Eurotrip Cancelled

Sweden's Migration and Asylum and Policy Minister Tobias Billstroem was quoted as saying that Sweden, as Chair of the EU until December, would be ready to slap retaliatory VISA requirements on Canadian citizens.

While some Canadians are wondering if Jason Kenney needs to become Minister of Migration and Asylum and Policy, or just Minister of Asylum, he inadvertently revealed what the problem was.

"We need to streamline the system to provide faster protection for real victims of persecution, while showing bogus claimants to the door much more quickly. Until we're able to come up with reforms along those lines, unfortunately, the visa policy becomes our only recourse,"

What Kenney is basically saying is he doesn't have a plan. It just seems so much easier to begin a diplomatic war with a NAFTA partner and the European Union than to come up with a solution to prevent all this.

After Harper's week of missteps at the G8 in Italy and now Kenney starting a spat with Mexico and the EU, it makes you wonder where the hell Lawrence Cannon is, and how much longer he will have to put up with this comedy of errors.

Things not to do Before Visiting the Pope

Catholicism has (unfortunately) been a big part of my life growing up. When I was younger and had to attend the mandatory catechism classes, we were told just how important it was to be receiving the first communion.

One little girl asked what I thought was a brilliant question. She asked what to do if we weren’t hungry. The priest turned to her and said “If you throw away the body of Christ, you will burn in hell forever.” I know the wrath of refusing food because my nonna is just as unforgiving.

After reading this, I simply do not understand what the Prime Minister was thinking. Are the protocol people on vacation?

So a few days before setting off to Italy to meet with the G8 and then the Pope, the Canadian Prime Minister has managed to commit one of the biggest booboos possible.

For Harper’s sake I hope this isn’t true. Catholics take this kind of stuff very seriously. If he didn’t want to take it, he just had to stay in his seat when everybody else went up.

I would like to see how many Catholic priests will tell their parishioners to vote Conservative after this kind of flub. If Harper was embarrassed in front of the Pope for funding a pride parade in Toronto, he will really be squirming when he sits down with him next week.

Here’s a tip Steve for your upcoming visit, While in Italy, when someone gives you food, you eat it!

Update: It seems the Harper PR people are denying the story in the face of video evidence contradicting them. They recognize this as a big deal. Covering it up will probably only hurt them more.

Ethics...

During the 7 “Liberal” years of my life, ethics were rather subjective. I had them when I needed them. Other than that, it was a game of “don’t get caught”.

I joined Concordia Journalism to break away from my political past. 3 campaigns/leadership races in direct succession had made me kinda crazy and very lost.

The program is one year long and I feel like I have learned a little bit about everything. As things wind down, Concordia wanted to teach us ethics before they sent us out into the unemployment lines.

I am put into situations weekly where my conscience is given a real test. Do I ruin somebody’s career to get a story? Do I present the facts in a way that help the flow of my article? Do I report a story from an anonymous source whose only interest is a rumor getting out there?

A year ago, I would have answered yes to all three questions. Call it the effect of partisan politics I guess. I spared nobody in all my Anti-Rae posts or my ridiculing of Dion and Monsieur Kennedy. If I could gain an edge back then, I did.

In a dogfight with the PQ and ADQ, I would never have thought twice about blogging anything fairly. Screw that! I used to think…

As the haze has faded over time, and the ethics I had put aside for all those years come back to me, I am beginning to understand the real hold that politics can have on some people. It is a very good thing that I took a year off politics before entering journalism school.

A friend of mine from my Liberal days MSN’ed me the other day about how he had converted to Iggymania. Naturally he thought I would be thrilled.

Just because im not involved doesn’t mean I don’t follow it. So I asked him what about Ignatieff brought him on board. I mean, 2006 was loaded with policy and ideas (like the nation and a carbon tax).

Now Ignatieff is really coasting on rhetoric and big crowds… (Hey, it worked for Obama right…)

After thoroughly confusing my friend, I got to thinking why I was no longer as enthusiastic about Ignatieff or the Liberals.

It dawned on me. Iggy 1.0 was far different than Iggy 2.0

Let’s face it. Two years ago Ignatieff knew academia and journalism but he was no politician. He started the two biggest policy debates in Canada. The nation debate cost him the leadership. The Carbon Tax cost the Liberals 40 seats.

