Sister Sage's Musings

Archive for the ‘Dirty Political Strategies’ Category

You all remember  Gary Breitkreuz, right? That yahoo who, through the use of a sock puppet, who is now long gone (naturally), basically threatened to beat Iggy black and blue? Oh yes! Gary Breitkreuz, just a “Good ol’ Boy!” But, unlike Waylon Jennings’ theme to “The Dukes of Hazard”, he really does mean harm, just like the rest of those Harpercons. Well, he just got dumped by NDP MP Charlie Angus, who previously supported Mullet-head Hoeppner’s bill.

We all remember Breitkreuz, the brute sending an email ‘proposition’ to the NDP MP of Timmins-James Bay; that email that pretty well pushed Angus to change his mind. In an odd sort of way, the gun nut, who once advocated for  new regulations that would make it a-okay to carry restricted firearms like hand guns and semi-automatic assault weapons in cars in cities, may well be the one to sink Mullet head Hoeppner’s bill. What an idiotioc redneck!  Brute Breitkreuz probably couldn’t even shoot the broad side of a barn.

According to the Toronto Star, it seems that the other 11 rural NDP MPs have also a distaste for the behavior of the Harpercons as of late.  It seems that they will either change their vote or at the very least, be absent from the day of the vote.

“You’ve got the Conservatives turning off our rural guys,” said Brad Lavigne, national director of the NDP. He added that two “very real options” are available to rural members — stay away or reverse their earlier support for the Conservative bill.

Charlie Angus correctly points out that it’s the Harpercons, themselves, that are portraying rural Canadians as  uneducated hillbillies. Something Angus and his other rural colleagues, I’m sure, wish to dispell.

“The Conservatives are unfortunately creating an impression that rural Canadians are somehow nut jobs, but they are not. For me, at the end of the day, I just don’t want to be standing beside these guys,” Angus said.

“At this point I am going to vote against this bill because I think the Conservatives … are treating Canadians as if they are fools on this.’’

Will the rural NDP MPs take heat for this? Perhaps.  Could they lose their votes to Harpercons? Maybe not. If they can persuade their constituents with the reports from the RCMP showing that the gun registry is not only useful, but also cost efficient.

Also, there must be other things, besides the long gun registry,  these rural NDP MPs can sell to their consituents that would address their other concerns better than the Harpercons ever could. I mean, were they really voted in because they promised to help Stevie spiteful kill the gun registry?  Not likely.  I would think that they were voted in because they convinced their constituents that they were better trusted to look out for their interests than the Harpercons. These NDP MPs should stick with that.

Look at it this way, Jack’s stubbornness at not whipping his caucus to vote against Mullet-head Hoeppner was most certainly not winning him any appreciation from Stevie Spiteful in addition to not winning him and his party any favor with many Canadians, including much of his own base.

“In effect, rhetoric aside, both Coalition leaders intend to keep the wasteful and ineffective $2 billion long-gun registry,’ the Tories say. They conclude that neither the NDP nor the Liberals care about rural voters. “Rural Canada: either its voice is important, or it isn’t.”

Note that the above quote came from an article that was published one day before the little email exchange between Brute Breitkreuz and Charlie Angus was published. At that time, things still looked like those MPs were going along with Mullet-head Hoeppner.

No, Stevie, and the other rednecks, the NDP rural MPs did and still do want their constituents to have a voice in Canada. They just prefer that their constituents have all the correct information before them; the good, the bad and the ugly.   Facts, figures, evidence, truthiness, all inconvenient  pesky details that go against Stevie and his flunkies’ agendas.

Stay  classy, Harpercons! ,Jack Layton and his party were risking  losing urban seats to align himself with the mullet-head she redneck herself and this is the thanks you give him?

No matter, Jack, looks like your MPs are saving you in spite of yourself.  But really, those Harpercons and their own stupidity and redneck ways are what would kill the Mullet-head’s bill in the end. Talk about your ironies.

It ain’t a political party…yet! But, when one of the six founders is, get ready…Blogging SupposiTory, the Rancid Dr. Jabba the Roy, hisself! And he’s just all ga ga giddy over it!  I guess the Lucides movement was just too Progressive Conservativise-ish/not enough soCon-ish tea-baggy enough, was it?  What a circus! Here’s the site if you dare! If Jabba the Roy is involved, as well as the .ca, the Reseau Liberte Quebecois – Quebec Freedom Network. Now don’t that just sound Tea-baggish?

I remember Jean Lapierre telling Andrew Carter quite often on CJAD that there is now a vaccuum in Quebec politics and he believed that this one would get filled, however, he has his doubts this particular far-right movement will warm the hearts of Quebecers. I believe that he’s correct, but then, I never thought that Canada, east of Manitoba, would embrace Steve’s sharp right socon tea-bagging bull-shit. Lapierre,  too, believed that any new party that may have come to light would be a more centered party. 

