AdScam back in the news, no election this year

No way are Iffy's Liberals going to pull the plug now, with the RCMP bringing forward new allegations in relationship to well connected Liberals and the Sponsorship Scandal.

By-election night results

Along with most other BTers tonight, I'm watching the by-election results. Right now, we've got the NS seat in the bag, and in a potential political earthquake, we're leading in the "former" Bloc stronghold of Montmagny--L'Islet--Kamouraska--Rivière-du-Loup by 400+ votes, with over half the polls reporting.

Also enjoying a little West Wing while waiting... what better show to be watching on an election night?

You win some... and then you lose some

Yikes... a Quebec town councilor passes away moments after learning he's been re-elected, after a very tough battle to keep his seat.

Almost seems unfair... my thoughts of course are for the family.

Via NN

Could Coderre cross the floor?

You're thinking I mean to the Conservatives, right? Think again. With Coderre possibly on the outs with the Liberal Party this weekend, what if another former prominent Quebec Liberal is able to entice him to make the same switch he did not too long ago... into the open arms of Jack Layton's NDP?

A well connected organizer like Coderre would give Jack that extra credibility he needs in La Belle Province to snag a few more left-leaning seats... and would solidify Mulclair's status as the NDP's next "Leader-in-waiting".

How low can Iggy go?

harperismyhomeboy points out comments made by Paul Wells, reminding everyone that Iggy's AWFUL numbers in today's CROP poll were collected PRIOR to this week's Quebec Liberal meltdown.

So, I guess that begs the question... once the implosion factor is accounted for, how low will Iffy's numbers go? The current CROP poll puts the Iggy at 26%... a mere two points higher than Dion's dismal 24% from last year's election. Do I have any takers?

I say he'll at least best (worst?) Dion's numbers by a point... 23% is my guess. My "only in my wildest dreams" number? 21%

Any LOWER than that, and look for Jack to suddenly get a little more bold... forcing Iggy to back down, and there'll no going to the polls until at least May 2010.

UPDATE: Finally, someone agrees with my analysis from the other day... Jack, it's now or never! There's NO WAY he's going to have a better opening than he has right now.

Iggy further entrenches accusations of the "Liberal Party of Toronto"?

Are you kidding me? Ignatieff says that as opposed to naming a new Quebec lieutenant, the Quebec organization will for now be run out of the HIS OWN OFFICE.

You mean The T.O.-OLO? As in "Toronto Opposition Leaders Office".

Check out the entire clip from last night's CTV News, starting at the 3:25 clip... Roger Fife's damaging statement that Iggy won't be naming a new lieutenant is at the 6:10 mark. (Roger's segment starts at the 5:38 mark, and is worth watching in its entirety)

Remember my spoof logo on the "Liberal 308" plan? I think it's even more appropriate today:

h/t to Joanne

Young Liberals to Iggy: "We deserve better"

A Google translation of a letter sent to Michael Ignatieff... by some disenfranchised young Liberals in Quebec.

Seems all is not well for Iggy in "La Belle Province".

We are sure that you understand, Mr. Ignatieff, as members of this party, we deserve better.
© 2000-2009 Cyberpresse inc., A Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

Jonathan Pedneault and John Lennard
The authors are young activists of the Liberal Party of Canada. Mr. Pedneault wanted to be a candidate in Longueuil-Pierre-Boucher.

Ignatieff, there was a time when being liberal was a sign of courage, strength of character, independence of mind and respect for democracy.

Unfortunately we are forced to note that in 2009 a member of the federal Liberal Party in Quebec, is knowing how to keep his place, to obey without question - and especially - do not question the authorities in place.

As members of the PLC, but also as strong advocate of liberal thought, we see ourselves forced by lack of unfortunate events, to take call on the public square for you state our point of view. Our goal is not to embarrass the party, but to strengthen it. If we do this is that we are confident that we could get our message through the forums of the party. Bodies which, like all institutions, have the annoying habit of opposing the change and their ideas seemed a little too bold. In the Liberal Party is willing, this should be seen as a serious problem.

Even more problematic is how the tendency of some people in our party to be institutionalized so as to make ubiquitous and omnipotent. This seems especially true these days, while hints of Duplessis float in the air somewhat tainted by the Quebec wing of the LPC.

Since a new lieutenant was appointed to Quebec by you, we never stopped to let us do understand the importance of his role. So also with all the respect that we grow with you, we ask that you or the lieutenant in question, leading the party in Quebec. We will deliver not question the quality of your leadership within the party, but we can only worry about seeing some act as if they alone were in control.

