Can Obama win in Iowa?

I think that this one will be too close to prognosticate - though I was encouraged by this article.

Oscar Peterson passed away

My late father, who I miss tremendously, went to school in Montreal with legendary pianist Oscar Peterson.

I tell you that growing up in Montreal during the depression built character and some of the finest people to walk the face of the earth.

Today we are sadder having lost both of them, but the world is a better place for having known them.

Here comes Santa Claus

NORAD will be tracking Santa again this year. Check out their fun website.

Stop Censoring Christmas

Well the BBC, as it turns out, are not as big wankers as I was going to write. It turns out that the BBC has reversed its earlier decision to censor The Pogues' Fairytale of New York. This is one of the most beautiful holiday songs that gives me that warm and buttery Christmas feeling.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the nativity police at Elmdale public school in Ottawa who have replaced the word Christmas in the song Silver Bells for their Christmas, err holiday concert. And to top it off and really infuriate me is the audacity of the school board chair when called to account for this repugnant censorship. To Lynn Scott and the rest of the Christmas apologists, censors and wankers, in the words of the Pogues, "Happy christmas your arse, I pray God its your last" ridiculous attempt to take the Christ out of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

May he rest in peace

The World's oldest man, Hryhory Nestor of Ukraine, died this week at the ripe old age of 116 years. I wrote about Nestor once before, and remembered him attributing his long life to his Ukrainian diet and the fact that he never got married.

VICHNAYA PAM'YAT.

Tory support plummets amid pileup of scandals

A new Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey suggests PM Steve's Conservatives have lost their big lead over the Liberals, plunging six percentage points in popular support in just one week.
The poll drops the Cons to 30 per cent support, in a statistical tie with the Liberals, who are up four points to 32 per cent.
Support for the Tories dropped across all regions and demographic groups.
The striking shift comes in the wake of several controversies which are taking a toll on Steve:
_ Former Tory PM Muldoon's admission that he accepted cash-stuffed envelopes from arms lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber and persistent questions about his current involvement with PM Steve's government.
_ Heavy criticism of Canada's position at the climate-change summit in Bali.
_ The political fallout from a critical shortage of medical isotopes due to the shutdown of the Chalk River nuclear reactor and the apparent cover-up by Resource Minister Gary Lunn.

Hey Steve and Brian, "Why the long faces?"

Finally...

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES TYMOSHENKO AS PRIME MINISTER. The 450-seat Verkhovna Rada on December 18 approved Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of the parliamentary bloc bearing her name (BYuT), as Ukraine's prime minister, UNIAN reported. Tymoshenko received 226 votes, the exact number needed for her approval as premier. The voting session was attended only by the coalition lawmakers of the BYuT and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc (NUNS). All 156 BYuT members and 70 out of 72 NUNS members voted in favor of Tymoshenko. Ivan Spodarenko did not cast his vote because he was hospitalized, and Ivan Plyushch abstained.

Jean Lapierre: carpetbagger or crackwhore?

Former Liberal Cabinet minister turned founder of the separatist Bloc Quebecois party cum TVA commentator has an allegation that the Liberals are colluding with the CBC.

What? How could it be that an employee of the TVA Group complains about Liberal questioning of Big chin Muldoon at his committee appearance about his tawdry acts and acceptance of $300,000 in bags of cash for no work with no receipts or bank records?

Could it be just a coincidence that since September 2001, Lapierre's employer has been part of the Quebecor family of companies [chaired by none other than Lyin' Brian Mulroney] and owned by Pierre Karl Peladeau, ironically the 2 individuals being fingered by the Liberals for influence pedalling on the Harper government's wireless spectrum decision are his bosses.

So the guy in a real conflict of interest invents a story about Liberal collusion with the CBC...that's rich.

PS: Or maybe it's just a distraction from this. Andrew Coyne writes a scathing review of Lord Vader's performance. And some people forgot why we hated him so...

Brian, Brian Pants on Fire

So Mulroney appeared before Parliamentary Committee today and revealed that:

1) he took cash payments on 3 separate occasions as an MP and again after;
2) he only paid tax on the money when he learned of Schreiber being charged with tax evasion.

There are, however, some gaping holes in his testimony:

He only filed his non-disclosed 1993 income in 1999. What is surprising is that he claimed the income as earned in 1999 and not legally as 1993 income.
He did:
· not re-file the 1993 tax year with the added income;
· not make a voluntary declaration to the CRA that the income earned was in 1993 and not 1999;
· inappropriately claim expenses incurred in 1993 that generated the non-disclosed income;
· as an Officer of the Court, he sees nothing ethically or legally wrong with filing for the wrong year.

Mulroney refused to produce any documents to substantiate his claims.

If any other Canadian citizen chose to withhold the disclosure of income earned, CRA would be demanding a mountain of documents detailing year(s) of tax returns submitted previously by the tax payer.

Many Canadians are personally disgusted with this sense of entitlement by a former Prime Minister. He benefited from six years of undisclosed income. Ordinary citizens cannot! Now, more than ever, we need a full Royal Commission of Inquiry into this whole sordid affair.

Steve, it's your father, Lord Vader

In light of tomorrow's performance at committee:

They still haven't got a new Prime Minster...

The Ukraine election was almost 100 days ago and today, Yulia Tymoshenko was nominated for the position of PM and her nomination required a majority vote in the 450 seat legislature. Guess what? She came up a vote short with 225. Needless to say there are all kinds of conspiracy theories floating around. I hope that her nomination is approved quickly so that Ukraine's new government can get started.

Is this new?

I am wondering if anyone has ever tried the one of those switch home vacation places. I have heard of some mixed results on these things.
In any event, I was thinking about Ukraine hosting Euro 2012 jointly with Poland and my mind got to wandering about going to see Sheva play for Chelsea since he started scoring again. So I was wondering what types of travel arrangements exist for a pre-Euro soccer vacation on the cheap.

I came across Cheaper than Hotels and was wondering if anyone has ever tried them. The strange thing about the title is that it suggests that they are not hotels...

Word of the Day: Justice

So Media tycoon Conrad Black, accused by prosecutors of operating a corporate kleptocracy has been found guilty and sentenced to 6.5 years in an American pen. So Lord Black is now a convicted felon...who would make a good cell mate?

A) Michael Vick - who got only 23 months for his dog fighting operation;
B) Larry the mayor guy O'Brien? (who has only been charged not convicted)
C) Robert Picton - Convicted British Columbia murderer; or
D) Brian (I never had relations with that man, Mr Schreiber) Mulroney.

Let me know what you think...

