"I'm Stephane Dion, and I approve this message"

The most negative political hit in Canadian history... coming from the man who said he'd "take the high road"?

Yea... right.  Some high road there Stephane.

He personally approves every ad, right?  Yep, his stamp is on this one... it says it right on the bottom... "AUTHORIZED BY THE FEDERAL LIBERAL AGENCY OF CANADA, REGISTERED AGENT FOR THE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA"

Brought to you by Stephane Dion, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.  Bringing politics in Canada to a new low.

Oh, by the way guys... anyone spoke to Iggy about this topic lately, considering he and Harper were on the same page and all?

This oughta be fun...

DION PRESSES THE BUTTON & GOES NUCLEAR

I can't believe it, but the Liberals have gone and done it again... looks like it's "Soldiers with Guns... Part II"

By far, this has got to be the most negative political ad ever seen here in Canada.  Talk about desperation... pulling out the Bush card a full week and a half ahead of schedule?  Under normal circumstances, they'd have held off on this one until the final week, give the Tories no time to respond.  But after getting trounced in the polls for weeks, they've gone ahead and pulled out the WMD's of political ads now.

This is going to backfire HUGE. Especially considering their own deputy leader was on the same page!

Mr. Dion?  You said you were going to take "the high road".

This ad says you're a liar.  And I don't use strong language like that often.

Are Kyoto fanatics going too far? Will they ban BBQ's next?

I recall reading various posts, and seeing some political cartoons joking about Mr. Dion going on the BBQ circuit this summer, about how they would contribute to Global Warming and all.  Basically mocking some of the more "over-zealous" folks in the Climate Change movement.

Well, those jokes may not be all that far fetched in the not so distant future... check the title of this report in the Guardian today... "Meat must be rationed to four portions a week, says report on climate change"

Yes, you read that correctly... they're even starting to talk about regulating our food in the name of climate change.

I remember watching "SeaQuest DSV" years ago, that futuristic eco-sci-fi submarine show.  And I recall one episode vividly, because I thought the idea was so completely outlandish... where one of the crew spends a ton of money to obtain a small amount of a banned substance... BEEF.  You see, in the future, the raising of cattle for food had been banned, due to the GHG output of the cows.  However, he managed to smuggle this illegal product onto the sub, and had just finished cooking a single burger when he got caught by the captain.  The captain confiscated this illegal item, and the member of the crew almost burst into tears, it had been so long since he'd had a REAL hamburger.  But of course, before the captain threw it away, he just had to take a bite of this wonderfully illegal burger... at which point his face lit up with sheer delight.

Now reading this article... that future isn't as far fetched as I once thought.

Big Brother is indeed watching you.  Want to slow the progress of this nutty agenda?  You know what to do... just make sure you put your "X" in the right box.

h/t to Bourque

Rick Mercer Strikes Again - Election Kids

I'm sure many of us were waiting for Rick Mercer's return with baited breath... and once again, he didn't disappoint!

My fave clip from tonight's episode... On Family, a spoof of the various parties political ads from this election.  The Layton bit was hilarious!  Love the ending too!

Interesting to note... they had Dion standing behind a podium, whereas Mercer spoofed Harper and Layton in the styles they've been using in their own ads... because Dion hasn't appeared in the Liberal ads.  Notice that? 

I wonder why that is?

h/t for the YouTube clip goes to Bourque

Who's the Bully now Bob?

Way to go Bob... picking on a poor Tory staffer. Forced the guy to resign. I dunno Bob, maybe he has a wife and kids? Ever think about that? Trying to take a shot at Harper, and nails some poor staffer... what a bully.

Bob the Bully... that's my new name for him. Like how he bullied the unions in Ontario, I remember those days well. I remember my mom having to go to work on a "Rae Day", knowing full well that she wasn't going to get paid for it. He also helped to tank our economy, forcing tens of thousands of people out of work.

But you see, you can't really blame Bob... you see, he's probably just missing "the good old days". You know, like back in the 90's, when he managed to put lots of people out of work. So since he's been so effective in the past, he took a shot at Harper, hoping to put him out of work. But he missed, and instead took out a lowly staffer. What a bully.

Now of course he wants back into Government, this time for the whole country. What portfolio would they give him? Industry? Finance? And they say Harper is scary?

Of course, Owen Lippert shouldn't have plagerised the speech in the first place. Guess it once again reminds us that your past mistakes can catch up with you at any time.

Sorta like Bob, and all his mistakes as Premier of Ontario... those caught up with him way back in 1995.

Harper: "Let's talk about the economy Mr. Dion"

In a bold and smart move, Mr. Harper will ask the broadcasting consortium to extend the debate segment devoted to the economy from 12 minutes to a full hour, since that's the primary concern of Canadians in these uncertain economic times.

The NDP's Jack Layton has already said he'd agree to the change in format.

And Dion is left twisting in the wind... it's gonna be all "Green Shift", all the time folks.

Harper: "Check... your move"

On the "Lifted" Speech: nice try Libs

Anyone here a West Wing fan? Then maybe you know where I'm going with this.

Has anyone even thought to look into who the speechwriter was? Were they even perhaps the same person, perhaps hired by both parties unbeknownst to each other?

Or, perhaps a Tory speechwriter was just plain old lazy, heard a barn-burner of a speech in Austrailia, and snagged a copy? At worst, it means that some poor Tory speechwriter is gonna get fired for plagerizm... if he or she is even still around.

As for the international aspect of this, don't forget, Warren himself talked about how they brough in a political ad genius during the 2000 election from [GASP] the United States of America. Folks, there's a whole lot of folks who "get around" in the global political scene.

I think trying to pin this one on Harper himself is a bit of a stretch, guys. But you know what they say... "Desperate times call for desperate measures".

And times are indeed desperate for the Liberals right now... as we see with today's salvo on Harper.

Dion's "Green Shift" REJECTED by Ontario Liberals

And the response from the Liblogers? [cue the crickets]

The day after the massive blow to their campaign from their Ontario Provincial cousins, the McGuinty Liberals at Queen's Park, and not a peep has been heard from the Liblogs.

Mind you, there's been barely a peep from the MSM too.

The Toronto Star: (buried 2/3 into a minor story)

"Duncan added this is no time to bring in a carbon tax – something his federal Liberal cousins are proposing, with a carbon tax in their election platform.

"One of the things that I think would be a mistake right now is massive shifts in the tax burden at a time when there's uncertainty," he said."

The Ottawa Citizen:

Carbon tax a 'mistake,' Duncan says
Dion promotes economic plan, takes fire from Ontario Grit minister
Lee Greenberg in Toronto and Norma Greenaway in Ottawa, The Ottawa Citizen; Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion was sideswiped by one of his own yesterday, when Ontario's Liberal finance minister, Dwight Duncan, said it would be "a mistake" to implement a carbon tax in the midst of shaky economic times.

"One of the things that I think would be a mistake right now is massive shifts in tax burden at a time when there's uncertainty," Mr. Duncan told reporters.

When reminded that Mr. Dion and his federal Liberal cousins were attempting to do just that, Mr. Duncan stumbled.

Of course, we all know that Mr. Harper and the Tories are going to make hay with this one... hopefully the media will pick up on it by then.

McGuinty Liberals toss Dion's Green Shift under the bus!

This is a devastating turn for the Liberals... their Ontario cousins today rejected Dion's "Green Shift" carbon tax.

Ontario Liberal Finance Minister Dwight Duncan from Queen's Park said, “One of the things that I think that would be a mistake right now is massive shifts in tax burden at a time when there's uncertainty."

From the Globe & Mail:

“There's more uncertainty than I would like as Finance Minister,” he said. “And we have to manage our affairs in a way that recognizes that uncertainty.”

But Mr. Duncan is refusing to tip his hand and say exactly how the province will have to tighten its own belt. He said he will announce any measures to cut program spending on Oct. 22, when he releases his fall economic statement.