Michael brought an approach to politics where people used logic and reason to wade through discussions and discourse. He was willing to tackle the sacred cows of Canadian politics.

He addressed Paul Martin’s cuts to transfer payments.

He addressed Quebec’s longing for recognition.

He addressed the dogmatic adherence to Medicare.

He addressed the need for REAL action on climate change and not lip service.

Now he is coy…he plays the politicians quite well…

My friends had been telling me Michael was supposed to deliver a knockout speech to the crowd in Laval a couple of weeks ago. I decided to stay away. It still is too soon for me to be returning to Liberal events.

I watched it on TV. I saw Michael Ignatieff, the politician…not Michael Ignatieff, the journalist.

Ignatieff is much smarter than I will ever be. Let’s hope politics does not ruin what he first set out to do…

Waiting on Stephen Harper to Condemn Coup d’Etat Attempt in Israel

Something really evil is happening in Israel.

Tzipi Livni won the Israeli election.

Benjamin Netanyahu, you may remember he marked my first day at Concordia with a little pizzazz, has come in second in the Israeli election.

However, he is claiming victory and is trying to reverse the election results.

Bibi is trying to form government with the 3rd party in Parliament, best known for wanting to secede Galilee from the rest of Israel so they can give it to the Arabs.

The fact Bibi wants to negotiate with these separatists is an act of treason.

When is Stephen Harper going to tell Benjamin Netanyahu that his madness has to end?

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Sandbox Politics...

The number one rule in young Liberal politics is dont get caught...

I hear Krista is actually a nice girl...unfortnately, being nice is probably what allowed her to get caught...

Last night, Krista Balsom resigned as President of the Ontario Young Liberals

Only in the Liberal party can you run unopposed and lose anyway

Update: 11AM

It is confirmed that Denise Brunsdon has resigned her YLC post leading up to her impeachment hearing which would have been held tomorrow.

He who holds the leash,,,

holds the power

h/t La Presse (Serge Chapleau)

Michael Ignatieff is already Prime Minister

I can see a few violent reactions to the above statement but hear me out. Ignatieff did exactly what he had to do yesterday.

Firstly, he dumped the coalition which he was so reluctant to enjoy. Even if the Liberals did want to take power, trusting the NDP to co-operate with the Liberals for 18 months is like trusting those Vinny Lecavalier trade rumors: you’ll only get disappointed in the end.

Michael Ignatieff did not undergo some kind of mind altering transformation yesterday. However, the NDP went from wanting him to be their Prime Minister to calling him a Harper clone within minutes. Canadians didn’t want dogma. Unfortunately for the politicians who got left at the altar by the evil known as “rational logic”, dogma was all they could muster.

At the end of the day, Harper is a right wing ideologue. So is deficit Jim. They did their best to put forward a left-wing budget. I wouldn’t call it a sterling effort but A for effort in my books.

The real test for the Harper government will be to see if the money flows and the economy improves as a result. Ignatieff is banking on the Harper government inflating the numbers. He is also banking that the news will only get worse as the sugarcoating as the truth is revealed.

So Stephen Harper is on a leash. Duceppe can never support Harper. Unless Layton has a lobotomy, he will blame the Liberals for the recession and the voters will ignore him.

And once the economy inflicts the maximum political damage on Harper, the Liberals win big…really big.

The one pulling the strings in this scenario is Michael Ignatieff, which means he has the power over Harper, which makes him the Prime Minister.

But hey, at least Harper gets to shake Obama’s hand next month. Enjoy it Steve, the clock is ticking.

Doing Homework During Intermission

We’ve all done it.

Putting out the best piece of crap for a homework assignment between intermissions of a hockey game is like a rite of passage for many Canadians.

I like hockey a lot. I got really good at putting together passable stuff in 17 minutes or less. When the intermission effort gets you an A, you’re in business.

There are certain things I couldn’t do in between intermissions, during coach’s corner, or on the bus on the way to school in the morning.

A Throne Speech qualifies…

Liberals Have Upper Hand in Game of Chicken

The Liberals have the option next week of making a major play for seats across Canada. There is one scenario which is not mentioned that would be the best for Liberals, and we are starting to see the beginnings of it.

