Conservative Kuhn guilty of slander in Etobicoke-Centre

The Conservatives are getting dirty and increasingly desperate in the final days of the campaign in Etobicoke Centre. Conservative candidate Axel Kuhn was found by Ontario Superior Court Justice G.R. Strathy to have libelled Liberal candidate Borys Wrzesnewskyj in a US style attack ad distributed in the riding over the weekend.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Strathy ruled that the Conservative candidate was guilty of making defamatory comments about Mr. Wrzesnewskyj by circulating misleading and inaccurate materials.

The Justice ruled that:

“The injunction sought is a serious interference with Freedom of Speech and
particularly in the context of a federal election. That right should only be
limited in only the most extraordinary circumstances.

In my view, the words in question are clearly defamatory. Based on the sworn evidence of the plaintiff, the words cannot be justified.”

As a result, there is a court order for Mr. Kuhn and his campaign to cease and desist. This is no small matter. The Canada Elections Act couldn't be more clear:

91. No person shall, with the intention of affecting the results of an election, knowingly make or publish any false statement of fact in relation to the personal character or conduct of a candidate or prospective candidate.

486. (3) Every person is guilty of an offence who (c) contravenes section *91* (making false statement re candidate);
500. (5) Every person who is guilty of an offence under any of subsections 480(1) and (2), sections 481 to 483, subsections 484(3),
485(2), *486(3),* 487(2), 488(2) and 489(3), section 490, subsections 491(3) and 492(2), section 494, subsections 495(5), 496(2) and 497(3), section 498 and subsection 499(2) is liable
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine of not more than $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or to both; or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine of not more than $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years, or to both.

Does Mr. Kuhn recognize that his smear tactics may lead him to a stay in the big house and not the House of Commons after tomorrow's vote.?

Stephen Harper exagerates

Today, Stephen Harper campaigning in Quebec had quite a whopper:

The average Canadian family has received a $300,000 annual tax cut from his government.

After muzzling his entire team, Harper muzzles himself

The Globe and Mail's Steve Chase reported lst night that in the wake of new polls showing that the more Canadians hear from Stephen Harper, the less they like him, that Harper's handlers indicated that he will no longer take questions from media

The Globe reported that Harper's muzzling of his candidates now includes Harper himself, as his iron bubble campaign is hunkering down to avoid responding to questions from Canadians and the media. The Con Man won't take any more questions from journalists accompanying his tour until election day.
They handed out a schedule that has no time set aside for talking to the reporters accompanying Mr. Harper on his campaign.
Unlike other party leaders, Harper only answers questions from the press on his campaign plane once a day.
The most recent CPAC-Nanos poll released Saturday showed that although the Tories are running at 32 per cent nationally only 29 per cent of Canadians surveyed said Mr. Harper would make the best prime minister.

"Leadership is all about Teamwork"

That is the quote from Jack Layton. Jack has spent the campaign pretending that he is running for Prime Minister. One of the qualities that I look for in an aspiring PM are leadership, let's see how well Jack has reacted to some egregious situations involving his candidates:
Julian West (Saanich-Gulf Islands) - Exposed himself to underage girls and asked them to bodypaint his penis. Jack didn't fire him.
Dana Larsen (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast) - Filmed himself dropping acid and taking drugs before getting behind the wheel of a car. Jack didn't fire him.
Kirk Tousaw (Vancouver-Quadra) Did a video smoking and rating 10 kinds of pot. Jack didn't fire him.
Patti Gieni (Blackstrap) - who has faced allegations of violating policies around bullying in her workplace. Jack didn't fire her.
Bev Collins (Cariboo-Prince George) -9/11 conspiracy theorist,” made comments on talk shows regarding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York doubting the 9/11 commission report and espousing conspiracy theories. Jack didn't fire her.
Andrew McKeever (Durham) - Threatened to beat up people who disagreed with him, called an anti-war activist a c**t, said “I like the part in Schindler's List when the guard starts waxing the prisoners”. Once again, Jack didn't fire him.

They say a fish rots from the head down - if this is Jack Layton's "leadership" - I certainly don't want him running my country. I wonder what would have happened if there were video cameras back in Jack's day???

Harper and McCain have something else in Common

A few years ago, the crew from the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) that saw Stephen Harper famously kick a chair in anger said that he gave it such a good, swift boot that it flew about five feet across the floor.

There were theories that the incident was provoked by Mr. MacKay's public attack on Harper's boy Scott Reid. As the story goes, Harper kicked the chair after it was suggested he add a line to his speech to reach out to Mr. MacKay at the founding convention of his Party. Didn't play well with others then, still doesn't now.

All this was witnessed by the CPAC crew, taking a break behind the stage.

Stephen does tend to copy his American idols...hmmn

Ukrainian President dissolves Parliament, Calls Elections

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved Parliament and called the third set of parliamentary elections since the "Orange" revolution in 2004.