What’s even more bizarre is that Lucien Bouchard of that clear eyed movement is endorsing this motley gang of misfits which touts among other tea-bagging goodies, climato-skepticism. Hmm, wasn’t Bouchard an environment minister in Brian Mulroney’s cabinet before going off to form the Bloc Quebecois? But then, Bouchard has proven, over the years, to be a walking self-contradiction.

Prepare for shale gas exploration, I mean, don’t let facts and truthiness like  pesky reports, warning of environmental concerns like  carbon-dioxide emissions, encroach on wildlife habitat and sap freshwater resources get in the way of that tea-bag agenda, now.

They’re going to “redefine nationalism”. I would tell you what they mean, but, frankly, that is indicated on their site, that it is “to come”. I wonder if they even know?  If Jabba the Roy is involved, the pro-monarchist, with his love of titles like “HM PM” (what a brown nose!), count on it pushing for Quebec to be beaten to submission by Steve and the Harpercons.  Insidious ways of decimating the Bloc Quebecois would definitely be on the menu.  After all, if  King Steve can’t win Quebec even by pork barreling,  they’ll find other ways to cheat, right?

Jabba the Roy is involved with five others: Andre Pratte of La Presse, a Harpercon friendly writer; Ian Senechal (please note, I had site translated via yahoo Babelfish, so language would leave something to be desired); Joanne Marcotte, who Radio Canada’s Simon Durivage referred to as Quebec’s Sarah Palin; Gerad Laliberte and Eric Duhaime; who worked as an advisor to the now near-decimated Action Democratique Party of  Mario Dumont and in a previous life, worked under ol’ Stock Day when he was leader of the Canadian Alliance.

As much of a monarchy suck up as Jabba the Roy is and I will guess that, like most French Quebecers, his partners in crime are anti-monarchy; as well as other differences to come, I’m sure, I wonder when this will collapse like a house of cards?

Another part of their mandate? To “defy the media establishment”; yes, they must do something to  get Quebec media to work in their favor; it’s too slanted to the left for their tea-bagging sensitivities;   not to mention, their aversion to things like balanced journalism and actually facts and data.

Perhaps like Steve, they would like a media monopoly a la Pierre Karl Peladeau? A French version of Fox North? They will be holding a shindig  come October in Quebec City and the keynote speaker will be none other than Kory Teneycke hisself! I wonder if he speaks joal?

“It is a great pleasure for me of collaborating with the team of the Freedom-Quebec Network”, affirmed Mr. Teneycke, who intends to explain to the audience the importance of the project that it sets up at present at English Canada. “A fall of the Canadian audience of news televised uninterrupted, a mentality of herd among the journalists and a frankly skewed cover of the topicality explain well that the Canadians are badly served by the media “mainstream”, he adds. “It is time to offer an alternative and it is what we intend to do with SUN TV News.”

Getting cocky, aren’t we, Kory?  There might be a little snag with your mentor’s appointment of Luc Lavoie. Once again, a little problem with legalities here. Details.

Here, of course, are  more of the their tea-bagging goals:

“We all agree on one common ground — the fact that the state needs to be smaller in many many ways,” Duhaime said.

“Some of us are going to push on health-care reforms, some others are going to talk about tax reforms.”

Well, tea-baggers, no matter what language they speak or where they live; they’re nothing, if not predictable.

Yes, for about 25$ or 35$ you can get in to watch Kory lead the clown car brigade at it. I wonder though; what does one get for 10$ more? Poutine? The peas are unfrozen? The rubber chicken is actually cooked? Or one gets to not get touched by Jabba the Roy?  Scary that we would want to be led by idiots who look like their mommies dress them every morning.

Each of the six founders, apparently, coughed up 500$ to start up this little tea-bagging cult.

And folks, if you’re in the Quebec City area and if you wish to crash the party, it is being held at Hotel Gouverneur de Ste-Foye on October 23. Their site is here, but in French. No, they don’t have an English version. Funny, given that Jabba the Roy is one of those idiots who shriek about English rights in Quebec.

I wouldn’t be too surprised if these clowns actually actually made it easier for Duceppe to promote sovereignty in Quebec. As mentioned before, Quebecers are center. Some, particularly in rural areas may even be socons to some degree. However, most of them are elderly and do remember living through the hell that was the Periode Noirceur of Maurice Duplessis. I’m sure they don’t want to live through that again and they certainly wouldn’t wish it on their children and grandchildren.

