For years Jason Kenney has been considered the brightest star in the Con constellation, after his depraved leader Stephen Harper.
The hardest working minister, the Pope of the Con's religious base, Mr Curry in a Hurry, the rabid partisan who could do no wrong.
But not any longer.
Because if he thought he could get away with lying about why the Harperites are extending the war to Syria, it seems he was very much mistaken.
Because now the NDP is after him and they want him investigated.
NDP defence critic Jack Harris submitted a request to Speaker Andrew Scheer Thursday to have Defence Minister Jason Kenney investigated for breach of privilege.
The request stems from mistaken comments Kenney made repeatedly over the past week in which he said Canada was asked to join anti-Islamic State airstrikes over Syria because it is the only other country beside the United States with precision guided munitions.
He has been humbled. Made to look like a child who doesn't know the difference between right and wrong...
His reputation is taking a beating.
Jason Kenney has long been considered the Conservative party’s best approximation of an heir apparent; a dauphin, if you will. In a caucus notably lacking in strong performers, save for the Prime Minister and a handful of ministers, Mr. Kenney is a star. Or was.
For it has been reinforced lately, most recently Wednesday, that this minister has a potentially crippling Achilles heel; his very confidence and combativeness, coupled with instant access to social media, lead him to one snafu after another. Making matters worse, having erred, Mr. Kenney is incapable of apology. The words “I’m sorry” apparently cannot pass his lips without causing him to spontaneously combust.
A lot of people, including some in the military, are said to be questioning his judgement and/or his mental stability...
And no doubt wondering whether it really was a good idea to make a Cold War warrior, a religious fanatic, and a chubby chickenhawk who lies all the time, Canada's Minister of War.
From any government minister at any time, this cascade of self-inflicted wounds, followed by mulish pride, would be cause for concern. From a defence minister in wartime it is alarming.
Especially since his Twitter site keeps up a steady barrage of tweets like this one...
And it seems he really does want to get us into a war with the godless Russians. You know, the ones with the crazy leader AND the nuclear weapons.
Which has some wondering whether they should hope for an intervention, or pray for deliverance.
Like Kenney must be doing...
Others are already calling for his resignation.
On March 13, this editorial board wrote there was “hope yet that (Jason) Kenney will focus on the task at hand” and that he would learn to treat the job of defence minister with “the solemnity his office deserves.” It seems our hope was misplaced. It is starting to look like Kenney is simply not up to the job.
Canadians need to have faith that if our country goes to war, it will be acting on accurate and up-to-date information about its allies’ capabilities, and that its decisions will be informed and considered. If we cannot have that faith with this minister at the helm, then we need a new minister.
And all of this couldn't be more delicious or ironic.
He set out to declare war on the Russians, the Islamic heathens, the niqab conspiracy AND Justin Trudeau...
Only to fire his torpedoes in his own general direction, and blow HIMSELF out of the water.
And in less than TWO MONTHS after he became minister !!!!
But then what did he expect? You just can't lie about the reasons for going to war in Syria. Claim it was all about bombs when it's actually about pleasuring the Con base. And hope to get away with it.
And if he had any honour he should resign immediately.
But he doesn't have any honour, and he won't resign, because that would focus attention on the man who appointed him Defence Minister, and remind Canadians once again of Stephen Harper's abominable judgement.
In the middle of the Duffy trial...
But we will use all of this against them in the election campaign.
Both Kenney and Harper have been damaged. And with a little bit of luck.
They'll both go down together...
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I think it's a combination of hubris and natural incompetence. Kenney was never particularly amazing at anything. He seemed to be better at not being a completely empty-headed embarrassment (i.e., the bulk of the Conservative caucus) but in a high-pressure portfolio like Defense, where he got to indulge in all his Book of Revelations apocalyptic fantasies, the mask came off.
ReplyDeletehi thwap...you're right, as others have pointed out, he has never occupied a ministry as important as the Ministry of War. His much praised immigration job was botched by the foreign worker's scandal, and being minister of multiculturalism seems to mean attending one religious festival after the other, and going through one buffet after the other like a great white shark. And yes giving him a chance to speed up the Rapture was a dreadful mistake...
DeleteSusan Delacourt accuses Canadians of being apathetic but they are really poorly informed. And it is due to the media. I watched CPAC and saw Jack Harris's speech and his request and not one political program later even mentioned it. I thought it should be front page news. And it should have been. Either they are all in Harper's pocket or they are too lazy to do their jobs right.
