NO Youth Wing!

Liberals stick their "youth" into a little sandbox. In the CPC, the young people get to play with the grown-ups.

That's why I oppose any attempt to form an outside organization that could lead to the formation of a "youth wing".

No Youth Wing!

PETA insults Arctic First Nation peoples

Disgusting. I don't nomally have the time of day for the nutbars at PETA, but this new protest is crossing a line even for them... taking a traditional First Nations symbol of the Inukshuk, and turning into a stick figure of a man clubbing a baby seal.

The folks at PETA should apologize to the various Artic First Nation peoples IMMEDIATELY, and withdraw this disgusting slur of a campaign.

The seal hunt is a part of their traditional heritage, and to use multiple aspects of their cultural traditions for their own PR purposes is contemptable. Shame on them.

Therefore, I'd like to refer the folks at PETA to our Right Honourable Governor General Michelle Jean with their complaint about the traditional seal hunt...

When a photo op is just a photo op

So Warren posted a photo in an effort to smear Minister Kennedy today, and got a digital tongue lashing from Maclean's Kady O'Malley for his efforts. (at least I'm assuming he's who she's refering too).

Sometimes, a photo op is just that... a photo op. I'd like to take this opportunity to post a few examples...

Exhibit A - A friend posing with a former Cabinet Minister (oops... how'd that anti-Dion shirt get past the guards and into that shot?):

Exhibit B - Me posing with the Ontario Provincial Green Party Leader:
FULL DISCLOSURE: I had a chance a few weeks ago to snag a shot with Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, as it was just her and I in the hallway for a moment... but I kept walking instead)

Exhibit C - Me posting with a Federal Opposition Party Leader (with whom I share little ideologically, other than the fact that we actually hold ideological positions, unlike our Liberal "friends"):
(a co-worker saw this photo the other day, as I have it posted above my desk, along with one of my pics with the PM... her comment was, "I see someone has been cutting and pasting photos!" Pretty much floored her when I told her that no, in fact, those were original photographs)

Exhibit D - Some unnamed blogger posing with a former Canadian Prime Minister and his wife, alongside a philandering and nearly impeached former President of the United States:
(only copy of the photo I could snag online was one that was a PhotoShopped one from a conservative blog with captions that I didn't want to post here...)

See where I'm going with this? Sometimes, a photo is just a photo. Posting the "embarrassing" photo was a bit of a stretch, and I'm sure it will come right back at them... as the article linked to by Kady points out (an article she also decries, it should be noted), the ON PC "President" in question was a former Liberal supporter. Here's hoping he didn't manage to snag a similar photo of himself with a certain Premier of Ontario at a local event, eh?

"Yezterdae" - Video remembering the Holocaust

Jeremy Andrews, a high school friend of mine who's an history undergrad at U of T, was given a fellowship by the University of Toronto's Jackman Humanities Institute to create a music video for a rap song he'd written remembering the Holocaust.

This is his finished product... Perpetrators-Bystanders-Victims (Yezterdae)
(WARNING - Video contains actual Holocaust footage that some may find disturbing... though at times like this, I think we need to see the images, that we may never forget, and never repeat, this awful crime)

May we never forget...

Google OS on the horizon?

This could be something to watch... Google is working on a low footprint Linux based OS for the desktop market, in a direct challenge to Microsoft's dominance.

I'd be willing to give it a whirl on my Asus EeePC netbook, which is what the first incarnation of the OS would likely target. Though I must say I'm fairly happy with my Ubuntu 9.04, which I have on my netbook and on my HP dv9000 laptop that I'm running right now. (though I have managed to goof up my Java-based SSL-VPN client somehow... that oughta be a fun one to fix)

"United Breaks Guitars"

Ouch! This is what's classified as a "PR Nightmare" in business... a polite little Canadian artist named Dave Carroll tears a big strip out of corporate giant United Airlines, smiling as he does in his professionally made music video that's gone viral on YouTube. He launched the video on Monday, and it's recorded over 1.6 MILLION views in four days... and he's averaging 30,000+ hits an hour at the moment.



It's gone international too... being covered here by CBC, Global & CTV, down in the States on CNN, BBC over in Europe, along with various media outlets all the way down under in Australia. Here's the CNN clip...