In the meantime, Mr. Duncan was sharply critical of federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's “green shift” plan that would tax carbon emissions to encourage more environmental behaviour and return the revenue in the form of tax cuts.

“One of the things that I think that would be a mistake right now is massive shifts in tax burden at a time when there's uncertainty,” he said.

Mr. Duncan was responding to a recommendation in a report released today by economists at Toronto-Dominion Bank, who suggested the province could raise a new source of revenue by following the lead of British Columbia and introducing a tax on carbon emissions.

But this is the first time that Mr. Dion's Liberal cousins at the Ontario legislature have publicly criticized his plan to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Until now, Premier Dalton McGuinty has attempted to remain non-partisan during the federal campaign for the Oct. 14 election by refusing to endorse the “green shift” plan.

I'm sure this is not the kind of news Mr. Dion wants to hear right before the debates.

Now that McGuinty & Co. have rejected it, I must give credit to the Premier for yet again taking a stand on behalf of Ontarians.  (yet another reason why he's going to be the Premier of this province for a good long while... unless, of course, he applies for the upcoming opening in the OLO...)

Dion's dream video game?

Okay, even I have to admit it... this is freaking hilarious!

To bad it doesn't look all that likely for Mr. Dion...

Elizabeth May: Playing the "Nazi" card since 1978

Came across this one by accident, while looking at old CBC archival footage of Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion.

Apparently, Elizabeth May is really fond of likening her opponents or their methods to the Nazi's. She's been called out twice for it in recent months, but thanks to the CBC Archives, we see it's really just old hat for her. You see, she was interviewed about forestry issues in Nova Scotia way back in 1978... where we have what may be her first recorded use of the "Nazi" card when attacking her opponents.

From the CBC Archives:


Well, it's 30 years later, and she's still sticking to the same game plan. Wonder if she'll play it again on Mr. Harper in the upcoming debates this week.

Illegal Ad from a Liberal MP?

Come on guys... this one is just blatantly obvious. A Liberal MP, publishing a congratulatory message in a local paper... with a photo of himself that looks a whole lot more like an election ad than a note of congratulations.

If you're going to blatantly violate the Election Act, at least make it look like an honest mistake dude.

h/t to Stephen Taylor

The "Helium Balloon" Bounce

It's my own new term... but however dumb it may sound, I think it's a more accurate description of what's happening in the polls.

Right as I predicted, the polls have tightened up somewhat... we're currently in the 36-38% range, depending on who you refer to. But you remember what has happened to us so far in the polls? We quickly shot up to 41%... then back down to 35%. Then back up to 40-41%... and now back down to around 37%.

Now to my illustration of the helium ballon. I think it's pretty common knowledge that out there, there's a ceiling above which our support won't climb. I think of it like releasing a helium ballon indoors... it rises up, but then bounces off the ceiling. However, it rises again, and bounces off the ceiling again... but with each bounce, the bounce isn't as large. And finally, after three or four bounces, the ballon settles up against the ceiling.

That's what I think the polls are doing, as Canadians get comfortable with a continued Conservative government. Of course, there's always the chance that the ballon will pop... or that it will drift over to a skylight or something where it can go up another few feet above the "ceiling".

Contrast that, of course, with the Liberals... when you hit rock bottom, you bounce there too. Then you fall back down... and the bounce is once again less pronounced, until they finally settle on the bottom.

If you ask me, and my two analogies turn out to be accurate, the timing looks perfect for a perfect storm to brew on Election Day.

OH SNAP! The "Carbon Map"

You have got to check this one out, it's an authorized clip from the Tories... they've put together a visual map of Canada, and then compiled a significant number of either contradictory or distancing statements from Liberals across the country in regards to the "Green Shift" carbon tax.

One of the best online spots I've ever seen... visual, factual, and direct. It's almost impossible to read the quotes in the YouTube version of it, but you get a good sense of the visual effect. You can download it to read the quotes from Janke's site or my SkyDrive public folder.



h/t to Janke (YouTube clip via Splatto)

Hosted for download on my public SkyDrive here.

How's this for timing

My wife just arrived in Halifax on Friday, and is supposed to be singing with her choir tonight just outside of Digby.

Yep, they're really taking the town by storm.

The Liberal Party is "a wolves den"

Yikes... those aren't my words, they're from Steve Valeriote, who runs the Liberal blog "Far and Wide".

In his rant against former Liberal heavyweight Warren Kinsella, he says some pretty enlightening things in regards to the current state within the Liberal campaign:

If the Dion team has an air of paranoia, lacking trust and outreach, can you really blame them, or does the blame lie with the posturing of others? Ignatieff and Rae have NEVER stopped running for the job, and despite the public face, EVERYONE, including Mr. Kinsella knows darn well that the positioning continues to this day. Has Dion isolated himself, or has his team merely reacted to life within a wolves den, where loyalties are divided, where nothing occurs on its own, it's all part of a greater scheme?

Yikes.  The Liberal Party is "a wolves den" for Mr. Dion?  Not so happy a party I see, as we've been led to believe.  But we're starting to see the shiny verneer coming off the Liberal Party as a whole from just about every corner right now, as it's already decending into name-calling, and blame placing arguments in the mainstream media, and via the bloggers online.  Things are also falling apart at various events for the Liberals, with supporters even starting to get into arguments with the media when they start asking tough questions.

There haven't been any "wheels falling off" moments for their campaign... you see, you have to have air in the tires first, and then get things rolling before the wheels even have the opportunity to fall off.

Since I can't do it justice with my commentary, I'm just going to repost his post in full... but do be advised, HE DOES USE SOME NON-CC APPROVED LANGUAGE, which I've "blanked" out to avoid any filters.  It's a pretty eye opening post to the frustrations that are currently being vented within the ranks of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Far and Wide - Saturday, September 27, 2008

Please

The guy who seems content to tear down on a continual basis, who can't seem to get over a very juvenile bitterness, has the audacity to accuse others of destroying what he and others "built". Warren Kinsella is obviously a shrewd man, with great political instincts, but frankly his inability to GET OVER HIMSELF is beyond tiresome. I confess to not reading Kinsella's popular blog much, but I catch certain things from others, and today I did read the post highlighted on NNW. Kinsella:

It's sad, too. Stéphane Dion and his team didn't reach out to very many experienced Grits, so many, many folks are watching the carrnage from the sidelines. But I have to say, it's sad to see what we built up get pi***d away.

Why don't you cut through the b******t Warren, because I suspect you understand the dynamics. I didn't support Dion for the leadership, truth be told he was my fourth choice, because I saw massive baggage, not easily dismissed. That said, Dion won the leadership, and it was accomplished without many of the big backroom boys blessing. If the Dion team has an air of paranoia, lacking trust and outreach, can you really blame them, or does the blame lie with the posturing of others? Ignatieff and Rae have NEVER stopped running for the job, and despite the public face, EVERYONE, including Mr. Kinsella knows darn well that the positioning continues to this day. Has Dion isolated himself, or has his team merely reacted to life within a wolves den, where loyalties are divided, where nothing occurs on its own, it's all part of a greater scheme?
You put faith in people you trust, and every campaign relies on sources who's advice is pure and isn't conflicted. If there is a hint of doubt, or if things have been said or moves noticed that cause some to question loyalty, then do you blame the team for exhibiting a seige mentality? Dion has always been an outsider with the Liberal elites, who long ago decided which two people they would back, and Warren knows well how the old camps divided in the last leadership. Did that just evaporate after Dion won, or did people begin to think about the next time? Maybe people shouldn't be on the sidelines, we are clearly stronger with everyone together, but that is a false presentation, because during Kinsella's reign many others were on the sidelines, during the subsequent reign of the "other" side, the same occurred. Teams within the team, almost hilarious to hear Kinsella cry foul now, when he thrived in that environment.
Guess what Warren? You had the benefit of a DIVIDED right, the Liberals winning within that environment about as impressive as Ralph Klein's ability to balance the budget in Alberta. In other words, it was a perfect storm, which made strategy much more elemental and simplistic. Seems to me that the current problems started during the Kinsella reign, or did Dion lose 90 000 Quebec Liberal members since 2006? That doesn't give Dion a pass on Quebec, I personally think our strategy since he took the helm has bordered on disgrace, but the erosion of the grassroots started under Chretien's watch and that is an objective fact, if Dion has failed, it's because he can't get us off the mat, a bottom he inherited.
The silliest part of the argument, if any of Dion's people actually read what Kinsella writes, they would have to be categorically insane to welcome him into the inner circle. Clearly, he lacks the most basic of requirements, the ability to put old scores on hold, the sense that any contribution is without ulterior agendas. I heard him on CBC this morning, he called himself a Liberal, but other than the declaration I frankly see no substantive evidence to support that, unless of course subjecting YL's to horrible music will bring us back to the promised land.
What was "built" might have brought electoral success, within favorable conditions, but it didn't "build" the Liberal Party from within, it relied on divisions and sides, fat cats with big wallets and self important elites with ambition. The Liberal Party became a tactical entity, and that's marvelous, but it lost it's soul along the way, prior to Dion, reaching a crescendo of pandering nothingness. I don't consider a characterization as the Canadian Karl Rove complimentary, as a matter of fact I'd be embarrassed.
If Dion is isolated, it's because the Liberal Party is such a cluster f**k of competing self interests, factions and bruised egos, it's better to adopt a bunker mentality. Kinsella chastises Dion, but really Dion is just reacting to the reality of the Liberal Party of Canada, as others have done before. And, the next time Warren is chatting with his old "experienced" Grits off the record, when the conversation turns to the post-Dion Liberal Party, he will have his answer.

