tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post6446806961356160411..comments2024-03-03T17:01:57.876-05:00Comments on Montreal Simon: Mike Duffy and the Con Scandal That Won't DieSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-72674095648474429312017-08-27T14:56:11.562-04:002017-08-27T14:56:11.562-04:00Please,please, please, but I'd really like to ...Please,please, please, but I'd really like to see Nigel Wright up there also.jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-5655168197963106772017-08-27T14:47:17.717-04:002017-08-27T14:47:17.717-04:00Duffy was shot, tortured and then illegally impris...Duffy was shot, tortured and then illegally imprisoned (and tortured some more) for 10 years in Guantanamo, run through a kangaroo court that would have shamed a Stalinist show trial and then got to spend 3 or so years in Canadian prisons due to the irrational and vicious behaviour of Harper and his government?<br /><br />I must have missed more of the Duffy Saga than I had realized.jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-22686986249397020132017-08-27T10:27:50.145-04:002017-08-27T10:27:50.145-04:00For his suffering Duff deserves twice what Kadhr g...For his suffering Duff deserves twice what Kadhr got.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14162783936999869984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-56746231413124124682017-08-27T09:06:41.197-04:002017-08-27T09:06:41.197-04:00yup painting all politicians as crooks is just bra...yup painting all politicians as crooks is just brainless, dump-style populism. and then they go and elect the biggest crook of them all just to show us!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-57739486284516705102017-08-27T07:00:27.723-04:002017-08-27T07:00:27.723-04:00I disagree strongly. Our politicians range from o...I disagree strongly. Our politicians range from outstandingly honest and ethical to "would not recognize an ethic if it bit them on the ankle". Overall, I'd guess that most parliamentarians are quite honest with some notable exceptions. jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-48465432236587979242017-08-27T06:55:30.897-04:002017-08-27T06:55:30.897-04:00I find it hard to think of Duffy as anything but a...<i>I find it hard to think of Duffy as anything but an old scoundrel.</i> <br />Well yes, but I really am not sure that his housing claim in particular was "business as usual" for the time. He and several other senators deserved censure but even Duffy did not deserve the PMO for that. His shameless shilling for money for the Cons strikes me as much more an ethical issue both for Duffy and for Harper.jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-25022152347145292122017-08-27T01:54:20.901-04:002017-08-27T01:54:20.901-04:00And next on the list of shit to clean up may be th...And next on the list of shit to clean up may be thousands more fleeing from a country whose leaders haven't been motivated to become any more concerned about the welfare of its citizens since Ronald Reagan helped them save it from Communism:<br /><br />https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/el-salvadorans-seen-as-potential-source-of-next-wave-of-border-crossers/article36088888/<br /><br />Next up: Honduras and Guatemala.John B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-75048634984493605322017-08-27T01:39:21.365-04:002017-08-27T01:39:21.365-04:00hi JD...well that would be music to my ears, and w...hi JD...well that would be music to my ears, and who knows I suppose anything is possible. Duffy must surely know that he isn't going to collect anywhere near $8 million, but I'm sure embarrassing Harper would be as the Visa ad says, priceless...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-38442632758367621962017-08-27T01:36:55.144-04:002017-08-27T01:36:55.144-04:00hi RT...I would be very disappointed if there is a...hi RT...I would be very disappointed if there is an out of court settlement, and frankly astonished if the Liberals gave up a good opportunity to embarrass the Cons. I know progressives in this country have made a habit of turning up with a spoon to a knife fight, but they shouldn't make that mistake again....Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-16715801331601500862017-08-27T01:31:45.472-04:002017-08-27T01:31:45.472-04:00hi anon...I too could not help feeling that Harper...hi anon...I too could not help feeling that Harper and his political thugs influenced the way the RCMP approached this case, and ended up charging Duffy instead of Nigel Wright. Or both of them. And although the RCMP promised to explain their decision the little they said made absolutely no sense. I'm hoping they can do a better job of explaining why they charged the guy who accepted the bribe, and not the one but offered it. But as I said in my post, most of all I'm hoping that Canadians are reminded of how awful the Harper regime was, and how we dodged the bullet that could have killed this country..Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-66451441604423348242017-08-27T01:24:48.527-04:002017-08-27T01:24:48.527-04:00hi anon...I hope I have a nice dream soon of Harpe...hi anon...I hope I have a nice dream soon of Harper and Trump sharing a cell, but sadly it will only be a dream. I'm still hoping that the orange oaf will do some prison time, but in this country the RCMP made sure that Harper got away with murder, and I don't see him ending up where he belongs. But as I said, the lawsuit will embarrass the Cons and prevent them from using the Khadr case for crass political purposes. And since the lawsuit could drag on all the way to the next election, I'm hoping it will do the Cons some damage, and help keep them out of power for another four years...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-10658921824127521842017-08-27T01:17:49.204-04:002017-08-27T01:17:49.204-04:00hi John...unfortunately we are going to end up pay...hi John...unfortunately we are going to end up paying for this, and the real villains are probably going to get away again. But as I said in my post, if the lawsuit can remind Canadians of the ghastly Con regime, I will be more than satisfied...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-30253728371280220962017-08-27T01:15:15.814-04:002017-08-27T01:15:15.814-04:00hi anon...collective dementia is a good way to des...hi anon...collective dementia is a good way to describe it, and in my opinion it's a real threat to the future of this country. Easy living has made many Canadians apathetic about politics, but after being threatened by Harper for so many years, our values are once again under assault by Trump and the Trumplings in this country. And if we are not careful we could still lose everything...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-88777362865058467562017-08-27T01:10:39.789-04:002017-08-27T01:10:39.789-04:00hi anon...I'm sure there are many Canadians wh...hi anon...I'm sure there are many Canadians who share that view, but I wouldn't go that far. Politicians after all merely reflect who we are, and only get away with what we allow them to get away with. In the U.S. the political system has been totally corrupted by lobbyists and big business, but while our system is not perfect we're still better than that...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-74777046332779855332017-08-27T01:05:31.116-04:002017-08-27T01:05:31.116-04:00hi jrkrideau...Although I'll be rooting for Du...hi jrkrideau...Although I'll be rooting for Duffy to embarrass Harper and his PMO gang as much as he can, I find it hard to think of Duffy as anything but an old scoundrel. He was a shameless Con bootlicker and fundraiser, who only escaped retribution because it turned out the Senate had no ethical rules. But of course the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and I can be shameless too... ;)Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-1241932084066197022017-08-27T01:01:08.158-04:002017-08-27T01:01:08.158-04:00hi anon...as I explained above, I believe that Duf...hi anon...as I explained above, I believe that Duffy's lawyer is just going to use the trial judge's verdict to sue for damages, rather than try to retry the case, which would be almost impossible since Duffy did win his case. But I am hoping that Duffy and his lawyer will find some way to embarrass Harper and his PMO gang, and who knows there could be some surprises...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-53013057032587189592017-08-27T00:56:28.109-04:002017-08-27T00:56:28.109-04:00Hi Kathleen...I doubt that Duffy will get his $8 m...Hi Kathleen...I doubt that Duffy will get his $8 million since there is no precedent for a sum like that to compensate for lost reputation, which in itself is hard to calculate. And unfortunately the real culprits will probably not be revealed because as I understand it Duffy's lawyer doesn't plan to retry the case but simply depend on the trial judge's verdict. But Duffy should get the money he lost back, and something to compensate him for his ordeal. And as I said in my post, it will certainly serve to embarrass Harper and the PMO gang...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-72805179691102354722017-08-27T00:20:27.615-04:002017-08-27T00:20:27.615-04:00Maybe we'll finally get to hear, "Will St...Maybe we'll finally get to hear, "Will Stephen Harper please take the stand".