After we have announced with great fanfare in spring 2009, all districts of Quebec, including those held by Liberal MPs, could be subject to a nomination contest to determine the party candidate, some began to playing petty politics to ensure their future and their grandiloquent ambitions.

Somewhat sneaky, they began to impose candidates in several constituencies, thereby exceeding the sacred right that should be members of this party, we want Liberal to choose one who will carry the red their constituency.
It is not very liberal to deny applications for the nomination, without justification, to focus people around him. It is not very liberal favor some other candidate in a nomination contest. And it is not very generous to its own interests (or dirty, it depends) over democracy.

Without doubt, the imposing shadow of those people who take too much space hovers above all Liberal ranks in Quebec. During the drafting of that letter, we received much encouragement from people who shared our views, but be prepared to co-sign for fear of reprisals. Is this the party for which we wish to argue? This party needs to regain its former glory liberal, and flout the law of silence.

Now that elections are fast approaching, it seems difficult to see that members of this party - which we recall are the backbone of any possible victory -have a say in selecting candidates. However, for the good of the party and for that of your political future, we believe that you should beware of those who by their actions, seeking by every means to harass the courage, strength of character, independence of spirit and soul fundamentally Democratic members of the party.

We are sure that you understand, Mr. Ignatieff, as members of this party, we deserve better.

A professional hit on Justin Trudeau?

Okay, this is way to Watergate for me... Justin Trudeau's laptop was stolen from his riding office. And that's ALL they took. The cops were there almost immediately, but the thieves were already gone.

BQ prepping attack ads

Anyone still think there's any chance of a climbdown? The BQ is prepping attack ads, targeting both Michael Ignatieff and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Bloc 'convinced' election coming, readies attack ads
Updated Tue. Sep. 8 2009 2:28 PM ET
The Canadian Press

QUEBEC -- Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe says he's convinced Canadians are headed to the polls this fall.

The Bloc is already planning a double-barrelled blast at Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper, including ads that tear a strip off both adversaries.

It's the first time in memory that it's targeted the two biggest national parties at once, in an indication of how Quebec appears to have become a three-way battlefield.

Duceppe says Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff can't back down from his pledge to no longer support the Conservatives in the House of Commons.

He says Prime Minister Stephen Harper is inflexible and shows no sign of openness.

Duceppe says his campaign ads will show Quebecers that his two main rivals share the same restrictive vision of the Quebecois nation.

Let slip the dogs of war...

NDP/Liberal deal breathes new life into the Bloc

A job well done by the two supposedly "Federalist" Opposition parties...

"Already Monday, PQ leader Pauline Marois was raising the possibility the Bloc could use its new leverage to promote her goal of assuming full control over culture and communications.

"If in the present case it is a coalition government that allows us to obtain things, it will be because a sovereigntist party in Ottawa has stood up to defend our interests," she said.

Denis Monière, a professor of political science at Université de Montréal who supports the sovereigntist cause, said an enhanced role in Ottawa for the Bloc would help it greatly in the next federal election.

"It will be the Bloc that controls the Canadian government without the bother of governing. It's pretty much the ideal situation," he said. "This shows that being in opposition can also allow you to play an important role in exercising power. I think the Bloc will gain a lot of credibility with this."

Any thoughts on the consequences of your actions, young Mr. Trudeau?

I Prime Minister Trudeau would have been the first out of the gate to denouce this deal as bad for Canada. I find it shocking that the supposed "fathers" of the Clarity Act, Dion and Chretien, would be so willing to sell their souls to regain power.

The Bloc was on it's way out, with Duceppe's retirement likely taking place before the next election. Now, it looks like they'll have some bragging to do during the next election... and with that, will likely hang on to more seats than they would have lost otherwise.

The Liberal Party of Canada can no longer to be trusted to act in the interests of "Federalism" in Quebec. How can they, when they've now TWICE given life to the Bloc? (first "AdScam", now, what do we call it, "VoteScam"?)

How does Trudeau really feel about all this?

Either the living one, or the dead one... take your pick.

I don't see how Justin can possibly be comfortable with this deal with the seperatists. The legacy of his father's party, the party that supposedly was the federalist option in Quebec, is now in tatters... the Liberal Party of Canada was willing, solely in their bloodlust for power, to give life to what was a dying movement in Quebec.

I wonder how many Quebec federalists have decided in the last few days to find for themselves a home in the last real federalist party our country has?

UPDATE: Welcome to all the media outlets who are checking out this post. My hope is that you'll seriously consider this question, and pose it to young Mr. Trudeau on the behalf of Canadians.

How many Liberals have already jumped ship?

