On Dec.20, Stephen Taylor and I pulled together posts on evidence that the Paul Martin’s spat with the US was orchestrated for campaign purposes. As he leaves his post, former US ambassador Frank McKenna confirms this was the case (and suggests it backfired).
Vancouver Sun;
After being “muzzled” for months as Canada’s ambassador to the United States, Frank McKenna criticized former prime minister Paul Martin’s office Wednesday for stoking anti-U.S. sentiment during the recent federal election campaign.
McKenna, speaking to reporters on his last day as Canada’s envoy, called the behaviour “sanctimonious” and said it backfired on Liberals in the Jan. 23 election.
Moreover, the ambassador said, the White House was justifiably angry over politically motivated leaks from Martin’s office about private discussions between the prime minister and U.S. President George W. Bush.
“The United States seems very prepared to have us be assertive for Canadian interests and they really respect us when we stand our ground on matters. But when we are judgmental and almost sanctimonious, I find they take offence, and quite rightfully so,” McKenna said.
“I don’t think [Canadians] buy into the idea of gratuitously being offensive. If I had to speculate, I would say that playing that card during the election was not helpful at all to the electoral prospects of the people doing it.”
It was the first time McKenna had commented publicly about the chill that fell over Canada-U.S. relations during the eight-week election campaign, when the Liberals took aim at the Bush White House as part of their election strategy.
The White House was surprised and “frustrated” with Martin for accusing the Bush administration of lacking a global conscience during an international climate-change conference last December in Montreal.
But Martin’s office deliberately fanned the flames by spreading a highly exaggerated story about McKenna being summoned to the White House for a reprimand, the outgoing ambassador said.
The conduct extended to leaked details of an earlier telephone conversation between Bush and Martin, in which the prime minister was cast as chastising the U.S. president over the softwood lumber dispute.
It’s good to remind everyone every so often just how utterly unimportant Canadian economic and trade interests were to a Paul Martin campaign team intent on retaining power.
Via Nealenews
Added bonus for Librano$$$$
Martins coke-packed boats would be much more profitable if they were hauling Canada’s natural resources to China, rather than someone else trucking it to the US.
It’s good to remind everyone every so often just how utterly unimportant Canadian economic and trade interests were to a Paul Martin campaign team intent retaining power.
Well given that the Liberal Campaign was a classic cluster****, I am almost loathe to opine that the ‘unethical’ playing of the Hate-The-USA card, did not negatively affect the Liberal prospects. That it was done poorly might have been a net negative, but that is an entirely different matter.
What does it say about this ‘glorious’ country, that such a dishonest and intellectually bankrupt strategy would have been considered a ‘winner’ in the first place? I mean this is hardly an isolated example of a mean-spirited and ill-intentioned approach to our next-door neighbour. Is it ?
Canada is a legend solely in its own mind, and survives PRIMARILY by being Anti-American. It has no other identity, and it is invariably a ‘safe’ if not always gainful tactic to whine/complain/criticise or childishly mock America and Americans. *
*— hockey is NOT a real reason to exist , national feeling to the countrary.
Sad commentary and good for McKenna for speaking out. I actually liked Martin when he was finance minister; opinion changed when he became PM Dithers. But watching him flailing around during the election campaign and making it perfectly clear that he would say or do nearly anything to stay in power, even if it hurt the country…pretty disgusting.
Aunty-American is on vacation in Mexico; Cuba threw her out for not tipping Fidel, si. +
U.S. Customs stops collecting Canadian wheat tariffs, ends long dispute
Michelle Macafee, Canadian Press
Published: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
WINNIPEG (CP) – U.S. Customs officials have ordered ports to stop collecting duties on Canadian wheat imports, ending a lengthy trade war ultimately won by Canadian farmers.
The notification, which came last Friday from Customs headquarters in Washington, D.C., means Western Red Spring wheat can enter the U.S. without any kind of cash deposit or bond for the first time in three years. +
http://www.rapp.org/url/?H7E99QHG
via bourque
Did anyone really think that the Liberals were telling the truth?