Schreiber drops bomb on Mulroney in Commons Committee

Karlheinz Schreiber testified under oath at a parliamentary committee today that he was told by Brian Mulroney's former chief of staff to funnel proceeds of the Airbus sale into a Swiss bank account destined for the former prime minister.
The accusation is the first time Schreiber has explicitly said the former prime minister may have benefited from the Air Canada purchase Airbus jetliners.
Schreiber told a Commons committee that Fred Doucet asked him to open an account in the name of Mulroney's lawyer in 1992 or 1993.
Mulroney was still the prime minister when Schreiber alleges the discussion occurred.
Schreiber said the request astounded him.
``What the hell has Mulroney to do with Airbus?'' Schreiber recalled asking Doucet, who was working as a lobbyist by then.
Doucet's answer: ``Are you naive?''
He said the conversation with Doucet took place in the Ottawa offices of Government Consultants International _ a lobbying firm stocked with staffers who were well-connected to Mulroney.
``Why would Mulroney get money for Airbus? For what?'' Schreiber said he asked Doucet.
``And he said, `Airbus.' ''
Within hours of the conversation, a rattled Schreiber said he contacted Frank Moores, another Mulroney confidant who was one of the principal owners of the lobbying firm, about the payments destined for Mulroney.
Moores told him to forget about the conversation, Schreiber testified. Others at GCI also urged him to ignore the reasons behind the request for the transfer to a Swiss bank account.
``They told me I should stay away from this. It is in their hands and they look after Brian Mulroney.'' Questions have long swirled around the 1988 purchase of 34 Airbus jets by then-Crown owned Air Canada.
Mulroney sued the Liberal government under Jean Chretien which was forced to apologize and pay Mulroney a $2.1-million settlement to cover his legal and professional fees.
Mulroney has subsequently admitted to taking $300,000 in cash from Schreiber in three separate hotel room meetings in the early 1990s. The ex-prime minister has never explained why he took the payments in cash, nor when he paid taxes on the payments.

Tymoshenko said Party of Regions offered bribes to her bloc

In a move reminiscent of the Mulroney-Schreiber tango going on in Ottawa, Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the parliamentary bloc bearing her name (BYuT), said that the opposition Party of Regions tried to bribe four lawmakers to withdraw their signatures from the coalition agreement between the BYuT and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc.
Tymoshenko said the lawmakers accepted the bribes with the goal of collecting evidence against the Party of Regions. "This was our project to publicly demonstrate a betrayal of political morality, the Party of Region's betrayal of the principles that should exist in politics. We have recorded the transfer of the money, which we then returned. We recorded how, where, and to whom they returned it," she said. Tymoshenko said that "one lawmaker's soul is valued at $20 million." In late November, Tymoshenko accused the Party of Regions of attempts to bribe BYuT lawmakers.
Lesson to Party of regions from schreiber-Mulroney: Cash is harder to trace for your mucky transactions.

Everything old is new again

It seems that high-rolling ministers shuttling around in jets is not a thing of the past, but part of PM Steve's Mulroney revival efforts. This is what La Presse had to say:

Facture salée pour les déplacements du ministre Blackburn Des avions nolisés en guise de taxis
La Presse Canadienne
Ottawa - Le ministre du Travail, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, utilise des vols nolisés comme taxis pour faire le voyage entre Ottawa et sa circonscription et envoie les factures à l'Agence de développement économique du Canada pour les régions du Québec dont il est responsable.
Des documents obtenus en vertu de la Loi sur l'accès à l'information démontrent qu'entre avril et août, le ministre a dépensé 68 000 $ pour 14 vols nolisés. Dans la moitié des cas, les appareils ont servi à transporter le ministre entre Ottawa et la base militaire de Bagotville, située dans le comté de Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, une circonsciption voisine à celle du ministre. La plupart du temps, le ministre était le seul passager. Il n'a en effet amené son attaché de presse avec lui qu'à trois reprises et il est arrivé que cette personne ne soit présente que pour une portion du voyage.
L'opposition trouve déplorable que les informations au sujet des vols nolisés n'apparaissent nulle part dans les formulaires de divulgation du ministre. Ils sont toutefois énumérés parmi d'autres contrats octroyés par Développement économique Canada.
Pas une première pour le ministre
Dans une déclaration écrite transmise à La Presse Canadienne, le cabinet de Jean-Pierre Blackburn assure par ailleurs que le ministre prend des vols commerciaux chaque fois que c'est possible. Cela est effectivement arrivé à quelques reprises.
Le ministre a fait état de dépenses de près de 20 000 $ pour des vols commerciaux au cours des derniers mois. Le tiers de cette somme est lié à des déplacements à l'extérieur du Québec et un autre tiers est le résultat du voyage du ministre en Gaspésie au lendemain des inondations de l'été dernier.
Ce n'est pas la première fois que Jean-Pierre Blackburn est la cible de critiques pour son recours jugé abusif à des vols nolisés ainsi que pour sa propension à camoufler les dépenses qui y sont associées.
Le printemps dernier, La Presse Canadienne révélait en effet que le ministre avait dépensé environ 150 000 $ pour louer des avions en 2006 et que cette somme
n'apparaissait nulle part dans ses rapports de dépense.

Smart move by Stelmach

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has made a very astute move in rejecing the candidacy of troglodyte Craig Chandler, saying that "Chandler's nomination would not be in the best interest of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta."

Read the whole article here.

Wow - even Luc Lavoie has bailed on Mulroney

Let me paraphrase from the Globe and Mail article this morning, where 20-year Brian Mulroney spokesman Luc Lavoie has quit, " This thing is going down in flames quickly and I don't cherish the thought of this millstone around my neck."

Lavoie is probably sick of repeating the bullshit Mulroney feeds him and them looking like an idiot when the facts come out and contradict him.

Read the article here. A very happy Saturday.

Flight of the Conchords

I have tremendously enjoyed a new series (to me anyways) on television called "Flight of the Conchords" featuring a quirky yet hilarious New Zealand musical duo's explots in NYC. These guys make me laugh.

Mulroney responds to Canadians

Brian Mulroney sued Canada and walked away with $2.1 million in a settlement that included testimony wherein Mulroney claimed to have limited dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber. Yesterday, we learned from Karlheinz Schreiber that Mulroney orchestrated the $300,000 in cash payments while he was still PM.

Mulroney's response:

House Speaker Milliken rules in Mulroney Schreiber Affair

According to CP wire story, the Speaker of the House of Commons issued a rare warrant compelling Karlheinz Schreiber to appear at a Parliamentary committee hearing Thursday to discuss his business dealings with Brian Mulroney. But he’s getting no help from Justice Minister Rob Nicholson.

Has the family gone overboard?

Two of the most enduring characters in the history of Canadian children's programming, Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe, are being removed from their retirement home at the CBC.
The children of actor and Friendly Giant creator Bob Homme, were angered by the CBC's recent treatment of the loveable puppets and have e-mailed The Globe and Mail, asking for assistance in tracking down a video of the recent Gemini Awards, which included a skit showing Rusty, Jerome and other stuffed stars now living in a retirement home after their shows were cancelled.
From friends, Ms. Homme had heard about her dad's puppets appearing in the mock clip, where a narrator described them as sitting around, drinking, smoking and having sex.
Rusty and Jerome were not shown engaging in any salacious behaviour. Personally, I believe thatwhat former puppets do in the privacy of their retirement home is none of her damned business.
Maybe she has "other plans" for the puppets...

Why is the RCMP killing so many people in custody?

So another man has died after being tasered by the Mounties in British Columbia. This is outrageous - there needs to be a ban on taser use by police in Canada. And for the cops to continue to deny any link between tasers and deaths is as ludicrous as the tobacco execs claiming no link between smoking and cancer...unbelievable.

This is an issue ripe for a Royal Commission.

