It's only a flesh wound

Hapless Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor reminds me of the Black Knight character from Monty Python's Holy Grail here.

Unfamiliar with the concept

This year marks the first time in 2 generations that a federal Conservative government produces a balanced budget after a full year in office.

This story in today's Globe and Mail helps to indicate why they have so much trouble. There's something dodgy about this and it is reminiscent of his buildings boondoggle as well. Developing

Political Advertising

I've been thinking that if the Conservatives can hit the right wing demographic by advertising on NASCAR, that the Liberals should be advertising using Hawaiian vacations.

You know, if you want to have Canadians feel really good about the Liberal party, rather than trying to be associated with going in circles and getting nowhere like the Tories, why not try getting branded with one of those vacation trade houses outfits.

Imagine how the other parties will advertise? I can see the Greens selling enough "Nuke a gay whale for Jesus" bumper stickers to get an economy seat to bring the New Red-Green show to Maui to visit Liberal leader Stephane Dion at the Luau.

I imagine Jack Layton will advertise for the NDP on the hockey cards on the spokes of his bike, while the separatist Bloc Quebecois will be advertising at your friendly neighbourhood depanneur, in the walk-in beer fridge.

which makes it a tough decision for non-NASCAR enthusiast Canadian voters: Liberal-Hawaii, or BQ - walk in depanneur beer closet. AT this point, my money would be on the BQ then the Libs with the Tories choking on exhaust fumes.

Stunned O'Connor's lack of judgement

Canada's shellshocked Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor heaped praise on Donald Rumsfeld and his "leadership" in letter obtained by the Globe and Mail today.

While former U.S. defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld was makking sure the door didn`t hit his ass on the way out of the Pentagon under a cloud of criticism for his bungling of the war in Iraq, a letter arrived from O'Connor lauding his "leadership."

O'Connor sent the letter to Mr. Rummy two days before his disgraced departure from his post last December. The Republicans had lost their majority in the House and Senate and Dubbya said he recognized Americans were registering their displeasure with the war.

O'Connor wrote, "As you leave office, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your many achievements as Secretary of Defence, and to recognize the significant contribution you have made in the fight against terrorism," Mr. O'Connor wrote. He went on to say, "Here we have been privileged to benefit from your leadership in addressing the complex issues in play."

Ass-kissing aside, one wonders if Mr. O'Connor was praising Mr. Rumsfeld in order to do some featherbedding in advance of his return to arms-dealing as a defense lobbyist. So while most voices south of the border were declaring Rummy a disaster, Gordo disagreed with McCain who called Mr. Rumsfeld one of the worst defence secretaries in U.S. history.

Former Liberal Defence Minister John McCallum said that a "good luck" letter would be standard, but said Mr. O'Connor's note was "over the top."

Mr. McCallum said, "I think it probably reflects the Harper government's support for the Iraq war to write such a letter.

Quote of the Day - Stéphane Dion

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion during a speech last night made me laugh out loud, in reference to the Con NASCAR advertising:

We learned this week that the Conservative Party of Canada is sponsoring a car in the NASCAR circuit. This car gets just 2 miles to the gallon; it burns almost 600 litres of high-octane fuel every race. It looks like the Conservatives have finally found a climate-change plan they can support.

We already knew the Conservative Party likes to go around in circles. Now they’re paying somebody else to do it for them.

This is like everything else the Conservatives do: a car crash waiting to happen.

Canon tops list of Green Companies, CBS and Burger King last

According to a recent report, Canon, Nike and Unilever topped a list rating climate-friendly companies released on Tuesday.

There was a cluster at the bottom of the list of 56 companies. Six tied for last, with a score of zero on a 100-point scale -- Jones Apparel Group Inc., CBS Corp., Burger King Holdings Inc., Darden Restaurants Inc., Wendy's International Inc. and Amazon.com.

Once again, consumers can vote with their wallets. Personally, I am boycotting Burger King because they suck.

NASCAR UPDATE

Are the Conservatives hitting the wall? Developing...more on the ballad of Stevie Harpie.

We won't have his 10 Gallon hat to kick around anymore

BREAKING NEWS!!!Myron Thompson has announced that he will not be running for re-election (or anything else frankly). Editorial cartoonists everywhere are weeping in their beer. May he enjoy a successful return to the turnip truck.