My, are these geeks in Ottawa so bored that they have more than enough time to play on Wikipedia? Or are they under orders from King Steve?  We all remember when they played around with the Wikipedia pages regarding Stevie spiteful’s new war toys.  I wouldn’t put it past him. He is that hateful.

This time, some idiot, using computers over at the Correctional Services of Canada decided to give the Wikipedia page regarding the Canada Official Languages Act, inacted by then Prime Minister P.E. Trudeau in 1969, a makeover, calling it “Quebec’s Nazi Act”.  Ah! Classy! Here’s a clip that was added:

“The Quebec Nazi act is a law adopted by the Parliament of Canada in 1969 and substantially amended in 1988. The law gives Frenchspeaking Canadians more opportunity than English speaking Canadians in the government of Canada… It allows Quebecers to have preferential treatment in jobs over people who already live in Ontario.”

Really?

“Behaviour of this nature is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The Minister’s Office has raised its concerns with the Correctional Service of Canada, who are investigating its origin and will follow up with appropriate action.”

I guess he would have to say that for the sake of posterity, even though, I’m sure his master and his  puppets, including ol’ Vic are more than likely all ga ga giddy over the latest act of their their little computer geek. After all, we all know what their base thinks of the French language. More specifically, what they think of Quebec.

Really rich for some Harpercon flunkies using the term ‘Nazi’ to describe the Official Languages Act, given how well they handle dissent and how the folks of Toronto were treated at the G20.

Here’s what Steve thinks about Canada being a bilingual country:

“It is simply difficult – extremely difficult – for someone to become bilingual in a country that is not. And make no mistake. Canada is not a bilingual country. In fact it less bilingual today than it has ever been… So there you have it. As a religion, bilingualism is the god that failed. It has led to no fairness, produced no unity and cost Canadian taxpayers untold millions.”
- Stephen Harper on bilingualism, Calgary Sun, May 6th 2001.

And it might also be interesting to know,if I may go a little off topic here,  in Stevie Spiteful’s own words, not only what he thinks of Quebec, but perhaps he too, doesn’t want it to become a ‘have province’

“The only way we will ever get positive constitutional change is when these people are confronted, defeated, and then work constructively within federation.” BC Report Magazine, September 29, 1997.

“The Canadian Dominion is itself safe unless … Quebec were ever to become a ‘have’ province.” IRPP Choices, September 2000, vol. 6, no. 6.

So, boys n’ girls, again, am I that off the mark?

You’ll forgive my cynicism here, but it seems that there are some who actually applaud this from his own base! I get it now. So long as it’s a good PR move sure to raise King Steve’s polling numbers and that those Muslim Brown people stay where they are and not even think of setting foot here either by boat or by airplane. Yeah, that’s it.

I just caught this from Impolitical’s Tweets. Lawrence Martin just wrote and reviewed how Kory Teneycke’s new position at Pierre Karl Peladeau’s outfit was quite the coup for King Steve.  As we all know, it hit a snag with the CRTC in trying to get that coveted category 1 licence not long ago. I posted about this small victory, but I also expressed concerns about how this would not bode well for the CRTC neither, given Stevie’s propensity for having his way, come hell or high water. After all, we have seen this lately with Veteran’s Affairs Canada and with Stats Can.  And take a look how he handles dissent.   Now, according to Lawrence Martin, the CRTC could take a hit, and we shouldn’t be surprise, given the latest malicious acts from ol’ King Stevie Spiteful.

The CRTC chair is Konrad von Finckenstein, and his term doesn’t end until 2012. But insiders report that Mr. Harper now wants him out well before that date and replaced by a rubber stamper. The independently minded Mr. von Finckenstein, who did not respond to queries on the matter, is reportedly being offered judgeships and ambassadorships, one post being Chile. So far, he’s not biting. But the bait might get bigger.

In addition, CRTC vice-chair Michel Arpin is being ushered out the door. His term expires at the end of the month; he’d like to stay on, but his request is not being granted.

Names being floated as a replacement for either the chair or vice-chair include none other than Mr. Péladeau’s long-time right-hand man, Luc Lavoie. Mr. Lavoie is a competent fellow but, given his Péladeau ties, the idea sounds far-fetched, positively galling. But, then again, when has galling ever stopped Stephen Harper?

Yes, boys n’ girls, watch for these names to hit the airways or print media. If you hear of them either leaving, being moved to parts unknown or early retirements, you’ll know why.  Really, CRTC, did you honestly think you could get away with thinking independently here? Did you think you could go against Master Steve and not ensure that every cable or satellite subscriber isn’t saddled with a channel that is dedicated to the praise of King Stevie? Really now.

Remember, the Kory Klan, or Fox News North Print has already pulled the Steve purge and gotten rid of columnists deemed not Harpercon friendly enough; the likes of Greg Weston, Christina Spencer, Liz Thomson and the latest casualty, 27 year veteran, Eric Margolis.  I’m surprised they took David Akin.