Yushchenko satated in a televised address that he "declare(d) the activities of the Verkhovna Rada suspended and called an early parliamentary election."

Yushchenko was said to have held last-ditch talks with political leaders on Wednesday to try to form a viable coalition.

His governing coalition collapsed last month when his party quit its alliance with former ally Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her BYuT bloc. Tymoshenko said she has met all conditions set by the president for reinstating the government.

Tymoshenko is likely to challenge the call, as she has previously said calling an election before late November would be unconstitutional.

A parliamentary race, probably in December, is unlikely to bring much change to the political landscape.

From where I sit in Canada, Yushchenko's actions remind me of Harper's illegal early election call. Judging by the recent collapse in support for Harper, I hope that the Ukrainian people kick Yushchenko's ass as well.

Hey Sarah Palin - Youtube video of the Day

Stephen Harper: Plagiarism

My guess is that Stephen Harper will be in deep, deep doo-doo over the following video which shows that he clearly plagiarized his famous speech on Canada's involvement in Iraq from Australian President John Howard.



How does Stephen Harper explain the coincidence that half of a major speech he delivered in House of Commons calling for Canadian troops to be sent to the War on Iraq was a word-for-word copy of a speech delivered by then Australian PM John Howard a day earlier? The same speech which he used as the basis for op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and the National Post.

The same speech which Paul Wells at the time called the best that Harper had delivered in his career.

The same speech which Tom Flanagan in his book Harper's Team called "eloquent" (Harper's Team, 89). Flanagan also says "we printed the speech in pamphlet form and mailed out thousands of copies. As far as - could judge, there was strong support from the grassroots of the party." (89)

How does the leader of a political party in Canada's Parliament, on such a crucial issue, give the exact same speech as any another country's leader, let alone a member of W's “Coalition of the Willing”?

How can Canadians trust anything that Mr. Harper says now?

At best this is plagiarism, an offense for which kids in school are failed, university students are expelled and reporters are fired. At worst, Harper is a Stooge for the Americans (along with Howard) and he has no credibility on foreign policy whatsoever.

Andrew McKeever - NDP flagbearer in Durham...Shame! Jack???

NDP Candidate screening - out to lunch...AGAIN

When was the last time a candidate for public office threatened someone with violence who disagreed with them, dropped a C bomb, disagreed with their own party position and said oops sorry? If you're the NDP and theoffensive party is your candidate in Durham - the answer is today.

WARNING - PLEASE NOTE - THE INDIVIDUAL IN QUESTION MADE INEXCUSABLE COARSE AND INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS - YET STILL CARRIES THE NDP BANNER

See Liberal release below:

NDP Leader Jack Layton must fire his candidate in the riding of Durham over inappropriate comments he made on the internet this summer on the subject of United States war deserters.

“Mr. Layton must fire his candidate in Durham, Andrew McKeever, who threatened people who didn’t agree with him with physical violence in a web posting,” said Durham Liberal Candidate Bryan Ransom.

The following quotes from Mr. McKeever’s Facebook posts are intolerant and demonstrate lack of fitness for public office:

“Answer a direct f**king question you c**t. I can guarantee, if I ever see you face to face I will make you squeal for the same authority you have such a baseless disdain for” [to a woman poster on the Facebook group]

“…one by one the TraitorCriminalDeserters [US war deserters] will be sent back down south to face the music”

“There is no room for this kind of vicious, threatening attack in Canadian politics. These comments are beyond the pale and Jack Layton must denounce them and fire his candidate immediately,” said Dan McTeague, Liberal Candidate for Pickering-Scarborough-East.

The Liberals have made public a pdf file of some of the offending remarks made in a Facebook discussion by the Durham NDP candidate.

Jack - do the right thing and ditch this chump.

Stephen Harper Bubble Campaign

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This video speaks volumes.

Just What is the NDP candidate screening process?

According to CTV, pretty much anything goes...

A direct quote from the story:

In a statement issued Sunday, Julian West - the NDP candidate for Saanich Gulf Islands -- said that aside from removing his clothes to go skinny-dipping, nothing inappropriate happened in the retreat.

But that is not the view of a woman who said she witnessed the incident and is
speaking out for the first time to CTV.

"He did skinny dip, which even if that was all he did, is still insanely inappropriate to do around teenagers,'' said Leah Jones, during a phone interview with CTV.

"We were doing face-painting and he decided he wanted to get his legs painted, and
some of the girls were painting his legs, and he took off his underwear and he had a partial erection and said why stop there girls,'' Jones said.

So let me get this straight, a then 35 year old dude goes to a youth camp and whips it out and asks minor tenaged girls to bodypaint his genitalia and he's a candidate for the NDP? and Layton is treating it as skinnydipping? Outrageous. The NDP must fire West immediately.

Gerry Ritz - Comedy Hits

A lost tape of the Gerry Ritz tainted meats comments fiasco has surfaced.

