I’ve used the term “journalistic malpractice” on occasion to describe the type of superficial and politically tainted media coverage Canadians have been subjected to. There is no better example of this than recent smears against Stockwell Day.
This is the same press that has been covering Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew. You’d think that the irony might have smacked them upside the head by now.
Whether he becomes Canada’s foreign minister is up to Stephen Harper. But whether he deserves respect for his efforts and degree of knowledge in the field is not a call we should allow the Peter Mansbridge’s of the world to make for us.
China E-Lobby argues the case well;
Mr. Harper and his fellow Conservatives should not merely given Mr. Day the portfolio simply because a bunch of Americans and Chinese exiles want it. Mr. Day should receive the post because he is the most qualified person for the job, and not only because he has served so well as Foreign Affairs critic for nearly four years.
Canada has always prided itself, and not without reason, as the conscience of the free world. In recent years, as Jean Chretien and Paul Martin repeatedly embarrassed themselves (to say nothing of their fellow Canadians) in their dealings with Communist China, that role has been lost. Stockwell Day’s appointment, all by itself, would put the tyrannies of the world on notice that Canada’s new government will no longer look the other way on human rights and security threats to the democratic world. Days’ appointment would bring immense hope not only to the long-suffering Chinese people, but also to many others who suffer under tyranny in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even parts of Europe.
I understand that the “politically safe” move would be to appoint someone else to the Foreign Ministry, but that is due to how (some) Canadians see Mr. Day, not how we see him from outside Canada. The Foreign Minister represents Canada to the globe, and the globe knows – and admires – Stockwell Day a great deal.
And to that I’ll add – I think Canadians can also rest assured that Day wouldn’t be splitting his time between his office, a Paris apartment and Bruno the Bodyguard..
(See: Future of Communism in China)
“and the globe knows – and admires – Stockwell Day a great deal”
Including Israel?
Another alternative would be Stock alongside Bolton at the UN.
Bwahaha
Holy cow. What a difference a day makes; 23 January,2006. >>>
U.S. okay with latest Alberta mad cow discovery
Updated Tue. Jan. 24 2006 6:51 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The United States has no plans to stop Canadian cattle imports after a six-year-old cow in Alberta tested positive for mad cow disease.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said he does not expect any change in the status of beef or live cattle imports from Canada. >>>
http://www.rapp.org/url/?O5DILI5W
ctv.ca via googlenews
Maz2:
That because everyone in the industry knows the the genesis of mad cow disease has its origin in the enclave known as Liberal Ottawa.
Good point. He would be good at the UN. Heh.
And Rob Anders as ambassador to China!
Kate, Do you think any of your critics should take your place if you were to move on. Being a critic is not an automatic free pass. There are many people that PMSH has to consider as candidate for this important post.
OT but its the CBC lying through their teeth thing again.
Today in the National Post, the CBC took out a full page color ad to announce that more Canadians watched CBC for election results – than any other network.
CBC watch quoting Broadcaster Magazine:
“Canadians made CTV their broadcaster of choice for the historic Federal Election. Nielsen Media Research Canada confirms that CTV drew the most viewers of any network with 1.48 million viewers.
WTF.. these clowns (apologies to clowns in the audience) use my money for this?
Fear of Stockwell Day.
That is SO… the day before yesterday.
Decent commentary, regarding China, from a decent man…
http://ahdu88.blogspot.com/2005/12/future-of-communism-in-chi_113582632005991680.html
Great idea. Maybe he could be sent on a fact finding tour first, so size up the world as seen from…where is it…Blue River BC…and go first to Irak. We would not see him again, most likely, except decorating a spiked fence; but then the Conservatives could send over Jason Kenny as their next move in Foreign Affairs. Marvelous, sort of like watching an old fashioned telephone relay count down to zero. I like it.
Stock should get foreign affairs. Art Hanger should go to the UN!
Is There A More Ridiculous Choice Than Stockwell Day? …probably not. Maybe Harold Albrecht.
Day, who once said that he believed humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth at the same time, is just the kind of guy the CPC needs to keep hidden in the shed. “the globe knows – and admires”? I don’t believe that.
One strategy the Harper team could pursue is “Set Phasers To Ignore”. Suppose Stock gets Foreign Affairs, Rob Anders gets Ministry of The Passion Of The Christ and Cheryl Gallant gets Heritage Canada. Whaddaygonnadoaboutit? Call an election, you broke assed socialist parties? Write some crap in the mainstream media that nobody outside Toronto reads anyway? Shriek? Slander? Smear?