Ukraine Remembers - The World Acknowledges 75th commemoration of the Holodomor Famine Genocide 1932-1933

Ukraine Remembers -The World Acknowledges
75th Commemoration Of The Holodomor 1932-1933
"Induced Starvation, Death for Millions, Genocide"
Light A Candle of Memory, Saturday, November 24, 2007

"With due respect, I call on all Ukrainians and all people of goodwill regardless of their backgrounds to light on November 24 the candles of memory of the Holodomor victims on all our planet.Bring the flames of truth to every nation and every country. All your candles will help form a single candle which we will light in November 2008.
This candle will become an eternal and ever burning symbol of our grief for the millions of starved brother and sisters, of our unity and our faith in the unconquerable strength of the Ukrainian people. Our duty is to unite the efforts and make everything possible to ensure that these tragic pages of history will be never forgotten. Ukraine to Remember! The World to Recognize!"

Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine

Had Enough?

The good folks at the Huffington Post have created a posterboard for the GOP here and here. This is what I imagine a Canadian one would look like:

Broken Kyoto Promise
Appoints unelected Senator
Mulroney-Schreibergate
Income Trust Broken Promise
Tortured Afghan detainees
RCMP Taser Disasters
Broken Child Care Promise
No reduction in Wait Times
In-out funding Scandal
Broken Kelowna Agreement

Had enough?

Lavoie-speak

Brian Mulroney's spokesman Luc Lavoie is seen swallowing himself whole on Dan Cook's blog here.

My favorite quote, "there never was any money. And to think otherwise is really to not know Mulroney. He is too smart to do something like that. It is just too dummy. It is too damn stupid."

Oh yeah and he did take the cash...

Even the Post knows this doesn't pass the smell test

From Lorne Gunter in today's Post:

"a couple of quick questions about aspects of this case that have always troubled me: For instance, what part of taking $300,000 in cash, in hotel rooms, from a shady arms dealer, without any documentation, seemed like a good idea at the time?
Even if we forget the source and location of the payments, and allow that they were entirely above board, the optics are self-evidently awful.
Mulroney spokesman Luc Lavoie has referred to the payments from Mr. Schreiber as a "retainer." OK. What law firm or lobby group accepts such large-sum cash retainers, particularly without issuing a receipt and signing a contract that lays out the nature of their services?
There can be little denying Mr. Mulroney took the money. Even Mr. Lavoie's attempts to characterize it as a retainer is an indirect admission. Mr. Mulroney is now just trying to find a classier name for it.
What's more, the former PM paid tax on the money, albeit six years after the fact and only under a sort of amnesty policy offered by Revenue Canada. (And, if anything Mr. Schreiber says is to be believed, the tax was paid only after a bribery scandal involving him broke in Germany and he refused to give Mr. Mulroney a document stating that at no time did the former prime minister "ever solicit or receive" payments from some of the same accounts Mr. Schreiber had allegedly used to make questionable payments to prominent Germans.)"

Don't F*&# with Santa

OK - they've done it. This time the nanny state has gone too far!

I feel like there must be a petition or something to stop this lunacy. To what am I referring?

In Australia, there is a movement to ban Santa from saying "Ho, ho, ho." WHAT? That's right, it may be scary for some kids. Give me a break! I think the elves should start ordering a couple of extra tonnes of coal this year. Unbelievable!!!

Mulroney-Schreibergate: "This is bigger than Airbus"

More explosive allegations on Mulroney-Schreibergate in this morning's paper. Karlheinz Schreiber told reporters yesterday that he has new details to expose about his relationship with if and when he is called to testify at the public inquiry announced this week.
Schreiber said the scope of the inquest must look all the way back to 1979 for the truth to come out.

"The whole thing is much broader than only Airbus and it starts already at the beginning, in the early '80s, when the situation was that Brian Mulroney
intended to become the prime minister and needed help," said Mr.
Schreiber.

He went on to say:

"There are other revelations I intend to make in front of an inquiry which really made me very nervous when I heard about them. You will understand that I want to leave quite a few important things for the inquiry."

Schreiber's affidavit was made public last week and dropped three bombshells:
1)Schreiber claims that he struck the deal with Mr. Mulroney to deliver three cash payments totalling $300,000 on June 23, 1993, three days before he stepped down as Prime Minister;

2) that he spoke with Mr. Mulroney in Zurich in 1998 about a close advisor's request to "transfer funds [...] to Mr. Mulroney's lawyer in Geneva related to the Airbus deal"; and

3) that he wrote a letter for Mr. Mulroney to present to Mr. Harper in July, 2006, asking for a probe that would clear the air surrounding the Airbus affair.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
Mr. Schreiber yesterday explained his version of how he knew about the July, 2006, meeting at Harrington Lake between the current and former prime ministers.
Mr. Schreiber claims he was contacted through an intermediary -- "someone important and close to Mr. Mulroney" -- requesting that he write a letter for an upcoming meeting with Mr. Harper.
"He needed urgently a letter because he was going to see Mr. Harper at Harrington Lake for a couple of days with his family and that will be the time he can speak with Mr. Harper about the whole case," he said. "But Mr. Harper is very concerned about the relationship between Mr. Mulroney and myself after this show ... with The Fifth Estate [where he revealed the $300,000 cash payments]."

10 Questions for Brian Mulroney at the judicial inquiry

Here are some questions I'd like to ask Mulroney at the judicial inquiry into the allegations levelled against him:

10. Hey Brian, why the long face?

9. Did you declare to Canada Customs that you were bringing over $10,000 in cash back with you after received it in an envelope in New York? If not, why not?

8) Were the payments made in small, unmarked bills?

7) Did you receive any other cash payments while you were Prime Minister? If yes, what for?

6) Did you receive any other cash payments after you retired as Prime Minister? If yes, what for?

5) When you said during your 1990s court case that you had no dealings with Mr. Schreiber, how do you explain the three meetings with (3) $100,000 cash payments?

4) Why didn't you pay tax on the cash payments until they were made public years later?

3) Why is an inquiry involving cash payments made to the Conservatives considered a vendetta?

2) Will you reimburse the Crown for the use of Harrington lake residence for meetings dealing with at best non-government affairs or worse schemes for cash payments for ...?

1) Do you believe that Canadian taxpayers should be on the hook for the $2.1 million settlement that you obtained on false pretenses?

How many weeks for Ukrainians to form a government?

From slow to bizarre to absurd, Ukraine is still unable to form a government. Today President Viktor Yushchenko said that passing the stage of discussions among politicians and proceeding to forming a coalition is Ukrainian politicians' main task. Yushchenko expressed concern "I cannot see the politicians who would offer mutual dialogue," Yushchenko said. "The impression is that the elections are over, 'martial law' is canceled, but the people who were elected to the parliament once again propose war."

Pressure on Harper increases to call full judicial inquiry

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion accused Mr. Harper and his staff of "gross negligence" for not acting months ago on "tremendously serious allegations that call into question the very integrity of the office of the prime minister."

Front six pages of Globe on Mulroney-Schreibergate

Umm...after many months of cajoling and prodding by Liberals, the MSM has finally decided that it will no longer be bullied by lyin' Brian. PM Steve is trying to distance himself, but it looks like he won't be itching for a fall election any time soon with this millstone around his neck.

This is great news for Canada's Veterans

Colonel Pat Stogran is an excellent choice to be Canada's first veterans ombudsman.

Given the current weak non-representation of vetarans' issues by New Brunswick's Greg Thompson, the appointment of Stogran, a retired colonel who previously served as field commander of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Afghanistan in 2002 is indeed welcome news.