Having had my own little PR battle with an airline recently, and having been moderately successful (they met my demands halfway), it's nice to see someone being able to turn a negative situation into something really positive for himself, and really negative for a slow moving and unresponsive behemoth like United Airlines. So many companies still have yet to clue in that CUSTOMER SERVICE is huge, and if you don't work to meet the reasonable expectations of reasonable customers who have legitimate complaints, such as a smashed guitar, you're bound to get burned in the long run... normally just via word of mouth, but as we see in this case, it could end up being a PR nightmare.

So, the moral of this story is... sometimes it's cheaper to swallow the $1300 repair bill, rather than now having to fight a massive PR battle with potentially tens of thousands of dollars of manpower and company resources.

And as for companies that have a good reputation for customer service in my books, I like Rogers on their Home phone and internet side (though I've had issues with their wireless divisions), and Telus Mobility for their cellular Customer Service. Several times when I've called them with an issue, they've gotten it fixed, and have found some reasonable means of compensation. Telus was the best though, my cell was dying, battery was shot two years into a three year contract. The guy on the phone arranged to cancel my existing contract, and opened things up for me to sign on to a new two year deal with a new phone. Rogers Home Phone did something similar, they'd messed up my billing so bad that I was ready to cancel on them and go back to Ma Bell. Anyway, the guy on the phone saved the day by arranging for several months of free phone service. THAT's how you keep customers.

As for poor examples, well, there's always my infamous U-Haul incidents... yes, that's plural. Like the time I booked a truck, and never got one, PERIOD. Or the time my mother-in-law booked a 26' truck, only to be told THE DAY OF that there wasn't one available, but she could use one of their 17' ones... FOR TWICE THE PRICE. Or the time I was moving my stuff back from New Brunswick, and my truck broke down ONE HOUR into my trip... that was a four hour delay on that one. Might have had to do with the fact that the truck was due for one of it's major service checks that they hadn't bothered to do. Oh yea, and did I mention that it was leaking diesel the whole trip? Then there was the time I was moving my buddy's stuff back from Halifax for him while he was on his honeymoon, and we got pulled over for inspection by the MTO, who noticed a tire was leaking due to the fact that they'd tried to plug the sidewall instead of replacing the tire... which was a MAJOR safety hazard, in his opinion. (some little concern about a potential rollover due to a blowout at 100kms/hour if I hit a pothole the wrong way...) Yea, that was another four hour delay. Each and every time, I talked to U-Haul with some reasonable requests, like covering my cell usage while I called for service, or a night at a hotel after I'd been stranded at the side of the road for hours and wasn't going to make my destination on time. Only ONCE did they ever cough up the dough... $12 for an oil pan to catch the diesel fuel while I was parked. (At least I still have the oil pan) Another time they offered up $200 in vouchers for my "next reservation", which I did end up using for my one and only successfully uninterrupted move... which is somewhat ironic, the only one that didn't have a major incident was the only one I didn't pay for! Another time I managed to get $40 in vouchers, which were then used by someone else. Anyway, there's lots of reasons why U-Haul is the WORST company to deal with when it comes to "customer service"... of which they have pretty much NONE. So my last move? Went with Kelly Car & Truck Rental, and it was a piece of cake.

Light blogging and $3500 for my '97 VW

Some have noticed that I haven't been posting much lately. Been busy at work, (for which I'm very greatful right now with the economy they way it is), and to be honest, I haven't been very politically motivated right now.

Nothing's really gotten me going lately, I'm pretty happy with the status quo. The economy is rough, but things seem to be leveling off, and the right folks are in charge to help with the recovery.

One thing I will comment on is the possibility of the Federal government offering up $3500 for old clunkers to encourage people to buy new cars. Now many of my ultra-conservative brethren (and sistren, I suppose) will probably be writhing around in agony over the prospect of "yet another Government program", but this is actually a program that I support. In the interest of full disclosure, I would likely benefit from this program, as my 1997 VW Golf would finally get scrapped, and it's almost time to replace her, with 323,000kms on the odometer. (and the fact that the tranny's starting to go) But a program like this, where there's a direct benefit to many of the taxpayers footing the bill, rather than the Government throwing billions at the union-bloated automakers, just makes sense to me. It's the kind of program directed at and benefiting the taxpayer who's helping to foot the bill, rather than directly funding the union slobs who got us into this economic boat in the first place. (with all their overpaid union jobs, along with their insanely bloated and company crippling pensions) Of course, they get the trickle down benefit, but I prefer the "Taxpayer First, Automakers & Unions Second" sort of approach to economic recovery. Put it this way... since I heard about the possiblity of this program, and I went out car hunting the other evening. No way will I buy without a program like this though... it's just enough to push me into the market. That's right, I said "The Market"... which is what will ultimately help us out of this mess, not big-spending "stimulus" programs.