Canada's government`s taxpayer subsidized NASCAR ads

Canada`s Conservative Party has decided to sponsor a NASCAR driver: one Pierre Bourque, whose headlines for sale scheme has been discussed here before.

I am not sure how to react: On the one hand, it demonstrates that Harper is out of tune with Quebecers by advertising NASCAR as opposed to Formula 1, whereas Tory Cabinet Minister Diane Finley says:``The people who follow NASCAR are our kind of people. They're hard-working families, they're taxpayers who play by the rules. " As opposed to what?

At the same time, I am eager to find out what seniors who are making small donations to the Con party feel about their money subsidizing NASCAR.

I can only imagine the Tory damage control the first time Bourque runs out of gas or crashes into a wall.

Peter MacKay Caption Contest

Well dear readers, the above photo is of Foreign Minister MacKay voting against the interests of Nova Scotia last night. So I have decided to throw it open to raeders for potential captions.

My friend HI suggested the following:

Peter MacKay sucks a potentially career-ending lemon in the House of Commons.

Let the era of bickering re-commence

In what was probably one of the most naive and bone-headed lines in a Canadian Budget speech ever, Canada's Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty announced that with his 2007 Budget,

"The long, tiring, unproductive era of bickering between the provincial and federal governments is over."

Fast forward to PM Steve'S Press conference with the Dutch PM, when asked about all the provinces complaining about him breaking his word, here's what he had to say:

Well, I will answer to the topic of Nova Scotia and the statement made by Premier MacDonald. We were somewhat surprised. We were surprised by the Nova Scotia government's decision over the weekend to stop talking... I'm not sure what the reason was for not continuing the discussions...We obviously want to work productively with provinces. That's why we're engaged with talks to see if we couldn't narrow our differences within the context of the budget, but I am concerned about this allegation we've broken the accords.
We've done no such thing. It's a contract. We don't break contracts. We respect contracts. Normally I expect if somebody says you've broken a contract
they're going to follow that up by going to court to make you abide by the contract. I don't see that happening. It's an allegation without substance. As I say, I welcome continuing to sit down with the Nova Scotia government to resolve this, but I don't think we can let that allegation stay out there forever. At some point we will consult tribunals ourselves if that's necessary to get a ruling on our respect for the contracts because we will respect them.

If we can't resolve them, I don't think we can allow that allegation that we've broken a contract to stay out there indefinitely because it is without substance.

So much for an end to federal-provincial bickering. If he isn't lying, why has an MP quit his Caucus and why are his Conservative buddies calling him a liar? Just wondering.

I don't see the resemblance

In Saturday's Halifax Daiily News, the Canadian Press reports that beleaguered, half-dead and senile Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor has a case of Rona Ambrose.

CP alleges that O'Connor has the telltale symptoms: the low- level rumblings in the Defence department, the spreading speculation around Parliament Hill, the wounded aura that sends the Opposition into full-on kill mode. In short, he's got a bad case of Rona Ambrose, symptomatic of a cabinet minister on life support.

Ambrose was shuffled out of the Environment portfolio in January when it was perceived she was mishandling a file that was a priority for voters.

O'Connor's missteps and failed communications strategies have built up steadily, including:
- Telling the Commons that the Red Cross was monitoring and reporting on the welfare of detainees handed over to Afghan authorities by Canadian troops. He had to apologize for misleading the House.
- Telling a parliamentary committee that his government had negotiated a deal with the Afghan government on the treatment of detainees. Harper contradicted him a day later, saying the agreement was being negotiated.
- He blamed departmental officials for not raising the reimbursement for funeral expenses as he said he instructed. That last gaffe was very badly received within the Defence Department, where one military source said staff were "shocked and disappointed" O'Connor laid the blame on his own people.

Now I can see the comparison on the basis of incompetence, but come on.

O'Connor is a shell-shocked former General who doesn't remember what war we're fighting and has absolutely no fashion sense. Whereas, Ambrose has great hair and was voted second sexiest and second best-dressed female MP in today's Hill Times survey.

OK - maybe they both have that same deer in the headlights thing going on afterall.

Harper breaking law on proactive disclosure

The Prime Minister is breaking government rules on contracting, disclosure or Parliamentary budgeting. According to the following article by Canadian Press reporter Jennifer Ditchburn, PM Steve has not disclosed who is paying Psychic primper, Michelle Muntean. I hired the amazing Kresgin who revealed to me that taxpayers are getting hosed and good reporters like Jennifer Ditchburn won't let this one go.