Who cares? Who cares if a bunch of wankers are OK with Bill Graham and Paris Pierre Pettigrew in sensitive portforlios but froth at the prospect of a guy who goes to church representing Canada? They’re wrong; wrong, reprehensible, and irrelevant.
Day should be at Revenue, or some other Dept where his capacity to humiliate himself or the party with stupid pronouncements will be limited.
Or, send him to the Holy See as our Ambassador.
The MSM practices double standards, apparently. I can’t believe how quickly they let Pierre Pettigrew off the hook for his behavior with his bodyguard/chauffeur “Bruno”. I mean, if it had been a hot blonde woman, it’d be treated as a scandal, particularly if it was a Conservative cabmin involved.
For heaven’s sake, that was a bloody bonafide sex scandal! Cabmin Pettigrew was apparently fornicating with his employee while blowing our hard-earned tax dollars with reckless impunity and an air of being entitled to imaginary entitlements and all that hullaballoo.
Why, fo’ fecksake, I’d be in heaven if I could be a highfalutin’, devil-may-care cabmin riding in limos and travelling the world and staying in the poshest hotels with a hot female employee, all the time enjoying luxurious, erotic physical pleasures with her, spending other peoples’ money and totally getting away with it just ’cause the MSM’s an apparatchik of the state regime of my own political party.
Ah, well, the Libranos are out, Pettigrew’s defeated and the whole mob of them are facing all sorts of inquisitions and investigations and potential criminal prosecutions. So I guess I can relax a bit.
Considering all the above which helped lead to the undoing of that criminal cabal, wouldn’t it be an excellent choice to appoint a fine, hardworking, law-abiding, respectful gentleman like Mr. Stockwell Day to be Foreign Affairs Minister?
Day is smart. When he has a job to do and can focus on it, he’ll do it and do it well. Never mind the leadership thing; not everyone’s going to do perfectly as a party leader anyway plus it’s all in the past.
Day isn’t afraid to bring up uncomfortable issues with people when they need to be brought up. That’s important. We don’t want, like we had with Liberal FA mins, someone to simply do photo ops with communist and terrorist and dictatorial leaders and then when the cameras are off, turn around and kiss their asses. We need a FA min with the courage to stand up for Canada and express diplomatically but clearly our positions on important issues, something a socialist “Liberal” would never do.
What better commendation as Day for FA do we need than the CBC not endorsing him? If the CBC is against it it must be a good move, eh?
Of course Day would get the job done, unlike Pettigrew who treated the portfolio as his on personal travel agent.
Good one on the ‘bodyguard/driver’ comment–Pettigrew was an embarrassment to Canada–just like all the other pizza munching, mob associated Liberals. Canada is looking better every day–and we have only had 2 days without the Liberals!
Kate,
Respectfully, I think you are up a number of wrong roads on this one.
Opposition critics have freedom to pursue issues without them being policy. The problem with appointing Stock Day is that he had certain views that are at odds with current Canadian Foreign Policy (not that is necessarily a bad thing). It is about the practicalities of effecting change rather than the contents of the change that I have the issue with.
PMSH would have to immeadiately start explaining what his foreign policy is in the areas that SD has staked his ground on. This means either
1) CPC is making major foreign policy changes immeadiately, before a proper strategy has taken shape
2) SD will need to say that while his past views are publically known he is a good cabinet minister and will tow the line on things he has stridently criticized, thereby undercutting his credibility and making him a major target as soon as the House opens.
Just how much political capital do you want PMSH to spend in the first week/month on an issues most canadians think about once a year. There are other choices you could make for that portfolio that would could get you to where you want to go without being the lightning rod. If I remember correctly this isnt one of PMSH’s top 5 priorities, dont distract it with a move like this.
Stock will likely be in cabinet and will likely be in a position to comment in the inner circle of cabinet on issues important to him and his constituencies. But this would be a mistake at a time the CPC needs to build credibility and move with deliberation on the priorities they have and have publically stated. I dont think radically changing Foreign Policy to China and the middle east is one of the top priorities at this point.
Peetigrew…he was a carteaker who was along for the ride and enjoyed the travel….if he didnt take his chaffeur along no one would have known who the minister was.
Respectfully, this would not be a good move….
Stockwell Day has proven himself as a capable Foreign Affairs critic for several years and has done nothing to embarass himself or the CPC during that time. He has effectively challenged the Liberal government’s position effectively on numerous issues including the Tamil Tigers, Iranian abuses, China’s stance on Human Rights, and the government’s overly pro-Palestinian stand.
