I tell ya, poor Stephen Harper has got to be feeling like a Hitler pinata at a barmitzvah these days. He has been taking beatings from just about everyone, even those who have supported him strongly in the past. Is some of the current mess his fault? Maybe. And maybe not.
Wolfgang Puck is one of the better chefs in the world. However, one of the reasons that Mr. Puck is at where he is at is thanks to his ability to use only the best ingredients. And what ingredients does Stephen Harper have to work with? Randy White. Cheryl Gallant. Stockwell Day. Gurmant Grewel. Peter MacKay.
Blecccccch.
I just can’t see the current situation as being Harper’s fault. I also can’t see him having a snowball’s hope in hell of fixing it, either. So I’m betting that sometime in the next six months we’ll see Harper being pushed out and someone else — most likely MacK(ay) the Knife — taking over the top spot.
And that would be a shame. It’s not often that a man of integrity gets elected to public office. A competent man. A man whose word still means something.
So we’ll take him if the rest of the country doesn’t want him.
By ‘we’ I mean Albertans*. We’ve suffered along under Klein for many years now and we’re overdue for some competent leadership. There’s just no way we could go wrong by trading up from Ralphie to Stevie.
Imagine, a premier who wouldn’t hose down special interest groups with resource money. A premier who really would stand up to Ottawa. A premier with an attention span longer than five seconds who won’t embarrass Albertans by wandering off to a casino in the middle of an imporant conference. A premier who isn’t a gay-bashing socialist pansy**. A premier that doesn’t have an inflamed proboscis that would do your average AA member proud.
Yeah, we’d take Harper in a heartbeat because personal integrity and the ability to get things done still mean something in this part of the country***.
So come home, Steve. Come home. We’ve left a light on for you.
Notes
* As a matter of fact, I am authorized to speak on behalf of all Albertans (thanks for asking).
** Harper has always taken the Libertarian approach to social peccadillos.
*** Stockwell Day is the obvious exception to this rule.
Your opening sentence stinks, is hateful, is disrespectful of Canadians; a specimen of nonsense.
Strike it down. You can do better.
Get on with it.
Mr. Dithers continues to use his own feet for target practice, and the Lib’s polling numbers continue to hold/go up. It’s not about Stephen Harper — it’s about the message — is it marketable to Canadians? (I think it can be, but that’s a whole other kettle of fish.) Right now, I don’t see a consistent positive message getting out (and don’t blame the MSM – that’s just defeatist whining) and until that happens, not much will change. A new leader won’t fix the problem either: to continue your analogy, Sean, if your cake is flat and bland, all the finest icing in the world won’t make it palatable.
This may come as a surprise to many, but I really do not think MacKay has any interest in taking Harper’s job. Maybe someday, but certainly not now.
And what exactly is wrong with Randy, Cheryl and Stock? Must be pretty easy sitting in a chair typing things out never having to deal with getting elected, talking to a hostile media.
I’ve never liked Harper, but I do support him. I also can’t understand why everyone wants to dump him, but quick picking on all the other Conservatives! You should be supporting them just as much as you support Harper.
My concern was not that Harper was the wrong man, but that there might not be a right man (or woman) anywhere in Canada today. Worse yet, the nanny state that has bred in us a feeling of entitlement instead of independence makes it likely that the right man (or woman) might never be born.
For me, the problem runs far deeper than the relative strengths of Harper, MacKay, Day, or any of the other MPs and leading figures in the CPC.
Linda,
Blaming the MSM as being “defeatist” just doesn’t do justice to those who hold the view that Canadian mainstream media is more “Media Party” than news disseminators. The corrupt Libs happen to be the beneficiaries of that “Media Party”
Woe is conservatism in Canada, a country of closet communist ND’s and Libs MP’s.. Witness the acceptance of “early childhood care” and the “Media Party” being the enablers of this communistic endeavour.
Having met 3 of the four people mentioned in your post, I can tell you that I would happily leave my child in a room with Ms. Gallant or Mr. Day (who is the most human of all the many politicians I have met), but I would put any child of mine behind me should Mr. Harper approach.
That said, I’m all for him being the PM. I just am puzzled by this unquestioning fanfare. He is not a nice man, but he certainly has better policies than the Liberals. Oh yeah, and as yet, he hasn’t been accused of money-laundering. That makes him better too.
I think you’ve been reading too much MSM, if you think Gallant, Day and White are holding Harper back.
Gallant won by a landslide in the last election, even though she went into hiding for most of the campaign after the papers belatedly published some pro-life remarks she made at the March for Life. As compared to Mr. Harper, who won a non-confidence vote, and then didn’t go in for the kill…who’s holding who back again?