You Tube Video of the Day

Culture in Danger
This video, titled Culture en Péril (Culture in Danger) was created by a few Québec artists and posted on YouTube to denounce the cuts in cultural funding by the Conservative governement, led by Stephen Harper.

Sarah Palin worries me too

They're talking about us South of the Border

Even Fox News has reported on Gerry Ritz's horrible and insensitive comments:

TORONTO — Canada's prime minister is standing by the Conservative party's embattled agriculture minister after he sheepishly admitted to making jokes last month about a deadly bacteria outbreak linked to processed meats that killed 17 people across the country.
Minister Jerry Ritz called the crisis "a death by a thousand cuts — or should I say cold cuts," during a conference call. When told about a new death in Prince Edward Island he said, "Please tell me it's (Liberal agriculture critic) Wayne Easter."

I've got a crush on Harper ???

This has been in the news the last 2 days - I am not sure that this is of the same quality as Obama girl. You be the judge.

So Tories are in trouble...

To say that Agriculture Minister and Conservative candidate Gerry Ritz' comments about the 17 Canadians who died of listeria were in poor taste is an understatement.

That the federal Cabinet Minister responsible for food safety joked about Canadians dying from listeriosis on a conference call with 30 people is remarkably insensitive and cause for his dismissal.

PM Steve says he's a leader. Let's see if he has the testicular fortitude to do the right thing and fire this sad excuse for a Cabinet minister.

Ukrainian government falling apart

According to the BBC, Ukraine's pro-Western government coalition has officially collapsed, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament says. President Viktor Yushchenko has been involved in a long-running dispute with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
The president's Our Ukraine bloc left the coalition earlier this month. Parliament now has 30 days to try to form a new ruling coalition. If those efforts fail, Mr Yushchenko can dissolve parliament and call a snap election.
The Our Ukraine party pulled out of the coalition on 3 September after the Tymoshenko Bloc sided with the pro-Moscow opposition Party of Regions to pass several laws that Mr Yushchenko saw as a threat to his presidential powers.

You Tube Campaign Video of the Day: PM Steve the Perv

Jack Layton's Al Gore moment

Jack Latyton has spent the first week of Canada's election campaign pretending that he is one American politician or another. Most recently in Montreal he was channeling Al Gore who once infamously claimed that he had invented the internet.






Now we know that Layton is also part of the conspiracy to make Steve Gutenberg a star. Jack, it isn't only the fact that your party does press conferences with puppets that undermines your credibility, it is whoppers like these as well.

My favorite video of the Federal election campaign, so far

Parody video of Justin Trudeau. To see the original, visit http://www.justin.ca/.

Standing up for Canada?

Do you think it is easy to find a photo of a Canadian family?

A new Conservative television spot accuses Liberal leader Stéphane Dion of planning to scrap the Con's $1,200 child benefit. The ad features a photo of a young family on a beach, holding their baby girl.

A typical Canadian family enjoying their cheques? Not exactly.

As it turns out, the Tory ad features a photo by a California based photographer and was snapped on a beach near Malibu. And here's the kicker, the father in the picture is a Democrat.

How do you photoshop that egg off Harper's face?

Tory Times are tough Times

Stephen Harper has wondered into an economic minefield in this election campaign with Stats Canada reporting the Canadian economy has reported the worsteconomic grothw and productivity since Brian Mulroney.

Canadian productivity, or output per hour worked, fell 0.2% in the second quarter of 2008, after declines of 0.6% in each of the previous two quarters, Statistics Canada reported. "This is the longest series of consecutive quarterly declines since 1990," StatsCan said.

And according to Merrill Lynch economist David Wolf, it's only though creative bookkeeping that Canada has not fallen into recession:

"It's been a long time since a Canadian federal government has had to choose between supporting the economy and balancing the budget. The winner of the imminent-looking election will very likely face this unfavourable decision."

Mr. Wolf said the only reason Canada avoided a technical recession -- defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction -- in the first half was due to a continued expansion in the public sector. However, he said growth in the public sector was unsustainable without further government stimulus, which would likely pull the budget into deficit for the first time since 1999.

Wow. Conservatives have managed to turn high growth and surpluses to deficits in 2 short years, lovely.

PM Steve doesn't take his own advice

That didn't take long...

Sunday
Stephen Harper
"HARPER: I don't see any reason to go personal and nasty against the other leaders. I have good relations with most of the other leaders, and I respect all of them."
CTV News

Wednesday
A vulgar Internet ad forced Stephen Harper to hit the re-set button on his campaign Tuesday, prompting the prime minister into an embarrassing apology that buried his party's first policy announcement.

But the message was overshadowed by the case of the pesky, pooping puffin with a deadly aim and a dislike for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.

The Tories posted an ad on their own website showing an animated airborne puffin dropping a load on Dion's shoulder. The offending image was pulled in the morning after complaints, but was regularly re-run on television news networks as part of the coverage on the controversy.

Adding to Tuesday's misery for the Conservatives was news that Rosamond Luke, the Tory candidate for the riding of Halifax, was quitting the race.