Stockwell’s negative image is mostly a product of a hostile media fed by Liberal fear-mongering. The wetsuit photo-op that the media loves to rehash could just as easily have been a success had the media been receptive to the Alliance party’s message.
What may keep him from the Foreign Affairs post will relate to the history of his Alliance leadership struggle with a handful of mutineers. Was Stockwell incapable of handling a diverse group of MPs or were some Reformers mostly just rebelling from his takeover of Manning’s rightful throne? I still don’t know what really happened there. But I would bet that Harper is keenly aware of the issues.
In many ways, Harper has suffered the same sort of persecution that Stockwell endured. Harper will not be one to succumb to media hype regarding Stockwell and will give him the chance to prove himself yet again if he is deemed best capable of leading a large department.
Could he really do any worse than Pettigrew?
Stockwell Day has come a long way from the
man he was portrayed by the liberal media before.
He has earned the respect of the conservatives
party and the people who know he was sandbagged
and lost before.
Just a small thing, but I have written to many
conservatives over the years and when I wrote
him about something, he replied, not with a
thank you, but a real reply on the issue.
Do you really know him? Do you think Mr. Harper
may know him better, how he works, how he thinks
about issues?
I do not fear him being in this post, after
learning more about him.
Anonalogue: LOLOLOL!!! Thank you!
Frankly, I think putting Mr Day in Foriegn Affairs would be good; he would do a great job, and not having to lead a party or get elected or anything, he might even have opportunities to appear “normal” to metro Canadians, though I’m sure the MSM would still take every opportunity to portray him as a wacko Christian freak. (But Pierre dictator-snuggler-take-my-boyfriend-along-on-the-taxpayers-dime Pettigrew is way cool. Well, his hair is, I admit. Anyone see that full page spread in the Post yesterday??)
The negative posts here just go to show you that there are still Canadians (probably in the heart of Toronto and Vancouver) who will believe whatever they see on “22 Minutes”.
All these characters that think Day is so scary and these so-cons are the reason that the Conservatives lost seats in BC, have not been paying attention. When Day was the leader of the CA, they recieved more votes and more seats than the new Conservative party did monday in BC. They had to campaign against the old PC party at the same time in the election of 2000. Didn’t seem so scary then. Day would be a great choice.
Quite literally, I STOPPED watching CBC TV when they did that unconscionable hatchet job mockumentary on Day a couple elections back in which they mercilessly ridiculed his fundamentalist Christian beliefs. It was the most blatant demo I’d ever seen of the CBC as the Libranos$ in-house agit-prop department. Also found myself trying to imagine them doing a similar hatchet job on any other religion but the scenario totally escaped my otherwise very vivid imagination.
And oh, I’m basically a lapsed catholic atheist keeping options opened for a death-bed conversion.
Stock in charge of the FA dept…wow!
I can smell the dip-corpse parasites soiling their depenz from here….notice to Mo Strong…Canada no longer harbors fugitives from US justice…Alan Rock took a powder from his cushy UN digs before he was fired and prosecuted….ahhhh yes, the Powercor alumnus and their profiteering in human rights abusing communist China, that ends today…I guess first Stock will stop sending them 40 mil a year as a “disadvantaged nation” and then there’s the billions in Moe’s Carbon credit dollars ready to go the these communist civilly repressed backwaters. Ka-Ching…no sale Chi-coms!
Ahhh a breath of fresh air in the musty entitlement encrusted foreign affairs retirement camp….cut into it with a roto tiller Stock!
Maybe Kate can use her new found influence at Pravada to get some $$ and do a mocumentary on Peter’ Mansbridge, the great pseudo journalist of our times.
Or one on Rick Mercer, the not-funniest CBC hack who grows richer, day by day, off the public teat because he can’t make it in the real world.
The left is all shook up over the thought of Stock as FA min?
Too bad.
The last time I saw Day speak was at an event put on at the Jewish Community Center in London Ont.
I can’t think of a better choice for FA. Anyone worried that he won’t present Canada as it has been for the last decade or so, I might like to point out thats exactly the reason for doing so.
We need to send the message to the world that this is no longer a country run by a bunch of anti-american liberals.
Stewart is right. The CA won a lot seats in BC under Day at the same time the MSM ridiculed him. At the risk of portraying my fellow BC voters as a tad dumb, I think that many are confused by the word “Liberal” in the BC Liberal party. There are many BCers who don’t realize the BC Liberal party cut all formal ties to the federal party; they see a right wing provincial party and gov’t under the banner “Liberal” and assume that people running federally in BC under that label are like the provincial party. That is why the federal liberals were able to win seats in West Vancouver, North Van, Richmond and to a lesser extent my own riding of Vancouver Quadra.