Was thinking a bit more about this the other day I saw one of those "Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign!" bumper stickers. They really tick me off. So I want to get one custom made, maybe even sell a few...

"Car break down yet? Keep buying overpriced CAW-built junk!"
or
"Car break down lately? THAT's why I buy foreign!"
or
"Economy broken yet? Keep supporting overpaid unions!"

"Republicans for Ignatieff"

This is HILARIOUS, if you ask me... and no, I don't know where it came from.

If anyone sees an associated Facebook group pop up, let me know so I can join it!

Tim Hudak, Ontario's Next Premier

Congrats to Tim Hudak for your win! It's time to saddle up, and get ready to win in 2011. Absolutely LOVE the comment I saw quoted today about the union crybabies... I'm looking for the exact quote, something along the lines of "They should be greatful they have jobs."

Tim, like I promised you when this race began, a deal is a deal... ;-)

Ladies and Gentlemen, please turn your attention to the top right corner of this blog...

"The King (of Pop)" is dead

And I guess thanks to his enduring mark on the music industry, we can use that old saying, "The King is dead. Long live the King."

Can't say I was ever a fan, but he was a part of my childhood, growing up in the 80's. But you know it's a pretty big thing when it even makes conversation in my Thursday night Prayer meeting.

I mean, come on... who amongst us doesn't remember "The Moonwalk"?

Party unity begins NOW

Never did I think I'd become a lightning rod in this Provincial leadership campaign. All the accusations of spin, and attacks for simply calling it how I see it have been pretty unbelievable.

Obviously, tensions are running high as we approach the finish line. People have been asking me to call this one, who's going to win, final order on the ballots, etc. I really don't think I can, nor do I want to, try and make a prediction on this one.

All I'm going to say is that I've said what I need to say. I'll make up my mind, and will place my vote tomorrow, and then stand behind the winner as we prepare to defeat Dalton McGuinty in 2011.

I don't want to be accused of causing any further division, so I will be keeping my eventual decision to myself, and to a few close friends. May the best man (and I mean that in it's non-gender specific manner, so get lost all you politically correct types... I'm referring to all four candidates) win the day on Saturday.

And thanks to the guy who called me about half an hour ago... yes, your voice does carry weight with me. We need to stick together if we're going to have any hope of winning in 2011. I do have many friends in just about every camp, and we need to be able to come together after this to rescue this province from the Liberals.

A couple of points that I'd like the winner to consider. Obviously, we need to come together as a Party, as there are some significant divisions that have been exposed. We need you to:

1) Listen to and take heed of the concerns of the far-right Libertarians, and seek to address their needs, without making our message unpalitable to the rest of the province.

2) Ensure that the disaffected SoCons within our ranks are brought back into the fold. There are many who have walked away, feeling that the issues that are important to them are being ignored, while they're still being expected to show up and carry the banner for the Party. Many simply stayed home in 2007, and we saw the results. It wasn't just Faith Based Schools, it was the fact that the Party had moved too far to the left for them to lend their support in good concience.

3) Remember who we are... we are Conservatives. Reak Conservatism, when not presented in a "Liberal-lite" fashion, DOES resonate with Ontario voters. Mike Harris won with a BIGGER majority in 1999 because he STUCK TO HIS GUNS. He had told the people in 1995 what he intended to do, and then he did it. We need to present a relevant and genuinely Conservative platform in order to provide a viable option to the people. Dalton has managed to capture the centre with moderate policies, even somewhat "conservative" in some respects... we need to win them back.

4) When you're building your team, don't be afraid to disappoint some of the folks who expect jobs when this race is over. Take your time, don't rush, and really examine the membership of the other teams. Talk to your fellow leadership rivals, and get their input on who their stars were, and why. I've got a few ideas on that, in no particular order, and from every campaign. Take a serious look at Randy's web guys, Tim's local ground organizers, Christine's "Path to Victory" authors and upper organizers, Frank's issue and membership people... those are a couple good places to start, but I'm sure I've missed a bunch.

5) Adopt a large degree of, if not the whole thing, of Christine's "Path to Victory" document. I think it's a great place to start to rebuild and prepare the entire organization, from the top right on down to the local membership, to return to the Premier's office.

6) Discuss key critic posts with your fellow leadership rivals, and give them some latitude on where they end up. Obviously, in some cases they can't expect to just have their pick of portfolios, (perhaps putting Randy in Health wouldn't be such a great idea...) but their input should be strongly considered in order to gain some insight from their perspective.