A Conservative party source confirmed late Tuesday that Luke has a criminal record, and the CBC reported she was convicted of uttering threats and received 18 months probation in July 2006.

As well, the CBC said, she was convicted of breaching an undertaking in June 2007 and was fined $50 and given an additional nine months probation.

Her departure exacerbates the difficulties the Conservatives have had finding suitable candidates in Atlantic Canada and prompted political observers to raise questions about the party's preparedness in Nova Scotia.

None of that was yet news at Dion's morning campaign stop in Montreal, where he appeared to be unaware of the puffin video when it came up in a question from the media.

Nonetheless, he pounced.

``This is saying more about them than about us,'' he said, drawing cheers from Liberal partisans. Then he rethought his first reaction.

``I want to clarify my answer ... not about them, about him (Harper). Because I know most Conservative voters last time will disagree with that. . . and they may change their vote.''

The prime minister began the campaign by predicting that the Liberals would target him with nasty personal attacks throughout the 37-day contest.

Ukrainian Lullaby

For those of you with little ones or who like to be soothed with a lullaby after a hard day, the music and visuals of this one are absolutely mesmerising.

PM Steve - bribing you with your own money

I was wrong

My New Year's prediction for 2007, some 20 months ago stated that I thought that Barack Obama would be the Democratic Party nominee and would face off against John McCain. I got that part right. However, I blew it on the bottom half of the tickets.

With Obama's acceptance of the Democratic Party's nomination this week, the only significant event between now and the formal throw down is McCain's announcement of his Veep choice. Rumour has it that he will appoint Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. Fasten your seatbelts folks, this will be one helluva ride.

Interesting article with Ukrainian President's Doctor

The context of this piece is speculation by his adversaries that he faked his poisoning!!! Check it out here - I like the fact that the deniers never mention that his medical team would be lancing boils off the guys body, draining and changing his bandages and shirts 4 times a day so they wouldn't get drenched in blood...some faker.

Pick out your poisoner

The Russians are coddling the poisoner of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.

Canadian Press reports that the Russians have refused extardition...why would this be?

Could it have something to do with this?

Something's smelly about the Minto RCMP deal

According to the Toronto Star, John Baird, Mike Fortier and Pierre Poilievre were all tied to a move to relocate the Horsemen's headqurters to the Tory riding here.

"Senior Conservatives have taken almost $8,000 in political donations from two firms set to reap a windfall from the relocation of the RCMP headquarters." Whatever happened to Harper's promise to remove the influence of lobbyists?

Test your Ukrainian here

I just did the Nash Holos Ukrainian test here. I got this nifty certificate

Nash Holos Diploma
This certifies that
Pumpernickel
of
Ottawa
has completed the
Nash Holos Ukrainian Language School
Final Exam for 2008
with a score of 98%
onJune 18, 2008

I wonder what they used to call the Reuben...

The language police in China are back and the decisions on official English food names are, well, less colourful. Gone is the "Bean curd made by a pock-marked woman," as the Beijing Youth Daily rendered the spicy Sichuanese dish, is now "Mapo tofu." And "chicken without sexual life" becomes mere "steamed pullet." Oh well, read all about it here

Oil prices - Bush Iraq invasion to blame

Britain's Sunday Independent notes here that the US led invasion of Iraq has tripled the price of oil, according to a leading expert, costing the world a staggering $6 trillion in higher energy prices.
Oil economist Dr Mamdouh Salameh, who advises both the World Bank, told The Independent on Sunday that the price of oil would now be no more than $40 a barrel, less than a third of the record $135 a barrel reached last week, had it not been for the Iraq war.
Goldman Sachs predicted last week that the price could rise to an unprecedented $200 a barrel over the next year, and the world is coming to terms with the idea that the age of cheap oil has ended, with far-reaching repercussions on their activities.

Harper Chief of Staff Brodie offed in advance of NAFTAgate report

Well it appears that Mr. Brodie's big mouth and intemperate comments about Barack Obama may be costing him his job as chief of staff to PM Steve.

How will high inflation impact the Ukrainian economy?

An EBRD conference in Kyiv says that growth predictions are being revised downward accross eastern Europe here.

Given a choice between a greenback and public service...

The McCain campaign lost its fifth senior staffer in a week. They are bleeding to thye lobbying indsutry badly.

Biden Calls Bullshit on Bush's Appeasement comments

On the same day that 2 Jewish American superdelegates endorsed Barack Obama, Senator Biden summed up my feelings and the feelings of many on the bush comments:

“This is bullshit, this is malarkey. This is outrageous, for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, to sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement.”- Senator Joe Biden (Dem-Delaware)

Conservatives gyp Ukrainian Canadians

In the category of too little, even later, comes a report from the Toronto Star, that the Canadian government is backfilling a previous agreement signed between the Liberal Federal Government and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in 2005 for $12.5 million and replacing it with a smaller agreement to be divvied up among other offended ethnic groups!

