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...