Stogran is vowing to "go to the wall" for those who have served in the military as he prepares to begin the job of addressing their concerns. "I view my role strictly as the veterans' champion," Stogran told CBC News. "I take on veterans' causes and go to the wall."

Sounds a whole lot better than the BS we have come to expect from the Tory Minister.

Will PM Steve have a real independent review of Mulroney Scandal?

Reuters reposrts that PM Steve has announced an investigation today into the serious allegations of improper dealings between Karlheinz Schreiber and former PM Brian Mulroney.
Harper said that he will appoint an independent third party to look into allegations that Schreiber has made against Mulroney.
"The allegations do touch upon Mr. Mulroney's term of office," Harper said, adding that they stem from "nasty litigation" between Schreiber and Mulroney.
He said the independent person would advise him on the proper course of action to take in light of the allegations, including whether to launch a full inquiry, which Harper had previously ruled out.

Why doesn't PM Steve launch a full public inquiry like the cons so salivated for with Gomery? I would suggest that there is a former judge jonesing for an opportunity to be a media whore with some time on his hands...

More Mulroney sleaze

I had to take a shower after reading this update on a certain former Conservative PM in a story called Schreibergate.

The Liberals may be on to something here

Let's see if former Fisheries Minister can reel in the big one...

CP reports that the Liberal Opposition is calling PM Steve a hypocrite for refusing to investigate cash-stuffed envelopes delivered in hotel rooms to his Conservative predecessor Brian Mulroney.
Harper has rejected Liberal calls for an inquiry into those 1990s cash transactions, saying he doesn't believe in launching witch-hunts against political opponents.
Why then, the Liberals ask, has Harper already earmarked $1 million to sift through every public opinion research contract awarded by the previous Liberal government?
Liberal MP Robert Thibault got it right:"It's full hypocrisy," Thibault said in an interview.

Canadians deserve the truth about this scandal including the apparent contradictions in Mulroney's Airbus settlement...

There were no mobile chemical weapons factories

Well, as America is considering attacking Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons program, it is important that the Bush gang which has brought us $100 per barrel oil, based their claim that Iraq had WMDs and the major justification for that armed conflict on flawed "intelligence reports" of a wannabe German refugee and as 60 Minutes discovered, Alwan also worked at a Babel television production company, where he stole expensive equipment before finding his calling working for a cosmetics company.

So, let me get this straight, the entire justification by the Bush administration was a hoax that was unverified by German intelligence agency. Somebody should send W (and PM Steve for that matter) hunting with Cheney before any more American and Canadian boys and girls gets themselves killed...

Live from NY, it's Barack Obama

Cell phone jammers

This is an interesting device that wields an incredible amount of power. I wonder if someone will invent one that blocks annoying ringtones only.

Tale of the tape in Saskatoon Northwest

Let's compare the candidates in Saskatoon Northwest, using only info from their websites (and their links):

Sask Party - Serge Leclerc - Serge received a precedent setting Canadian National Pardon in the year 2000. This Pardon, enforced by an Act of Legislation, honours his outstanding life change, present citizenship, and legally exonerates him from all past criminal convictions and especially social stigma as today he has no criminal record of any kind!

"His time at a maximum security prison at 19 only increased his reputation and business contacts. For the next 15 years LeClerc was in and out of jail.
He was finally busted in the Eastern townships of Quebec with a $40 million drug lab. LeClerc was back in prison."

NDP - Ken Winton-Grey -Ken works as a technologist in the Sleep Disorders Centre at Royal University Hospital. He is also a union boss, serving as"President of Service Employees International Union Local 333."

Liberal - Ryan Androsoff - Ryan has experience at all levels of government and currently works with Trident International, helping businesses recruit skilled labour to meet the demands of a growing economy. Ryan was most recently employed by the World Bank in Washington, DC, and focused on initiatives to make international aid more results focused.

Ryan worked for the Minister of International Cooperation and helped coordinate the Canada’s response to international events, including democratic programs for Ukraine during the Orange Revolution and participating in Canada's on-the-ground response after the 2004 Tsunami disaster.

I boldly pick Ryan Androsoff as the best candidate to respresent the people of Saskatoon Northwest.

Nova Scotians are truly in their debt

While Mark Warner and Brent Barr are apparently not appropriate candidates for the Conservative Party, former Nova Scotia Finance Minister Greg Kerr is, and, deserving of a visit from the Prime Minister .


Some of Mr. Kerr's background:

* when the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives took office in 1978, the provincial debt was less than a billion dollars and the then Liberal Government of Gerry Regan ran a surplus of $14 million.

-- for most of the next 15 years, Greg Kerr was the Minister of Finance (Premier Buchanan took on the role himself in the first two years) and then-Premier Donnie Cameron shuffled him out in 1991.

-- under Greg Kerr's watchful eye, Nova Scotia's debt grew to more than $8 billion and every year NS ran deficits running from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars. It was considered a "good news story" if, in his budget address, Greg Kerr said he anticipated a deficit of, for example, "only" $40 million (which, always turned out to be double or more).

-- in June 1990, the lid blew off the Buchanan Regime with the testimony of Michael Zareski before the Public Accounts Committee. Zareski accused Kerr of ensuring that he got final say on all hiring at the Upper Clements Theme Park, a government created project in his riding. -Daily News: June 28, 1990; Chronicle Herald: June 27, 1990

-- 1994: The Waverley Village Commission claimed that Greg Kerr had abused his power in August 1992 when he was the Acting Minister of Municipal Affairs by granting an exemption to Tidewater Construction to open the Waverley quarry without a public hearing. - Daily News: February 2, 1994

Hat Tip to G-mac

Perfected: The Ann Coulter Song

A Funny take on Coulter's over-the-top comments.

Control Freak PM Steve dumps moderate Con candidate

PM Steve is starting to crack. He has not been able to bully the Liberals and force an election he so desperately wants. As with the Mulroney story below, and yesterday's Auditor General report, Steve's plan was to control the news for 2 weeks and head to the polls. Let's see if he wants to go to the polls on this:

Mark Warner, Conservative candidate in Toronto-Centre was removed because he tried to "strengthen the urban voice that has been regrettably absent from our current national government." Warner's news release says it best, "I joined the Party when Brian Mulroney was the strongest voice for Nelson Mandela's freedom. Unfortunately, I have found that the ConservativeParty today, by its actions, is not the inclusive Party that I once believedin. The Conservative Party today cynically pays "lip service" to diversity andoutreach to minority communities in Canada."

See Bob Rae's take on this here.

In similar news, Guelph area Conservative candidate Brent Barr was dropped and said the party brass told him he was being dropped because he wasn't campaigning hard enough to build up the party locally, despite his holding four community events a week and inviting potential voters into his home for coffee chats.
"That's a completely false statement," he said of the charge of lax campaigning. "If I had actually done anything the embarrass or denigrate the party, I would sit down right and accept it. But I didn't."
Barr said he suspected the party has pushed him aside in favour of a star candidate, something Prime Minister Stephen Harper has blasted Liberals for doing while campaigning for the 2004 federal election.

Of Gucci shoes and envelopes of cash...

The headline on the CBC website, Mulroney tried to cover up cash payments he received in hotel rooms is causing PM Steve to crap his pants as the governing Tories will face quite the attack over this scandal involving Lord Vader and Karlheinz Schreiber. This is not the first time that this corner has raised questions about Muldoon's adversity to coming clean with canadians. I just want to know when control freak PM Steve ordered the Department of Justice to shut down its investigation into this whole unsavoury affair.