The Liberals can propose an alternate budget as an amendment to the budget. This will challenge the BQ and the NDP to vote for it. If they fail to do so, they are solely responsible for the ensuing election.

Harper has the option of passing the Liberal budget, making the amendment a friendly one. However, this time it would cost him Jim Flaherty, who would have no more legitimacy if his budget was replaced.

This scenario places Michael Ignatieff firmly in the driver’s seat. Liberals can still oppose a bad budget. They force Layton and Duceppe to follow their lead, killing a coalition where the two caucuses would merge, or forcing an election.

Duceppe does not want to treat Quebecers to their 5th election since 2006.

Layton is the big loser here, being either relegated to irrelevance or being the goat that caused an election, if only because he wanted a cabinet job and Ignatieff had other ideas.

With Stephen W. Bush’s approval ratings tanking and all the euphoria down south for Barack Obama, an election would probably sweep the Liberals into power anyway.

A shadow budget is already in the works. It is a Liberal silver bullet. If they use it right, they cant lose.

The Israel Rant (2009 edition)

The usual disclaimers:

Hamas is a terrorist organization.
Living in Gaza does not make you a member of Hamas.
Israel has a right to defend itself from imminent attack.
Israel does NOT have the right to murder innocent civilians while defending Israel.

I have stayed quiet up until now partly because this isn’t my fight.

Let’s recap. So far, Israel has killed civilians, kept the press from entering to see the extent of the damage, and now, despite being told by the United Nations that the location was a UN school, they bombed it anyway.

I think what I am supposed to say is that I am “deeply concerned” with this turn of events.

Was Hamas firing from the school? Israel said yes. Excuse me if I don’t believe it.

An AP photographer who got to the scene reported that people gathered at the school because they thought it would be safe. The civilians thought the school was safe because nobody was firing at troops from there. Witnesses say they saw Hamas positions a few streets away from the school.

If Israeli soldiers are on the ground and near Gaza city, why they didn’t check out the school is a mystery to me. Israel must have been monitoring the position. They clearly knew the civilians were inside and fired anyway.

If a government fires at a position and it knows it will kill civilians, is it a war crime?

I also wonder aloud if Peter Kent REALLY said that the civilians in that school were asking to get bombed? Not everybody in Gaza is Hamas. Some of them just want to live....

Photo: Ismail Zaydah/Reuters

As for those Qassam rockets the Palestinians are firing, here is a result of one of them...

Photo: Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press

I'm sure i will be seeing holes bigger than that in Montreal when the snow melts. Seems like Montreal winters do more damage than these rockets...thats probably why in the last few years, Montreal's winters have killed more people than these rockets...

I guess I cant say that about Israeli mortar rounds now can I...

Can Israel defend itself? Yes

Do they need to kill thousands of civilians to do it? No

They should put away the mortar shells to swat this mosquito

It’s a Red Christmas This Year

Stephen Harper’s days as Prime Minister are numbered.

The incompetence that Canadians have seen since the Fall Economic Update multiplies daily.

Harper clearly does not know what he is doing. Neither does deficit Jim.

THREE WEEKS AGO, we had a surplus and were gonna weather the economic crisis just fine. Everybody knew that was bogus and Don Quixote found his lance, got on his horse and charged straight at the heart of this spinning windmill.

Luckily, the Liberals left Don Quixote at the windmill, and now patiently wait for Harper, Flaherty, Clement, et al. to continue contradicting themselves over the holidays.

Stephen Harper will also create jobs over the holidays. 18 of them. For Tory stalwarts. That should go swimmingly well. Canadians won’t have any of it. As soon as they get the chance, Harper is toast.

Tous Ensemble…After Christmas

I’ve kept my mouth shut over the past week.

I was watching Stephen Harper’s manufactured unity crisis play out in Quebec, where Pauline Marois was 4 seats away from snatching victory away from Jean Charest, denying him a majority.

Harper’s antics did have a few benefits. He got rid of the greatest asset to the Conservative Party, Stephane Dion.

As Elizabeth Thompson intelligently pointed out today, Ignatieff has a way of getting under Harper’s skin. If the government survives, we can begin to see a chess match develop.