I imagine there will be a fight to save the integrity of the CRTC. I should hope so.

Among those hearing about the pending CRTC shakeup is Ian Morrison of the advocacy group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting. As he correctly points out, the integrity of the CRTC has to be defended. “You can’t have the Prime Minister handing out radio and TV licences.”

As Martin correctly points out, agencies like the CRTC are supposed to keep the prime minister at arm’s length, but in the case of Steve, they’re only at knuckle’s length.  Good point, it gives the image of Stevie spiteful having his fists clenched of do it my way, or else!

Further evidence that Stevie spiteful is really losing it.  He really needs to be medicated.

I remember folks awhile back telling me they thought I was exaggerating when I blogged about Steve being a totalitarian. In spite of providing the definition with links, I was criticized. I will do it again.

Totalitarianism is a political system where the state, usually under the control of a single political organization, faction, or class domination, recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.^[2] Totalitarianism is generally characterised by the coincidence of authoritarianism (i.e., where ordinary citizens have no significant share in state decision-making) andideology (i.e., a pervasive scheme of values promulgated by institutional means to direct the most significant aspects of public and private life)^[3]. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propagandadisseminated through the state-controlled mass media, a single partythat controls the state, personality cults, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, the use ofmass surveillance, and widespread use of state terrorism.

Besides the blogging SupposiTories who will forever be Stevie’s faithful lap dogs, and quite frankly, many of them are advocating this totalitarianism from their man Steve; does anybody else still think I’m off the mark?

And what bigger war is there these days than the war here, at home, against our beloved government? While  Col. Stogran says that he is not criticizing the Harpercons solely, it is they who have the pattern of firing or demoting or just sending away their people who dare to  have the audacity to criticize and disagree with them.  Stogran’s darkest, yet brutally honest words that needed to be said:

“I was told by a senior Treasury Board analyst, who shall remain nameless, that it is in the government’s best interest to have soldiers killed overseas rather than wounded because the liability is shorter term,” he told a marathon Ottawa news conference.

Now, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, especially when it comes to Stevie Spiteful and his minions. After all, this is the  megalomaniac who wants to cut universal health care to Canadians among other such evil deeds.

However, I what I am surprised at, although, by now, I really shouldn’t be, is at some of those die hard Harpercon cheerleaders at the comment boards at some of these news pages, basically treating Stogran as simply another public servant with a sense of self-entitlement who over stepped his boundaries. No doubt those same buffoons, who in Pale’s words,  have a support the troops sticker on their honking SUV. That very same clown car brigade who wagged their fat fingers at us for not supporting them,  when Richard Colvin, another one who has gone into obscurity, brought torturegate to light.  Such hypocrisy.

Those same cheerleaders who preach the sanctity of the dead soldiers and how we must respect their memory.   How they all ooh and awe at Stevie Spiteful when being photographed with muscle bound troops in cammies, armed and ready for action or at Remembrance Day Festivities and how they all blindly follow Steve, right or wrong to treat these vets who survived, many of whom psychologically and/or physically damaged from the carnage of war. No, no one wants to see that. It’s just not pretty. Like anything else, no one wants to see anything that puts the Harpercons or the “war effort” in a bad light, now do they?

It is unacceptable that vets have to grovel and beg for what little is entitled to them; benefits, pensions, health care, which seems to be the case for many these days. Those are the vets Colonel Stogran stands up for; those are the vets all Canadians should stand up for.

“If you’re not willing to stand behind the troops, then feel free to stand in front of them,” said Brian Dyck, a veteran who suffers from ALS and is fighting the government over denied health claims.

Brian Dyck is one of many, sadly. This is how badly veterans are treated. After being wounded in whatever war they’re fighting overseas;  physically and psychologically, it sometimes seems to pale in comparison to the war they’re fighing at home to ensure their own survival, the future of their families, their own dignity.

Never one to mince words, Stogran has harshly criticized the federal bureaucracy’s treatment of injured soldiers and policies, such as the replacement of pensions with lump-sum payments and disability stipends.

He has said Veterans Affairs has adopted a “penny-pinching, insurance-company mentality” toward its clients

Insurance company mentality. Nice. Classy. Our governments and our military put out the ads to join the military for that “rewarding career”. Perhaps there should be a disclaimer.

Essentially, Col Pat Stogran is being let go, for doing his job properly.  Except, as others before him like Paul Kennedy at the RCMP complaints commission, Peter Tinsley at the Military Police Complaints Commission, Linda Keen at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Richard Colvin, Munir Sheikh (he resigned on his own, but he probably would have ended up canned anyway),  in the land of Harpercon, “doing their job” means being a ‘yes’ man to Stevie Spiteful and not ever thinking outside the box or thinking for themselves.