According to the Toronto Star the feds announced, "$10 million grant to recognize how Eastern European immigrants were interned in Canadian work camps during World War I."
The money goes to an endowment fund that will allow the community to better educate Canadians about the forced labour camps. The 1914-20 internment affected almost one hundred thousand Ukrainians who were stripped of their possessions and forced into work camps, while thousands more were labelled "enemy aliens" and required to report regularly to police.

The most shocking thing about this announcement is that the Ukrainian community can call getting less than 50 cents on the dollar of what they had under the Liberal agreements a victory. And this one will be shared with all aggrieved Eastern European communities.

Boomer is found!!!

So the Lion cub who escaped the other day has been found and while in a Jail cell at present, will be turned over to the Granby zoo in Quebec. See story here.

lay odds

Interesting that the Province of Saskatchewan is commemorating the Ukrainian Famine genocide is not on the agenda (yet) for President Yushchenko's May State visit to Canada.

I wonder how long it will take PM Steve's brain trust to put partisanship aside and do the same thing and pass Borys Wrzesnewskyj's Bill in Parliament. I bet that they will try to do something, and that sadly, it will be partisan.

Paschal Pumpernickel

(Makes one loaf)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 square unsweetened chocolate chopped
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 and 3/4 cup dark rye flour
1/2 cup bran
1.5 tsps salt
1.5 cups unbleached white flour

cornmeal for sprinkling on pan
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsps water for egg wash

Instructions
Warm 1/2 cup of water. When it is lukewarm add the yeast and sugar. Stir and set aside for five minutes. It should get foamy.

Heat the remaining cup of water, chocolate pieces, molasses, coffee, caraway seeds and vinegar in saucepan over medium heat approximately 5 minutes until the coffee dissolves and the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.

Let cool until the mixture is lukewarm, then add the yeast mixture and mix in the sugar, dark rye flour, bran, salt and unbleached white flour.

Knead for 6-8 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic ball of dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large greased bowl or pot and cover with a tea towel to allow it to rise (approximately 2 hours in a warm, not hot, place.

Oil a large round oven safe container, a 1 kg coffee can, or similar size oven safe pot will do and sprinkle bottom with cornmeal.

Punch the dough down, and knead it back into a ball shape and place it into the can.

Preheat oven to 350 F .

Paint the egg wash onto the loaf with a brush, and cut a seam across the top of the loaf to vent steam. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

If you want this to be more Eastery, add rolled dough decorations of rosettes and birds on the top of the loaf.

XPUCTOC BOCKPEC!

Now we know why they are called Cons

BREAKING STORY: RCMP RAID CONSERVATIVE PARTY OFFICES OVER ILLEGAL IN-OUT FUNDING SCANDAL

The RCMP have raided the offices of the Conservative Party of Canada as part of its investigation into the Conservatives in-ouit financing scheme which Elections Canada has ruled is illegal.

This advertising scheme, which occurred during the 2006 election, was used to enable the Cons to violate legislated election spending caps during the election campaign.

I don't know which is worse...

I am not sure which is worse. The fact that the neo-nazi heritage front was infiltrating the Conservative party or the comments by the junior Minister of Multiculturalism that ethnic groups will "be using the race card" to get nominations.

See David Akins article here.

Appeasing the base...

Every so often, PM Steve has to throw a bone to the neanderthal wing of the party, like what they are doing with C-10 - the Censorship of Film legislation.

It is therefore interesting to see what former PC Canada fund chairman and Mulroney chequewriter Senator David Angus had to say at committee today, "Even the Minister of Heritage hates the bill". Watch the video.


Shocking Conservative Harpocrysy

How bout dem Habs?

Well there were no butterflies tonight as the Habs continued their outright domination of the Bruins from the regular season into the playoffs, winning tonight 4-1. They are playing the type of exciting hockey that saw them go deep into the playoffs in their 70s and 80s glory days...Go Habs Go!

Johnston's strange proposal may be illegal

I too was struck by professor Johnston's suggestion that parts of a public inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber Affair could be held in secret. Warren Kinsella has an excellent post on the possible illegalities of such an approach here.

The public has a right to know about all the sordid and sleazy details of the relations between Mulroney and Schreiber, and deserves nothing less.

Amazing political thriller

This is an amazing political thriller that reminds me why we kept watching the West Wing all those years. Four Days in Denver is an amazing imaginary script of how the Democratic convention plays out from the pen of one of the writers from the West Wing.

Riveting.

Ukraine seeks early associate EU member status

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko told a forum called the "Fifth Meeting Of The World Movement For Democracy In Kyiv" today that Ukraine could become an associate member of the European Union by the end of this year. "It is possible that we could sign the political part of the new Ukraine-EU agreement this September and anchor Ukraine's associate membership in the European Union for the first time ever.
France made the suggestion to the European Commission, and the latter conveyed it to EU member countries," he said. "In that case, we will have prospects for EU membership, just as we acquired NATO-membership prospects several days ago."
I am a huge Ukraine backer, but I think Yushchenko's timetable is overly ambitious and un-realistic. But I would love to be wrong...

