid Emerson will tell the public about all the underhanded things the libs have done over the years. Their reaction shows us that they are just a bunch of wussies and can't take this like a man/woman. I don't recall such reaction when BS crossed the floor. Her crossing was just for ambition, whereas Emerson already was a minister. I feel sorry for his kids, and wont be surprised if he moves his family to Ottawa. Vancouver voters are not sending a positive message to the world they want coming to their door in 2010. How much more money are they going to scam out of us to put on this event. Its looking more and more like the Salt Lake Scandal. Maybe they should be cancelled and moved somewhere they are appreciated.

CBCPravda is all liberal today. did I miss the change in government??

Has anyone wondered where all those Danish flags come from that are being burned. Time to face the truth, this protest is a planned event. When reaction takes 4 mos to happen, something is being missed. These terrorists can no longer mount attacks outside of their country so they mount protests. Hope countries decide to use military force on those crowds.

If violent religious fanatics were setting fire to buildings in Toronto or Vancouver today would the residents want to have soldiers in their streets? In our cities? In Canada? What would the Official Opposition say?

We have Muslims rioting, burning and killing--where were the Christians when a Muslim shot the Pope? This must be orchestrated--but why?

Obviously Curman and the rest of the Liberals do not get it, David Emerson will now be in a far better position to represent Vancouver-Kingsway than he ever could by remaining Liberal. He is, in fact, saving them from themselves.

Garry...has our government made a statement yet?
I've been asking for days now.

"Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor's past work as a defence lobbyist will impair his ability to fairly oversee a military spending spree that could benefit the international firms he once represented, critics say."

Can Harper why is a Minister then lobbyist bad but a lobbyist then Minister not?

Re: Laura Ingraham's report from Iraq

Watched Steven Bochco's - Over There, last night to get his take on what it is "really" like to be serving in Iraq.

1. The lieutenant is a ragging moron.
2. The Sargent's main task seems to be saving his men from the lieutenant.
3. The Iraqis soldiers that are being trained are retarded goat herders that are a danger to themselves and everybody else until they get 3 or 4 days of US Army field training. Then they become disciplined wise and can even speak English.
4. The platoon has the ususal stock of ethnic Hollywood characters including a self loathing Iraq American that is there to kill evil "cousins".
5. The enlisted men take a democratic vote at night to go on a mission to get the elusive bomb maker with out telling the lieutenant.
6 A major portion of the hour dealt with all the adultery that goes on when soldieries are separated from their spouses.

The only redeeming feature of Bocho's show was having the usual brunette babe with big brown eyes, that he includes in all his TV series.

The Great One caught in the NHL betting scandal? It's true, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. And, on crime-related matters, the Daily News is quite reliable.

Reader Tips:
Monday, Democracy Watch announced that it will file complaints with the federal Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro about the following situations:
* the failure of Liberal Cabinet members to be honest about the situation of David Dingwall ending his term as President of the Royal Canadian Mint, and failing to disclose ruling on the payment amount for Mr. Dingwall before election day;
* David Emerson running as a Liberal candidate in the last election and post-election, while still a Liberal Cabinet minister, deciding to accept new Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s offer to switch to the Conservatives and receive a post in the new Cabinet.

Democracy Watch also questioned the following Cabinet appointments made by Stephen Harper:

* the appointment of Michael Fortier to the Senate and as Minister of Public Works and Government Services, even though he is unelected and a Conservative party organizer, and;
* the appointment of Gordon O’Connor as Minister of Defence even though he was a lobbyist for defence industry companies up until February 23, 2004.

Democracy Watch

ZZZZZZZZZ

zzzzzzzzzz

Doug...listen/talk to the CPC caucus:
Tory MPs angered by Harper's outsiders

Cabinet predictions analysis is here.

It's still a work in progress, as I'm still hunting down more obscure lists. Suggestions and additions welcome.