7) Above all else, don't spring any policy surprises on the membership. If they don't know what's coming down the pipes, don't expect them to be able to sell it for you at the door.

8) KEEP IT SIMPLE!!! Ensure that our genuinely Conservative policies can be understood by anyone and everyone. Things the public can latch on to, ideas that they can clearly see the benefit of to their everyday lives. Make it about THEM, because that's exactly who we seek to serve.

Of course, I'll be watching this all unfold from a distance. I'll likely be tuning into the radio to get my updates, as I'll be off in the woods all weekend. And once I get back, I'll be paying close attention to the moves made at Queen's Park. You'll all recall how quickly I became one of John Tory's biggest detractors, to the point where I was being consulted by the media regularly. I'll be there, standing behind you and supporting you. Stay focused, get down to business, and bring this Party back together again.

We're all counting on you to bring this province back from the brink... from every camp.

Ontario: Ours to Recover. (it's always nice when you can beat those lefties over the head with their own slogans... I say we swipe this one from the Harris era Teachers Unions, eh?)

Maybe now the Libs will work with us on crime?

Congrats to all you "soft on crime" ninnies... we're one of the world's biggest drug exporters.

New strategy... how about, you know, actually "punishing" the offenders? Like how about significant "mandatory minimums" for producing and/or trafficing?

I'm thinking 10 years, MINIMUM, without parole if you're caught producing. I'm thinking we need to grant the police more powers to deal with people they know are producing, but they don't have enought to get a warrant. I'm thinking like 5-8 years for transporting over 500g of "E", because if you're moving that much product, your intent is to sell... that's not for "personal use".

We're the laughing stock of the world now. It's time to saddle up, and lock'em up. We could sure fight a winning campaign on this one.

Oh yea, and no house arrest.

Looks like I'm not the only one

Another bandwagon jumper, from Hudak to Elliott... this one high profile. Looks like I'm not alone...

Former Mike Harris Policy Chief Switches Support to Christine Elliott

For Immediate Release

Toronto, ON – Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership contender Christine Elliott gained a new high-profile supporter today, as she left a rival candidate’s campaign to endorse Elliott.

“Christine speaks to the Progressive Conservative in me. We are fiscal conservatives but we can’t lose sight of our social responsibilities,” said Denise Cole, former Premier Mike Harris’ Director of Policy. “What I have seen from Christine throughout this leadership race is clear, thoughtful policy that will appeal to all Ontarians, not just some.”

Cole supported leadership candidate Tim Hudak before switching her support to Christine Elliott today. Cole is a long-standing Progressive Conservative Party member and volunteer and has a strong history of community involvement.

“Christine has taken an intelligent approach in saying we must fix, not scrap, Ontario’s flawed human rights tribunals,” said Cole. “She has articulated a clear policy that will not impede our party’s ability to win in 2011.”

Elliott launched her campaign on April 3, 2009, citing the need for an alternative to Dalton McGuinty’s failed leadership in the face of economic crisis. On April 16, she unveiled the Path to Victory, a comprehensive, tactical plan to build the PC Party and defeat Dalton McGuinty in the next election.

“I am delighted to have won Denise’s support,” said Elliott. “She has been a crucial part of a successful era for Progressive Conservatives and can help us apply those lessons in 2011.”

Christine Elliott is the twice-elected MPP for Whitby-Oshawa. As an elected official and long-time volunteer for the PC Party of Ontario who has loyally stood by its leader, Christine has fought for the things Progressive Conservatives believe in: lower taxes and a government focused on delivering high quality public services like hospitals, schools, roads and a tougher approach to crime. With a demonstrated record of compassion for the most vulnerable in our society, Christine believes strongly in her party’s legacy of helping those in need.

-30-

For more information:

Catherine Pringle
Tel: 866-944-6497
Email: info@votechristine.ca
votechristine.ca
twitter.com/votechristine

What's really funny is how some Hudak supporters have been accusing me of becoming a "shill" for the Elliott Campaign, or saying how I've been "spun" by various paid members of the Elliott team.

Truth is, I honestly haven't made up my mind yet. I've been trying very hard to be impartial and simply chronical the leadership race as it's been unfolding.

Of late, the BIGGEST story in this race hasn't been the various policy positions, or who's ahead, or anything like that... it's been the absolute collapse of the Hudak Campaign. And it's really sad to see, because of the four contenders, I think Tim would make the best Premier, end of story. But my biggest concern is that with the people he's got surrounding him, and whispering in his ear, I'M AFRAID HE'LL NEVER GET THE CHANCE.