Bet you missed this one little line burried in a story in yesterday's Vancouver Sun...

Dion could just as easily have gone north across the Ottawa River to the riding of Gatineau, currently held by first-time Bloc MP Richard Nadeau who narrowly beat Liberal incumbent Francoise Boivin by 830 votes in 2006. Boivin is back to run in that riding but this time, she's running for the NDP.

Did you catch that? A former Liberal MP, who's now running for the NDP.

The Liberals are having trouble finding candidates in Quebec, and maybe here's why... many Quebec Liberals are following in the footsteps of Thomas Mulclair, and jumping off the "Good Ship Dion" in order to run under the leadership of Jack Layton... who's polling second in leadership across the country, ahead of Liberal leader Stephane Dion.

Dion overrules his Quebec Campaign organizer

See what I mean about turning a one day story into a two day story?

Quebec City Liberal cadidate Simon Bédard has officialy resigned his candidacy, after Mr. Dion was forced to overrule his own Quebec campaign manager Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette and demand his resignation.

According to the Globe & Mail, Senator Hervieux-Payette had initially accepted Mr. Bédard's apology, and allowed him to continue as the Team Dion candidate in Quebec City. But fearing an outcry, Mr. Dion was forced to correct the error and demand his immediate resignation... as should have been done in the first place.

“Today I announce that I have asked for and received the resignation of Simon Bédard as the Liberal Party of Canada's candidate in the riding of Québec,” Mr. Dion stated in a press release. ‘While Mr. Bédard has clearly indicated that he no longer holds those views, the Liberal Party of Canada's proud tradition of support for our Aboriginal communities must not be overshadowed by these comments.”

Perhaps the rumours of disorganization and poor planning amongst the Quebec Liberal campaign aren't far off the mark, if Dion's having to step in like this and micro-manage the team.

Another empty chair in the House

With his win in Quebec's by-election last night, former Bloc MP Maka Kotto has become the latest PQ MLA. Mr. Kotto officially resigned his seat in the House on May 5, and the vacancy was officially announced today in the House of Commons.

That means we're up to five currently vacant seats in the House.

(updated list of retired/retiring MP's here)

"Game, set, match. Move on."

Gotta love this post from Warren:

"My one-person focus group is my gal; she's smarter and more intuitive than me, even if she was a Tory, long ago. She laughed out loud when I read her this line from the Prime Minister. I was laughing, too.

"Mr. Dion and Mr. Duceppe are quite a group of gossipy old busy-bodies."

Sorry, fed Lib pals, but that was a killer line. Game, set, match.

Let it go, move on."

Heard it on the radio last night, and thought it was a real good one-liner myself.

I think, however, that WE'RE the ones who shouldn't let this one go. This is yet another example of the kind of slimy and disgusting "gotcha" politics that the Liberals have been playing for far too long now in this minority government. Jamming up Committiees by introducing irrelevant and drawn out motions. And now jumping deep into the personal lives of Ministers, doing everything they can to smear them. I like the line in the House yesterday, in response to Iggy's question on this one... "Trudeau said that the government doesn't belong in the bedrooms of the nation. The member from Etobicoke-Lakeshore is certianly no Trudeau."

Enough is enough. Did you know that the Liberals are intentionally delaying study of the Consumer Protection Act by trying to go back to re-examine studies on Insite? That's right... Canadians have said they want stronger consumer protection laws, but the Liberals are keeping it off the table until we go and look further into one of their pet projects.

Personally, I say we make sure the public clearly sees and hears about every single thing the Liberals keep trying to dig up. Canadians will be disgusted when they hear fully the antics of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Debate and discussion, even disagreement, on the issues is one thing. But this Republican-style of "GOTCHA" that the Liberals are playing at is not welcome here in Canada... and I think Canadians will agree with me on that one.

UPDATE: Ask, and you shall receive... Janke's got a good post on this one. Looks like I may have been right... the Liberals, and the Bloc no less, seem to have been pulling a lot of media strings to get this story into the mix. Like I said before, I think WE should keep it going... expose this Liberal smearing sliminess for all it's worth.

The Liberals are DESPERATE to get back into power, and will say and do ANYTHING to get there. Instead, what they've gotten on this story is exactly what they rightly deserve... the PM turning it right around and making the antics of Mr. Dion and Mr. Duceppe INTO the story... and making THEM the punchline with his brilliant one-liner.

Let's read that one again... "Mr. Dion and Mr. Duceppe are quite a group of gossipy old busy-bodies."

Like Warren said, "Sorry, fed Lib pals, but that was a killer line. Game, set, match."

I ask Canadians... do you REALLY want these kinds of people running YOUR country?