A music manager fights back against the RIAA suing people:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060206.MCBRIDE06/TPStory/TPEntertainment/

I've written a lengthy post on the Fortier-Emerson issue. Summary:
-Harper did exactly what he said he would do.
-Every single federal cabinet has had at least one unelected member.
-Given the precedents and Harper's stated positions on the matter it cannot reasonably be argued that Harper is being either unethical or duplicitous.
-many Canadians appear to have little knowledge of our constitution, parliamentary traditions, and Canadian political history. I'd argue ignorance is the root cause of the outrage displayed by the less knowledgeable folks.
-Having Emerson - a former forestry CEO, deputy Minister of Finance, and PhD in economics - in charge of Trade and especially softwood lumber is unambiguously good for Canada and good for the Canadian economy. He really is an exceptionally qualified individual.
-Harper had Josee Verner in his caucus for months before she was elected. The Senate Leader is always a member of cabinet and they are never elected. So what exactly is the problem?
-I'm not wild about Fortier's appontment and I stated that publicly and plainly, but we don't have all of the information. The Quebec caucus is pretty inexperienced so Fortier might be handy, but Public Works? I can't see how that is a good idea. The only thing that comes to mind is that Fortier knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak.

-At worst we've got a problem with one (1) or two (2) out of 27 cabinet appointments; howsabout not letting the left control the debate, and what say we switch topics to how f**king awesome this cabinet is compared to the Libs? And let's give Harper the benefit of the doubt; he just ran a flawless campaign, do you think he went mental all of a sudden?

-For what it's worth here's a list of Senators who have run for MP after resigning as a Senator:

"Very few Canadian Senators have ever resigned their seat to run for a position in the Canadian House of Commons, but six have done so successfully:

Name Party Senate Commons
Joseph Edouard Cauchon Con 1867 1872
Peter Mitchell Lib-Con 1867 1872
Archibald Woodbury McLelan Lib-Con 1869 1881
John Carling Liberal-Conservative 1891 1892
William Templeman Liberal 1897 1906
Robert René de Cotret PC 1979 1984

De Cotret resigned from the Senate to run in the 1980 election, but was unsuccessful. He was elected in the 1984 election, however.

In 2000, Bernard Boudreau resigned from the Senate to run as a Liberal candidate for the House of Commons, but was defeated in the 2000 election."

-From Reference.com:
"Early Canadian cabinets would include several Senators who would be answerable to the Senate for government actions and in the nineteenth century it was not considered unusual for a Senator to be Prime Minister as was the case with Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott and Sir Mackenzie Bowell.
...

From 1935 on it was typical for a Cabinet to have only one Senator who would have the position of minister without portfolio and act as Government Leader in the Senate.

In 1969 the position of Leader of the Government in the Senate became an official cabinet position with the appointment of Paul Joseph James Martin. Occasionally Senators may still hold senior cabinet positions in order to ensure regional balance in Cabinet if the governing party is unable to elect members in a particular region or province as was the case of the Progressive Conservatives under Joe Clark in 1979 or the Liberal Party of Canada under Pierre Trudeau in 1980."

http://anonalogue.blogspot.com/2006/02/what-harper-said.html

The Tories announced today they are fast-tracking legislation to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16.

But that doesn't matter, of course.

Liberal equals Conservative.

Fourteen equals sixteen.

Belinda equals Emerson.

Everything is the same, right? :-)

Liberals pretending they had ideals or principles is absurd, laughable. They poached daddy's little girl in a desperate measure to save their corrupt butts - Belinda has no other qualification except hanging around with Bill Clinton - and hanging around with Bill Clinton isn't much of a qualification for any decent woman.

Emerson's an experienced Minister and businessman who isn't crossing the floor in order to save corruption and theft, he's not desperately needed and this gov't could have gone on without him.

And if the 'worst enemy' of the Conservatives, a big time Liberal Cabinet Minister is saying by his actions that the Conservatives aren't the bogeyman - this may well turn out to be a brilliant strategic move.

And, there was some talk about trying to recruit Emmerson to run as Liberal leader. Methinks the reality of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer might be appropriate in this case.

Harper is not dealing with just politics. He is trying to disdmantle organized crime that has crept in unfettered to our government and a government who has broken every rule.
No task for a weak kneed pansy who second guesses the tough decisions because of Liberal whimpering and media spin. In my opinion anyways.

Robert Mugabe for Liberal leader! It's perfect, his policies are truly representative of the Liberal Party of Canada, he's just been more effective at implementing them in Zimbabwe. Perhaps he could bring his political gusto here, he's got a friend in Jean Chretien already.

He slammed Emerson for "political opportunism in probably the best form ever seen; total and blatant political opportunism. It's unfortunate, because I think it gives all politicians a bad name."

Revenge is such a BITCH.

With few exceptrion ALL politicians are opportunistic. Just as Dosanjh, Martin, Briso, Stronach etc. ad nauseum.