<br />JDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-20074128437372183972017-08-26T21:39:42.158-04:002017-08-26T21:39:42.158-04:00I will be surprised if it ever goes to trial. The ...I will be surprised if it ever goes to trial. The Cons will pull in whatever markers they have left, promise some sort of accommodation with the Liberals on a key piece of legislation and presto an out of court settlement for an undisclosed amount. Hope I am wrong as the fallout from a public trial combined with the social media anchors being put on the type of "free hate speech" promoted by "news" sources such as the Rebel will result in insurmountable head winds pushing the SS Reform-A-Con into a shark infested watery grave.<br />RTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-51400540675745509472017-08-26T19:49:06.151-04:002017-08-26T19:49:06.151-04:00I have always been bothered by the way the RCMP be...I have always been bothered by the way the RCMP behaved as Harper's political police during this scandal. Where would the U.S be had the brilliant and decent Comey acted similarly to Bob Paulson? They would not have a chance. We need civilian leadership at the RCMP. <br />Also, we have never come to terms with how terrible Harper was.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-461241116863449362017-08-26T19:31:53.016-04:002017-08-26T19:31:53.016-04:00They have some damn nerve complaining about Khadr ...They have some damn nerve complaining about Khadr and the nothingburger that was Khangate. As usual, just like in the 'States, conservatives screw up and cheat, and liberals have to clean up their mess. Canada, of course, ends up cleaning up the Republicans' messes too. You go back to Vietnam and the draft-resisters and boat people were collateral damage of Nixon's. Khadr was a victim of the Shrub regime as much as he was Harper's, and all the refugees coming in now are victims of the Bush wars and now Trump's persecution. Expect more now that DACA is a dream deferred. But I digress.<br /><br />If this guy Duffy ends up squealing about all the bad hombres in his party, while at the same time the cards come crashing down at the Kremlin outpost of 1600 Penn, it'd be interesting to see Harper and Trump being the first leaders of their respective countries to do a perp walk. Have a reality show! <i>The Odd Couple: International Edition.</i> "Can two corrupt former heads of government share a prison cell without driving each other crazy...?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-24978795415169026752017-08-26T14:57:28.113-04:002017-08-26T14:57:28.113-04:00Another bill that should be sent to Harper & A...Another bill that should be sent to Harper & Associates. I've wondered whether the CTF was complicit in a project to smear Duffy, thus making him the focus of public disapproval as details of the "bribe" and cover-up emerged? If he can't go after the party or any of its apparatchiks who in their involvement in the affair were acting as public officials, maybe he should consider targetting that outfit.<br /><br />If the public is going to end up paying for this, we should at least take the opportunity to put more old dirty CRAP Party laundry on full display.John B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-52634318667666374092017-08-26T14:44:49.514-04:002017-08-26T14:44:49.514-04:00I agree with Simon, too many Canadians have forgot...I agree with Simon, too many Canadians have forgotten what Harper and company did to this country. It's like collective dementia. Justin Trudeau has done a great job of restoring our Canadian values, but when I see what our country is becoming I wonder whether it will be enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-15208577581095088132017-08-26T12:53:53.493-04:002017-08-26T12:53:53.493-04:00They're all a bunch of crooks as far as I'...They're all a bunch of crooks as far as I'm concerned. Politicians, that is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-6868943840896156582017-08-26T12:32:24.095-04:002017-08-26T12:32:24.095-04:00I get a warm feeling when I think that Steven Harp...I get a warm feeling when I think that Steven Harper has no parliamentary immunity. <br /><br />My personal feelings about Duffy is that he was gaming the system a bit but given how loose (non-existent?) Senate guidelines seem to have been, he may well have thought he was acting within the Guidelines. Still, he and Wallen were did not appear to have been appointed as "real" senators but rather as <br />Conservative fund raisers which is about the ethical level one would expect of Harper. <br /><br />Ihad the feeling that Nigel Wright damned himself when he called in a Government lawyer to draft the agreement with Duffy. Using Government resources for a putative "private" gift immediately means that the gift was not 'private'. <br /><br /><br />After that, the behaviour of the PMO, Cons in the Senate and senior Con party officials goes downhill rapidly. <br /><br />A trial like this could be more fun than theGomery Commission :) Do senators have parliamentary immunity? I hope not. <br />jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.com