And I really REALLY want to beat Dalton McGuinty! So because I've been left with the strong impression that Tim's Team simply isn't up to the task, I was forced to start looking around for a group, a team, who CAN put together a winning campaign. And I've come to the conclusion that it's Christine's Team who can do that.

Have I made up my mind yet? Not a chance. But make no mistake, I'm not alone. I know of a significant number of higher profile people who had planned to vote on Sunday, but who have opted to take a few more days to think about it instead. Some have indicated to me that they "were" Hudak supporters, and may (and are likely to) still vote for Tim. Others didn't indicate to me what their intentions were, but have decided to delay their decision until Thursday. And we're talking mid-level organizers, current and former riding Presidents, the people who are the movers and shakers at the local and regional levels... the folks without whom this Party simply can't win.

This race really is FAR from over folks.

Klees campaign "Furious" over Hudak antics

Stephen Taylor's got the scoop on this one.

The Klees campaign characterizes the McCreadie letter as “arrogant”, “pious” a “smear” and “not true”. The Klees campaign argued that while McCreadie and the Hudak campaign initiated the complaint, McCreadie himself was 45 minutes late to the three hour meeting to decide the complaint, which he ultimately lost. Further, the Klees campaign accuses the Hudak campaign of salting the earth, “what is this, winning at all costs?” Further, it was explained that all candidates want party unity and that it is “arrogant” for the Hudak campaign to think that only they hold that card.

Ouch.

And you've got to be a completely inept political moron if you think that they're not letting their supporters know how they feel about it... which is going to translate into lost 2nd ballot support for Tim, end of story, full stop.

And dispite what some folks think, Klees supporters don't have to "move" their second choices from Tim to Christine to send the Hudak campaign a message... all they have to do is vote ONLY for Frank, and thereby deny Tim the 2nd choice vote they'd intended to give him.

If Tim loses over this, then perhaps it's for the best. His "team" will have lost this one for him, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...

Hey, does that SOUND FAMILIAR???

Did Team Hudak just give the win to Christine?

Okay, so the Party says it wasn't the Klees Campaign who paid for that push-poll last week, as they've dismissed the Hudak Campaign's complaint as being "without merit". I know it wasn't the Elliott Campaign, from the folks I've talked to. (serious folks, I trust my source) So just who paid for the anti-Hudak push-poll last week?

Here's my analysis of the situation... the Hudak Campaign may have just given the win to Christine Elliott. Think about it... they accused Frank's team of some serious stuff. With only days left to go, the Party has said, "Nope, you guys got it wrong". Now there's a whole bunch of really ticked off Klees supporters, who in all likelihood had initially planned to vote for Tim as their #2 pick.

You think those #2 votes are gonna hold? I'm thinking not so much... and I think Tim needed those 2nd votes to win this thing.

It's right down to the wire, and things just got real interesting...

A Happy Father's Day indeed!

So let me tell you about this friend of mine. He's working two jobs right now, long story. He's a great dad, and always willing to lend a hand when he can... just a great guy.

So his wife hears about this Father's Day contest for the best dad around, and fills out the entry forms with a write-up of why my friend should be recognized as a great father.

They just found out he won 3rd Prize. So what did they get? A brand new 40"LCD TV, along with a BlueRay player.

Of pretty much everyone I know, I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. Congrats man, and Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there!

BIG blunder by WalMart

Okay, so I'm in WalMart half an hour ago, and I saw something that got my blood boiling pretty quick. It may well have been a complete oversight on some employee's part, but I don't know how you can mess this pretty easy one up...

I'm standing in the checkout isle, and low and behold, next to the Maltesers candy, what do I see? An entire section of rainbow pack TROJANS... yes, as in condoms.

Now, the sight of condoms in general tends to send my blood pressure north, but seeing them sitting at a child's eye level, right next to the candy? I'm sorry, but that's one royal screw up by someone. Just what sort of message are we sending our kids these days anyway?

So I pointed it out to the Assistant Manager on duty, and I got the impression the he was surprised to see that. He said he'd get it looked into right away. Good on him, but I'm thinking this one needs to be brought to the attention of corporate. It was one of your stores in the KW area, it's currently under construction, if that helps you narrow it down.