posted by Steve V at 3:58 PM

UPDATE: Danielle's post over at "Galloping Around the Golden Horseshoe" also is a telling story on the current state of the Liberal disarray... they're so desperate, they're doing everything they can to try and stem the bleeding they're seeing from the Liberal Party to the NDP.  They're already hitting rock bottom, and instead of offering Canadians a reason to vote for them, they're pulling out the "Only we can stop Harper!" card.  Please.

Angus-Reid today, amazingly, shows the Liberals and the NDP TIED nationally at 21%.  If these trends hold, the Liberal look to take a major beating at the polls this October.  Have you ever stopped to consider, Danielle, that Canadians are sick and tired of hearing the same old fear tactics from you guys?  "But, but, but, Harper's REALLY scary!!!"

News flash... Canadians have been watching him for two and a half years, and they simply don't buy that line anymore.  You see, we, the Canadian public, are a lot smarter than you Liberals give us credit for.

Liberals, Bloc and NDP lying about Arts funding

My wife is a member of the "Arts" community. She and the rest of her group receive assistance from the Federal government. And guess what? Their funding hasn't been touched by the Conservative government.

Why? Because their "art" isn't the fringe related and wasteful stuff that we don't want to keep on funding. Their "art" is the sort that does help bring in millions of dollars to local economies. In fact, they're headed out on tour in the very near future, helping to bolster the economies of the various cities they visit.

Do I support the arts? You bet I do. Do I support funding artists who are simply living off the backs of the rest of Canadians? No, I don't. And believe me, there are many such individuals within the "arts" community.

If the arts community is serious about their funding issues, work on getting your house in order. I have no qualms with our government providing even more funding, so long as you're not giving it to wasteful or offensive projects. There are plenty of projects we used to fund that provide little or no value for money... and yes, I know, it's not always about the money. But if people were honest about this issue, they'd have to agree that we do fund a lot of things that really don't provide much of any benefit to our society.

Liberal supporters silencing the media!

What's this? Liberal supporters have been reduced to having to shout down REPORTERS for asking questions of Mr. Dion?

Here's the report from CTV's Robert Fife.

Here's a hint guys... not such a good idea when the media is already turning against you.

Dion grilled over demands for Tory MP's firing
Liberal leader denies double-standard, says own candidate working with Jewish group
Last Updated: Friday, September 26, 2008 | 11:40 AM ET
CBC News

Stéphane Dion repeated his calls on Friday for a Tory MP to be fired for his comments linking immigrants to crime, but refused to discipline a Liberal candidate who suggested Israeli companies were given a heads-up ahead of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Dion's press conference alongside former leadership rival Gerard Kennedy at a Toronto seniors home became heated as journalists questioning the Liberal leader were shouted down by party supporters attending the event, the CBC's Susan Bonner reported from the campaign.

Dion was pitching his party as the best to help seniors and protect Canada's economy in times of economic uncertainty, while Stephen Harper's "right-wing agenda" would hurt the economy.

But his message was quickly sidelined when he was asked about controversial comments by Lesley Hughes, the Liberal candidate in the Winnipeg riding of Kildonan-St. Paul.

Supporters heckle media

At one point during Friday's session, Liberal supporters yelled at a reporter for suggesting Dion was employing a double standard, calling the line of questioning irrelevant.

But Dion raised his hand to silence them, saying the Liberal party believed in freedom of the press and not in "handcuffing reporters" — a likely reference to an incident earlier in the campaign when RCMP agents removed comic Geri Hall of CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes from a Harper press event.

The Liberal leader denied it was a double standard to call for Richardson's dismissal, saying the Tories had "no process" to show they were taking the controversy over his statements seriously.

The emotional outcry from the supporters could show the frustration some Liberals are feeling in the campaign as the party is struggling to sell Dion's leadership and his Green Shift carbon tax plan, the CBC's Bonner said.

"We may see more of this," she said.

But Dion himself declined to criticize the media's coverage of his campaign.

"The media cover me, and I don't come at the media," he said.

"Best run campaign so far"

The bright light for the Liberals? It's still early in the voting.

Liberal blogger attacks Valeriote for his faith

Well, I was fully expecting this one to come during the election, knowing the Liberals penchant for "Fear & Smear" tactics. So in anticipation of the baseless attack, you may recall that I posted a "Statement of Faith" on this blog some months ago. What most people don't realize though is that it wasn't from my church... it was from Guelph Liberal candiate Frank Valeriote's, Lakeside Bible Church.

You see, Liberal blogger James Curran followed the exact "Fear & Smear" gameplan I expected the Liberals to follow, and launched an attack on evangelical Christians on his blog today, in a misguided attempt to smear Prime Minister Harper. However, in so doing, he's unintentionally subjected Guelph Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote to some "friendly fire", as Mr. Valeriote's church, Lakeside Bible Chapel, has a very similar worldview to the one James is accusing Mr. Harper's church of having.

Here's the main section of James' post:

The Harper Nobody Knows....Shhhhh, it's a Secret

Mr. Evangelical. Oh, Sarah Palin, we've got you beat.

Why Stephen Harper keeps his evangelical faith very private
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is damned if he does talk about his evangelical beliefs and damned if he doesn't. If he continues to avoid answering questions about his religious convictions, political observers say he appears secretive, like he's hiding something. But, at the same time, most Canadians do not share the moral convictions of his evangelical denomination, the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

The Alliance Church, to which Harper has belonged for decades, believes Jesus Christ will return to Earth in an apocalypse, won't ordain women, strongly opposes abortion and divorce, condemns homosexuality as the most base of sins and believes those who aren't born-again are "lost."

And here's the response that I posted on his blog...

James, with this article, I fully expect you to hold other candidates to the same standard... namely Guelph Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote, who attends Lakeside Bible Church. You see, he's a former Catholic, who converted to Evangelicalism some time ago. (however, he started re-attending the local Catholic mega-church in addition to his regular Evangelical church home during the run-up to the by-election... interesting)

For the record... it's an affiliated church with my own, and has the same core beliefs and principles as I do. Here's their statement of Faith... which I posted on my blog several months ago in preperation for the anticipated "Fear & Smear" attack from you Liberals. And you haven't disappointed me James. (I know... desperate times call for desperate measures)

What does Frank's church believe? Pretty much everything I believe... "believes Jesus Christ will return to Earth in an apocalypse, won't ordain women, strongly opposes abortion and divorce, condemns homosexuality as the most base of sins and believes those who aren't born-again are "lost"."... the very same things you take Harper to task for.