Horny Toad

No wonder the CBC quotes the dissent from conservative blogs. How many days has Stephen been in office, and already the knives are out? From the inside, no less. Way to go, fellas. You'll help bring him down.
He had brains before he was elected, according to those on here who supported him, but immediately you begin questioning his judgment? Which also goes for the caucus. Can you imagine speaking to the liberal media this early into Stephen's term?
He explained his reasons, so you either
1) don't believe him and are saying he is lying or misleading the public, or
2) don't trust his judgment.
As they say, with friends like this, he won't have to worry about his enemies.

Canadian Liberal pigs squeal when pork trough smashed by Emerson; porkers as portrayed by the imams spark something's burning; now it's bunnies/hares/wabbits demonstaring at the demons from the West. Playmuslim of the month; ramadan next.

Playboy sparks Indonesia porn row
By Rachel Harvey
BBC News, Jakarta

A Muslim protester displays a defaced Playboy logo during an anti-pornography rally in Jakarta
Indonesian Muslims are angered by plans for a local edition of Playboy
Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, is caught up in a growing debate about pornography.

News that the raunchy Playboy magazine has signed a deal to produce a local edition has fuelled the controversy.

Parliament is expected to pass a new anti-pornography bill by the middle of this year but the draft legislation is proving divisive.

A series of demonstrations has taken place in the capital, Jakarta, in support of the tightening of the laws. >>>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4689054.stm

steve in bc: Besides the obvious preceived conflict of interest problem O'Connor will have with the A-400M/C-130J aircraft competition, there is the more serious problem that he was presumably largely responsible for the Conservative defence platform, which is full of silliness.

The platform was in many ways both opportunistically vote-seeking and militarily incoherent:

A battalion in Goose Bay? Other regular troops scattered in cities across the country? An airborne battalion based in Trenton where there is no room for it to train (and when the Army is already creating a very similar unit at Petawawa)?

The extra cost of the new bases (and logistic problems--supplying Goose Bay in winter?), and of penny packet scattering of troops, is completely inefficient and unjustified. Even the US military is closing bases.

Three Navy "armed icebreakers" when the civilian Canadian Coast Guard operates our icebreakers? Building new Navy ships in Canada regardless of the cost and time delays?

No commitment to heavy-lift helicopters for the Air Force? No firm commitment to BMD?

O'Connor may have been a good BGEN but he does not appear to have a mind suited to strategic policy formation.

Mark
Ottawa

Hard at work in Montreal

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/02/08/mtl-workers060208.html

Rather than pork out in the comment thread above, this may be a more pertinent thread/sandbox for the monkeys to play/ape little Mohammed. Safe to post images? Yes. Scoop Can. bloggers.

Mohammed Cartoons in Egyptian Paper - October 2005

Egyptian Sandmonkey has scanned images of Egyptian newspaper Al Faqr—who published the infamous cartoons of blasphemy last October, at the height of Ramadan, with not a single squeak of outrage.
via LGF

http://egyptiansandmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/02/boycott-egypt.html

As a Conservative I may not agree with Emerson crossing the floor, but to listen to the letter writers in that BC left wing social elite paper The Province go on about how unethical his defection was is very rewarding. These same letter writers lauded BS because she jumped ship into a newly minted cabinet post because of principles. Herb Dahliwal is extremely funny, saying that what Emerson did is unethical. Last summer he was telling anyone who would listen that BS was a principled woman because she jumped from the Conservatives to the Libs. Gotta love those hypocritical Libs!! It is only okay if their Party does it!

cal2 "CBCPravda is all liberal today. did I miss the change in government??"

I'm confused are you suggesting that they should take orders from the government or not? I would hope they wouldn't.

Steve in BC "* the appointment of Gordon O’Connor as Minister of Defence even though he was a lobbyist for defence industry companies up until February 23, 2004."

Let's hope this doesn't descend into the kind of pandering to lobbyists that's exploding south of the border. I wouldn't necessarily prejudge him on the basis though.