Sean cant you open a thread on the new evidence that the Grewal tapes have not been altered so we can get back to Fed bashing.
Stock Day may not have been the greatest pick to try to lead the Canadian Alliance towards forming the government, but he’s a good MP. As Foreign Affairs critic, his performance has been exemplary.
Randy White isn’t running in the next election. Stock has been very effective in foreign affairs, I think. But there is something going on. The Libs don’t look to be an elated party given the latest bogus poll results. I think Harper has more integrity than the entire Librano party combined. He doesn’t know how to play dirty against a dirty team. His communication types, blessedly, are now leaving, hopefully to be replaced by a brighter group led by Lin Maheux. The recent TorSun article by Lorrie Goldstein said it all: The MSM are Trudeau’s babies grown up, and believe fiercely in this type of lopsided rule. It serves their interests to keep the Libs in power, no matter how corrupt or empty. I really believe they would not know how to cover any other kind of government. There is something definitely strange going on though. Even Jumpin’ Jack Layton is looking less than his ebullient self. Maybe it’s finally dawned on him that he too, has covered himself in sleaze. Summer will give Harper and party time to regroup and do the BBQ circuit, getting the word out, etc. I still wish they’d sent those bloody tapes to the FBI, which you can bet would have more sophisticated equipment and is an independent body. I do not trust the RCMP or Bernard Shapiro.
“Blaming the MSM as being “defeatist” just doesn’t do justice to those who hold the view that Canadian mainstream media is more “Media Party” than news disseminators. The corrupt Libs happen to be the beneficiaries of that “Media Party””
Joe, I’m not slamming the view you speak of — I happen to share it. My point was simply that I see too much hand-wringing over it, vs. positive action (though I do see lots of that, epecially among bloggers — lots of innovative creative energy there). The MSM needs to be viewed not so much as an obstacle, but as a challenge. Perhaps that’s just so much Polyanna-thinking, though: I also share Angry’s sentiments, above, that there may be just too many Canadians who are content in their serfdom to turn things around.
When Harper pulls out of federal politics, I think Alberta will as well. I know I will. For Albertans there is no net benefit to staying in a system where there is no hope of effecting changes we demand.
I place NO blame on Harper for having been mutilated by the Eastern media establishment and rejected as a federal leader by way of simply being a western conservative (and an uncorruptable man)…this was done to Manning and Day as well…Clark suvived by becoming a de facto Liberal establishment toadie.
The message is loud and clear to this Albera libertarian…the west ( an particularly Alberta) will not be allowed to put a PM in office. The office of PM is reserved for corporately connected Quebec Liberal or a Bay Street connected Tory.
Further, governmental democratic reform and confederal equality are not on the radar screen of the eastern political establishment or voter.
As an Alberta voter I’m tired of coming back from the polls and seeing a government elected ( that the west did not want) before the polls were counted west of the Manitoba border. Then to suffer under the punishing federal partisanism that was openly hostile to the west where they were rejected. For me, like millions of other westerners, Ottawa has never been “my” government….and it has never had my interests on its political agenda. My government has always bee local…provincila…the one I can effect change through and get some responsibility from.
If you are knifed in the Back by the east and your party, come home Steven. We will build our firewall and start the process of removing ourselves from the hostile and damaging control of the criminal Ottawa political cartel.
I suspect most western CPC members/supporters ( a large mix of Libertarians, Reformers and PCs)will leave the CPC after Harper is replaced by some bay Street puppet and return to provincial politics where a western movement to devolve Ottawa’s stolen jurisdictions back to the provinces. We will see the birth of new western political movements:
the first will be an interprovincial federal western block party spring up…hoping to form western parliamentary seats into a “Western Block” to play the parliamentary and confederal power balance game the BQ has.
The second will be provincial firewall movements that will put provincial members in the respective legislatures to insulate the west from Ottawa intrusion and reliance.(there will be separatists in this group)
Both efforts the direct result of political and cultural marginalization.
“Having met 3 of the four people mentioned in your post, I can tell you that I would happily leave my child in a room with Ms. Gallant or Mr. Day (who is the most human of all the many politicians I have met), but I would put any child of mine behind me should Mr. Harper approach.
That said, I’m all for him being the PM. I just am puzzled by this unquestioning fanfare. He is not a nice man, but he certainly has better policies than the Liberals. Oh yeah, and as yet, he hasn’t been accused of money-laundering. That makes him better too.”
Why on earth do people keep saying that Harper is NOT NICE? He is a very nice man. Just because he’s not hypocritical enough to pretend that he’s everyone’s best friend? Ridiculous! Not to mention that he might be feeling just the teensiest bit defensive after months of being referred to as “scary” and “cold” by the liberal lapdogs in the MSM. Like my husband remarked, the guy’s got balls of stone just to show up somedays.