I have question though, will Canada ever allow farmers to sell grain to the US without the communist planned economy wheat board?
This is dog bites man news…no surprise the Liberals would be capable of this. I think every thoughtful person knew that they were stunting during the election and embarrassing us all.
James Travers column in the red Star today:
Why Harper should break some promises
Apparently only when it is something that liberals don’t like.
enough
…what I still don’t get is how the Liberals end up with 100+ seats…
Has anyone checked the budgie (morals) in the coal mine (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Atlantic Canada)?
I think it is dead from lack of oxygen going to the brain.
This story just points out how utterly vacuous the Liberal party had become by the end of its rule. It really had no sense of purpose other than to govern for the sake of governing. The country was its sandbox and we were its toys to be played with as they wished. It’s pathetic really that such a group of educated, experienced individuals could be so bereft of purpose and so bamboozled by their own myopic propaganda — a lesson for all of us in the corrupting and even soporific effects of an overdose of power.
“… good for McKenna for speaking out.”
Get a grip. This is the same McKenna who retreated to Toronto to give a speech in the presence of the U.S. Ambassador wherein he referred to the U.S. government as dysfunctional. McKenna is a cowardly hypocrite, covering his sorry ass. Sorry to burst your bubble.
“McKenna had complained the U.S. system of government was �dysfunctional� because of its checks and balances on presidential power.”
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=5256
I know this is wayyy off topic, but it has been bugging me for a couple of weeks. Not sure if this commercial is playing on radio outside of the Greater Van. area, but here goes. Bayshore Home Health (a company providing homecare services) has an advert with the same distinguishable voice talent (Julie Khaner from Streetlegal) as those infamous “soldiers…with guns…in Canada” spots the libs put out during the election. Everytime I hear that woman’s voice that’s the first thing I think about. I keep expecting to hear that drumbeat and that bell-ringing. I think every time I hear her voice from now on, that’s what I’ll remember. Or maybe I’m the only person that notices this stuff. Anyways, have a great day everyone!
McKenna’s comments are not surprising,except for their frankness. Liberal election campaign was pretty much right out there, visible for anyone with their eyes open. But as mentioned above, I do find it disturbing that so many of my fellow citizens could close their eyes and vote for a party that was patently bankrupt of any real vision or values. Makes you wonder what the heck is going on in this country!
If anyone has ever seen wasps gorge themselves on apples, you can get a good image of the state of Canada.
Was visiting a friend who had an apple tree out front and went to pick one. It looked ok, but something a bit weird, wasn’t as shiny and round looking but still looked like an apple.
Upon closer investigation I see a small hole on one side and inside were two wasps gorging themselves. They were so full that when they left they did akin to a couple of feet drop and then managed to get up higher.
Looking inside it was almost hallowed out.
I couldn’t help thinking “this is Canada”. We let the Liberals gorge themselves on what it took to make Canada a proud country and turn it into an empty shell of an apple. Someday if things aren’t resorted, this empty shell will collapse on itself from lack of inner support.
I hope Harper & Co. does indeed restore Canada, but if not, we will just be an empty shell of something that was once shiny, offer nutrients, and proud for the world to see.
If me,you, or anyone else were transporting drugs our vehicle would have been seized and impounded, why was lieberal martin’s ship not giving the same courtesy?
As a Canadian I feel the most positive about Canadas future than I have in many years. To me, it looks like we have a government that actually wants to do something positive and improve things. Rather than supporting a cause only for the votes, rather than being in power for powers sake, instead of mindlessly repeating the same old tired platitudes we might actually get something done.
This minority government may be almost as in good a position as a majority. The Liberals are leaderless, the Bloc Quebecois seem tired and all parties have financial issues.
Mckenna is just revealing more of what the Liberals really were like. Power for powers sake.
enough
It scares me to think about what kind of mess we would be in had the Liberals gained power, and they almost did.