UPDATE: My friend Tail provides excellent insight on this story here.

Proud to be Canadian

Canadians are proud and sometimes a little smug. I don't often post chain letters, but this one gave me that warm buttery feeling inside.

An Australian Definition of a Canadian
-Written by an Australian Dentist

Pakistan Newspaper Ad - Reward for killing a Canadian
You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian.

An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.

A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Ukranian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.

A Canadian may also be a Cree, Métis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none. In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and the best minds. But they also welcome the least - the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected.

These are the people who built Canada. You can try to kill a Canadian if you must as other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world have tried but in doing so you could just be killing a relative or a neighbour. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Сanadian.

Karwacki wins Sask Leaders debate hands down

Well, the news reports are in and the clear winner in last night's Saskatchewan Leader's debate is Liberal leader David Karwacki. There is coverage here, here and here.

Here's a sample:

"So while both the Sask. Party and NDP seemed to be fighting with one hand tied behind their backs, Karwacki came out swinging with both fists. And on several occasions, he connected.
"I bet you guys didn't fight like this when you went behind closed doors and negotiated your gold-plated health plan," Karwacki quipped during one of the few meaningful exchanges between Wall and Calvert on the health plan.
Besides being one of a couple memorable zinger lines that the Liberal leader delivered, it perfectly illustrated how Karwacki threw caution to the wind and got in the middle of almost every exchange."

Murray Mandryk, The Leader-Post, Wednesday, October 31, 2007

"Karwacki, whose party won no seats in the 2003 campaign, used the debate to audition for a role as opposition in the legislature. "Thankfully I'm going to be holding Mr. Wall accountable on this particular issue because I don't believe that you're going to form the next government," Karwacki told Calvert as the leaders talked about combating crime. "

James Wood and Angela Hall, Saskatchewan News Network, Wednesday, October 31, 2007

"Karwacki, whose party didn't elect any MLAs in 2003, attacked both Calvert and Wall after their MLAs adopted what he called a "gold-plated" health-care plan. "We need to have Liberals in the legislature," he said.
The Liberal leader also aimed some sharp jabs at Calvert, turning his back on him at one point after saying, "I don't believe you're going to form the next government."

Later, Karwacki referred to Calvert's promise to put a $15 cap on the price of prescription drugs for another dig at the NDP leader, saying Calvert should get a $15 prescription for "truth serum."

CBC.ca story, Oct. 30, 2007

It looks like Karwacki got just the boost he needed to achieve the balance of power, if not official opposition status after the November 7 election.

Mulroney scandal threatens to derail Tories

Lyin Brian has got some exlaining to do. The Fifth Estate is broadcating yet another documentary on these strange "cash payments" and the tax filings made much, much later.

Barack's Double standard

I was surprised that the Obama campaign refused the endorsement of actor Brad Pitt. Without getting into all of the details, it is silly that the Senator from Illinois with much more experience than Hilary make a rookie mistake and would refuse an offer of assistance from Brad Pitt, while accepting one from Oprah Winfrey. I guess the handlers were worried about Obama getting "out-hunked" or something.

Week off to a bad start

Well, the Liberal Caucus is one person smaller following the resignation of BC Liberal MP Blair Wilson.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion just issued the following statement:
I learned of the allegations of improper campaign spending against West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast MP Blair Wilson today. They are serious allegations, which raise questions that Mr. Wilson must address without delay.
As such, I have accepted Mr. Wilson's resignation from his position as National Revenue critic, and as a member of our national caucus, effective immediately.
I am particularly concerned about allegations of Elections Act violations by Mr. Wilson's campaign. I am pleased that Mr. Wilson has called on Elections Canada to launch a formal review of the matter. I trust Elections Canada will deal with this matter expeditiously.

Damage controlled? We'll see...

Stay indoors this weekend

CAUTION — Cheney going hunting this weekend.

The Poughkeepsie Journal in New York reports that “Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to Dutchess County again to go hunting” On Monday, Cheney is “expected to leave Poughkeepsie and head to the Clove Valley Rod & Gun Club.”

No word on whether the Vice President will be drinking beforehand this time.

Ugly Russian Chauvinism

The Ukrainian government has quite properly reuinstated entry bans on 2 Russian Nationals.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has again imposed an entry ban on Eurasian Youth Union head Pavel Zarifulin and International Eurasian Movement leader Aleksandr Dugin, both from Russia. Earlier this month, three representatives of the Eurasian Youth Union, which is banned in Ukraine, attempted to destroy the national symbols of Ukraine positioned on Hoverla peak in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains. They shot a video of their attempt and posted it on the Internet.

SBU Chairman Nalyvaychenko said last week that the SBU has established the identity of the vandals. They are Eurasian Youth Union members Leonid Saviv, a Ukrainian citizen currently residing in Moscow, and Aleksandr Bovdunov and Valeriy Mantrov, both Russians.

Nalyvaychenko said Zarifulin and Dugin planned the destruction of the symbols. Zarifulin and Dugin were barred from entering Ukraine in mid-2006, but the ban was lifted earlier this year under a Ukrainian-Russian agreement on eliminating entry bans placed on nationals of both countries.

For more on this ethnic nationalism and chauvinism, please see this post from Ukrainiana.

Musta been the Turks

Remember a few year's ago when along with the bogus weapons of Mass destruction theory, Americans and others in the coalition of the willing pointed out that Sadam's treatment of the Kurds created a moral obligation to intervene.

Now, US ally Turkey has attacked the Kurds. What exactly does this create, other than a dilemma?

De Palma and Coppola

Interesting that 2 of my favorite directors are in the news today.

Brian De Palma is upset that his studio has censored his new film on Iraq, ironically entitled "Redacted" here, while Francis Ford Coppola is in this months GQ stating that Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and Robert DeNiro have gone soft here.

The only way to solve this is through a celebrity death match and we all know that the Godfather will beat Untouchables...discuss.

Guess who has thrown his hat into the Presidential race?

Colbert announces on Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Canada's Speech from the Throne - The shizzle

As imagined by pumpernickel

Honourable playa of tha hizouse of commons,lizzles n gentlemen,i would like ta address tha first words in this poser ta tha memba of tha canadian forces, some of whom is present here today. they commitment n courage in tha name of justice, equality n freedom—whose benefits aint accorded ta all peoples in tha world—are worthy of our utmost respect . Aint no stoppin' this shit nigga. the speech frizzay tha throne is an important moment in our country’s democrizzles life , niggaz, better recognize. through tha speech friznom tha throne, tha government shares its vision wit canadians . Fo'-fo' desert eagle to your motherfuckin' dome. n it is thus tizzle we open tha second session of tha thirty ninth parliament today.fifty years ago, on nigga 14, 1957, dur'n her fizzay visit ta canada as its sovereign, n fo` tha first time in canadian history, her majesty queen elizabeth ii opened tha first session of tha twenty-third parliament.

A different shade of Orange

Orange Revolution allies The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc yesterday initialed an accord on forming a parliamentary coalition and a new government. The former Orange Revolution allies jointly control a narrow majority of 228 votes in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada -- just two votes above the number needed to pass most legislation. The accord is to be finalized on the first day of the inaugural session of the Verkhovna Rada, which has not yet been scheduled.
Yulia Tymoshenko commented on the power sharing deal by stating,"Let me just say clearly that the election has led to a change in parliament. Power has changed hands in Ukraine and we have achieved the result we had hoped for. The parliament is new, those in power are new, and the democratic teams have grounds to reform all sectors of life so that people feel tangible changes in the country," she added.