Damn straight he’d be welcome in Alberta. And he can hang out with my kid anytime; decent role models are hard to find these days.
I agree with maz2.
I’m glad to see somebody recognizes Klein as a big government man. The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Alberta. It has a ring to it.
By the way, I too disapprove of your promoting hatred toward pinatas.
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Senator attended hearing in support of Homolka
CTV.ca News Staff
Reviled by many, defended by few, Canada’s most notorious female inmate won’t even be greeted by her family when she is released in less than a month. But CTV News has learned Karla Homolka does have some support in high places.
Homolka made her first public appearance in more than a decade last week at a court hearing in Joliette, Que. After two days of testimony, a Quebec judge imposed restrictions on Homolka’s movements for a year after her release from prison.
Liberal Senator Michel Biron, 71, was present in the Joliette, Que. courthouse last week. He sat beside Homolka’s lawyer during the hearing in a show of support for the convicted killer.
According to witnesses, Biron exchanged a slight smile with Homolka.
Biron told CTV News he was not there as a senator; rather, that his presence there was “strictly personal.”
nealenews.com
**********************
Senator Biron for Premier of Quebec?
I am a loylal Canadian living in Alberta. I am shocked by you treasonous losers for suggesting that Alberta should leave Canada. We are doing well in Alberta. And Alberta is doing well within Canada. The Cons elected Mulroney in the 80’s this was your government. The fact is that in Alberta it is good provonial politics to blame all problems on the feds. As a result when the Cons came to government with Mulroney there was the birth of the Reform party complaining about Ottawa. Even Harper crossed the floor from the cons to the Reform and ran against his old boss MP Jim Hawkes(a very treacherous move. Alberta cons will never be content. Even when they form the national government they splinter.
ff:
The system is broken. The federal government is too bloated and corrupt to properly fix…and besides that, they’ve made most of the country so dependent on hand-outs, that’s it has become impossible to get anyone in power to start to repair it.
Just like an engine rebuild, we need to take the country apart to get it working again.
FF: If the grand idea of “Canada” is a state run by corrupt thieves, I want no part of it. Ontario continues to demonstrate that they are perfectly happy being governed by criminals. If these are their “Canadian Values” I want nothing to do with them.
The Libs have so brain-washed people into believing the Conservatives are evil, there is no relief in sight. The Cons could have God himself as a leader, and the Liberals would have Eastern Canada believing that he was the Devil.
“Your opening sentence stinks, is hateful, is disrespectful of Canadians; a specimen of nonsense.”
The fact that my mother is buried in a Jewish cemetary in Calgary gives me a ‘get out of jail free’ card on that topic, so the opening sentence stays. >:-)
Besides, a fair number of Canadians ARE deserving of disrespect. They voted Liberal and NDP, didn’t they?
ff,
you are drinking too much of the Liberal Cool Aid. I am an Albertan living in the pressure cooker Ottawa (sleepy town by all accounts except for the dirty politics going on). You are still reliving the past ghosts of Mulroney up to now, while the rest of the country have had 12 years of Lib mismanagement, fear mongering , and nanny state coddling of canadians.
Alberta Separation is the only avenue to wake up and shake up this nation from the stupor and drunkennes of this nanny state.
By the way , I am a non-white immigrant who had lived in North, West, and now Central/Eastern Canada over the past 2 decades. I am suppossed to be a loyal liberal follower who should be happy that I have now a great country who take care of all the needs and wants that I did not have when I was from a poor 3rd world banana republic. NOT !!! I have no loyalty to the king and crown, but I have LOYALTY to this great nation CANADA. You do not have exclusive rights to this !!!
These Liberals are running one of the worst governments in memory, and yet somehow they’ve managed to get Conservatives sniping at each other and using language unbecoming the goal.
Sean, you may have every right to feel as you do, and use the words you have chosen; however, please recognize that by choosing those words you derail the discussion. Instead of focusing on the Liberals, your post focuses on turning Conservatives against each other. Why would that be your goal?
Sean
How dare you!!! You sorry assed bastard! I never thought you’d stoop so low as to put the wants and needs of one province ahead of an entire nation. Leaving “a light on in Alberta” extinguishes the last flicker of hope for us lost souls here in Ontario.
And to think I believed you were authorized to speak not only for Albertans but all right-thinking Canadians.
Well laddy, you’ve shamed us all with your obscene and corrupt attempt to bribe a sitting member of Parliament and leader of the Opposition. I am confident your offer will be refused by a man of integrity. And don’t try and weasel out of this by saying no offer was made! You clearly offered Stephen Harper a position as Premier and I want an RCMP investigation.