Mirror, mirror: `Who pays PM's primper?' gets no response
Source: The Canadian Press
By Jennifer Ditchburn
OTTAWA (CP) _
The cost to taxpayers for Stephen Harper's personal stylist is destined to remain the prime minister's beauty secret.
The NDP attempted to part the curtains blocking access to details about the public cost of Michelle Muntean's services, and who oversees her work. MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis submitted a formal question in the House of Commons that requires a government answer, but received no details.
Muntean has travelled the world with Harper as his personal image advisor, including managing his wardrobe and his grooming. It is not certain whether she was with the prime minister in Germany this week for the G8 leaders meetings, although the gregarious former TV makeup artist has typically joined Harper's entourage for major excursions abroad.
Harper's staff has repeatedly refused to divulge the size of her salary.
The response given to Judy Wasylycia-Leis, prepared by the Privy Council Office and signed by Harper's parliamentary secretary, was that there were ``no records indicating Michelle Muntean is an employee (public servant or exempt staff) or that she submitted expenses for payment for expenses incurred by her or on her behalf.''
Yet government officials have said she is considered part of Harper's ``travel staff'' and that her salary is not picked up by the Conservative Party of Canada.
That leaves only one possibility for the mystery of who provides Muntean's paycheques: the House of Commons.
Each MP _ including Harper _ gets a yearly budget through the Commons to help run their offices. The details of those budgets are not covered under Access to Information laws and Harper can keep the numbers concealed forever if he likes.
Wasylycia-Leis said Harper seems to have a double-standard for transparency. As a Reform MP in the mid-1990's, Harper demanded that leader Preston Manning reveal the details of his party-paid wardrobe allowance.
``Canadians have a right to know in the first place, and that's doubly so given that Stephen Harper himself has made a big deal about clothes, or personal accoutrements coming out of public budgets or even party budgets,'' Wasylycia-Leis said. ``He needs to fess up and he needs to be absolutely forthcoming with Canadians.''
Harper's director of communications Sandra Buckler did not return a message with questions about Muntean's salary.

A further complicating factor is that this appears to be a breach of the separation between legislative and executive branches. Why would the PM have constituency employees flying to G8 meetings? If she is on the House budget, where are the journal vouchers transfering funds back to the PCO to defray travel costs? As well, there are restrictions on MP budget foreign travel, where are the authorizations. This stinks.
What is she doing, bunking with Steve or Buckler when she is on these taxpayer paid trips? What Canadians really want to know is if it is the proactive or the disclosure that Steve has a problem with.

China erects 30 foot statue of Pierre Poilievre

China erects statue of Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, the world's biggest dick. See story.

Principled NS Tory in sharp contrast to Saskatchewan sheep

The Star Phoenix Editorial today reports on Nova Scotia (former) Conservative MP Bill Casey who was booted out of the governing Caucus for voting his conscience and opposingb the Budget Implementation Bill which skewers the provinces of Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Casey took the decisive step in protest of the budget's treatment of the offshore resources agreement with Nova Scotia, saying:
"It's not a difficult concept to expect the federal government to a honour a nine-paragraph contract provision with my province."
He said Atlantic Canadian MPs met with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to press the case not to penalize their region's resource revenues under an equalization cap, and that he's "100 per cent convinced" of the correctness of his action.
Under Flaherty's budget, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador stand to lose about $1 billion over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan, which was promised by the Harper Conservatives that it, too, would have its resource revenues exempted from equalization calculations, is upset that backtracking in the Flaherty budget will cost the province hundreds of millions annually.
Only, Saskatchewan doesn't have anyone with the backbone or principles of a Casey within the ranks of its dozen Tory MPs to make its case in Ottawa.
What it has instead is a group of political sycophants willing to bend the truth with constituents and try to convince them that black is white, instead of standing up for what they know to be true.
Casey's principled stand is all the more noteworthy because it has become such a rare commodity in a Conservative government that took office promising accountability and transparency.

Convicted

So Republican sleazebag Scooter Libby has received 30 months in jail for "outing" a CIA agent and perjuring himself.

Unbelievable Court ruling

An Indian court has ruled against a group of female flight attendants who were grounded from the national airline for being overweight.
The court said that state-owned Indian Airlines had the right to take the step in the interest of flight safety and in the face of growing competition.