Hypocrite.

Are you suggesting that Guelph voters shouldn't vote for Mr. Valeriote because he's an Evangelical Christian?

So now... is a somewhat prominent Liberal blogger suggesting that Evangelicals are not fit for public office in this land? And if so, will he hold their Guelph candidate to the same standard?

For the record... I don't think Mr. Valeriote, or the many other Liberals of the Evangelical faith like Dan McTeauge, ought to be attacked for their faith. Likewise, nor do I think Mr. Harper ought to be attacked for his. Leave religion OUT of politics James... isn't that exactly what you want?

UPDATE: Looks like I've got James all bent out of shape on this one, so let me be clear... James, I'm not "questioning your integrity". Having met, I know you're a straight up and honest guy, and I'd never repeat my previous mistakes on that front. What I've done here is to simply take your statements on Mr. Harper's faith to their logical conclusion. You've stated pretty clearly that Mr. Harper's faith is an issue for you in this campaign, so I've merely pointed out that your own candidate in Guelph is mostly on the same page. (as for the abortion issue, well, Frank's not on the same page as his congregation, I'll give you that)

Besides... I was going to say the same things no matter which one of the Libloggers tried to make faith an issue in this campaign... it just happened to be you who stepped in it. ;-)

UPDATE II: James has brought to my attention that most of the blog post I quoted are not actually his own words... it's a straight repost of an article from the Vancouver Sun. While I'll grant that these words are not his, I still think it says a lot that he reposted it, along with the title that he personally gave it... "The Harper Nobody Knows....Shhhhh, it's a Secret - Mr. Evangelical. Oh, Sarah Palin, we've got you beat". I don't think, however, that he defend himself with that.

I still think his intentions were pretty transparent with this posting... hoping to cloud the public's judgement by bringing Mr. Harper's faith into the mix.

A new set of Nanos numbers... KABOOM

Do you recall my previous post from the other week, entitled "A 15 FREAKING POINT LEAD!?!?!?"?

Well... A FREAKING 15 POINT NANOS LEAD?!?!?!

One line in the report jumped out at me, and made me shake my head and re-read it... "In the Atlantic provinces and Toronto, the Tories and Liberals remain deadlocked"

SAY WHAT? TORIES AND LIBERALS DEADLOCKED IN TORONTO?!?!?!

What was that loud bang I just heard? Oh, must have been the Liberal implosion... or else it was Cherniak's head popping from trying to figure out how to spin this one! (just goading ya Jason)

Of course, it's WAY too early yet to consider this thing wrapped up. I expect yet another closing of the gap, but a final uptick for us in the endgame.

The question is, will we see a final downtick for the Dion Liberals?

UPDATE: Warren's reaction...

NANOS DROPS A BIG BOMB

[CENSORED EXPLETIVE REACTION... I'm sure you can use your imagination]

If Nick's right - and I don't know a serious Liberal who doubts his professionalism - then this thing has turned into a scramble for survival. That's it.

Incredible.

Dion contradicts Dion on Hamas funding

Oops... Mr. Dion said yesterday (I think) that he supported the Conservative's move in March of 2006 to cut off funding to the terrorist group Hamas. But according to this video from Aaron Lee Wudrick, that's actually not true... (check the 1:15 mark of the clip for his quote from March 2006)



However, in his defence, watch the rest of the video... he handles the Jerusalem question pretty well, and his comment on arresting and trying Iran's president was pretty good... though it was not a direct answer to the question asked, which was what he would do as PM if Iran got "The Bomb".

Fearmongering from the President of the YLCBC

Just who is Braeden Caley? Well, he's the President of the Executive for the Young Liberals of Canada in British Columbia, and a BC representative on the Young Liberals of Canada's National Executive. He's also the apparent author (or at least the YouTube host) for this recent fearmongering video from the Liberals:



So, here's the question... since he's a significant insider on the YLC National Executive, does that mean they condone these sort of "Fear and Smear" tactics?

Of course, we all knew they'd pull out the "Fear" card in this election. h/t to unhappy Liberal supporter Red Tory on the video clip.

UPDATE: It looks like this isn't the first time this young man has been involved in controversy.

UPDATE II: Oops... looks like he's also the official spokesperson for Liberal MP Raymond Chan's campaign in Richmond, BC.

So, I guess the bigger question is, Mr. Chan, do you condone the fear-mongering tactics of your chief spokesperson?

Dion mixing religion and politics?

Just what on earth is Mr. Dion doing? I noticed this line in a CTV story that has some serious implications for our country:

"Later on Wednesday, Dion promised to spend $75 million to protect ethno-cultural centres and places of worship across Canada."

Excuse me? I thought the Liberals were the ones who so strongly felt that religion and politics should not be mixed whatsoever? Now, I'm all for spending more on policing to keep our cities safer, including funding for more policing with a view to protecting all places of worship. But to openly advocate giving tax dollars to faith based groups?

Didn't one guy lose an election over that idea already?

Is Mr. Dion trying to do the same thing... pandering to faith based groups to try and salvage his failing campaign? (boy, it really is starting to look like he went to the John Tory School of Campaigning...)

Former Liberal President: "Liberals need to lose"

When former Liberal Party heavyweights like Warren Kinsella and former Liberal Party President Stephen LeDrew are talking like this, you know the Liberals must be in serious trouble.

Stephen LeDrew: Liberals need a near-death experience for the good of their health
Posted: September 24, 2008, 8:01 AM by Kelly McParland

Barring a miracle -- that intermittent visitor to political campaigns -- the Liberals are going to take a drubbing in this election — which is exactly what they need in order to survive as a viable national force.

Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Getting your clock cleaned in order to carry on? Nevertheless, a beating is exactly what the Grits desperately require, or else the Liberal Party of Canada could face the same fate as the once mighty Liberal Party of Great Britain, now relegated to the trash heap.

The immediate causes of the Liberals’ campaign trouble are myriad: a leader who doesn’t resonate with the public; a platform that is, depending on whom you talk to, either incomprehensible, or just plain dumb; a team that seems to have all its oars pulling on the same side of the boat -- the list goes on. And as anyone who has been involved in campaigns can attest, once a campaign gets bogged down, troubles that would normally be overlooked metastasize into a deadly condition.

Still, campaign workers will soldier on for four weeks, fighting with vigour, delivering votes and reaping something from this disaster. But the real work begins after the polls close.

One hopes that in defeat, the Liberals will realize that they must do more than paint Stephen Harper as a Bush clone. They must do more than chant that the Conservatives will steer Canada inalterably toward its demise. The Tories are following a small-l liberal agenda because they know that the majority of Canadians will not vote for a right-wing platform. Conservative commentators like Theo Caldwell have all but admitted in these pages that the Conservatives have taken the guts of the Liberal party for their own.

To regain their relevance, Liberals will have to think beyond their traditional tenets, created in the 1950s and ’60s. These have served Canadians well, but have by now either been fulfilled or passed by. Liberals must decide what it means to be a Liberal in the 21st century, what needs to be achieved in the new financial, industrial and communications fields and what needs to be done to allow citizens to flourish in this new society.

After that awesome task is finished, the Liberal party must figure out how to get those ideas across to Canadians and give them a reason to vote Liberal. Let’s face it: When you ask people in the party why anyone should vote Liberal this time around, you usually get an answer that is neither inspiring nor plausible. It’s the same shopworn “values” stuff that the Liberals tried to sell last time, only to receive their comeuppance. The Liberal party must create a new ethos and convert it into an understandable mantra. The party’s very survival depends on it.

In this call for renewal, I do not mean to dishearten the hard-working people of all ages who are pounding in signs, looking up addresses, sending e-mails and knocking on doors under the Liberal banner. Keep it up, for you are vital to the political process. One must fight on against all odds -- look where it landed Stephen Harper!