Clinton campaign lacks sincerity on Free Trade

Hilary Clinton's chief campaign advisor has been speaking out of both sides of his mouth lately. Publicly opposing NAFTA and privately (and lucratively) being paid to support such deals. Can't see how this will help the Clinton campaign in Penn state.

I'll take that gun now. RIP Charlton Heston

Noted gun wacko and actor Charlton Heston is dead. As I have previously mentioned here, I strongly disagree with his and the NRA's incredulous tactics in the face of tragedy.

I expect that in a biting piece of irony, that a large pro-gun control rally will be organized to coincide wuth his burial. Oh, and if it isn't too much trouble, I'll take that gun from your "cold, dead hands" now.

Some pics from Ukraine Trip

From top to bottom in this post are pictures of a Bandura ensmble playing at the Canada-Ukraine Business Summit in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. Below is a cow barn at the Agro-Soyuz facility also in Dnipropetrovsk.

St. Michael's in Kyiv
The pysanka museum in Kolomaya, in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast where really beautiful hand-written pysanky can be had for 18 Hryvnyas (about $3.60).
And what would a trip to Ukraine be without a bowl of Ukrainian Borshch, pampushky z chasnykom, and a good slice of pumpernickel?

Conservative MP's Racist, Sexist, Homophobic comments

Saskatchewan Tory MP Tom Lukiwski is in trouble after the provincial NDP released a video-tape. NDP M-L-A Pat Atkinson released the tape which contains sexist, racist, and homophobic comments. Those on the tape are current Premier Brad Wall who makes fun of Ukrainians and Regina MP Tom Lukiwski.
Lukiwski was a Tory organizer at the time, while Wall was a ministerial aide.
While Lukiwski said this about gays, ‘Let me put it to you this way. There's A's and B's. The A's are guys like me. The B's are homosexual faggots with dirt in their fingernails that transmit diseases.' ” Wall was only marginally less offensive in mocking Ukrainian Canadians.

The Conservative-Sask Party veil has fallen. Lukiwski should be turfed from the Conservative Caucus and Wall needs to make a full public apology to the Ukrainian Canadian community.

UPDATE: A partial transcript is available here.

Kudos to Harper

In a bold move, PM Steve has indicated that he will support Ukraine's bid for NATO ascension. Here is the text of his release:

PRIME MINISTER HARPER BACKS UKRAINE’S PROGRESS TOWARD NATO MEMBERSHIP
April 2, 2008BucharestPrime Minister Stephen Harper today expressed Canada’s strong support for Ukraine to move towards membership in the NATO alliance. Prime Minister Harper urged other leaders to support Ukraine’s request to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan, saying that bringing Ukraine into the alliance would accelerate the pace of democratic reform and economic development.“Ukraine has made great progress on democratization and in opening up its economy in recent years,” the Prime Minister said. “The country is on a path to a better future for its people, and I call upon our NATO partners to agree that we should keep Ukraine moving forward toward full membership in the alliance.”“Through its actions at home and abroad, Ukraine has demonstrated that it shares the values of Canada and our NATO allies,” Prime Minister Harper said.
“The Ukrainian people naturally yearn for greater freedom, democracy and prosperity. Canada will do everything in its power to help Ukraine realize these aspirations, including backing its bid for NATO membership, as long as the country keeps making progress on democratic reform and opening up its economy.”

Probe to investigate Wilson and Brodie

Canada's top bureaucrat says that his probe will look into the involvement of the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff and the Canadian Ambassador to Washington as part of the NAFTAgate leaks. If Scooter Libby is any indication, stick a fork in Brodie, he's done.

Enough Ukie business, time to head home

Blogging from Borispil Airport in Kyiv - I've had enough former soviet hotels for now, time to go home.

UPDATE: It actually took me 58 hours between my departure from Ivano-Frankivsk and the time I actually stepped in my door, including missed connections, delayed flights, 6 hours on the tarmac before having a flight cancelled and 2 nights at Frankfurt's lovely airport hotels. Oh, and Air Canada lost my baggage.

Stick a fork in Brodie, he's done.

PM Steve is going to have to turf his Chief of Staff Ian Brodie over NAFTA-gate. Here's why...

Scandals are piling up for PM Steve

First it was Schreiber-Mulroneygate, then the offer of a bribe to a dying Chuck Cadman that his wife says was made by the Cons, and now this one here in Ottawa, interfering with a police investigation into a bribery charge!!!

Hey Stephane Dion, isn't it three strikes and you're out for the Conservatives?

My Daughter is an Obamaniac

Yesterday morning before church, our three year old daughter started chanting "Barack-O-Bama" over and over. When I asked her where she had heard about Obama, she said matter of factly, "Tato, I am a Barack Obama fan. Barack-O-Bama! Barack-O-Bama! Barack-O-Bama!"