I am absolutely over the moon that Ignatieff is leader. DUH! You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face today, no matter what happened. After the rage of December 2nd 2006, the pain, the tears, the devastated look on the faces of all my friends, today felt great.

Thinking of that fateful afternoon in Montreal, I understand the rage that the Ignatieff detractors are feeling today. It is asking too much to expect everyone to swallow this and “rally behind the leader”. That is why Liberals had to get this done quickly. They needed to ensure that people had a bit of time to recover.

So to all the people who think that this “travesty” means you are going to leave the party, take a deep breath. Take the holidays to think it over. In 5 weeks, the Liberals will take a major step. They have a chance to defeat Harper and take power. The LPC cannot go into this critical phase divided. Internal strife has cost this party far too much.

So let’s put tous ensemble on hold for a few days. Take time to think it over. After Christmas decide whether its time to fish or cut bait. The Liberal Party needs to stop dicking around.

NLDBABHTAHRC

New Liberal Democrat Bloc Anybody but Harper temporary ad hoc rainbow coalition.

Everyone has been griping that Harper is Satan and so on. Time to do something about it.

As for Ignatieff as the leader of the coalition, this would just be icing on the cake. Sucks for all the Rae and Leblanc supporters. However, it was Bob Rae who gathered everyone together Sunday to hammer out this deal.

Even Bob knew he couldn’t be Prime Minister right now. In fact, with a collapsing economy, getting him as far away from the financial levers is probably the best option anyway.

Morning edit: seems that Bob Rae will not roll over and die. Caucus may have to do that for him...makes you wonder why Ivison didnt bother calling Bob Rae...

Canada will be in good hands, even if we have a Minister of Working Families, Minister of Bank Fees, and Minister of Jack!

Change is coming. But for now, the NLDBABHTAHRC is taking over!

Endorsements You Do Not Want

Stephen Harper got some political cover for his reckless management of the government's expenses. He got an endorsement from someone whose skills at managing a budget are...well...um...yeah...

BOB RAE!

Is it the opinion of Bob Rae that governments have no real control of their revenues?

Does he believe that there is nothing a prudent government can do to ward off a deficit?

Here is an interview Bob did with John Oakley, where unlike an independent Parliament official, Bob Rae ABSOLVES Stephen Harper for his reckless spending and tax cuts, saying there is nothing Harper or Flaherty could have done to prevent this.

Rae:

"I did not bring in a deficit. The fact of the matter is, the recession caused the deficit, we did not have a tax and spend agenda, that's just nonsense. We had a situation where revenues where dropping like a stone as a result of the recession, that's what happened."

"Okay, so if we have a deficit now, at the federal level or the provincial level, is that going to be the personal fault of Mr. Harper or Mr. McGuinty? I don't think so, these are things that happen"


Oakley:

"If Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty take us into deficit because of the situation or circumstances, you'd be willing to cut them a lot of slack?"

Rae:

"With great respect John, they're not taking us into deficit...

Oakley:

"Mr. Rae, if the country runs a deficit, do you give them the benefit of the doubt?"

Rae:

"It's not a matter of giving them the benefit of the doubt, the fact is there is a very serious recession on John, maybe you haven't noticed. A lot of people are going to be losing their jobs, a lot of people aren't going to be paying taxes, a lot of companies are not going to be in a position to pay taxes. That is going to have a major impact on the revenues of the country. Would I agree with everything they have done so far, in terms of how they've spent things? No, but do I hold them personally responsible for the fact that we're going to have a deficit here, and in Ontario, of course not and no reasonable person should do that"

Yes, Bob, Harper did not cause a global recession.

However, he did spend away a surplus like a drunken sailor who just got to port after 13 years at sea.

How long has it been since Bob Rae got thrown out of office in Ontario?

13 years already…

h/t Steve V

Election Fatigue

I have been hiding under a rock for the past few days but I did read Don McPherson's coulmn scolding Michael Ignatieff for not being Obama. Gee thanks Don, for creating a scarecrow for you to beat on.

The funniest part about McPherson's column is that he said Bob Rae had yet to declare for the race, one full week after Bob Rae had announced he was running.

Maybe Don MacPherson is the one who needs a brain...