But come Oct. 15, the loyal Liberal activists across Canada must think hard and begin the process of recalibrating the party. They are up to the task.


National Post
Stephen LeDrew, a Toronto lawyer and a radio host on CFRB 1010, was president of the Liberal Party of
Canada from 1998 to 2003.

NOTE: I realize that many others have posted this already, but I'm posting it for one of the other aggregators my blog is attached to, where I haven't seen this posted yet.

My brother's a bloody zombie

No, seriously... he was a blood covered zombie "extra" for a locally shot movie. It's amazing what they can do with makeup these days...


More pics located here.

Guess both of us are getting our 15 minutes of fame this month! What's up sis? What's keepin ya? ;-)

Nanos numbers catch up with everyone else

All the pollsters have been showing a significant bleed in Liberal support, except for Nanos... UNTIL TODAY.

CPC - 38% (+3)
LPC - 27% (-3)
NDP - 21% (-1)
BQ - 8% (+1)
GP - 6% (NC)

Folks, perspective here... TODAY'S NANOS NUMBERS ARE BELOW THE LIBERALS 1984 POLL RESULTS, which came in at 28.02%.

Is Frank lying about gas prices?

Guelph Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote says that Dion's carbon tax won't affect gas prices. However, that statement is misleading at best, as it is demonstratably false. So the question must be asked, is Frank Valeriote deliberately seeking to decieve voters in Guelph?

During the by-election in Guelph, Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote put out a full page ad on the back of the Guelph Tribune, the local free paper. The bottom half of it has a comparison section, comparing our and their views on Dion's "Green Shift" carbon tax.

Under the Conservative viewpoint section, it says, "Gas Prices - They say will go up". But over on the Liberal's "Green Shift" section of the page, it says, "Gas Prices - Not affected by The Green Shift".

Is that so, Frank? The "Green Shift" isn't going to affect gas prices? Are you sure about that? Because I think I can prove our position pretty conclusively.

The increase in transportation costs alone blow the Liberal's claim right out of the water. In the Green Shift, there is a $0.07 tax on the price of diesel. And how does your gasoline get to your local neighbourhood pump? In trucks... trucks that run on diesel.

According to Petro Canada, the transportation of your gas falls under their "Refining and Marketing Costs". From their website: "This portion of the price covers all costs of operations — such as the costs of refining crude oil into gasoline, transportation, distribution charges, as well as all marketing and operational expenses at the retail level."

Catch that? Transportation and distribution costs... they're going to go up under Dion's carbon tax because of the tax on diesel. So will the cost of refining, despite what some Liberal MP's from the East Coast may say. (you see, they burn some of the stuff to run the process guys... which releases carbon, if I'm not mistaken... which is going to be taxed)

So, we know for a fact that the cost to produce, distribute, and deliver your gasoline is going to go up. By how much, we don't know yet. However, remember what their website said about the profits on each litre of gas they sell? Petro Canada's website says it's just 2%... I've seen some places that put it at around 3%. Anyway, with that slim a profit margin, do you seriously think that the so-called evil "Big Oil" companies are going to let Mr. Dion's plan interfere with their profits? I didn't think so.

Therefore, there's only one logical conclusion... if their costs are going to go up, they're going to pass on the extra "Green Shift" carbon tax expenses on to you... the consumer.

And how will they do that? They'll raise the price at the pump.

Now that we've come to that realization, what exactly does that do to Guelph Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote's pledge that the "Green Shift" won't affect gas prices?

That's right... it's been proven to be factually incorrect.

Gas prices, under Mr. Dion's Green Shift, have nowhere to go BUT UP.

So, that raises an even more important question... when Frank made the pledge, in black and white, that gas prices will not be affected by the "Green Shift", was he misinformed, or was he attempting to misinform?

The citizens of Guelph will have to decide that one for themselves.

Fun with protester signs

Had a few minutes during my break, and since nothing much was going on media wise, I had a litle fun with this protesters sign from a few weeks back...

The Original:


My "Enhanced" Version:

The Liberal Platform? What Liberal Platform?

So the Liberal Party launched their campaign platform yesterday.  The lead stories on today's CBC Radio News?

Yep, our "Tough on Youth Crime" proposal got several minutes of airtime.  They also mentioned that we've got another "Tough on Crime" measure coming down the pipes today.  Andy Barrie was also discussing it, and had people on the show making commentary on it.

Dion's platform?  They got less than a minute on the news, as the fifth story... and half of the story was OUR perspective on how it just doesn't add up.  I liked Harper's line on it... "Any CEO in Canada who made this kind of financial proposal would be fired for incompetence."

Red Tory: More "Tory" than "Red" these days?

Not implying that he's leaning towards Harper or anything... because clearly, he's not. However, Liblogger Red Tory has been getting more and more critical of the current Liberal campaign these days... and with good reason.

UPDATE II: Tuesday Sept. 23:
"Chilling"... he says (sarcasticly) that for some "strange" reason, people aren't warming up to Dion

Monday Sept. 22:
Dion’s Platform to Nowhere, where he critiques the Liberal platform launch with these stinging words: "nobody is listening and no one cares"
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Bitter, where he trashes the Liberals for their non-voting tactic in the House, which turned out to be a disaster for them.

Sunday Sept. 21:
Too Little, Too Late, where he admits, "You know… try as I might, gosh darn it, I just cannot seem to get at all enthused about this campaign"

Saturday Sept. 20:
A New Low, where he expresses disappointment with Dion for breaking his "I'll take the high road" promise with his new negative ads

Thing is, he's not the only one. Just ask "The Mound of Sound" from "Rolling Back the Tide of Extremism", who's post today entitled Rescuing Stephane Dion says the same thing many Liberals have been saying for weeks now... the "Green Shift"(TM) has been a monumental disaster, full stop. One of the cement shoes of the campaign, if you will. (the other one being the Liberal leader himself... and we haven't even gotten to the debates yet)

Humm... I wonder if Jason will take these guys to task for being "selfish and not helpful to the cause", like he did Warren.

UPDATE: And another unhappy Liberal... CuriosityCat had this to say about today's Liberal platform release:

What absolute twaddle.

We end up with an election well into its second week, with no stirring over-arcing principles, with a bland theme, and what seems to be a laundry list of policies …

What a wasted opportunity!

Have Liberals forgotten how to do politics?

Maybe we need to send our Liberal Party leaders back to school, to learn Politics 101.
You do not become a government by acting like a bunch of middle-aged, uninmaginative shopkeepers.

Where's the steak?

Where's the sizzle?

CTV Poll says Liberals out of touch with Canadians

It's polls like this that prove, once again, that it's the Conservatives, and not the Liberals, who are in tune with the Canadian electorate.

Canadians want to know who the violent kids are amongst us. We're not talking about kids being kids, or who get into a school yard fight, or who are caught shoplifting. We're talking about violent kids, kids who have no moral regard for others in society. We're also talking about the unreformable offenders who just don't get it, or who refuse to change their ways.

These are the kinds of folks who do not deserve the "protection" of anonymity... whereas society should be able to protect themselves from these criminals.

This one's a vote getter, if you ask me. And to announce it on the same day the Liberals release their platform? Brilliant... announcing an controversial plan like this on the same day is going to cut the Liberals media time significantly. Plus, while Dion will get one or two days media play with the platform, Harper is going to get a week or mores worth of coverage with his announcement, as the conversations over naming convicted young offenders, sorry, young criminals, takes place around the watercoolers of the nation.

Dion moves, Harper counters... "CHECK"

Layton may take Frank up on his offer!

Jack Layton today indicated that he might be interested in Frank Valeriote's offer to "unite the left" in an effort to forcibly remove Stephen Harper, if elected, from the PMO.

"NDP Leader Jack Layton is refusing to rule out a coalition government with Stéphane Dion's Liberals if that's what it takes to oust Prime Minister Stephen Harper."

Would Canadians stand for this usurption of their democratic vote?

More importantly, how does the Guelph NDP candidate Tom King feel to have the rug pulled out from under him by his own leader?

