Thursday, April 10, 2014

Could Stephen Harper Soon Be Toast?



It's all going horribly wrong. His foul voter suppression bill is only making even more Canadians want to vote to throw him out of office.

He has more scandals than he can count. His Cons are fighting themselves or urging people to vote for another party.

Pro-life Conservative MP Kyle Seeback told attendees at Campaign Life Coalition’s national pro-life conference on the weekend that when he was first elected three years ago, he would have told people to “vote Conservative” to make a pro-life difference in the country. 

 “I don’t agree with that anymore. You have to find the right person to vote for, regardless of the party affiliation on this issue,” he said.

So I'm not surprised that some are asking is Harper toast?

Last spring, I wrote a column saying that the post-Harper era had unofficially begun. What I meant was that every political step, inside and outside of the Conservative party, would now be taken in view of the fact that Harper’s time as prime minister was limited, even if we didn’t know exactly how limited. I got what seemed to me a surprising amount of pushback from Conservatives.

I don’t think anyone would even try to dispute the point today. In the last year we have seen the spectacle of squabbling cabinet ministers, restive MPs and newly assertive constituency associations.

And although I think Paul Adams is far too gentle on Great Leader, and that he really needs to leave the Ottawa bubble to understand how much Canadians hate him....




He's right about this....

This really is all about Harper’s weakness. Problem begets problem in a cascade.

It really suggests the problems of the Harper government are deep, cultural and implacable. It suggests the government has lost its feel. The Fair Elections Act festers here at home while Harper occupies himself with Ukraine and Israel, which will scarcely help him now.

And this:

When you think of it, Harper has only a few months — perhaps till the end of the summer — if he is going to step down and give his successor a decent run at the next election, scheduled for October of next year. He must be giving that some consideration at least.

And when you consider that the robocall trial will begin in June, which could really ruin his summer. 

If old Brucie's new book doesn't come back to haunt him first. 



Bruce Carson, a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is expected to publish a “rare, behind-the-scenes account” of his time near the centre of political power at about the same time his trial on a charge of influence peddling wraps up.

Because that could be REALLY embarrassing eh?

The events in the book will be “presented from a point of view of an outspoken witness and an active participant,” according to the description. The book claims that Carson will “candidly” share information on the Harper government’s handling of the Afghan detainee scandal, the Cadman affair and the inquiry into Karlheinz Schreiber’s dealings with former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.


Especially this chapter:

The Cadman affair involved the late Independent MP Chuck Cadman who allegedly declined an offer from the Conservatives to vote against the minority Martin Liberal government in exchange for a $1 million insurance policy. Harper has denied Cadman, who was dying, was offered any insurance policy.

And this other new book by Tom Strangelove Flanagan can only do him more damage.

“He can be suspicious, secretive, and vindictive, prone to sudden eruptions of white-hot rage over meaningless trivia, at other times falling into week-long depressions in which he is incapable of making decisions,” Mr. Flanagan writes. “I feared, as I still do, that he might some day bring himself down Nixon-style by pushing too hard against the network of rules constraining authority in a constitutional government.”

By making even more people question his sanity.

And then of course there's that other sordid scandal...



Which could see him have to testify in court.

And when you add it all up, I really wouldn't be surprised if Harper decides to leave sooner than even I had hoped.

But of course that depends a lot on us. 

For if he has only a few months to decide whether he will continue as leader, we should do all we can to help him make up his mind...



And show him how much we love him, and want him to stay.

Yup. Let's make this summer one to remember eh?

Tell the mad king his evil reign is over.

And he's good to GO...



Please click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope your right Simon. What would truly be sweet is a few more books entitled "Why I Fell For Steve" by Nigel Wright, "The Lost Recordings" by Mike Duffy, "How Dare He!" by Pamela Wallin, "Stephen, Stripped" by Patrick Brazeau and "The Buzzard Crowed at Midnight" by Marj Lebreton. That would cement Dear Leader's legacy and seriously, the RCMP are taking an awful long time to finish their senate scandal investigation which to me is a positive, for Dear Atrocious Leader? Not so much.