It’s bad enough that the prick would use anti-US sentiment in hopes of propping up his campaign with the left. It’s entirely a different matter when he arbitrarily and without consent is willing to sacrifice us all, regardless of political stripe, not to mention our economic security in cross border trade, in order for himself to retain power. He’s the poster boy for the observation that absolute power currupts absolutely.
I hope the Conservatives fully investigate the bastard and go after him with every legal tool available.
Frank’s a hero for furiously and steadfastly fighting to tear off that muzzle just in time to explain how corrupt those old liberals… were.
I’m sure that if he was able to get a hold of those complicated muzzle straps BEFORE the election, he would have said the same thing he did yesterday!
Sarc/off
He’s an admitted traitor to Canada, who seems now to be running for the liberal leadership.
You have to expect this kind of thinking from xPMPM because he was was getting his advice from Buzz “sharp knife in the drawer” Hargrove.
When you get your help from a champagne socialist, International Workers wannbe like that traitor, you are bound to end up drinking some really bad bath water.
I remember the photo of McKenna walking into the meeting, supposedly with Cheney, where he looked like a whipped puppy! It was the US media that reported that this meeting had noting to do with Martin’s comments and was actually with some low-level flunky and not Cheney. McKenna played the Liberal game then and he is just trying to spin now in the hopes of tarring Martin and making himself look like an honest Liberal–as if there is any such animal!
Tomax–I like the analogy to wasps–but don’t forget–if you had bitten into the apple for your share, jsut like Liberals, those wasps would have stung you without a backward glance! What is theirs is theirs and what is yours is theirs mentality for wasps and Liberals!
Love the wasp analogy………….works on several levels.
Mckenna is doing the *I’m a good guy* pirouette. I was going to say I liked him for his honesty, but can’t tell if he is Martin crafty or not.
Clearly this helps to point out how Martin was milking the Canadian economy that was enjoying an oil and commodity up rush.
Martin was not thinking *Canada* so much as he was thinking *Martin CSL Corp*.
Time now to return that milk to the national treasury where it belongs. TG
TG: and what would McKenna possibly have to gain if he is as “crafty” as you say?
It may come as a surprise to you, but this whole thing doesn’t even register on the US radar. Most people in the US don’t even know who McKenna is. A “book in the works” would not even sell in the US. This “news” will never see the light of day there either.
He’s simply being honest, Ottawa was as corrupt as Havana.
Richfisher: He was the Ambassador of Canada to the United States. You don’t go spouting off like that when you have that role. You are a servant of the government and its policy (yes, that’s right, the Ambassador is a servant of the government, not the people, which is exactly why he resigned after Harper’s election). (And by the way, might want to keep up with the news: McKenna dropped out of the race a month ago.)
Keith (up above): Since when does being critical of a single aspect of American government mean you are anti-American? We don’t have to love everything the US has to offer to be friends. And his comment was actually bang on if you’ve ever had to deal with US government or legislation. If you think red tape and overlapping jurisdictions and big bureaucracy are bad here, you really have to experience what it is like to do business in the US where you not only have competing regulations between state and feds (and, impressions to the contrary, when it comes to commerce, the US constitution inter-state commerce provisions give the feds a lot more power and make it a lot more centralist than us and make our provincial/federal jurisdictional battles look like a kindergarden sandbox squabble), but vicious competition among departments like you would never have here because the Senate, the House and the Executive Branch all have separate mandates. For example, I’ve worked for Canadian and US financial institutions doing business in the US and there are at least 4 federal departments that regulate them, often at odds with each other and not to mention state level regulation; in Canada, there is one. Add to that the very dysfunctional legislative process where, in order to get sufficient votes on a bill and make compromises, legislation on, say, a new energy bill will have addenda relating to a new agricultural subsidy to buy off the votes of some rural Reps. Now go and try to find out the laws relating to agriculture and see how easy it is to track down.