Warren on why Chretien Libs are "still in exile"

With something so clear and consise like this, it's better to just repost it in it's entirety. (I especially like the part where he says he thinks that Mr. Harper is going to win, and will be at the helm for a LONG time...)

DAY 15: KINSELLA'S CLEAR CANADIAN CAMPAIGN COVERAGE
Sunday, September 21, 2008, 01:45 AM

It's another Sunday, and another opportunity to ponder Election 2008 without the "winner/loser" duality. On Sundays, the Lord permits us a bit more reflection, right? Right.

A few folks - not many, but some - have asked me where all the Chrétien people are in this federal campaign. Apart from the involvement of a few whose kinship with the Liberal Party of Canada predates Chrétien, they note, a lot of us seem to be sitting this one out. Some are anxious about this, but most of them are just curious. It's a fair question.

The short answer - the cliché - is that we didn't leave the Liberal Party, the Liberal Party left us. Like many clichés, it has the added value of actually being true. Throughout 2002 and 2003, the Liberal Party of Canada was transformed into a virtual abbatoir by the Paul Martin people. As with their predecessors in the Khmer Rouge and suchlike, the Martinites devised all sorts of loyalty tests, and sought the fealty of those who - like them - would stop at nothing, literally nothing, to drive Jean Chrétien from power. The bloodletting stories are legion; most famously, they dropped Stéphane Dion from cabinet and tried (unsuccessfully) to challenge him for the nomination in his riding.

Gomery and assorted Parliamentary inquiries were just a couple of the tactics conjured up to destroy Chrétien and his people. Reputations were unjustly shredded; some were bankrupted by lawyers' fees (my wife and I are still paying thousands in legal bills); some were hounded out, even when they were sick or caring for the sick (like Jean Pelletier, or Pierre Tremblay, or Herb Dhaliwal); many just grew weary of the smears and moved on. They left, and - mostly - they never came back.

I was different, as you may have observed. One of the cardinal Liberal principles having been tossed on the slag heap by the Martin thugs - the Always Be Loyal To The Leader principle - I figured that anyone could now do likewise. I dubbed myself a "Liberal In Exile," and did all that I could do to make the lives of the Martinites a living H**l. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I and my fellow exiles celebrated their slide into minority status - and, two years later, their loss of government. I despised them. Many other Liberals felt as I did, but few said so publicly.

When Stéphane Dion won the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, the Chrétien people celebrated. We saw it as a clear and firm repudiation of Paul Martin and his cabal. What we did not see - not even for a moment - was what has happened. Dion, I believe now, was the ultimate compromise candidate. He won the leadership with about 17 per cent support. He did not have a team around him that was large enough, or experienced enough, to assume control of an organization as complex as the Liberal Party of Canada. Into this void slipped the unemployable Martinites - as TV pundits, as pollsters, as senior advisors. They were back, and so too the old grievances. All willingness of the Chrétien people to get involved again vanished. In the interim, a bad situation only grew more so. It culminated, on the eve of the election, with Dion's most senior Quebec lieutenants calling the Chrétien folks "has beens" who are not needed to win.

It may be true! It may be so. It may be, in fact, that the people who helped to win three successive majorities aren't needed at all, and that Stéphane Dion will somehow snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I hope so, for him, if not necessarily many of the people around him.

Some Liberals, still seeking the help of the Chrétien team, ask: Will it ever change, even after Stephen Harper wins the election (because I believe he will)? My answer: I am sorry, but I doubt it. By the time the next leadership race takes place (because, also, I do not believe Dion will retire, and will demand the same second chance John Turner got), almost a decade will have gone by. I do not see Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff waiting that long, either. If the Liberal Party is ever to win back government, it will be with new people, in caucus and the backrooms. That, I think, is how it should be. It's needed.

In the meantime, the Conservatives will have had the country for nearly a decade. Does that concern me, as a Chrétien Liberal? Yes, it does. Of course it does.

But the opportunity to do something about it is gone, and I don't believe the opportunity will be coming back. That may not be a happy end to the story, but that's how politics is, sometimes. You don't always get the result you want.

Cambridge Liberals need a lesson or two on Environmental Protection

It's a pretty commonly understood rule... you don't rips limbs off trees to make your signs more visible. Someone running Liberal Gord Zilstra's campaign should remind this guy of that...
Was driving in Cambridge today, and saw this guy finishing up posting two signs for Gord Zilstra. As I drove by, I saw him tossing a couple of branches aside into the ditch! Thought about it as I drove on, and decided to go back get a couple of pics for the blog...

Here's the freshly severed branches in my hand... instead of on the tree where they belong...Look up in the top right corner... I've circled the freshly severed branches.

But don't worry... I put them right back where he found them, covering the signs.
Caught up with the guy a block away, and reminded him that ripping limbs off trees isn't very "Green" of him, now is it?

Wonder what the Zilstra campaign has to say for themselves? Gord, you're gonna plant a couple trees to make up for it, right?

Liberals are first to "go negative"

So much for Dion taking "the high road"... his party (and I say "his party" because it's obvious that he's not in charge anymore) have launched a negative smear attack ad, trying to use the deaths of Canadians for their own political gain.

DISGUSTING.


In the United States, politicians are required to place a tag at the end of their ads, stating "I'm So-And-So, and I approve this message".

So then, I have a question for the Liberals... would Mr. Dion be willing to stand there, look Canadians in the eye through the camera, and say, "I'm Stephane Dion, and I approve this message."???

Didn't think so.

UPDATE: CTV is reporting that this ad breaks Dion's promise not to make personal attacks a part of his campaign. Of course, he can't really be blamed... because we all know he's not in charge anymore.

Dion takes aim at Harper, dismisses Tory 'gimmicks'
Updated Sat. Sep. 20 2008 12:41 PM ET
The Canadian Press

ALEXANDRIA, Ont. -- Liberal Leader Stephane Dion is taking dead aim at Stephen Harper today after his party unleashed their first attack ad of the election campaign.

Dion says voters have a choice between Conservative gimmicks and a Liberal vision for the country.

He says Harper has no plan and is trying to buy votes with false solutions.

Dion was echoing the party's attack ad, which targets Harper's handling of the deadly listeriosis outbreak that has claimed 18 lives.

The ad says Harper stooped to 'a new low' this week when he refused to fire Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz for making insensitive jokes about the medical crisis.

It follows repeated promises by Dion that he wouldn't indulge in personal attacks.

"All the Liberals eggs are in one basket"

I think this sums up what just happened today pretty well.

From the Toronto Star's Chantal Hébert: "Take out the controversial carbon tax and the air goes out of the entire Liberal platform."

What's that hissing sound I hear?

Dion election platform built on carbon
Jun 20, 2008 04:30 AM
Chantal Hébert
National Affairs Writer

OTTAWA – With the Green Shift plan, Stéphane Dion and his party have crossed the Rubicon. As of now, there will be no turning back from a carbon tax scheme. Should it come to that, the Liberal campaign ship will sink with its captain.

Far more than a climate change strategy, the plan unveiled yesterday is really a gutsy, but risky substitute for the old Liberal Red Books. For better or for worse, it is the platform that the party will take into the next campaign.

While other promises will come to the fore between now and the election, Dion's main commitments, including his ambitious anti-poverty agenda, have already been rolled into yesterday's announcement.

The decision to put all the Liberal eggs into the Green Shift basket was largely inspired by necessity. The only way to overcome the negative optics of placing a new tax at the core of an election platform was to make the attendant tax relief significant. That was achieved by placing multi-billion-dollar tax cuts in the Liberal window.

Those cuts serve another, larger purpose. Under the guise of a revenue-neutral proposal, the Liberals have found a scheme to finance their priorities at a time of declining federal surpluses, by promising to shift not only the environmental balance but also significant amounts of tax money to lower-income Canadians and families.

Take out the controversial carbon tax and the air goes out of the entire Liberal platform.