Omar said...

And yet, there was Nik Nanos on Power and Politics last night informing Evan Solomon that his latest numbers show something like a 5% increase in Harper's popularity numbers. Go. Fucking. Figure. Sometimes I don't know who I despise more, Harper himself or the Canadian electorate.

Anonymous said...

"the RCMP are taking an awful long time"
their marching orders being: if you drag your feet long enough, we'll get the unfair elections law on the books and then you will be dismissed from investigating anything concerning the CON* party.
The books idea I like a lot. Too bad you don't have enough money to pay them more to publish them than harpie does to shut them up.
* Corrupt Old Neurotics
Allah Achbar!
Mazeltov!

Anonymous said...

No! I don't want him to resign! Let the egotistical bully stick around and bring the entire Conservative Party down with him, like the mad captain of a leaden ship. Besides, a survey of his likely successors shows that the CPC would just replace one wrongheaded jerk with another.

Harper, please stay! Your country needs you (to ruin the CPC forever).

Toedancer said...

Simon could you get your blogger buddies to do a shoutout for Mr. Musson. This 72-year-old man is walking across Canada to protest the 2011 robocalls and, now, the Fair Elections Act. Wouldn't it be great if citizens across the country kept him company as he walks? Sounds like he could also use some support, e.g. driving his RV (he's having to double back 15K every day to his RV - so he walks 30K and only covers 15K). If people began to support him, it would be a camera-friendly showing of support from "Ordinary Canadians". An article April 4th http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/local-news/2014/04/04/putting-his-foot-down/ He needs company, someone to keep his blog updated, and perhaps even protection. Screw the media Canadians need to MARCH. An e-mail has been sent out to see if he wants help.

John B. said...

I concur. His entire succession list, most of his barking backbenchers and his associates and supporters in provincial politics must be exposed and sent packing. With full knowledge of his childish destructiveness they have given him unqualified support and are equally accountable. Born in deceit, his party is poison.

Anonymous said...

Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini were all dictators and control freaks. They were also extremely paranoid, everyone was out to get them, which made them very dangerous. They refused to step down even when, their countries were turned to rubble all around them. They had their fanatic followers and their propaganda machines.

I don't see Harper stepping down? Harper has cowed all of his team, they are far too afraid of Harper to stand up against him. The one's who refused to be Harper's trained Seals, left. As we see, Harper's Cons supported Harper's robo-call cheat. They are supporting Harper's Fair Election Plan which is, another election cheat. Harper thinks nothing of cutting his teams throats, to save his own miserable hide.

Anonymous said...

Nanos confirms Watts- Canadians don't care. Or rather, they do, but only about themselves.
WTF? I'm studying French- another story for another day, but no way I'm going west/southwest.

e.a.f. said...

not all polls are correct and neither is Nik Nanos

e.a.f. said...

oil can still has a majority and will stay in office until 2015. He doesn't view himself as having done anything wrong. There will be no open "revolt" against him. The Conservative M.P.s wouldn't dare. They know they will be off the front bench immediately. Although they wish to be the next P.M. they don't want to give anything up in the meantime. Do you really think Biard or the others want to loose the perks of a cabinet post and have to go back to driving their own cars.

Simeon, please, they are not pro life. they are the compulsory pregnancy people. If the compulsory pregnancy people were pro life they would be doing much more to eliminate child poverty in Canada and abroad. They would be ensuring all Canadian children had good health care and free dental care and lived in adequate, safe housing. Until they work as hard at that as they do at trying to control a stranger's body, they aren't pro life.

Simon said...

hi anon...don't worry the whole gang is coming back for their greatest performance ever. I'm personally looking forward to singing "The Buzzard Crowed at Midnight" with Lebreton and Gerstein. ;)
It will be a tsunami of scandal, and if it helps keeps Harper's polls down under 30 per cent he will have to consider leaving before he's pushed...