Jean-Pierre Blackburn offers this feeble excuse:

Mr. Stogran is being replaced because it is time for a new ombudsman to offer new perspectives, the minister said. “It will be good for our veterans and good for our department.”

What Blackburn really meant to say that they can’t have this uppety Col anymore and as such, the new ombudsmen must be a “yes” man just like he is.  “Good for the Veterans” in Blackburn’s view, which is really Stevie Spiteful’s view is keeping them unseen and unheard; thus easier to pretend they and their troubles don’t exist.   Making people and issues easy to ignore is the Harpercon modus operendi to get things done their way.

Col. Stogran isn’t going away quietly though. Nor should he. He plans to continue to fight the  war at home for those vets for as long as he can. He wants Canadians to know how badly so many of the vets are being treated.  In fact,  I hope, that even after he’s no longer the ombudsmen, he will become an activist of some kind for the vets. Lord knows they need a voice  and as I’ve pointed out above, the new ombudsman won’t do them justice.  As I’ve mentioned above, they’re (this also goes for the widows of fallen soldiers; they too have to fight that dreadful fight for benefits)  fighting probably what is the most challenging war of their lives; the war at home.

I wonder if blogging SupposiTory Rightchik Tammeee and Clucking Christie Blathering Blatchford would have to say about all this? The former, a support the troops and government, right or wrong kinda gal. The latter,  who is such a sucker for the uniform, she’ll spew any kind of garbage for her sob sister column.  I dare them to put to their money where their mouths are, but since both tend to shit from their mouths, don’t bet on it.

Keep up the fight Colonel Stogran and those who join his fight because, apparently, Blackburn plans to further downsize Veterans’ Affairs Canada.

Yes, it would appear that Tony Clement and the Harpercons now believe it to be convenient to hear from “average” Canadians about the census, or so they say.

“I think it’s appropriate to have individual Canadians appear,” said Edmonton-area Conservative MP Mike Lake, the parliamentary secretary to Industry Minister Tony Clement. “They’re the ones that are getting asked the questions and being forced under threat of fines and jail time to answer them, so absolutely it’s appropriate for individual Canadians to appear before committee.”

Funny, I was under the impression that Master Stevie felt that all Canadians; individual or in groups were “annoying”. Now, it seems they need to postpone the the committee hearings regarding the census so they can find individual Canadians.  Since those who are adament about maintaining the long form census as is are an “irritant” to Master Steve, he will have to find some less “annoying”: less irritating Canadians who sympathize with their cause. What happened? Is Ezra Levant on vacation? Nobody available from the Canadian Tax Payers’ Federation or The Fraser Institute?  It takes time to hire an actor and get them to rehearse the script?  If that’s the case, perhaps they’re better off hiring someone with no speaking role, as that is usually how Master Steve prefers his puppets.  Better yet, perhaps they can ask Jane Taber if they can borrow one of her super anonymous sources to find these actors to play not-so-annoying ”average” Canadian “irritants”.  Another thing about prepping witnesses Steve should take into consideration,  he may well have to start filling his new super prison with Tony Clement, Mike Lake and the other anti-Census used car sales men types and their “witnesses”; last I checked, witness tampering and suborning perjury were against the law.

More over at  Dave, Scott and Pogge ‘s

According to one of Jane Taber’s many “Deep throats” inside Parliament Hill, her latest gossip is that Stevie spiteful thinks we’re annoying; that, and our reaction to the scrapping of the mandatory long form census is an “irritant”.  Poor Stevie will have to tough it out. Many of us think Jane Taber’s columns are an annoying irritant, but we deal with it. Some, like Maclean’s Scott Feschuk  deal with it by compiling her super special finds revealed to only her by her extra-secret unnamed deep throats in parliament. More about the darling gossip columnist and irritable Steve over at Alison’s.

Why is this a surprise? Even Stevie’s former boss, Deborah Grey,  said that Stevie Spiteful’s people skills left a lot to be desired.

People skills? He was more fond of policy. Constituency work seemed like a grind for him.”

- Long-time Reform and Alliance MP Deborah Grey on Conservative leader Stephen Harper.

Hell, even his former mentor, Preston Manning, another one who thinks the Flintstones are a documentary,  had less than glowing reviews of his former protege.

“Stephen had difficulty accepting that there might be a few other people (not many, perhaps, but a few) who were as smart as he was with respect to policy and strategy. And Stephen, at this point, was not really prepared to be a team player or team builder.”

Lest we forget:

“Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it. Canadians make no connection between the fact that they are a Northern European welfare state and the fact that we have very low economic growth, a standard of living substantially lower than yours, a massive brain drain of young professionals to your country, and double the unemployment rate of the United States.”