I guess the Sun Media Editors misunderstood too

They also seemed to be under the impression that Dion's "Green Shift" was going to form the core of his electoral platform...

Dion defends carbon tax
Maintains stance that green plan's tax scheme will be revenue neutral and appealing to Canadians
By KATHLEEN HARRIS -- Sun Media
The Toronto Sun

Stephane Dion's green shift plan will form the core of his party's election platform, but the Liberal Leader can't project what short-term impact a carbon tax would have on cutting emissions.

In a 75-minute session with Sun Media's editorial board in Toronto, Dion predicted his proposed carbon tax will trigger large reductions by 2012, building momentum that he hopes will reach a 20% drop by 2020. But he can't forecast how fast emissions will decrease in the short term.

Dion's "Tax Trick": Now you see it...

...now you don't!

(sorry, that one was just too good to pass up)

Craig Oliver: "Carbon Tax sent to the Green Gulag"

CTV's Craig Oliver seems to be the only media personality to have clued into this monumental "shift" in the Liberal campaign.  But it looks like it's true folks, the "Green Shift" has been "shafted" by Stephane Dion... and the Liberal spin doctors are doing everything they can to downplay the significance of this event.

But here's the bottom line folks... it seems that Dion is no longer in charge of the Liberal campaign.  There's been a bloodless coup within the Liberal Party, and they're hoping you don't notice.

Fat chance of that...

Not so fast there Mr. Dion!

Today, he's quoted as saying that he never said that the Green Shift was a major part of the Liberal election platform.

Well then, what's this quote mean?

"The Green Shift is at the heart of the Liberal plan to fight climate change and improve Canada’s environment and economy."

The HEART... in other words, the CENTRAL component.

Where's that quote from?

The Liberal's Green Shift Book... Page 39.

Is John Tory now Dion's new campaign advisor?

A commenter over on Warren's blog has summarized Dion's latest gaffe, distancing himself from his own centrepiece plan, better than anyone else, so far...

Dion continues to follow the John Tory gameplan:

1. Introduce controversial policy that you haven't really thought through
2. Watch as your own supporters disown the policy
3. Run away from said policy as fast as possible

Who wants to be that he'll be giving his MP's a free vote by the end of the week?!
BFH | 09.19.08 - 1:51 pm | #

One word... OUCH.

Some polls we go down...

...other polls, we go up.

Like they say... the one on E-Day is the only one that counts.
(but a healthy 11 or 13 point lead, depending on which poll you like, always makes me smile anyway...)

Dion tosses "Green Shift" aside!

From the, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!" files... Dion today announced a MAJOR flip-flop on his central campaign theme, the "Green Shift", that it's NOT his main platform plank!

h/t to Warren, who asks the question, "Say goodnight? Fat lady singing? Done like dinner? Over because it's over?"

From the Toronto Star:

"Green Shift not major platform plank, Dion says"
Liberal leader plays down Green Shift policy after pledges $1.2B in green funding to farmers
Sep 19, 2008 12:34 PM
Richard Brennan
OTTAWA BUREAU

WINNIPEG–Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said today that his Green Shift plan featuring a controversial carbon tax is not a major part of his election platform.

"You have said it was but never me," Dion told reporters.

His surprise declaration follows by a day campaign appearances in the Toronto area where he failed to mention it once in his speeches.

Dion released the Green Shift plan in June in Ottawa with great fanfare. It proposes to tax fossil fuels while cutting taxes for lower and middle income Canadians.

"I have always said it was an important policy for Canada. I strongly believe it would be good for Canada," he told reporters.

Dion said: “Okay, maybe I didn’t use the word `green shift’ ” but denied he was downplaying the policy.

Wow... what else can you say? His CENTRAL theme just got jettisoned, just like that. What kind of "leader" is that? Won't even stand by his own platform? YIKES!!!

First, during the Leadership race, he said it was a bad idea. Then after becoming the leader, he flip-flops and says it's a good idea, and builds an entire campaign around it. Now, seeing the polls, he flip-flops AGAIN and thinks it's a bad idea, and throws it out the window!

UPDATE: I figured it wouldn't be long before someone came up with the evidence to contradict Dion's claim that it's NOT their central theme... and Stephen Taylor comes up with the goods (once again), in his post entitled "ABANDON SHIFT!"

Paul Schliesmann: Is the Green Shift the absolute final plan that needs to be in place?

Stephane Dion: It's a good plan, it's the best that has been proposed to Canadians. It's the basement on which we build a good plan.

Dion: “The answer is yes. It [the Green Shift plan] is at the heart of our strategy but it’s not our whole strategy.”

Dion: My three goals are to have a richer, fairer, greener Canada. I think they are linked together. The Green Shift is linking them through the tax system, but we have other tools. In addition to the tax system, we have programs that we will propose to Canadians. These programs will be linked to this overall strategy, to have a richer, fairer, greener Canada playing its role in the world. It will not be a grocery list, it will be a plan for the country.

Today, Mr. Dion is saying it's not "THE" plan. According to the Whig Standard, Dion said, and I quote, "It's the basement [foundation is the word he was looking for, I think] on which we build a good plan".

So then Mr. Dion, is it, or is it not, the foundation of your election platform?

UPDATE II: Jason seems to be questioning Warren's motives on this one... instead of clarifying his leader's remarks.

UPDATE III: Well, we're three plus hours into this MAJOR "shift" from Dion... and nary a PEEP from most of the main players in the MSM. Only the Toronto Star, affectionately known as "The Red Star" has taken note of it, and prominently, on their front page.

Maybe they're saving things for the 6:00 news... but at this rate, I'm not holding my breath. I do tip my hat though to Craig Oliver, who seems to be the only one at CTV who thinks this warrents any attention.

UPDATE IV: Ouch... Janke has dug up an even more harmful quote: "Dion has said The Green Shift will be the centrepiece of the Liberals' platform for the next election campaign."

"One bad apple spoils the bunch"

You've heard that expression a million times right? I light of this week's events, I think it's an important lesson to remember.

I've been thinking about the "sober" comment made by one of our staffers. It's most unfortunate, but for this native group that only sought to have their concerns heard by the Minister, "one bad apple" spoiled things for them. One man, who had shown up to that office earlier in the week drunk, reminded this staffer of the negative stereotype of alcoholism in the native community. And it's just that... a stereotype.

I've worked with Natives in several of my jobs over the years, and out in the general community, and I can recall TWICE, only twice, seeing one of our First Nations people being under the influence. Now when you contrast that with "white folk", and I think you'll agree with my experience, I've seen a whole lot more drunks per capita there folks. Way more.

So enough with the stereotyping folks. The staffer was wrong to make that comment, period. Stereotyping like that is wrong.

Now it's time to flip the tables. Let's examine another group of people who are doing the EXACT same thing, denegrating an entire group of people based on the actions of a few... the Liberals and their supporters.

Go on over to the Liblogs, or listen to Dion's and their other candidates statements and speeches, and you'll see them doing the exact same thing. They're stereotyping an entire group based on the actions of two individuals. They're trying to say that "one bad apple spoils the bunch". They're stereotyping. But aren't they accusing this poor staffer of stereotyping? Hang on guys, isn't stereotyping WRONG?

You see, they're trying to say that Conservatives, in general, are unfit to govern because of comments made by two people... Minister Ritz with his gallows humour, and this staffer for her sober comment. Make no mistake, that's EXACTLY what they're accusing this staffer of doing... lumping an entire group together due to the actions of a single individual.

And there's a word for that folks... HYPOCRISY.

A new "Rae Day" dawns?

In seeking to salvage his sinking campaign, Dion has brought in a Liberal "heavyweight"... in none other that former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae.

Ahh yes... we all remember Bob...



h/t to Red Tory for the video... without whom, I'd have never even seen it. Thanks Red! ;-)

Are the Liberal Vultures Already Circling?

Humm... you've got to ask the question, are they REALLY there to show support for Dion, or do they have other things in mind? (photo courtesy of CTV)

Even staged events reveal Liberal woes in Guelph

You know a party is in trouble when they're forced to stage friendly canvass for the cameras... and things still go wrong.