According to media reports, Tymoshenko is to be nominated as prime minister by President Viktor Yushchenko, while cabinet portfolios are to be distributed on a 50-50 basis between the two blocs. The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc is to take charge of the cabinet's economic portfolios, while the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc will run the ministries dealing with defense, security, and culture.

The Central Election Commission (TsVK) also yesterday announced the official results of the September 30 parliamentary elections. The Party of Regions won 34.37 percent of the vote (175 seats), the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc 30.71 percent (156 seats), the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc 14.15 percent (72 seats), the Communist Party 5.39 percent (27 seats), and the Lytvyn Bloc 3.96 percent (20 seats). Out of nearly 39 million eligible voters, 23.3 million people took part in the ballot (62 percent).

Central Election Committee Deputy Chairwoman Zhanna Usenko-Chorna told journalists that "there are no legal grounds" to doubt the official election results. Meanwhile, Socialist Party lawmaker Yevhen Filindash told Interfax-Ukraine that some 3.5 million Ukrainians residing abroad were included on the voter lists, significantly influencing the final vote count. The Socialist Party complained about this to the Higher Administrative Court last week, but the court rejected the complaint, reportedly arguing that it does not consider election violations committed before the voting day.

Pumpernickel Recipe 21 - Turkey Club on toasted pumpernickel

In the post-Canadian Thanksgiving leftover tradition, and in solidarity with Mind the Gap's Kyiv difficulties getting a proper toasted sandwich in Kyiv, here is a great, quick and delicious sandwich recipe that helps to get through the turkey leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 leaves lettuce, washed
1 ripe, fresh (Canadian) tomato, sliced
3 slices pumpernickel (well toasted)
3 slices crisp bacon
2.5 oz. turkey
2 slices cheddar cheese
1 tbsp mayonnaise

Directions:

Fry bacon until crisp - if pressed for time microwave - though this will reduce "Bacony goodness" quality. Toast bread well, but not burnt.

On bottom slice of bread add turkey, cheese and mayo. Add middle slice of pumpernickel. Place bacon on middle slice and top with tomato and lettuce. More mayo can be added on top slice if desired.

Insert 4 toothpicks and slice in 4 diaganally.

Could it just be...?

Could it be that there might still be an Obama-Richardson (or Richardson-Obama) ticket for the democrats in nest year's election? Check out the photo essay in today's NYT.

4 more years and No MMP

Ontarians are smart, having returned Dalton McGuinty's Liberals to office with another large majority government.

At the same time, two-thirds of Ontarians rejected the ham-fisted MMP proposal in the referendum.

The voters are always right, and oh yeah, chalk another one up for my New years' prognostications.

Danny Williams wins a landslide in Newfoundland

With almost 70% of the popular vote, Newfoundland Premier and Steve Harper foe Danny Williams won one of the largest electoral victories in Newfoundland and Labrador's history. Congratulations Mr. Williams.

With the voters of Ontario going to the polls today and appearing set to re-elect Dalton McGuinty's Liberals, I thought it might be appropriate to trot out my fearless new year's predictions. Charest - check, democratic forces in Ukraine - check. You will no doubt note that I was far more accurate in predicting electoral results than sporting events. :)

The results are in - let's wait and see

Let's see who forms government.

Si les tendences se maintiennent...

With 99 percent of the ballots counted, the Yulia Tymoshenko/Our Ukraine has 45% of the vote compared to 39.5% for the combined Yanukovych/Communist coalition. This really increases the importance of the 3.95% for the Lytvyn bloc.

As Jean Chretien said in 1993,"fasten your seat belts it's gonna be one hell of a ride."

Dion Shakeup

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has replaced his previous principal secretary, the Hon. Marcel Masse, with Johanne Senecal, a former chief of staff to Dion and senior Chretien PMO staffer. Johanne is smart and experienced and will provide some much needed direction in Masse's absence.

In another move (that is either wrong or too late), Dion has accepted the resignation of Jamie Carroll as National Director of the Liberal Party of Canada. The difficulty that I have with this decision is that in politics either you hunker down and ride something out, or you take decisive action immediately. Here, Dion has defended Mr. Carroll's comments (as recently as in the weekend media) and has now accepted his resignation. Ditheringly decisive.

Finally, word on the street is that former Deputy Director of the LPC Marc Lavigne, who left a month ago will be replacing Carroll. Marc is a solid guy and will do an excellent job.

The question that remains is: whither OLO chief of Staff Andrew Bevan? A smart, likable guy who never really seemed to have full control over the various forces in Dion's operation. I believe that these moves shore up the team and hope that they re-enforce Andrew's ability to do what he is really good at: strategy, policy and politics.

It's almost official

Y
U
L
I
A

W
I
N
S!




Ukrainians decided not to reward a poisoning, twice convicted felon and it looks like Yulia Tymoshenko will be the next Prime Minister.

Democratic Forces win in Ukraine

Having learned nothing from early prognostications in Florida in 2000, I will boldly congratulate Yulia Tymoshenko's BYuT / Our Ukraine Coalition for their victory over the forces of Yanukovych. While I am sure that there will be bribery attempts and whatnot from the blue team, at the end of the day the Orange guys took over 45% of the vote.

Here is what Canadian Press has on the wire:

Yanukovych's party ahead but Orange allies could win majority in parliament
1 hour ago
KYIV, Ukraine - The Orange Revolution allies made a strong combined showing in early parliamentary elections Sunday and could win a majority that would allow them to unseat their longtime foe, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, according to an independent exit poll.
The exit poll indicated Yanukovych's bloc had won 35.5 per cent of the vote, while Yulia Tymoshenko, the fiery Orange Revolution heroine, was following closely with 31.5 per cent. President Viktor Yushchenko's party was trailing a distant third with 13.4 per cent.
Yushchenko and Tymoshenko struck a last-minute alliance to form a coalition in parliament. If they follow up on their pledge and the president names Tymoshenko the prime minister, that would mend a rift that has split the Orange Revolution forces and thrown the nation into political turmoil.
A new Orange coalition could be expected to steer Ukraine more firmly onto a pro-Western course, while Yanukovych, who relies on support from Russian-speaking eastern regions, is seen as more Russia-friendly.
More infighting, however, could lie ahead as Yanukovych signaled that he would not bow out easily.
At the same time, powerful business clans behind the feuding leaders could play a stabilizing role; observers believe they have already divided spheres of influence and would try to avoid new tensions.
The exit poll showed the Communists, who said they would form a coalition with Yanukovych's party, got 5.1 per cent of the vote, while a party led by former parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, who has been vague about his future affiliation, got 3.7 per cent, just above the 3 per cent threshold for parties to get into parliament.
Even if Yanukovych's party merged with both smaller parties, it would still fall behind an alliance of Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, which together appear to have secured a simple majority of at least 226 votes in the 450-seat parliament if the exit poll's findings are confirmed.
The poll, conducted by a team of Ukraine's three leading polling agencies, had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Other exit polls had similar results.
About 60 per cent of the 37.5 million eligible voters cast ballots, according to the Central Election Commission.
Some 3,000 international observers - including Canadians - were monitoring the vote, and one member of the Canadian delegation said a number of irregularities were witnessed during the balloting.
Liberal party strategist Gerard Kennedy said from the capital that local officials also continued to harass his group of 128 observers, several of whom were briefly detained.
"We had some other incidents, some low-level bribes that we saw taking place," Kennedy said. "I think all of that stuff will have to come out in the context of how is the election is being done."
Still, Kennedy added, the election in the former Soviet republic was "quite the impressive exercise in democracy, albeit with some not-insignificant flaws."
Tymoshenko, smiling triumphantly after the exit polls were announced, said she would meet with Yushchenko on Monday to quickly formalize their new alliance. "In one or two days we will announce the coalition," she told reporters.
Yuriy Lutsenko, the leader of Yushchenko's party, said it was ready to back Tymoshenko as prime minister after the coalition is formed.
Tymoshenko, clad in immaculate white, pledged that the new government would push strongly for Ukraine to integrate more closely into Europe and quickly join the World Trade Organization.
At the same time, she said Ukraine would seek to develop good relations with Russia and hold talks shortly on imports of Russian gas and its transit to Europe. "We will guarantee a balanced, harmonious relationship with Russia," she said.
While Tymoshenko's headquarters celebrated the results with champagne, a gloomy silence hung over Yanukovych's campaign office.
A somber-looking Yanukovych made a brief statement in which he tried to present the results as his party's victory, saying it would now start talks with potential coalition partners. "We consider the election results as a carte blanche for our party to form a new government," he said. He took no questions and left.
As he walked out of the hall, a woman rushed up to him and asked with compassion: "Viktor Fyodorovich, why do you look so bad? Why is your face so distressed?"
"Look at yourself," he snapped.
Yushchenko has voiced hopes that the vote - the fourth national election in three years - would boost Ukraine's efforts to integrate more closely into Europe and leave behind the political infighting that has paralyzed the government.
Casting his ballot at a Kyiv polling station, he described the vote as a choice between the future and the past.
"The choice is between two alternatives: false stability and change," Yushchenko said. "I'm convinced that today, the nation will opt for change. I think that the elections will bring Ukraine mutual understanding and tolerance between political forces, stability and economic growth."
Ukraine's political fortunes had seemed firmly determined after hundreds of thousands of protesters paved the way for Yushchenko's victory in the Orange Revolution protests against Yanukovych's fraud-tinged win in the 2004 presidential vote.
But the Orange camp plunged into acrimonious infighting shortly after the victory, with Yushchenko firing Tymoshenko as prime minister in September 2005 after only seven months on the job.
Yanukovych, a 57-year-old former metal worker, made a stunning comeback in the March 2006 parliamentary elections when his party won the most votes, propelling him back into the premiership. Yanukovych sought to change his image, casting himself as a democrat and preaching compromise and stability. He also eased his affiliation with Russia and underlined his push for Ukraine's integration into Europe.
Unlike the 2004 vote when the Kremlin staunchly backed Yanukovych, Russia has stayed away from the parliamentary election.
Yanukovych fiercely resisted Yushchenko's April decision to dissolve parliament and call new elections after the president accused him of seeking to usurp power. He has accused Yushchenko's and Tymoshenko's parties of preparing widespread falsifications and warned he could organize protests similar to those during the Orange Revolution.
In the Orange camp, Yushchenko, 53, has struggled with voter disillusionment and a loss of support among many voters now backing Tymoshenko, known here simply as Yulia.
Tymoshenko, proud of her strong showing, openly declared her presidential ambitions. "Today's elections serve as a prologue for the presidential elections" in 2009, she said.
Tymoshenko, 46, who wears a flaxen braid wrapped on her head, had parted ways with Yushchenko after he fired her in 2005. Their two parties then lost a chance to form a coalition following last year's parliamentary elections, sowing even further disillusionment among liberal voters.
"I'm sure that Yushchenko and Yulia won't repeat their mistakes. I want to live in Europe, and only the Orange forces can take us there," said businessman Oleg Kileiko, 46, who voted for the president's bloc.
While Yushchenko's position has weakened, Tymoshenko has won over many of his supporters. Her bloc's showing Sunday far exceeded its performance in last year's parliamentary elections, when it won 22 per cent of the vote.

Gerard Kennedy's damning comments on Yanukovych Vote tampering

On CBC AS it Happens there was a report tonight on the first serious allegation of vote tampering in the Ukrainian election.

Kennedy reported on As it Happens that there has already been at least one incident of vote-tampering in the Ukrainian election. Monitors from Canada are in the country overseeing the distribution of ballots to polling stations today.

At one city in the eastern part of the country, a Canadian delegation was threatened with arrest while they were doing their work. Former Liberal Party leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy was part of the group sent by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to observe the vote. He was reached in Maripol. The interview is available under part 2 here. It starts at about the 10 minute mark. H/T to Willard.

A thug by any other name...

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Party of Regions, told an election meeting in Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, on September 25 that opponents of his party are bribing voters ahead of the September 30 polls, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "I want to warn the people [who accept such bribes] that they are being bought jointly with their children and their future. They are selling their souls to the devil," Yanukovych noted.

Meanwhile, Deputy Interior Minister Vasyl Fatkhutdinov told journalists in Kyiv the same day that his ministry has not officially documented any cases of bribing voters by participants in the election campaign.

Some good sleuthing

Pawlina at Nash holos has two great posts on Ukrainian UFOs and Kovbasa respectively.

Ukrainians unhappy with mixed PR system being proposed in Ontario

Ukrainians consider majority system to be the best parliamentary election system – poll
Ukrainians consider the majority system to be the best ever system of the Verkhovna Rada election.
These are the results of a sociological poll, carried out by the sociological service of Razumkov Center from 1 to 10 of September of 2007. Director of the sociological service of Razumkov Center Andriy Bychenko publicized these results at a news conference today. The majority system (when all parliament members are elected in electoral districts – one deputy per every district) is supported by some 33.2% of those polled, proportional (when parliament is elected only by parties lists) is supported by some 15.4%, mixed system (when a part of parliament members is elected by the party’s lists and another part by electoral districts) is supported by some 26.9% of those polled.
2004 respondents were polled and an error margin does not exceed some 2,3%.

Sometimes I still agree with Johnny Rotten

Punk legend John Lydon has lashed out at Sting - calling The Police frontman a "soggy old dead carcass". The former Sex Pistol poured scorn on the recent Police comeback.

Lydon, 51, was speaking as the Sex Pistols prepare for a one-off gig to mark the 30th anniversary of their album Never Mind The B*****ks. The former punk rebel dismissed Sting as "Stink", saying: "That really is a reformation isn't it? But honestly that's like soggy old dead carcasses.

"You know listening to Stink try to squeak through Roxanne one more time, that's not fun."

"This is a poor woman in a pitiful state"

So Jean Pelletier has won all his court cases againt the crown and was fired for making comments about this poor woman in a pitiful state who keeps losing her court cases. There is something called poetic justice...

I guess now that we know about all of her conspiracy theories and the power of her husband to convince Canada's former PM to keep Canada out of the war in Iraq, we know that all is well in the world.

Unofficial word on the street is that so as not to be outdone by Lord Vader, Jean Chretien's new biography will dedicate several chapters to Bedard, her husband and JoJo's psychic alliance.