All I can say is that she has great judgement as both a Thomas the train fan and a Montreal Canadiens fan. This has to auger well for tomorrow's primaries...

Stelmach Landslide

In a result that thumbs its nose at the pundits who had predicted a slim Stelmach victory. At present, Stelmach's party is set to win a huge majority with the standings at:

PC: 71
Lib: 9
NDP: 3

Slow and steady wins the race. Is there a lesson here for Mr. Dion federally?

I've done it

I am leaving the never ending winter of Ottawa and have booked a ticket for balmy Kyiv, Ukraine for early March.

This just in...

While the flat Earth Society has endorsed PM Steve's view of the World, the magazine Nature has this to say in its editorial about the Conservatives “manifest disregard for science”:

“Science has long faced an uphill battle for recognition in Canada, but the slope became steeper when the Conservative government was elected in 2006,” the editorial says.

That's what happens when you have a Cabinet full of climate change deniers and one minister in particular who believes that humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth together.

Barack's knock out punch

Coming on the heels of victories in Maine, Washington, Nebraska and Louisiana, Obama receives this endorsement from the Raging Bull himself, Mr. Robert De Niro.



Pretty awesome in my books...

Wow!

Stayed up too late to watch the American primaries and Caucuses and Super Duper Tuesday didn't disappoint.

My take on the evening is that everyone, except Mitt Romney has something to be pleased about this morning.

Obama - won 13 states in every region of the country and is leading in New Mexico with 92 % reporting, in a dead heat for delegates.

Clinton - Cauterized the wound and has stopped the bleeding. Won in big and important states like NY, California and Massachussetts.

McCain - is now the frontrunner with impressive wins in important states.

Huckabee - improves his standing to #2 contender in this three person race.

If only Canadian politics were this entertaining. We're stuck watching Conservatives pile up scandal after scandal from bungling nuclear safety to the sleaze of the Finance Minister issuing untendered contracts to the PM's press secretary lobbying for contractors...

Senator Fortier steps in some Soudas

Canada's favorite unelected Cabinet Minister, slick Mike Fortier who passed on putting his name on the ballot in the Outremont byelection, was getting some unseemly help from PM Steve's spokethingy Dmitri Soudas here.

Conservative real estate deals in Quebec have such a "rich" history - hmmn...André Bissonnette, the minister of state for transport, resigned in 1987 while the RCMP investigated his alleged involvement in land speculation.

Roch La Salle, who served Mulroney in the public works, and supply and services portfolios, left cabinet the same year after being charged with demanding a bribe and accepting money from businesses looking for government favours.

Conflict of interest allegations involving a personal loan felled Supply and Services Minister Michel Coté in 1988.

I wonder if PM Steve will live up to Mulroney's ethical standards.

PM Steve's Cult of Personality

Conservative MPs confirmed yesterday what Green party leader Elizabeth May and Macleans.ca blogger Kady O'Malley reported on their cyberspace sites.

The public won't get to see Stephen Harper's portrait gallery in the House of Commons.

Photographs of Mr. Harper in various poses, at various sites, are hung throughout the private and cosy government lobby of the House of Commons as the Ottawa Citizen reports here.

I wonder when the public can expect the giant public posters and statues similar to those favoured by Sadam and Uncle Joe?

Kennedy endorses Obama

Big win for Barack Obama in South Carolina tonight winning more votes than McCain and Huckabee combined in the SC primary.

As well, JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama in today's NY Times here. So what? I think the sentiment behind the endorsement is important and it builds on the hope and change message that Obama has embodied, while many are starting to worry about the Clintons' "say anything to win" tactics.

In a campaign of hope vs. fear at a time when people want change, the Clintons should know better than most which will win...

Hilary's bad memory

Interesting story in this morning's Washington Post. Powerful piece on Obama's politics of hope that ends with:

The worst thing about all this is what both Clintons are doing to their own legacy as pioneers of an approach that rejected, as Bill Clinton said in a 1991 speech, "the stale orthodoxies of left and right." The great asset shared by both Clintons is their willingness to bring fresh thinking to old problems.
"Our new choice plainly rejects the old categories and false alternatives they impose," Bill Clinton added in that 1991 address in which he offered a long list of new ideas. "Is what I just said to you liberal or conservative? The truth is, it is both, and it is different. It rejects the Republicans' attacks and the Democrats' previous unwillingness to consider new alternatives."
Pretty good stuff, still. Why should either Clinton attack Obama for facing some of the same truths that both of them taught their party so long ago?

Also thought I'd share this from the Today Show:

Can Ukraine make the cut on the world stage?

Ukraine is hosting the Euro 2012 soccer tournament and is now in the running for an equally prestigiou honour. Kyiv is in the running to become one of the 22 cities of the world to be included in the new Monopoly World Edition game board. After much lobbying of Hasbro in Europe (ironically led by a Swiss gentleman living in Ukraine), Kyiv was included in the 68 city shortlist for voting - a major feat in and of itself.