Guelph Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote was forced to go on the defensive on camera with CPAC last week, attempting to defend both Dion and his Green Shift Carbon Tax.

It's now clear that the Guelph Liberal campaign selected a "friendly" poll for the shoot with CPAC... one of their "Top 5" in Guelph, where they polled a full 10% higher than the City average. But even in a safe environment like that, and even when talking to admitted Liberals, the wheels just fell off for poor Mr. Valeriote.

The most revealing thing from the CPAC video is how much opposition there is to Mr. Dion's leadership AND to his "Green Shift" Carbon Tax... from Liberals. The one door where he's trying valiantly to defend both, the lady at the door admits to having been an Ignatieff supporter... a former (and perhaps still current) Liberal, saying she doesn't think Dion can cut it, and that she doesn't have faith in the promised tax cuts proposed in his Green Shift platform.

But take this video into context with current events, and it becomes part of a much larger story. Dion's Green Shift is an enormous flop amongst Canadians that his own senior people are urging him to stop talking about it. And his leadership is so shaky, that he's unable to stand on his own, so the Party is trying to save their own fortunes by bringing in the "heavy hitters", propping up his tour with the likes of Bob "NDP" Rae, Ken "Habs Been" Dryden, and Michael "The American" Ignatieff.

Rather than helping, I only think that can hurt them... it reminds everyone what a mistake the Liberals made in selecting Dion as their leader.

As I said, you need no more evidence than to look at the Guelph riding. Even in a staged "friendly" photo op, the main themes of the campaign are brought right back into the forefront... that the Liberals plan and leader are simply "not worth the risk".

UPDATE: I think this photo from CTV says it all... are Bob and Michael really looking out for him, or is it more a case of the vultures beginning to circle?

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion comes under the watchful gaze of Michael Ignatieff (back) and Bob Rae (reflected in side of podium) during a campaign event in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008. (Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

BUMP: More evidence of a CPAC "set up" by Guelph Liberals

UPDATE: Reposted due to an issue with one of the aggregators I'm on...

This just keeps getting better... as the evidence mounts, Guelph Liberals (though none "officialy" from the campaign, mind you) keep on trying to deny that they staged the canvass for the cameras at CPAC. I even had a commenter the other day dare me to go with CPAC with what I have.

Well, after this little tidbit, they may want to think again about that... thanks to the publicly available poll results from the 2006 Election via Elections Canada, I did some analysis of the street I've been able to identify from the CPAC footage. And do you know what I found? I discovered that the poll they selected to canvass with CPAC was amongst the TOP 5 polls for the Liberal Party in the 2006 election... which polled a full 10% higher for their party than the rest of the riding combined.

That's right... they deliberately choose a poll where they KNEW they had a whopping 48.4% support in this poll the last election. What does that tell me? It says only one thing... IT WAS A SET-UP FOR THE CAMERAS. And that's the EXACT same thing that Garth Turner got nailed for last week.

Take all of these facts and put them together... Frank knows the residents by name. Two have been identified as a known Liberal supporters. And a third clearly identifies herself as a former Ignatieff supporter. Add to that the polling data from the previous election, and what do you get? A clear indication that the Guelph Liberals tried to stage a "friendly" canvass for the camera crew at CPAC... just like Garth Turner did.

But the best part? It still makes me smile to watch how it blew up in their faces at that one lady's door. Make you wonder how shaky the Liberal support really is in Guelph.

Still no official response from Guelph's Liberal campaign... and I'm preparing my letter for the folks at CPAC.

More evidence of a CPAC "set up" by Guelph Liberals

UPDATE: For comments on this post, please see the reposted version above, or follow the link here

This just keeps getting better... as the evidence mounts, Guelph Liberals (though none "officialy" from the campaign, mind you) keep on trying to deny that they staged the canvass for the cameras at CPAC. I even had a commenter the other day dare me to go with CPAC with what I have.

Well, after this little tidbit, they may want to think again about that... thanks to the publicly available poll results from the 2006 Election via Elections Canada, I did some analysis of the street I've been able to identify from the CPAC footage. And do you know what I found? I discovered that the poll they selected to canvass with CPAC was amongst the TOP 5 polls for the Liberal Party in the 2006 election... which polled a full 10% higher for their party than the rest of the riding combined.

That's right... they deliberately choose a poll where they KNEW they had a whopping 48.4% support in this poll the last election. What does that tell me? It says only one thing... IT WAS A SET-UP FOR THE CAMERAS. And that's the EXACT same thing that Garth Turner got nailed for last week.

Take all of these facts and put them together... Frank knows the residents by name. Two have been identified as a known Liberal supporters. And a third clearly identifies herself as a former Ignatieff supporter. Add to that the polling data from the previous election, and what do you get? A clear indication that the Guelph Liberals tried to stage a "friendly" canvass for the camera crew at CPAC... just like Garth Turner did.

But the best part? It still makes me smile to watch how it blew up in their faces at that one lady's door. Make you wonder how shaky the Liberal support really is in Guelph.

Still no official response from Guelph's Liberal campaign... and I'm preparing my letter for the folks at CPAC.

A Guelph Liberal doesn't believe me

Got this on the blog not long ago...

Anonymous said...
Go ahead CC. Send CPAC the "info" you have on this. I will await the floods of phone calls from CPAC about this so-called "staged" event. Then the truth will come out that you are lying and are slandering our candidate.

Wed Sep 17, 06:43:00 PM EDT

Really? Lying and slandering, eh?

Try asking him yourself... all of my facts are verifiable. But go ahead... by all means, deal with this "Garth Turner" style. Deny. Deflect. Distract. It'll work just as well for you as it did for Garth.

By the way... the media has been sniffing around. Time is running out for your guy to come clean.

Gotta watch out for those pesky young Tories

You never know where those fun loving young Tory whiper-snappers are going to turn up... right Mr. Dryden?


Oh, you folks don't even know half of all the fun and games from today... this one's just a tease. I'm waiting for more details on a bit of a party crash that occured today, and I'm REALLY hoping the video turned out...

As they say... "Stay tuned, film at 11".

UPDATE: Welcome Liberals! You know, some guys really need to lighten up... it was a harmless campaign prank guys. Guess I need a disclaimer or something... "No Liberals were harmed in the taking of this photo"

More evidence that Guelph Liberal canvass for CPAC was staged

Did some further digging into my theory that the Guelph Liberals staged a canvass for CPAC just like Garth Turner did last week... and we all know how well that turned out for Garth.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, using various websites and correlating the data, I've been able to determine the exact street the CPAC video was filmed on. Based on that information, I've also been able to determine the names of several individuals in the video, and the fact that more than one of the individuals filmed is are known Liberal supporters. In fact, one of these individuals has been recently quoted in the local media as a Frank Valeriote supporter. (HINT: spraypaint)

The evidence keeps piling up... it's looking more and more like the canvass was STAGED for the folks at CPAC. As to whether or not they were aware of this is yet undetermined. But based on their outrage at being setup by Garth Turner last week, I'm willing to bet they weren't knowing participants.

Though I've found lots of evidence, I'm not posting it here on the blog. I don't think the individuals that the Valeriote campaign used for this video deserve to have their privacy violated, so I won't be posting their names or addresses here.

However, let me take this opportunity to issue a warning to the Valeriote campaign... fess up to the fact that the canvass was staged, or I'll gladly provide the information I have to the folks at CPAC for verification.

Now... on to the brighter side of this issue.

I for one am glad that they "staged" this video for CPAC. I think this video is further evidence that all is not well for the Liberal Party, even in "safe" ridings like Guelph. Even on a hand-picked "friendly" street, things went horribly wrong for Frank, with him having to spend time defending his leader, Stephane Dion (which he doesn't mention in his literature, funny that) and Dion's Carbon Tax Green Shift.

Even amongst "friends", the cracks are beginning to appear.

Stay tuned, I think this story is FAR from over...