UPDATE II: The important lines of Chantal Herbert's story today, thanks to Janke...

"With Quebec City the ground zero of an all-out election war between the Bloc and the Conservatives, there were other signs this week that the hostilities are escalating to new levels.

On Wednesday, Duceppe expressed concerns over reports that Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier's former girlfriend once had ties with biker gangs. But the inside story is that, behind the scenes, the Bloc (and the Liberals) had been actively lobbying the media to break the news for weeks.

Julie Couillard has no criminal record. She has never been charged with criminal activity and some of Quebec's crack investigative reporters failed to find evidence that she has had links with bikers since a 1999 divorce.

It is just about unprecedented for a Quebec party to venture into the private life of a political opponent in this fashion. The Bloc, under Lucien Bouchard or even under previous incarnations of a more serene Duceppe, would not have touched a story that so barely passes the test of public interest. Nor, for that matter, would a Liberal party that had not lost its opposition rudder.

But desperate times, it seems, call for desperate moves."

Desperate indeed...

UPDATE III: Looks like I'm pretty far behind on this story... been a busy day. Anyway, the National Post has two more articles on this story, mostly taking the Liberal to task for their sleaziness. Here's one from Don Martin, and another from Kelly McParland.

Not quite dead yet

Just in time to end off the week... and just in case some Liberals had gotten a little to giddy about this week's events...

Former top Liberal organizer charged with fraud
Last Updated: Friday, April 18, 2008 | 11:45 AM ET
CBC News

The former executive director of the Liberal party's Quebec wing has been arrested and charged with defrauding his party.

Benoit Corbeil has been charged with influence peddling, fraud and conspiracy against the party and the federal government between 1997 and 2000.

h/t to Darryl

Is Dion leading Quebec women to the slaughter?

The electoral slaughterhouse, that is... Steve Janke has done some analysis, and pointed out that Mr. Dion has painted himself into yet another corner.

In order to fulfill his committment of running 1/3 female candidates in the next election, he's likely going to have to appoint at least 25 more women in the province of Quebec. Now, according to all the polls, Mr. Dion's Liberals are set to take a beating in Quebec in the next election. Therefore, these 25 yet unnamed women, whomever they may be, must know that they're going to be asked to fly a Kamakhazi mission for the Liberal Party of Canada.

I think Steve sums it up well... "Some might wonder, perhaps publicly, if Stephane Dion was using women as cannon fodder in Quebec.

If allegations like that arise, Stephane Dion will also be remembered as the federal leader who did the most to hurt the level of participation of women in elected office."

Stephane Dion... the man who's leading dozens of Quebec women to the electoral slaughterhouse.

Stephane Dion... yea, he's not much of a leader.

Chretien seeking to quash the Gomery Report

Jean Chretien's lawyers filed a memorandum in federal court late Friday afternoon, seeking to quash the Gomery Report's findings that Chretien was in some way responsible.

Archive your copies now, before they're gone forever!

Lawyers for Chretien filed a memorandum in federal court late Friday afternoon in the latest step in their court battle to quash Gomery's report that placed part of the blame for the scandal on the former prime minister and his office.

"In the case of this Public Inquiry, the Honourable John Gomery (the "Commissioner") was seduced by the media and the limelight to such an extent that the judicial instinct for fairness, objectivity and restraint which (Chretien) was entitled to expect of him gave way to a preoccupation on his part with focusing media (and public) attention upon himself, a course of conduct which preordained unfavourable findings," said the court filing.

Gagliano and Pelletier are also seeking to quash Gomery's report. The matter goes before the federal court in February in Montreal.

Clement Cartoon on Reasonable Accommodation

Ouch... from today's National Post. They are indeed walking a very fine line over there.

"Nowhere to go but up"?

Some have been surmising that with the numbers that the Liberals are polling in Quebec, they have nowhere else to go but up.

I, for one, disagree... with continued statements like this, I'm sure they're going to be able to give a whole new definition to the concept of "rock bottom".

However, some members of the party's Quebec wing were far from confident yesterday that Hervieux-Payette's arrival will be the tonic the party needs.

"He can change all the Quebec lieutenants he wants, but the problem is him," said one Liberal who supported Dion in the leadership race but no longer believes he has the skills needed to lead the party.

"He can move the chairs around on the deck of the Titanic, but that's not really going to solve our problem in Quebec."

OUCH!!! With the upcoming Omnibus bill on crime, and other likely Confidence votes, I can hear them now... "ICEBURG, DEAD AHEAD!!!"

Mr. Dion, you should have gone with your gut and called an election...