There are a lot of problems with Canadian governance and our checks and balances pale in comparison, for sure. But in terms of regulation of industry, Canadian governance is superior and the US model is dysfunctional. Speak to any American business person and they will agree.
Ted
Cerberus
“But in terms of regulation of industry, Canadian governance is superior”
That says it all right there. Do you even have a clue what you just wrote?
You must waste so many hours a day yearning for the gold ol’ days of Uncle Joe and Mao. They REALLY had superior regulation of industry.
Moron.
Good analogy Tomax! This ties in nicely with yesterdays post on “The West-Set to Auto Destruct” post.
good thread kate and blogs are my msm’s.
I laugh my mom is always worried about the internet I wonder what the cbc tells her…
Ted,
Re: USA Dysfunction,
I think it must be all that nasty voting that makes the USA so dysfunctional. sarc
Luckily Canadians do not have that problem.
Want French? No? Too bad. Want metric? No? Too bad. All products will be confiscated that do not comply.
Also, anyone want to make a bet about Mr. McKennas next position?
I’ll stick my neck out and predict it will require at least a part time presence in a warm state like Florida.
It’s not often I’d agree with Ted, but you haven’t experienced the nightmares of legalese in establishing a business in multiple state jurisdictions… You spend thousands on compliance in South Dakota, and find out half of your work is not compliant in North Dakota, and the other half contrevenes 57 regulations in Arizona, while in Montana they just say “do what ever you want, just don’t piss off the Indians”.
The US is not a Country persay when it comes to business, it’s a collection of countries, each looking to fuck the other, all the while hoping they don’t stumble on a Federal rule.
Cerberus: In Greek mythology, the three-headed watchdog who guards the entrance to the lower world,: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cerberus.html – 9k –
Cerberus: “might want to keep up with the news: McKenna dropped out of the race a month ago.)” +
In reply to: McKENNA’S BACK !!!!! ‘s message, “^^^^^^FLASH NEWS^^^^^” on 14:43:16 03/01/06 Wed
Mike Duffy was like a pig in poop interviewing McKenna and scooping the rest of the media with this “news” …. McKenna will be the only true Liberal who will be able to stop the Belinda Machine backed by her wealth and influence ….. !!!
McKenna versus Belinda …. and if Belinda has her people in place throughout the Liberal riding associations … just like Martin … she will be a formidable candidate for the leadership of the pathetic Liberals …. a match made in Aurora … LOL …!!! +
http://www.voy.com/178771/382.html
Cripes! What knee-jerk reaction to a critique, no a clarification of a critique, however minuscule of the great and almighty Americans! Check your sovereignty and national pride at the door folks, no room for that here.
Jeez. Read it again, Doug and Bozo. I did not say we are better governed or more democratic or superior as a nation. I said that, as anyone doing regular business in the US will attest, the US is a far more regulated place with far more rules on what a business can and can’t do, than we are. Worse, the regulation in the US comes from competing jurisdictions like here but, worse, competing departments within the same bloody government. Worse, because of their legislative process, regulation is far more piecemeal and scattered over many different, completely unrelated legislation.
And don’t take my critique of this one aspect of US regulation and governance as the same thing is being critical of “America” and “American democracy”. That’s being moronic, Doug. Anyone who reads my posts and comments knows that I think the US is a great country, that we could learn a lot from some aspects of their government and that I think the anti-Americanism of my fellow Liberals is not only lamentable but shameful and counterproductive. But that doesn’t mean we don’t do a few things right up here or that they don’t muck a few things up down there.
Your regular Canadian and even your Canadian business person want certain degree of regulation of industry – it’s a fact of life so deal with it. In my prior example of banks, Canadians and Americans accept that the government requires a certain demonstrated capital adequacy before allowing you to keep other people’s money in trust. In Canada, you want to set up a bank, you go to the website of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and you can print up all you need to know. And that’s for a bank! Try doing that in the US. Ha! Good luck. Try just lending money and figuring out what rules govern in the US.