And:

“Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status, led by a second-world strongman appropriately suited for the task.”
- Stephen Harper in his article “It is time to seek a new relationship with Canada,” December 12th, 2000.

Nowadays, particularly with the census debacle and the hard right agenda in full view, thanks largely in part to columnists/bloggers like Stephen Taylor, one really gets the sense that Stevie is fit for the rubber room; fit to be tied. He is losing it. We see it in the ever increasing buffoonery of Tony Clement, who I think is burned in politics by now.

Furthermore, Lawrence Martin, in his “hail to the 50s” column, he points out what Harper’s advisor says about Stevie’s true blue ancient views:

I was talking to one of his former close advisers recently and, reflecting the Prime Minister’s view, he launched into a tirade about how good Canada used to be until Pierre Trudeau came along with all that “hippie bullshit.” He spoke of how Mr. Harper was in fact a very old-fashioned type and how he had immense pride in the country.

Oh and another appeal for Stevie about the 50s  for the  tea-bagger north? McCarthyism!  Speaking of which. Here’s what approved viewing is on movie night at the Harper’s.

Yes, because, to be a Harpercon in the land of Harpercon, means life is always dangerous. Ironically, life in Canada has never been more dangerous on so many levels than with the Harpercons and will continue to be that way. When a master tactician becomes a mad man, there is always hell to pay, to say the least.

I wonder what the next derogatory thing about Canadians/Canada will be to come out of Steve’s mouth? There will be a next time, as Steve is losing it and his frustration is shining through these days.  You can be sure it will be a doozy and it would be nice if we could hear about it from a credible source rather than from one of Jane Taber’s “deep throats”. Perhaps we’ll really need to “duck and cover” when it comes.

Both EKOS and the usually Harpercon friendly Ipsos-Reid polls have Harpercon numbers slipping and those of the Liberals rising somewhat bringing them to a near tie with, of course, the Harpercons  hanging on to a slight advantage.  If Steve was really planning to get an election off the ground this fall, his plans for that backfired and now is backing off this idea. In fact, even his rabid pit-bull, John Baird, Steve’s newly minted Government house leader called for more cooperation with the opposition parties on TV last week. Well, logically, every opposition party should come out and say too little too late for that, except their polling numbers don’t permit them to do so.

Frank Graves of EKOS is of the opinion, that in spite of the Liberals’ low numbers, they may well attempt to trigger an election, while John Wright of Ipsos Reid disagrees:

Mr. Wright does not believe there will be an election any time soon because no one can win a majority government at this time. “The reality is that if everybody knows that all you’re going to get is a minority you can take your time.”

The Bloc is just too strong in Quebec to free up seats necessary for either the Conservatives or Liberals to form a majority government, Mr. Wright added.

But Mr. Graves has a different take: “Wow! To be blunt, I was concerned about our poll, as it came in the summer, and it was a pretty abrupt shift,” he told The Globe on Tuesday morning.

“The Ipsos poll suggests that our poll did catch a major shift in voter sentiments. What is remarkable about this shift is that it comes in the midst of the summer, a period when the public are typically blissfully unconcerned with politics. This might suggest that the negative effects of the census decision on the government may be muted to this point.”

If this is true, he said, the chances of a fall election “have now shifted to more likely than not.”

And that is because the opposition could sense that this “new shift for the PM” could represent a “critical mass of frustration within the electorate and in particular a growing fatigue amongst the more educated portion.”

Tricky; very tricky indeed and one where the opposition, particularly the Liberals must tread carefully, given their poll numbers and what happened last year when Iggy attempted to drop the gauntlet and act, well, oppositional. Remember when Iggy said that he was no longer going to be supporting the Harpercons last September? All the Timmy Hortons’ Crowd crying and screaming “I don’t wanna go to the polling stations again!”   Steve launched a poison pill in a ways and means motion that Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe ended up swallowing and Canada was saved from a Harpercon majority.  And remember, Stevie spiteful’s numbers shot up well within majority territory and Iggy’s plummeted.

In fact, since then, there would be a number of times Stevie spiteful’s polling numbers from any given polling firm would hover around majority territory, thus, those who blame the strong presence of the Bloc Quebecois in Quebec for preventing a majority government for either party; their argument falls right there. Majorities are still possible, in spite of the heavy Bloc presence in Quebec. It just simply means that they have to fight harder in Ontario and British Columbia.

What is scary is that some polls in the past year has shown that Canadians want a majority government and more than likely, if they believe one is not possible, good ol’ Canadian trademark apathy will take hold yet again and stay away from the polls, which does contribute to a Harpercon majority as well. It worked for Jean Charest and his Liberals in the Quebec election in 2008. Low turn out largely contributed to his majority.