When in doubt …. just assume I’m kidding.
Rumours of Harper’s demise, I think, are greatly exaggerated.
A few talking points from what happened yesterday on the Supreme Court verdict on delivery of Canadian Public Heatlh Care :
– an article in the Ottawa Citizen feature Keith Martin as a vocal supporter of the 2 tier Health Care system with this as the reason for him leaving the CA Party (because CA do not want him to be very vocal on it as it damages the party perception by the canadian electorate)and “working from within” for the Libs in government. Anybody can corroborate this story line ?
– An article again on the Ottawa Citizen quoted american supporters (Democrats) of Canadian style public Health Care, of their surprise and disappointment of the “wrong decision that your Supreme Court ” made regarding this news. Never was there any opinion from those who DO not support the same Canadian Style ot be adopted in the US. Talk about Fair and Balanced reporting….
– And finally this, I just could not let this pass without any question. Rob Snow from http://www.cfra.com took another swing at Stephen Harper (these announcers seem to be ganging up on Stephen at every turn) was insinuating/suggesting “where is Stephen Harper on all this while a historic decision is unfolding in the House of Commons??). I saw Stephen on a news clip, was he in Alberta yesterday due to the floods? I expect him to be in Alberta rather than Ottawa.
I have an opinion that boils this whole thing down to a few sentences:
The Liberals play dirty.
The Liberals have billions of OUR money at their fingertips to bribe, cajole, pay for nightly polls, million dollar Gomery war rooms, researchers, media spinners, government employees …all of our resources are theirs to use against anyone who dares challenge them.
The Conservatives do not know how to play dirty.
The Conservatives do not have access to billions of dollars of Your money.
The Conservatives can only defeat this power hungry mob if they use dirty tricks.
The Conservatives ethics won’t let them play the Liberal brand of dirty.
If honesty and ethics can’t win our votes over lying, fear mongering, cheating, stealing, bribery and corruption then we Canadians deserve the government we have and we will be stuck with it.
Who here would encourage the CPC or Harper to get down in the mud with Martin and his henchmen to win?
Yeah, I hate what Canada has become. Ontario will not allow a leader from the west, period, to succeed. Alberta needs Harper home, and we need to get rid of Klein, I agree there. For all of our bitching and whining about separating, we don’t have a viable separatist party. Its pretty hypocritical of us to complain about the big Ottawa government, when you look at how Ralph runs things here, they’re pretty similar.
Kinky senator. Who knew?
ld:
Ralphie will be gone soon enough…I can’t say I don’t like Klein, and he did some good things for Alberta, though mostly in the first half of his rule.
As for no viable separatist party, I agree. The ASP website it amateurish, and their public visibility stinks. However, talking to people and reading comments on the blogosphere over the last few months has shown me that there has been a steady growth in demand for a real, intelligent separatist party. I’m sure that that demand will by fulfilled in the near future, whether by a revamping of the ASP or the formation of another better independence movement.
Would Alberta support Ontario seperating? 🙂 majere
“Instead of focusing on the Liberals, your post focuses on turning Conservatives against each other. Why would that be your goal?”
I’ve given up on affecting any change in Ottawa, and I see Harper as being wasted on that part of the country. We have an immediate need for his talent here, and I think we should grab him if he becomes available.
My goal is to build a strong Canada through strong provinces that can beat the feds back when their turf gets encroached on. So, please, give us Stephen Harper as Alberta’s premier and Ted Morton as deputy premier. Awww, yeah, Alberta’s dream team. 🙂
Actually I think that Mark Norris is running a pretty good campaign for Alberta PC leadership – he’s a strong free enterpriser but I’m certain he is not a separtist in any way shape or form.
More adherance to our constitutional provincial jurisdiction is about what all of the provinces want and need.
Quebec and Alberta would have the fires of separtism quite nicely doused if Harper follows through on getting the Federal Big Brother out of micro mis-managing every facet of our lives while skimming their take off the top, middle and bottom before the province’s get what’s remaining of our own money as crumbs we then have to bow and grovel for.
The question of Harper moving back to AB for a last defense of the West might be moot. The Liberals through their ‘municipal government’ strategy is already at work in the West. The bastion of Conservative thought is/will be undermined/bribed by the Liberal money being sent directly to western mayors conviently by-passing provincial governments. Case in point Larry Campbell in Vancouver. I never agreed with the Reform Party moving east all those years ago. If the party had gone provincial we would have had a solid track record of rule in Alberta for over ten years now. Quite frankly I think the battle is lost, even in the West!