The growing role of bloggers

TODAY'S COLUMNIST
By Jim Geraghty
February 8, 2006

Imagine what the mood at President Bush's State of the Union address would have been if the big news before the speech was the Senate's confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Harriet Miers.
It's hard to believe that as recently as late October that was the White House's goal. Instead, Mr. Bush addressed the nation hours after his biggest and most surprising domestic political victory yet. The withdrawal of the Miers nomination and the subsequent dynamics of the fight over Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito demonstrate that the debate in Washington is now set by blogs -- and that this phenomenon has dramatically different effects on each of the two parties. >>
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060207-091646-1201r.htm

Mark Collins, please allow us the privlidge of reviewing your credentials so we all may further understand your learned opinion on the new MND policy positions?
I have some questions for you WRT the A400M/c-130j competition. Why should we buy a trnsport plane that the US Air Force has stopped taking delivery of because of its flaws? God knows I would not want to be on one when one of its engines props decides to slip into reverse pitch for no apparent reason. One major component of the fixed wing transport replacement was/is missing, that would be a fair and equitable competition.
As for the heavy lift transport helicopter, of course there is no commitment, once the SOR is completed the bidding process can commence, then and only then will there be firm commitment.
Ice breakers.......I am not qualified to speak to this, maybe there is someone more experienced in this matter who can answer your statements.
A battalion in GB,small units in and around our cities, see last para.

Emerson's kids are apparently taking heat over his decision. No matter what you think of Emerson, going after his kids is a low blow.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/02/08/emerson-riding060208.html

CBCPravda is All Liberal All the time.

just their site has only mention of Liberals unles their is a negative about the Conservatives. Stephen Harper is the new Prime Minister and you would be hard pressed to find a story on him.

Top billing this hour is Mulroney - although its fine by me because he represents the same thing as the Liberals - the intersection of Bay Street and Sussex Drive. payoffs, patronage and porkbarrelling the three "p"s of eastern politics.

Our PM has a long memory and I am sure he is watching, reading, and listening to all those so called conservatives re his 2 appointments. Those recently elected conservative MP's better watch their mouth or they may never receive a post or important job. And just maybe no signed nomination paper next time. That is what killed the conservatives years ago. They always had the knives out. Give your government a chance to really make a difference. Just because you didn't get the job you wanted quit bitching. You know the CBC and other media will be watching for any item to embarass you and Harper. All potential picks were vetted by the RCMP and just maybe they found an unpaid parking ticket, or something else in your background that could be troubling in the future. If people are banned from entering the US because of a joyriding stint, or drug charge from their youth or other things from 30 yrs ago, maybe they found out something about you or a family member.
When Trudeau ran for the lib leadership, many reports surfaced re his communist ties, but the media refused to believe them. A special law had to be passed in the USA to allow him to enter that country as PM as known communists could not get visas. He made the stmt once when questioned about an action he was going to take, and being told he couldn't-JUST WATCH ME, so JUST WATCH HARPER.

odie441: A story (have lost URL) in the Ottawa Sun Nov. 14 to counter the attacks on the C-130J (I'd love to know who is behind those since Bombardier has no plane in that hunt--Airbus maybe?):

"New Herc plane passes pilot's test"

Excerpt:

' A veteran Canadian Forces pilot flying for the U.S. Marine Corps on an exchange program yesterday mounted a heated defence of the newly designed Hercules transport plane on the Defence Department's wish list.

Capt. Steve Lamarche slammed defence industry insiders who've labelled the Hercules C-130J a lemon and he dismissed two Pentagon reports that have labelled it "unfit" for service.

Lamarche has spent 500 hours flying the new C-130Js with the Marine Corps in North Carolina...'

While the A-400M is a plane that has not yet flown. How long will it take for it work out all the bugs?

The heavy-lift helicopter (CH-47D or F) was part of the big aircraft acquisition program that Bill Graham presented to cabinet last fall and had shot down. It was a pity the Conservatives made no commitment to these badly-needed aircraft to support our troops on operations (e.g. Afstan). See:
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=89b9d214-65ff-4ab9-a881-5023d094f953

Mark
Ottawa

Don't believe everything you read in the media my friend, like everything else, it is slanted. The Heavylift helo is an idea that is very much alive. As for Capt Lamarches defense of the C130j, agreed, it is a terrific airplane, but still has growing pains like any new aircraft. Many reports of computer glitches causing strange happenings in the air. My complaint is that there has been no fair competition to date. It appears the SOR was written to favour one aircraft.....very much like a certain helicopter purchase.
Having said that, we need tactical airlift right now, as the C-130j is in production and the A400M is not, it appears that there currently is only one aircraft that can meet our requirement. Strategic airlift is another story all together....