Great thread.. Wow the moonbats are out today.
I have read so many blogs the last 4 weeks I can’t keep track, but I remember someone posing the question of what do we do if the CPC wins.
Well, here is proof. The Jan 23 skirmish was won, but the bigger battle goes on. The MSM and PRAVDA carry on as if nothing happened. The Libranos see this a spell on the beach before the reign of idiocy continues.
Vigilance people!!
we have seen the wetsuit far more than we have pictures of the airhead playing air guitar.
Some say he wouldnt do a good job, not me.
For me it is a question of what hill do you want to fight on. Personally, foreign affairs isnt one of the priorities. IF he can be slotted in without spending political capital then I dont have an issue.
However, IF it causes ANY distraction from what the CPC government needs to acheive at the beginning then DO NOT DO IT!!!
Stock can do foreign affairs sometime later in the life of the government….but if the government doesnt last because they get distracted, assuming this would cause a distraction, then having SD as Foreign Affairs minister doesnt work.
Check the numbers, it is a weak minority, no need to pull a 1979 Joe Clark move….Stock may be maligned and may be misunderstood and may have done a great job. But life is tough and you dont always get what you want.
If I remeber this board earlier people were saying “dont ontarions get it, its about getting rid of a corrupt government”…..so if the overriding aspect is getting rid of them it is also about ensuring they dont return soon. Which means not getting distracted over issues that dont advance the initial agenda.
Dont be JOE!!!
Stockwell Day is the best possible choice. The only problem I have with it is, seriously, is there anyone you can think of who would make a better Minister of Sports and Recreation?
Stop your bitching. He’s not getting the job. Full stop. Period. He will get a junior ministry of some sort, most likely Transport.
Would Bono consider this a ‘Beautiful Day’?
“Bono sings praises of Germany’s Merkel”
http://tinyurl.com/cxxjs
When Mulroney was elected I was a new immigrant to this fair country and did not really know if I was Liberal or Conservative.
I was stunned at the way the media ripped into the Conservatives and realized that media do not have to be government controlled to be biased. They still lean the same way.
Don: your explanation about how BCers view the word “Liberal” is amusing because prior to Campbell’s election the problem was that his Libs had the name of the hated federal party.
BCers’ MUST be dumb by definition, having elected 2 back to back NDP gubmnts. I still have my “I Was Opressed by Mike Harcourt” T shirt.
OT? Foreign Affairs>>>>
Conservatives say border guards will be equipped with side arms
AMY CARMICHAEL 4 minutes ago
VANCOUVER (CP) – The Conservative justice critic says the party will stand behind its promise to give Canada’s border guards guns, a day after two murder suspects from California made a run for the border before they were stopped in a shootout.
“It’s simply a practical matter of how soon these officers can be trained and the firearms issued to them,” said Vic Toews, the Conservative MP who served as justice critic in Opposition. “That’s our commitment and I trust our minister will do exactly that.” >>> http://www.rapp.org/url/?MDIUUKOS
via neale news (linked as NEW)
For the record I don’t think Harper should appoint Day to Foreign Affairs. Life’s not fair, and while Stock might be the right choice it just might not be the smartest course of action. Harper could put Guergis in FA for a couple of years (she’s done a great job re: China) and this does not preclude the possibility of bringing Stock into FA as a relief pitcher in a mid-mandate cabinet shuffle.
If I had to bet I’d say Day will not be FA Minister, and if it were me I’d ask Stock to take one for the team and accept another major portfolio appropriate for a former federal leader. As one commentor above put it: don’t be Joe Clark.
Doesn’t Stephen Harper now control the CBC?
HE should just sell it. Instant savings of $1B per year plus a few billion in proceeds from the sale. Perhaps Rupert Murdoch would be interested.
At the very least he should purge the management and all the on-air personalities. (except the HNIC crew) Maybe Don Cherry could act as interim program director.
Breaking News.. MeKenna Resigns.. probably to prepare for Liberal Leadership
Mike Duffy,, just announced on CTV that Frank McKenna has just tendered his resignation.
When Yasser Arafat died and Stockwell Day was asked for a comment, he sent a column by David Frum suggesting Arafat died of AIDs. Now you may not like Arafat and think he was a terrorist (he was), but my point is that Foreign Affairs requires some level of diplomacy and Stockwell has shown that he hasn’t had a clue. Being a good critic does not make you a good minister in that portfolio. And comparing him to Pettigrew, does not make (who may have been wrong to take his chauffeur on the public purse, but let me assure you was not sleeping with him).