CLARIFICATION: Someone asked me about the line "the sight of condoms in general tends to send my blood pressure north"... just to clarify, I tend to associate them with pre-martial sex, which is a no-no in my books. Just so I don't offend any of my married long time readers. ;-)

I expect to see this corrected immediately, and will be checking in there in the next few days. (with a camera, if need be)

Any further inquiries from WalMart corporate can be left in the comments... I just won't publish them.

Team Hudak sends a shot across Frank's bow

Ouch... this one's a big one, with the first day of voting just two days away.

Team Hudak has accused the Frank Klees Team of being behind the push-poll from last week... ironicly, the very same push-poll that various Hudak supporters (on various locations online, and in conversations I've had) were accusing the Elliott folks of being responsible for. (Just for clarity, note that I'm NOT talking about the HRC related Angus Reid poll that WAS from the Elliott campaign)

As I indicated yesterday, it's stuff like this that I really don't like... the cultist "group think" said that the anti-Hudak push-poll was obviously Christine's fault, and that Christine's team were playing "dirty tricks". Now the folks at the top of the Hudak Team are quitely saying it was in fact someone else, but have failed to mention it to their supporters... therefore letting them continue to spread the rumour right up until the ballots are cast.

Well that's not cool, if you ask me. Yes, a stratgeic move, but there should be full disclosure on all sides regarding this one.

Again, it's another strike for me... and I say this as someone who was fully committed to voting for Tim up until just a few days ago. In fact, I may still vote for him, I think it's going to come down to the last moment for me on Sunday... kinda like the 2007 election itself, when I hesitated, albeit briefly, and thought about voting Green. (hey, we had a stellar Green candidate, what can I say)

My vote's still up for grabs, so watch your comments folks.

I'M BACK TO UNDECIDED

It's not your fault Tim, I still love ya, and the deal's still on if you win... but thanks to some members of the organization, and the various online antics of some supporters, I am once again in the "undecided" column.

So much for the "11th Commandment"... I've seen more violations of that sacred tenet from Tim's supporters than I've seen from any other camp. Add to that this whole scrapping the HRT (not HRC, as I've been corrected) issue, and you may see why my support has wavered. It's the Third Rail folks... ZAP!!!

To commenters who support Hudak, be careful what you say here today... you may push me over the edge to Elliott. In fact, it's thanks to you, in large part, that I'm now undecided once again.

If there's one thing I can't stand in politics, it's the cult of "group think". It's the standard diagnosis of most Liberal supporters, and I find it repulsive. If you're going to support someone, you'd better be able to articulate why. But don't dare tell me you're supporting someone simply because you want to stop the other guy, because that's the standard line a Liberal would give me as to why they're a Liberal... "To stop Harper and the scary Conservatives".

If you're wondering why I've "fallen off the bandwagon" as it were, here's just a couple of reasons...

1) The rumours, the inuendo, and the outright lies I've been seeing online about the various other campaigns... predominantly coming from Hudak supporters. It was the MAIN reason I could never support the likes of Ron Paul in the States, or Randy Hillier during this Leadership race... because many of their supporters were/are rabidly partisan nutcases. [To my Faithful Fergus Follower, I'm not talking about you here... you've been doing much better now that you're taking your meds... just kidding! ;-)]

2) Many Hudak supporters have been running around online and openly accusing the Elliott camp for the push-poll that occured the other week. Well kiddies, keep your eyes on the news, cause you're all in for a surprise... did I mention I don't like folks who spread stories without a shred of evidence?

3) The comedy of errors that has been the Hudak Campaign... no fault of Tim's, I must say though. I've talked to Tim several times, met with him once, and I was impressed forwards and backwards. I really like Tim, and I think he'd make an excellent Premier... however, he made the same mistake as John Tory, in who he's listening to for advice. It's been like watching the 2007 election all over again, and it ain't been pretty. I know several of Tim's people, and his organizers, and I love'em... but I'm really concerned about some of the upper level folks who have been calling the shots, the folks who are whispering in Tim's ear. Again, if Tim wins, I'll be fine with that, so long as some serious house cleaning gets done at the top levels, with certain folks being brought on board for the 2011 Campaign. Adopting Christine's "Path To Victory" document would also be a good idea. I'll be keeping an eye on the makeup of the 2011 Campaign Team, and that will assist in determining my level of support for the election.

Go ahead, comment away, I'm open to discussion... but behave, and let's talk rationally and positively, or you'll go pushing me over the edge.

Best line of the day on Iggy's abstention

Buddy of mine sends me a note today, BEST line of the day on Iggy's climb down... "So it looks like the Professor is going on sabbatical"