Simon said...

hi Omar...yes I saw that, but it comes after a long break from Parliament and scandal, and after his foreign trips or mega photo-ops. The harsh reality of Canada should soon take care of that tiny surge.And yes I know how you feel about the Canadian electorate. I read recently that only 28 per cent of Canadians know anything about the Unfair Elections Act. And for a while after that my opinion of some Canadians, or what I'd like to do to them to wake them up, was too coarse to reveal. Still, the good news is that when they do learn what it means they hate the bill, so we have our work cut out for us...

Simon said...

hi liberalandlovingit...it is a depressing situation, but as I told Omar, some Canadians just don't understand what is unless you follow politics a fairly complex and very sneaky plan. So education is the answer. Either that or I'm moving to Scotland... ;)

Simon said...

hi e.a.f...as I told Omar the polls come after a long Parliamentary break and a lot of foreign trips, and now that Harper is back in Ottawa, they're sure to go down again....

Simon said...

hi anon...it does look like they are trying to immunize themselves from the robocall scandal. But they can try to duck the legal fallout, but they won't get away from the political impact. All of this is just tarnishing their brand further. It's incremental but it is taking a toll on them...

Simon said...

hi anonymous...I admit I would dearly love to see him defeated. But I'll settle for his resignation, I just can't stand his crazed prince anymore. And remember, if he leaves now Jason Kenney will almost certainly replace him, and that will be the end of the Cons...

Simon said...

hi Toedancer...I did that tonight in my latest post by linking to a great post by Alison.I admire what he is trying to do, and how he is trying to shake things up. And I will support him as much as I can...

Simon said...

hi anon...I'm sure Harper would like to stay on, and maybe he will dig in his heels no matter what the polls say. But it's clear his Cons don't follow him as blindly as they once did, some of them are starting to panic at their low polls, so he may have no choice but to resign or be pushed...

Simon said...

hi e.a.f...well polls show he has lost the support of about a third of his base, so he is in trouble. He may win some of them back with his Crime and Punishment agenda, but he has been around for too long, and many Canadians are just tired of him and want a change. In the end that is what will be his downfall, everything else will just make his government look more tired, and hasten its end...

Omar said...

Listen e.a.f., I am more than well aware not all polls are correct and that Nik Nanos is not some sort of sage analyst. But I am also fully cognisant of the fact there are literally millions of Canadians who not only think Harper is doing a great job, but that he is one of the greatest pm's we've ever had! And because of that I do not rule out for one second the Conservatives could not only win in 2015, but they could win another majority government under his leadership.

Anonymous said...

I have never been a Conservative supporter, but I do think it's rather unfair to think of Harper's party as anything but the Canadian Reform Alliance Party (CRAP). When Harper formed the coalition of CRAP and the Conservative Party, several REAL conservatives couldn't stomach it and resigned.

Yes, Harper is poison for Canada, as is the CRAP-Conservation coalition. I wish the Con MPs would grow some cojones and rebel and vote against the election reform bill. These people were elected to represent Canadians and not to serve as yes men for someone who is easily the worst prime minister in Canada's history.

Anonymous said...

You betcha he'd like to stay on. Mr Megalomaniac just loves travelling around the planet mouthing off about this and telling countries what to do about that. He yapped right at Obama's heals over Ukraine and jumped on the sanctions wagon with dire threats of stopping imports of vodka. He is too full of himself to even realize how pathetic he sounds and looks. The other side of this is that he gets awfully petulant and pouty when things don't go his way, and he might want to avoid an ego-damaging defeat. .

e.a.f. said...

Omar get a grip. I never said Harper couldn't "win" another election. With his new voter suppression act before parliament, and its eventual passing, so will our democracy and there is a good change oil can harper will be p.m. for a very long time. the guy has never had a job which paid him this much. Its simply polls are polls, just sticks in the ground.