Stock as foreign minister would be ok by me. He’d distract Harper from his priorities as the press try to get him to explain the direction he wants to take foreign policy (even the media who do it fairly will be asking questions if he tries to make big changes, which bumps Harper off his priorities). Try to make radical changes and you tie up committees and Parliament where the CPC don’t have a majority or a civil service that understands the new direction and ultimately make it easier for the Liberals to regain power. So put Stock in at FA, put Vic Toews in at Justice, put Gallant in at anything. That’s exactly what we are hoping for.
TB
Cerberus
Stockwell will be going to the UN to replace Allan Rock. You heard it here first.
Steve:
I can’t prove it but I believe your brain and your body roamed the earth at the same time.
Hidden in the shed? An elected Conservative party had better not ignore a whole segment of its constituency.
While I might not agree that Mr. Day should get the Foreign Affairs portfolio, I object strongly to the CBC News, which purports to be neutral as a news organization is supposed to be, telling Canadians they (Mansbridge and friends) don’t believe he’s able to do the job.
I don’t suspect Peter Mansbridge is, either.
A little jealousy now TB?
Besides, what makes you any authority?
Oh I see, you’ve been to all of Paris Pierre’s Man Garvy Parties?
Some journalist on Duffy Live said that Manning as US Ambassador “is a non-starter. It will not happen.”
hmmmm
Why are the media so intent on deciding how we should feel about things?
The Bruno reference was really funny.
If anyone has been paying attention to Stocks work in opposition, they would know that regardless of his personal beliefs (personal .. got that?) he has done a great job and he is a smart guy. He works hard and does his homework.
Perhaps his critics should consider the personal beliefs of the most Librano members. … that they deserve to govern!
I would appoint him to foreign affairs if only to piss off the That trough sucking Mansbridge and the rest of the commies at the CBC.
–
This is a view of “mainstream” Canada.
http://jaycurrie.info-syn.com/a-short-leash/
It might interest you,Kate, because your CBC blog aquaintance Alan (Gen X at …) gets into it, thinking he knows the woes of the right. Also involved is James Bow, and Flea (ghost of a flea) shows his righteous side.
Too bad Alan didn’t show this side of himself at the CBC blog.
Bigotry, intolerance – mainstream Canada.
–
Google embraces Evil; sold it’s soul for filthy lucre and an iron rice bowl (H/T Mao and Mau-rice Strong).
>>>
The Iron Rice Bowl is a Chinese idiom referring to the system of guaranteed lifetime employment in state enterprises. Job security and level of wages were not related to job performance – but adherence to party doctrine played a very important role. >> news.bbc
http://www.rapp.org/url/?MU5056DJ
*********
Google Will Pass the Global Test
Google has agreed to censor search results in China.
SAN FRANCISCO – Online search engine leader Google Inc. has agreed to censor its results in China, adhering to the country�s free-speech restrictions in return for better access in the Internet�s fastest growing market.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company planned to roll out a new version of its search engine bearing China�s Web suffix �.cn,� on Wednesday. A Chinese-language version of Google�s search engine has previously been available through the company�s dot-com address in the United States. …
To obtain the Chinese license, Google agreed to omit Web content that the country�s government finds objectionable. Google will base its censorship decisons on guidance provided by Chinese government officials. Although China has loosened some of its controls in recent years, some topics, such as Taiwan�s independence and 1989�s Tiananmen Square massacre, remain forbidden subjects.
Google officials characterized the censorship concessions in China as an excruciating decision for a company that adopted �don�t be evil� as a motto. But management believes it�s a worthwhile sacrifice.
�We firmly believe, with our culture of innovation, Google can make meaningful and positive contributions to the already impressive pace of development in China,� said Andrew McLaughlin, Google�s senior policy counsel. >>
via LGF
http://jaycurrie.info-syn.com/a-short-leash/
Flea is generally a smart enough fella, but in this case Jasper has just dragged him into the street for a spanking.
Stockwell Day just doesn’t have the consistent tack to do the job in a minority government. It would be an unnecessary distraction and potential lightning rod. The Ministry of Transport would be an excellent choice – no way for his religious/international views to get placed in the way of his task.
Helena Guergis – now there is an excellent choice. Not only would it place a female centre-right MP in an important position, but she has proven to be excellent in dealing with the foreign affairs issues.