When Canadian governments interfere with business through regulation, my personal experience from 10 years of cross-border transactions, is that we do it better. As heavy handed as we may be, we have a a single point of regulation, from a single relatively consistent section of the government. In the bank case for example, Canada probably ends up having a higher capital adequacy test in order to protect consumers, but one place to find the rules; in the US, you have to go to the Fed, to the OC, to state bank regulars, comply with Reg d (big ever-changing headache), etc. Are you a national bank or a state bank? Depends whose rules you look at and for what purpose. The Europeans, of course, are even worse, but I stand by my statement.
I’ve commented a number of times about the productivity problems of our economy, but the US has its own and their approach to government regulation is a bigger part of their problem than it is here.
Ted
Cerberus
This is what bothers me most about McKenna’s “frankness” about what the Martin government was doing in order to try and get Canadians onside in the last election by being provocatively anti-American, and painting the Americans as being anti-Canadian: Even KNOWING this, even HAVING BEEN TOLD this from the horse’s mouth (come to think of it, McKenna looks a lot like a horse, but I digress…) most Canadians seem to be in such a stupor that this Liberal dishonesty and lack of scruples barely registers on their radar screen.
I’ve recently become a teacher and am gob-smacked by the passive, non-thinking, shrugging, I-don’t-know-ness of far too many of my students. There doesn’t seem to be a thought among them, and when you challenge them to speak up and give you their opinion, all you get is vacant stares and the ever-present shrug.
The Canadian Shrug is what Trudeaupia has bequeathed our nation; it’s the liberal gift to Canada–and has the Liberal Government ever exploited our collective stupidity. They’ve robbed us blind, they’ve turned good into bad (being a stay-at-home mom, to give one example), bad into good (abortion-on-demand, paid for by the taxpayer; the gay lifestyle, which is costing the public big-time in health care costs: Do we EVER discuss this stress on the healthcare system in Canada?), and they’ve feathered their and their friends’ nests from feathers and twigs that belong in OUR nests–all with the support of the MSM and academe, not to mention the living-high-off-the-hog union bosses (Buzzes?). Lord love a duck. I could go on…but I think you get the message.
What boobs we Canadians are. That’s how over 100 Liberal seats were won. And it’s a crying shame. Quick, bring me the smelling salts…
THAT WRETCHED CAMPAIGN
There now is solid evidence that Canada’s Liberals deliberately fueled anti-American sentiments for campaign purposes during the last general election. More telling is that it is one of the Liberal Party’s key people who has been frank enough to reveal…
It is also interesting that our Canadian dollar is now the highest in twelve years. The LIEberals did plenty to destroy our international image, in particular with the USA.
= = = = == = = = = = = = =
By-the-way: “no bozos allowed” (above)
How would you like to join my party? The LIEberals are the only competition in Ottawa right now, I’m sure we can get more votes than them. We are the official opposition party of the Rhino’s. We also promise to do only what is good for Canadians (and of course those who voted us in.)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Rumours persist that Belinda is on a shopping spree for riding associations ala Bucky Dither’s methodology and the party exec is nervous that she will be successful before they can manage to install their (primariliy francophone but still biligual) annointed choice. So much so I’m betting they’ve put the screws to McKenna to do a rethink on this leadership thing to under cut the loverly but uniligual Ms Stronach.
“Don’t worry about that 24/7 obligation Frankie” they’ll be telling him, “you just leave it all to us, all you have to do is divorce yourself from any and all contections to big Paulie”.
So now Frankie is doing the maybe yes maybe no dance for the MSM librano flackies, “damn the policy debate lets just keep two steps ahead of barbie big bucks”. The back side of this is that Barbie has more style appeal to the liberal youth than the old white guy McKenna and even then neither of them seems to have what the left wing kook fringe find appealing that will keep them from running to the open arms of the NDP…ah well lets just keep our eyes on the latte sipping GTA lib-leftie metrosexuals then shall we.