Iggy could well still be gun shy from last September’s reaction to his dropping the gauntlet.  A few ridings still need candidates. A friend, Pascal Zamprelli is running for the nomination in Jeanne Le Ber in the south west of Montreal, currently held by the Bloc. Of course, Peter Milliken’s will also need to be filled amongst others. They’re going to need to hurry up to fill those nominations.

I believe Steve will also put out a budget this fall. What will he do? Will he attempt to pull the per vote subsidy for political parties again? Will he play Santa Clause? Or will he attempt another hard shift to the right yet again? Perhaps a combination of all of the above, which I find most likely, given his precedent (hello Bill c-9); those poison pills Steve is so well known to serve up.  A frightening thought.

Also, there is the NDP, who more often than not, will do just the opposite of whatever the Liberals do.  If the Liberals support the Harpercons, the NDP go against it and vice-versa.  And of course, the Bloc continue doing their own thing if it plays to the agenda of Quebec’s good according to the vision of Gilles Duceppe or to Quebec sovereignty which is now back on the front burner these days.

Iggy would most certainly want to wait until he thinks Canadians would be willing to vote out the Harpercons; to wait for his numbers to go up further.  His bus tour helped, I think.  Yes, there were critics who felt he was not being himself. But I think those are the same people who may have the ridiculous notion that Iggy won’t even open his front door to pick up the newspaper without putting on a suit and tie first. Whether or not he was himself (let’s face it; on some level, every politician plays a role; uses some form of method acting); he did something every politician should do and that is, going out in the country he wishes to govern and meet the people; real people and to hear their concerns and questions. I’m sure it must have helped him, his party and his confidence on some level, but I don’t think it’s enough for him to want to trigger an election by voting against whatever Stevie spiteful is cooking up next.

Then, there is Stevie spiteful, himself.  If there is no election, he and his flunkies have more time to sell his little utopia with no StatsCan; no census.  Stevie is down right now, but he has a propensity for bouncing back as he has demonstrated in the past.   This makes holding off a federal election a crap shoot. One Stevie could probably win given his numbers are still, however slightly, in his favor.

Progressives out there, whether you’re NDP or Liberal supporters, it’s time for us to take action. Write your MPs (provided of course, you’re not living in Harpercon riding; if so, then try to write the NDP and Liberal candidates if you know who they are; if there are candidates at this time; or write both Iggy and Jack Layton).     Now is the time to vote Steve out of office, or at the very least, reduce his minority significantly.  If Steve needs two or even all three parties to get anything through instead of just one party right now, not only is Steve’s power significantly reduced, but the games of  one opposition party doing something simply because another one isn’t would perhaps cease; it’s not helpful.

Many bitch and moan when the Liberals have propped up the Harpercons, but no one supported them neither, their polling numbers had reflected that. Iggy says that Canadians don’t want an election. When we hear the Timmy’s crowd screaming and whining about going to the polls, it’s hard to ignore.  They are loud, particularly about protecting their own apathy as that whole demonstration against prorogation last winter proved.

So, the only way for us to prove to both Iggy and Jack that we do indeed want an election sooner than later is to write them and their MPs and if we can find their candidate’s emails or find them on Facebook, Twitter or another social networking site to let them know this; to urge them to cooperate with one another (I did say cooperate not coalition); not that usual game where Jack goes and does the opposite of what the Liberals do; but working together toward a common good and vote to bring down whatever bill, motion or budget (most likely this Fall) Steve brings to the table, regardless of how much good there will be in it, because as we all know, there will be poison pills packed into them.  It is time for us to take action.

The group, Canadians Rallying to Unseat Harper is still coming up with ads and raising funds to put these ads in the newspapers.  Keep up the good work!

Catch 22 is also working at unseating Harpercon MPs.

Apathy doesn’t cut it. Waiting for Iggy to go or waiting for better candidates isn’t going to cut it.  Time is a luxury we don’t have and now is our window of opportunity.   Let your MPs know you want an election, NOW!

Wow! I mean, just…wow! I go away from the blogosphere, thinking it would be same ol’; same ol’ since I left it early last week. Much of the same is going on but with even more stupidity and desperation and insanity on the part of the Harpercons. The more time goes on these days, the more I’m convinced that the rule of thumb for Stevie spiteful’s Canada is what’s for Canada; scrap it! Pave it! Junk it! Don’t care, but just be rid of it! Human rights, universal health care, veterans programs (Jean-Pierre Blackburn says they’re downsizing the program because elderly vets are croaking each month, thus less of a need for services; ah, the hits just keep on coming), the census and prison farms to name but a few.