NEWSFLASH: PMO runs roughshod over ministers

Interesting story in this morning's Globe. And here, Murray Campbell blasts the proposed change to the electoral system being put to Ontario voters.

Bush's voodoo math

There is a terrific new ad at http://MoveOn.org here.

Pumpernickel Recipe # 20 - Eggplant and Walnut dip

Eggplant And Walnut Dip Recipe
Ingredients
2 small eggplants, cut in half lengthwise (about 3/4 lb each)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 c sliced, toasted walnuts, divided in half
2 tbsps half-and-half
1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 loaf round pumpernickel - hollow out centre and cut into cubes.

Garnishes 10-15 toasted walnuts and fresh chives

Instructions:
Place eggplant, cut sides down, in a well-greased 13" x 9" pyrex pan. Bake at 400° for 30 mins or until very tender. Let cool 15 minutes. Peel & coarsely chop eggplant.

Place eggplant in a food processor or blender and pulse 3 seconds. Add 1/2 c walnuts, salt, five-spice, half and half & yogurt. Process until smooth. Spoon eggplant mixture into hollowed Pumpernickel loaf & stir in the remaining 1/2 c walnuts.
Garnish with chives and toasted walnuts.

Serve with pumpernickel bread cubed from loaf.

Mr. Bush's new Big Lie

President Bush contended on last night that his plan to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq is somehow based on a principle he called “return on success,” saying that due to progress made so far troop withdrawls could be made, but that deeper troop reductions would squander the success to date.

Never forget that this guy used to be a coke head when he was a frat boy and sometimes his judgement and sense of reality gets a little clouded.

Similarly, Bush planned to deploy any returning troops to Vietnam to ensure that any successes achieved against thered menace to date are also not squandered.

Are these the top 20 comic book to movie transformations?

The Timesonline has reviewed the biggest players in the superhero movie franchise business and scored them on their longevity both in comics and on film, and concocted a box-office score based on movie appearances by the character to date.
Thay have also added a costume category focused as much on the potential of the outfit to transfer from the printed page to the silver screen.

Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but come on...Batman at #6 and Superman 12...insanity

Scandal rocks cheating Pats

Maybe the Patriots weren't that good all those years, maybe they just cheated. For the second time in 2 seasons the New England Patriots have been caught cheating, in this case using video tape to steal coaching signals being sent in...They'll really need Randy Moss to step up now that they've lost their home (and away) field advantage.

They are the bad guys

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Dnipropetrovsk yesterday that he will reveal the role of "many politicians" in his 2004 dioxin poisoning after the official investigation is complete. "I think you'll be astonished to learn about the role and mission of many politicians, including Ukrainian ones, in my poisoning," Yushchenko said.

In an interview published by the The Times of London, Yushchenko accused Russia of hampering the investigation into his poisoning, and suggested that Moscow may be sheltering suspects involved in it.

Is this a strange mid-campaign Hail Mary pass or some new shocking revelation?

Parliamentary Probe launched into Tory Scam Ads

Canadian Press is reporting that the Conservative government's questionable and possibly illegal "scam ad" scheme will be reviewed before an all-party committee of the House of Commons. This follows upon allegations about the propriety of the scheme by Canada's chief electoral officer.

Steve's downward spiral begins

This shows pathetically poor judgement on the part of PM Steve, siding with Lord Vader in his scurrilous attack on Pierre Trudeau.

Canada's contribution to Global Security

The Americans will now say that Canada appears to have been a safe haven for al-quada after all.

Brian Mulroney is still a coward

So lyin Brian Mulroney (seen above with his fraudster buddy Karlheinz Schreiber) has decided to go after one of Canada's truly great statesmen Pierre Elliott Trudeau nearly a decade after he's passed away. Despicable. No wonder the Tories were in the political wilderness for a dozen years.

Keep talking Brian and they'll be once again reduced to two seats just like when you were done with fixin' the country. $42 billion deficits, high unemployment, bring it on bitch! I and many other Canadians were beginning to forget why we despised you so.

He looks better lately...

I recently had a conversation with someone who saw Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko in person.

I innocently asked how he looks.

The response was "he looks better lately."

After seeing the above untouched-up photo this week, it begs the question, "than what?"

Conservative Hyprocrisy

Republican Senator Larry Craig is resigning from the Senate tomorrow after having been busted for having sex with a man in a stall at a Minnesota airport.

The Senator apologizes to Idahoans and his wife, but I don't think the good people of Idaho will forget his hypocrisy. This was his position on gay marriage:

"I intend to vote in favor of HJR 2, consistent with the longstanding position I have taken in the U.S. Senate that the appropriate definition of marriage is a union between one man and one woman. The misquoted statement only reflects my belief that each State should be allowed to make its own decision on the definition of marriage, instead of being forced to accept another State's definition."

Moral Majority my eye!

So far, caucus messaging couldn't be better

I wonder if the Liberal Party will get a boost from this?

The Deputy Liberal leader compared the party to a bird that hides its excrement. This has got to be part of an elaborate plan to lull the Tories into a false sense of security.

"They put their excrement in one place. They hide their excrement. ... They flap their wings very hard and they work like hell. This seems to me a symbol for what our party should be.'' - Michael Ignatieff.

Pumpernickel Recipe Number 19 - Pumpernickel bread with warm Artichoke dip

Warm Artichoke Dip with Pumpernickel Bread

1 can (400ml) artichoke hearts - drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Asiago (or parmesan) cheese
Pumpernickel bread slices - cut into triangles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix artichoke hearts, sour cream, mayonnaise, Feta and Asiago in a small baking dish. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Set dish in center of a platter. Arrange bread around dip and serve.

Serves 6-8 as a snack

Human Cannonball injured in Toronto

Why is it surprising to anyone that someone whose "career" is, by definition, getting shot out of a cannon, was injured on the job? somehow this passes for news because...?

Wonders of wonders

Earlier this year the CBC did an online poll seeking out the wonders of Canada.

Not to be outdone, a committee for the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine," contest, which was set up and headed by Verkhovna Rada deputy speaker Mykola Tomenko nine months ago, announced yesterday a list of the seven most attractive places and objects for sightseeing in Ukraine.

The list was compiled based on an Internet poll that involved 75,000 Ukrainians and a "poll among experts."

The list is as follows:
1)the Kamyanets Fortress in Kamyanets-Podilskyy (Khmelnytskyy Oblast);
2)the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv;
3)St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv;
4)the Sofiyivka Park in Uman (Cherkasy Oblast);
5)the Khersones Tavriyskyy archeological site in Sevastopol (Crimea);
6)the Khotyn Fortress in Khotyn (Chernivtsi Oblast); and
7)Khortytsya -- an former Cossack base on the Khortytsya Island on the Dnipro River (Zaporizhzhya Oblast).

The Iraq Quagmire

Well, Michael Ignatieff re-canted his support for the Iraqi invasion, and now this video of Dick Cheney describing the quagmire of invading Iraq....

Strange coincidence

US property tycoon Leona Helmsley, who was famously quoted as saying "only the little people pay taxes", and was later jailed for tax evasion, has died at 87.

In a completely unrelated story, former Mulroney era Cabinet minister of Public Works who was forced to leave Cabinet in 1987 when he was charged with accepting a bribe and influence peddling also passed away.

Lifestyles of the Rich and infamous...