So screw the policy debate, the natural governing party needs a new head after…….the old one fell off from an overload of self induced sense of entitlement. The LPC needs something in a new age, anti-US, anti-Bush, pro-Kyoto, pro gay, Trudeaulike, Clinton-democratic, all style no substance multicultural sort, with blue eyes, blonde hair and full of dead air that will repeat on cue the liberal talking points.
Just sell those liberal memberships before the deadline and hope the winner has lots of cash left over to aleviate that whopper of a party debt.
Belinda the wonder candidate she’s the one, if she can’t buy it, nobody can.
THAT WRETCHED CAMPAIGN
There now is solid evidence that Canada’s Liberals deliberately fueled anti-American sentiments for campaign purposes during the last general election. More telling is that it is one of the Liberal Party’s key people who has been frank enough to reveal…
True enough Ted.
It is faster to write ALL the cheques to the Receiver General.
The productivity of the Canadian system however, speaks (or should I say whispers) for itself.
I agree the Canadian banks are better.
So why did Ottawa, under the Liberals, make sure they could not consolidate in order to grow to such a level as to be able to compete in the USA market?
Rumours persist that Belinda is on a shopping spree for riding associations ala Bucky Dither’s methodology and the party exec is nervous that she will be successful before they can manage to install their (primariliy francophone but still biligual) annointed choice
Great post gimbol, but where are those rumours coming from. If Belinda takes over the Liberal party, they are in big trouble. PMSH will cream Quebec as Belinda stares like a dear in the headlights as Gilles and Stephen rake her over the coals while she stands their smiling.
Twice in the Mike Duffy interview with Frank McKenna, Duffy dangled some bait inviting Mr. McKenna to blame Paul Martin’s advisors rather than Paul Martin for the anti-US stance during the election. Both times Mr. McKenna refused to bite.
That was the most interesting part of the exchange in my books, that Mike Duffy was so keen on exonerating Mr. Martin and that Mr. McKenna was not obliging. Was Frank McKenna taking a shot at Mr. Martin or was he refusing to take a shot at Mr. Martin’s advisors?
If the latter, why is Mr. McKenna being so careful not to slam the advisors?
No, Bozo, it is not as simplistic as having a single place to pay your money. In fact, we don’t. You have one department that can deal with inconsistencies and overlaps and is not competing (so much with other departments) and requiring you to take two or three (or more) incompatible actions. Maybe I should say it differently: we do regulation and red tape badly, but not nearly, not remotely, as badly as the US. Chalk one up for the home team here.
Our productivity problems are not regulation, although that doesn’t help. It is more infrastructure, innovation (research and high skill education) and corporate taxes. The situation is getting so bad that even the Liberals have zeroed in on it over the last few years with some baby steps and made it (at least on paper, I’ll give you that) a priority during the election with its education platform, moderate corporate tax cuts and cities agenda, but unfortunately the Conservatives are not making this a priority. Certainly not one of Harper’s 5 priorities.
And as for banks, under the Liberals, as it will be under the Conservatives, the banks were not allowed to merge because of us. It’s too bad. Canadian consumers are just too freaked out about how radically, fundamentally their lives might change because there are four national banks instead of six (I’m including the National Bank here even though it hardly counts the same as the other big 5).
The banks and maybe the government need to educate the public about why they want to merge and what benefit there will be. The government, including this Conservative government, doesn’t have the stomach to do it until there is more public support. There are no votes to be gained and many to be lost, the benefits are obvious to too few while the downside too obvious to too many (even if the upside outweighs the downside, there are still downsides). It’s that simple.
Now, what was the original topic of the post again?
Ted
Cerberus
Bank mergers are far off the radar of normal Canadians. Like the notwithstanding clause, no one much cares.
Only the militant “progressive” voters have a thing against bank mergers. The rest are pretty unconcerned.
Ted, you are preaching to the converted. That little minority.
enough
Ted, have you ever tried to ship softwood lumber from BC to Alberta?