ReplyDeletehi anon....I agree with you and I don't. You're right about the MSM, they have focused on one thing after the other in the 24-hour news cycle and have failed to convey the Big Picture. But it's got to be more than that. Maybe it's our schools, maybe the Cons have managed to turn people off politics. But it is the biggest problem we face, and we need to figure out a solution quickly...
DeleteThe fat bastard wont resign. His ego's to inflated for that. Harperroid wont fire him as it will make him look worse than he his. He'll be told to keep his snout shut until the smoke clears. By then he'll be bursting at the seams with pent up bullshit so he'll be back soon, lying from coast to coast.
ReplyDeleteJD
hi JD...no he won't, his job is his life, and he apparently loves being Defence Minister.But ducking the charge that he lied about our reason for going to war will be difficult even for him. And especially if or when support for the war fades...
DeleteDon't forget Gen. Lawson's role too in the misinformation campaign. Lawson's apparent lie to cover up for Kenney was in some ways even more serious because this guy is the Chief of the Defence Staff. His later retraction does not change the seriousness of his first error.
ReplyDeletehi anon...I haven't forgotten, I wrote a whole post about it, and how it wasn't the first time. But I'm glad he did finally come forward because he has made Kenney look bad...
DeleteWith all the purity sef flaggulation brings.
ReplyDeletehi Steve...well I'm not sure that Kenney has given up on his leadership ambitions. The way he campaign day after day I would say he still fancies himself as Harper's successor. Which of course I encourage, because should Kenney ever become Prime Minister the Cons would soon be gone for a generation....
DeleteTo change the subject..... does anyone know if the Duffy trial will be televised on CPAC?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/cpac-special/episodes/90005063/
CPAC Special - Duffy on Trial
CPAC previews the criminal trial of suspended senator Mike Duffy for fraud, breach of trust, and bribery. Revisit key moments from the Senate expenses controversy, and look ahead to the issues, witnesses, and political questions surrounding Duffy's trial. (April 2, 2015)
hi David...I very much doubt it. Getting a trial televised in this country, is almost impossible. But of course if it was televised I'd definitely watch it... ;)
DeleteJason 'another boy fer Jesus' Kenney has proved himself to be another incompetent Harperite asshole. It doesn't worry me, though, since I think both our allies and our so-called enemies understand his comedic value.
ReplyDeletehi anon...well I always knew that Kenney was a lightweight and an incompetent, but I must admit the rapid way he has self destructed has impressed me beyond belief. More more I say, just don't start the Third World War... ;)
DeleteOn CRUSH facebook page is an article stating that Harper is thinking about and has discussed with Netanyahu the idea of conscription of 18 year olds in Canada. Article in Canadians Veterans Advocacy is cited. And it is suggested an article was run on CBC and quickly killed. Can't seem to trace it. Can you Simon?
ReplyDeletehi anon...yes I saw that and just finished a post about it. I can't find the original story, but the old link is still there and it takes you to something quite different...
Deleteof course stevie slime would like to have a conscription. it would be like an induction into the harper Christian Missionary Alliance Church.
ReplyDeleteone of the reasons Americans are so gun crazy is that for generations they all were conscripted into the military. harper sees this as a method of advancing his crazy ideology.
conscripted Canadians would be cannon fodder for the demented Cons attacks on any Arab or Muslim country. I can see it now, millions of young Canadians seeking refugee status in the U.S.A. "great warrior" won't have to throw people out of Canada, they'll be leaving to claim their dual citizenship in other countries. of course we wouldnt' expect any of stevie slime's rabid base to endanger their precious brood, just the working class.
hi e.a.f... I do think conscription is something Harper would dream up. It takes a certain mentality, and if there is anything Harper has tried to do since he came to power is turn us into a more militaristic country. He's distorting our history, and we have been at war since he came to power...
DeleteRussia is mystified why Putin is demonized in the Western media. President Putin is wildly popular at home, and seen as a decent, modest, an admirable person, and Russians don't understand why there is such a disconnect with Western impressions. Could this be explained by a deliberate campaign to defame Putin, by US governments or other groups i.e. CIA?
ReplyDeletehttp://russia-insider.com/en/politics_media_watch/2014/11/04/02-02-59pm/cia_running_defamation_campaign_against_putin
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The Ukraine coup was financed out of the U.S. http://bit.ly/1kwseyp using USAID, Omidyar & Soros money