Yes, Steve is still holding fast to closing down the prison farms; programs that rehabilitate prisoners; teaching them skills, rehabilitating them.  A novel idea just crazy enough to turn many lives around while at the same time, providing a safe and sustainable food supply for all Canadians. Wow! Win-win; a no brainer, I would say. But, we’re in Stevie land. A land where I guess, even our food shouldn’t even come from here.

A land where Canadians are his Fisher-Price toys and Canada is his Fisher-Price land and the military are his Gi-Joes to do as he sees fit at his whims and his alone, enforced of course by puppets like Tony Clement, Vic Toews and of course, Mr Stock “Unreported Crime is Up” Day; rabid pit-bulls like John Baird. I wonder if Steve would bring back slavery if he thought he could get away with it? Probably would.

Anyhow, the fight still goes on to keep those prison farms which the Harpercons no longer find “useful”. Of course they’re not useful to him.  In his mind, I’m sure they’re an evul soshalist plot. Yanno, that whole sense of community thing?  It apparently, didn’t generate a profit, stating that it cost around 4.1 million dollars more to operate than it generated.  See where this is going? It just doesn’t quite fit into Steve’s whole free market utopia he is feverishly trying to build with his flunkies and the help of his cheerleaders.

So, Steve, how does building these big-assed super prisons generate profit?  Sure, for the private enterprises and such. But how about the tax payers who will no doubt be footing the bill when certain judges go rogue and start taking kick backs and will eventually be prosecuted for ‘em? The precedent in the U.S. already exists as I’ve already pointed out in a previous post, complete with links.  Now, there’s an irony for ya; judges convicted of taking kick backs and other related judges being sent to those same big assed prisons they took kick backs for sending others to.

How does having all these prisoners languishing in these prisons help with their treatment and rehabilitation or get at the root problem that got them there in the first place?

Oh, and to further punch holes in that whole jail for invasion of privacy gobbledegook  lamebrained excuse for getting rid of the mandatory long form census. What was one of them, again? Oh yeah, we shouldn’t be going into the homes and bedrooms while they’re ‘reading’. I believe that winner came from Steve’s lapdog, Dimitri Soudas. Well, feast your eyes on this beauty.  Since crime rates have been steadily going down (Or, as Stock says, unreported crime has gone up? Still shaking my head at that one), Steve’s puppet, Justice minister, Rob Nicholson is hard at work crafting new insipid laws now, finding new ways to prohibit Canadians. Such things to make it easier to stuff those prisons like a Thanksgiving turkey. Here are but a few (bold text is my two cents):

The crimes now designated as serious offences include:

• Keeping a common gaming or betting house–I guess no more friendly nickel and dime poker games with the boys
• Betting, pool-selling and bookmaking–No more hockey pools or group lottery purchases, I guess,  among friends and co-workers.
• Committing offences in relation to lotteries and games of chance.–Such as? Strip poker? Don’t they have such laws ont the books with regards to lotteries?
• Cheating while playing a game or in holding the stakes for a game or in betting.–Does that mean that casinos have to stop fixing games? Does that mean young Johnny has to stop cheating while playing Sunday night monopoly on family night?
• Keeping a common bawdy-house.–Many escorts/prostitutes do receive clients in their own homes and/or clients receive the escort/prostitute in their little ‘love nests’ (secondary apartments if they’re married)
• Various offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act relating to the trafficking, importing, exporting or production of certain drugs.–Grow ops; probably also means no more pot permits for medicinal use; explains the clamp down on compassion clubs. They’re already attempting to close down Vancouver’s safe injection Insite program

These new laws strike me as invading the privacy of Canadians in order to enforce them. They would seem to make many activities we do within the confines of our own home against the law.

I bet another law would be added to this. In honour of ol’ Stock Day; I bet that ol’ Nicholson will make not reporting a crime against the law to; subject to charges of aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice. I can just see ‘em now.  They go around lurking; “any crime happen around the neighbourhood?” “You have to report it you know!” “Not reporting it will get you a charge of aiding and abetting and /or obstruction of justice; subject to prison time in our new super prison; all part of our new tough on crime agenda”.

Best of all, let’s scare those seniors who are fighting the Harpercons to keep the long form census mandatory. Let’s remind them who can keep them safe from all those ruffians doing such delinquent things inside their own homes and not reporting them.

They have no money to rehabilitate these prisoners; to teach them skills that help build their character and skills; that help provide home produced food to the community, but they have 9 billion dollars to build private big assed prisons for prisoners…to do what, exactly? How is this to help them?

Perhaps someone should let the Harpercons know that drug dealers not only continue selling drugs to inmates and to those on the outside but also often make more money from the inside than from the outside.  They learn creative new ways of committing crimes without getting caught. Smooth move ex-lax, Steve!