And you assume I am not Canadian so I think you are the BOZO and since my rule is NO BOZOS ALLOWED, and you have called me a BOZO 2X now, I’ll catch ya later, maybe.
Ted: “Keith (up above): Since when does being critical of a single aspect of American government mean you are anti-American?”
Phew! Talk about straw men! I never wrote that McKenna was “anti-American”. The discussion here has to do with McKenna’s statements that Martin was being “sanctimonius”, with the clear implication that he, McKenna, was not that way and that he did not approve. What is more sanctimonious and more counterproductive than to have our Ambassador to the U.S. slinking back to Canada to toss darts back at Washington, during an election campaign? Think what you may of a system of checks and balances, or of the virtues of centralized bureaucracy versus decentralized bureaucracy, but McKenna was just as active in poking sticks at the Americans as was Martin. Certainly, he did nothing to try to counteract Martin’s damaging comments. McKenna was all for the us-against-them game as long as the Libs were in power, now he is singing a different tune and he wants to hang all the blame on Martin. He is a hypocrite. If he had made his statements re the U.S. government as a private citizen, I could not have cared less. Hoever, he was our Ambassador and he made the comments during an election campaign. It is unforgiveable and it should not be forgotten, never mond McKenna’s attempts to push his own actions down the Orwellian memory hole.
The ‘hexperts’, the hintellectuals, the blatherers; they get paid for crapola like this:+
Kirkey was born in near Ottawa and attended Queen�s University before moving to the United States to pursue his doctorate in 1987. He�s since taught at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade�s Mine Action Team as the Mine Action Scholar-in-Residence. +
He has been called a �leading scholar of Canada/U.S relations.�
Q. How would you describe current Canada/US relations in terms of our respective governments? And what do you see happening when the new Prime Minister takes over from Jean Chretien?
“I think we�re going to see an enormous embrace from Ottawa towards Washington when Paul Martin comes to power. Paul Martin has made it clear that his overriding foreign policy concern is the restoration of relations with Washington.
I think right now there�s nothing significant on the horizon until Mr. Martin comes in. The attitude in Washington is let’s just sit and wait until there�s a change in government. It�s clear that there�s no love lost between the two current leaders. Chretien and Bush just don�t enjoy a close relationship or a friendship. It�s good to have that personal relationship.” +
http://temagami.carleton.ca/jmc/cnews/17102003/connections/c4.html
p.s. to my post at 5:45. For clarification, it’s not about being anti-anything, it’s about how you deal with your neighbour and trading partner. IMHO, Libs like Martin and McKenna are not principled enough to be anti-anything anyway, they just follow their own self interest.
OT moonbats the next generation:
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:gOtux8ak4IwJ:www.langleytimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=47&cat=23&id=588664&more=%2Bemerson%2Bsite:www.langleytimes.com&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1
Good points, Doug and new kid on the block,
People are always looking for a ‘crack in the wall’ to reconstruct the corrupt, stinking Liberano outfit. They present a ‘senerio’ of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in the Liberal party – everyone knows that ‘birds of a feather, flock together’. The MSM’s ‘good Liberals’ could have taken the high road and walked away from the Liberano party; the fact that most of them did not (especially the big-shots) speaks volumes. If Canada wants to be ‘led down the garden path’ to the funeral of the nation; I say, keep looking for ‘good’ people in a completly rotton organization – it is still a voluntary thing to belong to a political party. If you don’t like the way they do things, honor to yourself would demand that you exit. Frank M. is still a Liberal, case closed. Nothing he says has any value.
Keith is right: that’s McKenna’s “goody two shoes” schtick. Moral high ground after the Librano$ tsunami. Full stop.
Belinda Stronach becoming leader of federal Liberal party? If only it could be so; unfortunately, there is nobody to bribe her into taking a job she is unqualified for by virtue of intellect or experience. But, then again!!
Ted – have you ever tried to install a road culvert in a rural municipality in Saskatchewan?
Until you do, it’s probably best to lay off the “our regulatory system is better” debate….