Beginning today, you may log onto http://www.monopoly.com to cast your vote online. In fact, you may continue to do so each day until the cut-off of the contest on February 28, 2008. At the close of the online voting, the twenty cities that receive the most votes will become part of Monopoly history as the first cities selected to be on the World Edition game board. These cities will appear on the Monopoly board from highest rent property to lowest based upon the total number of votes received.

This is a significant development as this World Edition board game will be sold in over a hundred countries around the world and manufactured in 37 languages (including Ukrainian). This a great (albeit symbolic) way to get Ukraine on the international map!

Remember: Vote online each day from January 22 to February 28. If you peruse the leading countries as of today (the contest opened approximately 8 hours ago), Ukraine is presently in 41st position out of 68 countries. Please do your part in raising the country's profile.

Slava Ukrayini!

Conservative Harpocrisy on lobbyists

Consider this:

During the 2006 election campaign, PM Steve's party campaigned on a pledge to:

"Toughen the Lobbyists Registration Act" and accused Liberals of "move(ing) freely back and forth between elected and non-elected government posts and the world of lobbying."
They went on to say that a Conservative government would, among other things:
• Extend to five years the period during which former ministers, ministerial staffers, and senior public servants cannot lobby government.
• Require ministers and senior government officials to record their contacts with lobbyists.
• Give the Registrar of Lobbyists the mandate and resources to investigate violations.
• Extend to ten years the period during which violations can be investigated and prosecuted.

Yet an article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix today states that:

Canadians are not likely to notice any difference in their (lobbyists') activities during the election campaign expected this year.

Consider Yaroslav Baran. Baran, who has been a high-powered lobbyist at Earnscliffe Strategy Group, is expected to once again take up his post running communications in the Conservatives' war room when an election is called, as he has done in the previous two campaigns. The fact that the Conservatives have declared a ban on lobbyists in their war room this time around won't affect him.

That's because Baran is no longer a lobbyist -- he de-registered just last week. He is leaving Earnscliffe and will join Conservative House leader Jay Hill's office next week as his new chief of staff, clearing the way for his key organizational involvement in the campaign that could be launched as early as next month.

I wonder if the "toughened up" Registrar of lobbyists will investigate and prosecute Baran?

There are "Faux Klingons in the White House"

Vermont's ranking Senator backs Obama

Patrick Leahy, the courageous and dare I say liberally minded Democratic Senator from Vermont has endorsed Barack Obama here. I am not sure that it will be enough to have Obama turn around a 9 point deficit in Nevada, though the one thing that the Caucuses have taught us so far is not to take anything for granted.

Ukrainian Christmas

Merry Christmas to all. Back from spending Ukrainian Christmas Eve and Christmas at Baba's House in Montreal. Best moment was when my daughter announced that she "loved Baba sooo much." Khrystos Narodyvsya!

Back here in Canada's capital where on the 10th anniversary of the great ice storm, fog seriously reduced visibility on the drive back and has played havoc with all incoming and outgoing flights from Ottawa.

Finally, while I was away:

Larry the mayor guy was charged with influence peddling in a bizarre bribery scandal which allegedly involves a federal appointment.

Barack Obama has opened up a lead in New Hampshire. I have come to the conclusion that Hillary is neither inspiring nor likable and it appears that many American Democrats, independents and Republicans agree.

Iowa Caucus Results

Here are the latest results for the Iowa Caucuses:
DEMOCRATS
Name Delegates to State Convention Percentage
Obama 940 38%

Edwards 744 30%

Clinton 737 29%

Richardson 53 2%

Biden 23 1%

REPUBLICAN CAUCUS
Candidate Votes Percentage
Huckabee 38,605 34%

Romney 28,367 25%

Thompson 15,044 13%

McCain 14,749 13%

Paul 11,232 10%

Giuliani 3,853 4%

Clearly there will be some candidates leaving both races shortly. I wonder if Rudy's poor showing has any relation to this video of him in drag?

It ain't over, but it's sure getting started

Yes - I am on the Barack Obama bandwagon. I am however not a new arrival.

I have previously expressed my support for him here, here, here, here and here. That does not in any way reduce the joy that I feel in today's Iowa Caucus results.

Senator Barack Obama and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee have emerged the victors in Iowa tonight, respectively winning the presidential caucuses.

Obama won with a significant lead over his main rival and Democratic front-runner, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. In fact, Senator John Edwards came in second but Clinton came in at a very close third while votes were still being tallied.

On to the granite state.

Can't wait to see the results from the Iowa primary

It's time for the good folks of Iowa to end the suspense and let us all get on with 2008. So who will it be? The "inexperienced" rookie Senator from Illinois who previously was editor of the Harvard law review, was a community leader and state senator or the experienced second term senator from New York, Yale law grad and law prof and former first lady.

Let's get ready to rumble...